The Importance of Vitamin D in Your Day

By Janin Hendry

Vitamin D is a key vitamin that everyone needs to keep their body running its best. You can find it in some of your favorite foods, from pizza to milkshakes. The best Vitamin D source is from sunlight, which can be particularly hard to come by as winter rolls in.

What Does Vitamin D Do? 

Vitamin D, as you learned as a kid, helps build strong bones. It also helps bones stay strong. You can absorb Vitamin D from the foods you eat, and your skin will do the same as the sun comes out. Vitamin D plays a vital part in your body's operation and can help prevent multiple types of conditions from developing.

• Osteoporosis - Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disorder that is more common in women than men. As we age, we are starting to lose bone density. The loss of density can cause pain, muscle weakness, and bones to break more easily. Vitamin D can help slow or prevent bone loss, reducing the likelihood of fractures or severe breaks.
• Cancer - There are many types of cancers that you can develop that start with low Vitamin D levels. Keeping the levels high can help prevent certain types of cancers from developing.
• Cognitive decline - As we physically age, so do our brains. After the age of 60, the likelihood of developing disorders such as Alzheimer's disease jumps considerably. Research into cognitive decline disorders shows Vitamin D plays a key role in maintaining good mental connectivity and general cognitive function.
• Multiple sclerosis - Multiple sclerosis starts when the nerve cells in your brain lose their protective sheathing. As your brain sheds the sheathing, it is more difficult to control and understand physical and mental processes. Vitamin D can reduce the effectiveness of multiple sclerosis and maybe even stop it from developing.

What Are the Best Foods for Vitamin D? 

Here are some ways to get Vitamin D into your body.

• Sun - The sun is one of the best ways to get Vitamin D. While harder in the winter, facial or hand exposure can provide small amounts of D vitamins to your system.
• Dairy products - Cheese, regular, soy and almond milk, and yogurt are all amazing places to find plenty of Vitamin D to start your day and finish it healthy.
• Fish - Salmon, rainbow trout, and sardines are excellent foods to find large amounts of Vitamin D.

Food is the primary source for getting vitamin D into your body, but staying active can help give you a good dose of sunshine and improve your mood. Vitamin D is only one type of vitamin that can help you healthy and in tune with your body.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic Clinic in Schaumburg, Ill.