Know Your Vitamin D
By Sara Butler
Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin. It makes your mood sunny but also can only be created by your body when exposed to sunlight. In truth, Vitamin D isn’t a vitamin at all, but a hormone and one that a lot of people are seriously lacking in, especially in winter. Find out about all the ways you can boost your Vitamin D this winter with a few of these foods!
Why You Need Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays an important role in many different body processes, including your bone health. It helps minerals to deposit on your bones and teeth, helping to boost their strength and keep you healthy. Vitamin D is also vital for your overall health and wellness, helping you to avoid the winter blues.
How Much?
Vitamin D recommendations have gotten a boost over the last couple of years. The current recommended allowance of Vitamin D is:
- People age 1 to 70 – 600 international units per day
- People 71 and older – 800 international units per day
Do You Have a Deficiency?
How do you know if you’re Vitamin D deficient? Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it can be stored in the body for quite a while. So, tracking how much you get from supplements or food won’t really tell you if you’re deficient or not because there’s no guarantee your body is absorbing it as it should. The best way to find out if you’re deficient is to have your blood tested.
How to Get Vitamin D
There are three basic ways to get Vitamin D. They are:
- Sunlight – Sunshine is free and normally abundant and it’s the best way to get your Vitamin D. All you need is to expose your skin to the sun for about 20 minutes three times per week to get what you need. Just remember to use sunscreen if you’re going to be outside for long periods because skin cancer is still a threat.
- Food – A few foods offer natural Vitamin D such as liver, egg yolks, and fatty fish. Other foods with Vitamin D are fortified with it, such as milk and cereal.
- Supplements – Supplements can be used, but only at the advice of a medical professional. Many supplements are poorly absorbed by the body and must be taken with a source of fat to be absorbed properly.
Your body needs Vitamin D to function, so make sure you get all it needs!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in South Jordan, Utah.