If I was only allowed to give one health recommendation to an individual, it would be to ensure their body is producing sufficient vitamin D on a daily basis. It is estimated that around 40% of adults in the US are deficient in vitamin D. It’s such a needless deficiency, since it’s incredibly easy to take vitamin D. If you do make the effort to check your current vitamin D levels with your local doctor and have a supplementation program devised for you, it’ll really help you possibly avoid a lot of potential health issues in the future. This article will take a look at the myriad benefits that vitamin D brings, and how to essentially give your body sufficient levels of vitamin D.
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is actually a hormone our body synthesizes when our skin receives sunlight, although it is also present in certain foods, particularly oily fish, egg yolks, and red meat.
What are the benefits of vitamin D?
There are myriad benefits – taking vitamin D in sufficient amounts can …
- help your body fight respiratory tract infections
- help regulate the amount of phosphate and calcium stored in the body
- help you stay younger for longer. It is associated with longer telomere lengths which cap chromosomes. The longer the telomere length, the slower the aging process
- help reduce your chances of both multiple sclerosis and heart disease
- help reduce depression – vitamin D helps regulate your mood
- help you lose weight – the extra calcium that vitamin D helps your body maintain can act as an appetite suppressant
- help us absorb other vitamins – this turns vitamin D into a kind of multi-vitamin if our body is struggling to absorb other vitamins
- help reduce inflammation – which is a huge benefit since there are so many inflammatory-related diseases.
- help treat skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin
How much vitamin D do I need?
This is the most important question since it will vary from person to person. There are many variables to take into account, and each variable will determine how much vitamin D you need:-
- your age
- your skin colour
- the current season
- your diet
- how often you are outdoors
The only accurate way to determine your particular vitamin D levels is to have a blood test via your local GP. The result of your test can help formulate just how much vitamin D you need to take on a daily basis. This amount still may vary from season to season too.
