I have noticed a lot of talk about vitamin D recently. It’s like all of the sudden this is the vitamin getting all of the attention! So I asked myself, what’s so great about vitamin D anyway? I know you’re thinking to yourself, “Hey, I was wondering the same thing!” So, I did some research, and here are five things you should know about vitamin D:
1. Vitamin D controls normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, it is needed for bone growth, and it promotes the normal mineralization of bone.
2. Deficiencies in vitamin D can cause Rickets in children, and osteomalacia in adults, and low levels can result in weak bones, bone pain and muscle weakness.
3. Vitamin D helps protect our bodies from developing high blood pressure, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases.
4. Muscles need vitamin D to move, the immune system needs it to fight off bacteria, and nerves need it to carry messages between the brain and the body.
5. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods (found in some fish, eggs and milk). However, vitamin D is produced endogenously when our skin is exposed to ultra-violet rays from the sun.
So, how can we get more vitamin D you ask? The good news is we can get a wonderful dose of vitamin D from just ten minutes of exposure to sunlight a day, or fifteen minutes of exposure three to four times a week. Simply enjoy a little time outside in the fresh air and sunshine! There are also many vitamin D supplements readily available. If getting a little sunshine is not going to work for you, consult with your physician to get a recommendation for the right supplement and dosage for you. Either way, let’s take care of ourselves and get some of that vitamin D today!
Good advice here about short spurts of sunlight. I am a former massage therapist and I spent hours and hours in a dark room listening to Enya and NOT getting the sunlight I needed. I started to develope an allergy to sunlight and would break out in hives in just a few minutes of sunlight exposure. I gradually INCREASED the amount of sunlight I was getting and the symptoms went away. I also notice achey joints and foot pain when I don’t get outside for days at a time. I am fair skinned but still try to get about twenty minutes a day of sunlight (but not during the intense hours especially in the summer). Get your Vitamin D people!
Yes, we as a society tend to spend less and less time outdoors. Technology, work, or more sedentary lifestyles are usually the culprits! You are so right, we need to make the effort and get out there! Amazing experience you had…I like the way you reversed the problem by adding sunlight gradually. And I know exactly what you mean about the foot cramps when low on vitamin D! Wow!