Vitamin D, also referred to as the Sunshine Vitamin is one of the essential vitamins required for overall body health. It plays important roles in the body which include it absorbs calcium in the intestines and also controls the amount of calcium needed in your body. Therefore, it is essential in forming, strengthening, and maintaining your bones. Also, it helps in muscle, lung, and heart functioning.
Vitamin D can be naturally produced by the body from sun exposure and can also be consumed in supplements or foods. The main food sources includes salmon, milk, mackerel, cod liver oil, mushrooms, beef liver, yoghurt, and orange juice among other foods. However, it should be noted that even though the sun stimulates our bodies to produce vitamin D, over-exposure to the sun can cause premature aging of your skin and in other cases skin cancer.
Having adequate vitamin D in the body is very important for various reasons, a few benefits of vitamin D include
Vitamin D also plays a major role in protecting the body against various health conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, osteoporosis, dementia, and type 1 diabetes. It also aids in regulating insulin levels in diabetes management.
Although vitamin D plays a major role in ensuring a healthy body excessive levels can result in negative effects. Some of the side effects associated with excessive vitamin D consumption include
You should not consume higher than recommended amounts of doses of vitamin D. In case you have to, it’s important to first consult with your doctor.
In case you are experiencing constipation from vitamin D, this means that you have been magnesium deficiency for quite a long time. Also, higher levels of vitamin D, especially in children, can contribute to constipation. In case the stomach takes too much of calcium, inability to absorb other important nutrients may result. If the digestive system is not able to absorb enough fiber which helps to soften the stool, then constipation occurs.
Vitamin D deficiency constipation symptoms include infrequent bowel movements, lumpy stools, abdominal pain, and trouble passing stool among others.
There are many over the counter medications that can help relieve constipation. Although some vitamins are constipating, certain vitamins are natural stool softeners and can help ease constipation. Below are a few
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin can help create an osmotic effect in the digestive tract. By pulling water into your intestines, it will aid in softening your stool. Also, it should be noted that excessive amounts of vitamin C are harmful. It can cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.
It is also referred to as Pantothenic Acid. It stimulates muscle contractions in the digestive system as a result moving stool through the bowels.
It is also referred to as Vitamin B-9 or Folate. It aids in relieving constipation by stimulating the production of digestive acids. In case the levels of the digestive acid may have been lower, an increase in the acid level can speed up digestion and help move stool through the colon.
It should also be noted that lower levels of vitamin B-12 in the body can cause constipation. Increasing the consumption of vitamin B-12 in your daily intake can aid in easing constipation symptoms.
Medically Reviewed By
Catherine is a dedicated freelance health and science writer committed to excellence and professionalism. She specializes in health topics including diet and nutrition, immune-related diseases, surgery, and cancer.
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