Are you D-Fended or D-Ficient?

Today I was wondering when we would ever see the sun. It has been a long winter, followed by a damp and chilly start to spring. So, on the subject of the sun, I figured it is only appropriate to talk about vitamin D. After all, it is the ‘sunshine vitamin’.

Vitamin D, along with vitamins A, E, and K, are the ‘fat-soluble’ vitamins.  These vitamins all dissolve in fat and are stored in your fatty tissues. They each have a basic ‘super-power’. Vitamin A keeps your skin moist, vitamin E keeps reproductive organs healthy, and vitamin K enable you to make special proteins. Until recently, vitamin D was known only for its super-power of bone protection; we now know that it does way more than that.

Recently, studies have found that vitamin D is even more important that previously thought. In fact, the government upped the recommended intake from 200 international units (IU) to 600 IU and some say even that isn’t enough. WebMD suggests 200-400 IU/day for infants-teens, 400-800 IU/day for adults up to age 50, and 800-1,000 IU/day for adults over age 50. Exact deficiency percentages vary among sources, but it is safe to conclude that most adults and even more children are not getting enough vitamin D. That needs to be fixed since this super vitamin can cut the risks of these diseases:

• Cancer: Vitamin D helps to regulate cell growth. Cancer begins with abnormal or malignant cells, so enough vitamin D may help by fighting off these cells.
• Auto-Immune Diseases: Some recent studies suggest that vitamin D helps strengthen the immune system to reduce the risk of auto-immune diseases such as lupus and multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Bone Disease: It was already widely known that vitamin D is good for your bones, but it used to play second to calcium. Now researchers are finding that vitamin D is essential for bone health, maybe even more so than calcium!
• Depression: This is still debated among experts, but a study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found women with low levels of D are twice as likely to suffer depression.
• Heart Disease: There are still inconsistencies with the research since low levels of vitamin D are linked to coronary problems, but taking supplements have not yet proven to lower that risk. But, the American Heart Association acknowledges that vitamin D is important to heart health because it helps regulate blood pressure.

Your skin makes vitamin D when exposed to the sun; some experts recommend 15 minutes of unprotected sun a day. I personally do not suggest being in the sun without sunscreen due to the obvious skin-cancer risk. You can get vitamin D through your diet if you include eggs (yolks contain vitamin D), fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna, and fortified foods. More and more foods are fortified with vitamin D now. Many people think of milk for vitamin D, but this is from fortification. My almond milk is also fortified with vitamin D and so are many cereals, orange juice, and yogurts. Just read the labels. I buy Stonyfield Farms yogurt for my daughter and choose the ‘YoKids’ over the ‘YoBaby’ (even when she was a baby) since the ‘YoKids’ is fortified with vitamin D. The best food source of vitamin D is cod liver oil with 1,360 IU (Department of Agriculture), but I would never drink that myself so I do not expect you to!

Personally, I take a supplement calcium/vitamin D in addition to my multivitamin. I also eat salmon and the occasional egg yolk. My Greek yogurt does not contain vitamin D so I occasionally have one of my daughter’s yogurts. Chobani Champions (the children’s version) is a Greek yogurt that contains 20% of vitamin D though. But, as you can see from my diet, I do require a supplement, as do most people. Also, most of the foods containing vitamin D are via supplementation so I opt to skip the ‘middle-man’.

Remember there can be ‘too much of a good thing’. Excess vitamin D can cause nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness, confusion, heart rhythm abnormalities, and kidney stones (Mayo Clinic).

So, enjoy the sun (when we finally get to see it) using sunscreen, and make sure to get enough vitamin D through diet and supplements.

Have a wonderful week; the forecast does show high temps coming soon!

XOX

This blog is for informational purposes only.  It’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health problem, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a physician.  No action should be taken solely on the contents of this website.  Always consult your physician or qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health. It is advised see your physician before changing your diet, starting an exercise program, or taking any supplements of any kind.