The latest health sensation is it seems Vitamin D.
But why now? Lack of Vitamin D has been around for hundreds of years. Indeed Rickets was something that children developed through bad nutrition a 100 years ago principally through Vitamin D deficiency. But as research and papers get published in the medical journals it seems that Vitamin D is vital for a number of the body’s functions and processes. And that is why it has hit the media now.
What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is in fact not a vitamin it is technically a hormone. The body produces Vitamin D naturally via exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D is present in a limited number of foods including oily fish and eggs. Luckily, it is fat soluble which means it can be stored it in the body for use later.
Why do We Need it?
The body needs Vitamin D to absorb calcium – this makes it an essential vitamin to protect bones, teeth and your heart. However, not many of us are aware of how critical to health this vitamin is. And, because we think we can get enough from sunshine we have not thought of it in supplement terms. But, in the UK we are a northern country and our levels of sunshine are pretty low. That fact alone coupled with lack of exercise, a largely indoors lifestyle it all adds up deficiency on a large scale. In fact it has been reported that 60 per cent of the UK population is deficient in Vitamin D.
Vitamin D is also needed to prevent:
- Osteoporosis
- Depleted Immune System
- Osteoarthritis
- Some cancers
- Bone thinning and crumbling teeth
Who can suffer from Vitamin D Deficiency?
The further north you live the more your lifestyle can be hit by a lack of exposure to sunlight.
If you are someone who follows all the skincare rules and slathers high factor SPF all the time then you are limiting your bodies ability to absorb sunlight.
Sufferers of the above conditions could point to a lack of Vitamin D.
If you are housebound or in long term care
If you have pigmented skin, (caucasian people are less at risk)
If you are on a restricted diet especially if you are cutting out dairy
Some medical conditions such as Crohn’s disease affects the way the body handles Vitamin D.
Some prescribed medicines can interfere as above
Strict vegetarians, vegan or those who do not eat fish.
How Can you Discover if you are deficient in Vitamin D?
If you are having a health problem a simple blood test from your doctor will show up any deficiency.
What to do if you think you are at risk of deficiency.
Exposure during the summer months enables the body to store up sufficient Vitamin D to use up in the winter. So get out everyday and use up your 20 minutes without SPF (no longer as the sun can cause skin damage)
Increase foods within your diet that contain Vitamin D such as:
- Oily Fish
- Liver
- Egg Yolk
- Dairy Foods
Review your Diet & Lifestyle _new1.jpg)
Eat a good healthy diet by checking out our Food Pyramid. And be sure to load your diet with green vegetables for Vitamin K2 which helps unlock Vitamin D, so that the body can utilize it effectively.
Walk for 30 minutes every day without SPF all over and you will hit a few problems with one solution.
Supplement with Vitamin D tablets but be sure to take a Multi Vitamin too because this vitamin works best with magnesium, zinc and boron. Choose from Multi Vitamins here. Check out BioCare One A Day Vitamins & Minerals or Lamberts Multi Max ® Advance