Vitamin D Benefits
Do you know how vitamin D benefits you?
We’ll get to that later, but first let’s take a closer look at this vitamin. It’s a fat-soluble vitamin that comes in several forms. Types:
- Vitamin D2 – food sources
- Vitamin D3 – the sun’s ultraviolet rays
- Vitamin D5 - a synthetic form
Of the 3 types, scientists consider vitamin D3 the natural form, because it’s the most active. Vitamin D from food is not fully active. It requires conversion by the liver and kidneys before it reaches full strength.
Foods Rich in Vitamin D
Eat these:
- chinook salmon
- shrimp (steamed/boiled)
- milk
- cod (baked, broiled)
- whole eggs (boiled)
Have a glass of milk with something sweet.
How Does Vitamin D Help You?
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus, two essential minerals. It’s important for growth, especially the normal growth and development of bones and teeth in children. You see? Your mom was right making you drink all that milk. This vitamin is also critical in the prevention and treatment of breast and colon cancer, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and hypocalcemia.
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
Many dark-skinned people (dark skin pigment blocks sunlight) cannot get enough vitamin D from sunlight. Also, people living far north where there is limited sunlight during the winter are at risk. For many, being a homebody and disliking milk causes deficiency. Common signs: loss of appetite, burning sensation in the mouth and throat, diarrhea, insomnia, vision problems Severe deficiency can cause rickets and osteomalacia in children.
Vitamin D in a Supplement
Well, it’s not my first suggestion. Instead, get outside in the sunlight for fifteen minutes 3 times a week. This will supply your body with enough vitamin D benefits. Really, it’s easy to start doing. Take a walk, play with your kids, or just sit. I do recommend taking a multi-nutrient supplement that includes vitamin D. This advice is for everyone, but especially for people with dark skin and people who endure long, dark winters every year.
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