Ask 5 different fitness gurus and they’ll all tell you to take 5 different supplements. While every trainer and dietician has their personal recommendations, what does science say about a proven supplement? If you’ve been on the fence about whether to take a multi-vitamin or an isolated nutrient, look to the research for answers. If there’s one supplement guys need to be taking on a daily basis, it’s Vitamin D. Let’s take a look at why Vitamin D is so important and how it can benefit you.

5. Enhance Your Immunity

This first benefit is important as cold season is back. Taking Vitamin D on a daily basis has been shown to boost your immune response. While Vitamin C gets all the attention, no studies show that it’s useful for increasing your immunity. Vitamin D, on the other hand, was shown to give a boost to those sickness fighting cells in your body, making it an effective way to avoid the common cold and flu.

4. Be Happier

 Do you feel less happy during the colder, winter months? It has everything to do with the lack of sunshine and low Vitamin D levels. Sunshine helps create Vitamin D in the body and if you aren’t seeing much sun, you won’t be producing much Vitamin D. As you may have guessed, Vitamin D plays a very important role in mood support. If you’re lacking in the vitamin, you won’t feel like yourself and you’ll experience symptoms of non-serious depression. Supplement with Vitamin D to feel better throughout the miserable winter months.

3. Protect Your Bones

This shouldn’t come as any surprise but Vitamin D is important for the protection and development of your bone health. One of the reasons that milk is said to be so good for you has to do with the Vitamin D content within. It also has a lot of protein, which helps with lean muscle mass development. If you are lactose intolerant, like many people, then you can supplement with Vitamin D to get in your daily recommended dose. 

2. Support Hormone Health

Okay, guys, listen up: When you reach the age of 30, your testosterone levels will peak and slowly drop off. Why is this a big deal? Testosterone is responsible for more than just your deep voice and beard. Low testosterone levels may result in depression, loss of muscle, gaining of fat mass, and low libido. In other words, you DON’T want low t-levels. Vitamin D has been shown to support healthy testosterone levels in men.

1. Build Lean Muscle Mass

Last but not least, Vitamin D supplementation supports your muscle building goals. The first way is through increasing your total testosterone levels. Testosterone is a primary muscle building hormone. Why do you think there are so many t-boosters on the market?

The other way that it helps is through muscle recovery. Your muscles will bounce back faster and allow you to get into the gym sooner. Combined with a well-designed lifting program, Vitamin D supplementation can help you achieve that lean muscle mass you’ve been wanting.

Tell Us What You Think!

Do you take Vitamin D every day?

What benefits have you noticed?

Do you have your own daily supplement?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Pilz S, Frisch S, Koertke H, Kuhn J, Dreier J, Obermayer-Pietsch B, Wehr E, Zittermann A. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men. Horm Metab Res. 2011 Mar;43(3):223-5. doi: 10.1055/s-0030-1269854. Epub 2010 Dec 10.

Sue Penckofer, PhD, RN, Joanne Kouba, PhD, RD, Mary Byrn, BSN, RN, and Carol Estwing Ferrans, PhD, RN, FAAN. Vitamin D and Depression: Where is all the Sunshine? Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2010 Jun; 31(6): 385–393.

Lips P, Bouillon R, van Schoor NM, Vanderschueren D, Verschueren S, Kuchuk N, Milisen K, Boonen S. Reducing fracture risk with calcium and vitamin D. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2010 Sep;73(3):277-85. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2009.03701.x.

Lars Rejnmark, PhD. Effects of Vitamin D on Muscle Function and Performance: A Review of Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials. Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2011 Jan; 2(1): 25–37.