In recent years, vitamin D has received a lot of attention. That’s because many of us are lacking in the “sunshine vitamin,” which our bodies naturally create in reaction to sunlight.

Additional study has indicated that appropriate vitamin D levels may have a wide range of health benefits, from the functioning of basic bodily functions to how long we live.

According to scientists, vitamin D has the following effects on your health.

Vitamin D may lengthen your telomeres, the sections of cells that carry DNA information and serve as biological markers of aging, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition. (As we age, our telomeres shrink, and when they become too short, a cell dies.) Researchers discovered that middle-aged adults with higher vitamin D blood levels had longer telomeres.

A review of papers published in 2021 came to the same conclusion, stating that vitamin D supplementation may have “potentially beneficial effects … on aging and age-related diseases.”

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of cancers such as breast, colon, prostate, leukemia, lymphoma, and melanoma, according to certain research. However, the evidence is contradictory. Higher vitamin D levels did not reduce the risk of stomach, prostate, or esophageal cancer, but did cut the risk of colon cancer, according to one evaluation of research, while a 2021 assessment of papers found no statistically significant benefit of vitamin D on breast cancer.

Early in the pandemic, a Spanish research indicated that 82 percent of hospitalized COVID patients were vitamin D deficient, implying that the vitamin could protect against the coronavirus. Those conclusions have held up, and new research suggests that vitamin D may even protect you from contracting COVID: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are linked to a higher risk of COVID infection, hospitalization, ICU admission, and death, according to a meta-analysis of 54 studies published in Frontiers in Public Health in December 2021.

Our bones are constantly breaking down and repairing themselves, which is a little-known fact. As a result, Vitamin D is an essential nutrient. It aids in the absorption of calcium, which is necessary for bone growth. According to the National Institutes of Health, “getting enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet can help maintain bone strength and lessen your risk of developing osteoporosis.”

Vitamin D helps white blood cells operate properly, which benefits the immune system. It also aids in the regulation of the immune system’s response to prevent it from becoming overactive. Vitamin D may also help to lower the risk of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, type 2 diabetes, and lupus.

Vitamin D deficiency affects nearly 40% of Americans. Adults should get 600 IU of vitamin D per day through food and supplements, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. (However, this suggestion is divisive, with many experts arguing that it should be higher.)

Salmon, egg yolks, mushrooms, fortified milk, juice, and cereals are all high in vitamin D. However, getting all of the vitamin D you need from diet can be difficult, so supplementing may be necessary.

A word of caution: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that it is stored in excess levels in the body. Toxic effects can occur if you take too much (albeit this is a rare occurrence). Before starting any supplement, it’s a good idea to consult your doctor.

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