Why Vitamin D is Essential
For those of us living locally in South Florida, we’re pretty familiar with vitamin D! But did you know that even though we live in the sunshine state, a lot of us are low in vitamin D? It’s not uncommon! Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, of which bodies should have sufficient amounts. It is a bit of a challenge to get enough vitamin D in a normal, everyday diet, so oftentimes people choose to supplement their intake with medical supplements that can be purchased over the counter. Vitamin D is found at a cellular level in the body. Vitamin D is found in some foods, as well as natural sunlight, and is needed for health and the maintenance of strong bones. It helps bones by increasing calcium absorption in the body, which is one of the main building blocks of bones. People who are deficient in vitamin D may have thin and brittle bones, which leads to osteomalacia. Vitamin D is used for many functions of the body, including muscle movement, nervous system communication, and immunity against disease. Vitamin D, with its strong ties to calcium, helps protect aging people from osteoporosis.
As previously mentioned, it is challenging to get vitamin D into an everyday diet, as it is not found in many foods. Most of the foods that have vitamin D in them are fortified, you may notice this on some of your food labels. However, some foods do include vitamin D. Foods such as fatty fish like tuna, salmon, and mackerel are some of the best sources of vitamin D. Foods that provide a small amount are cheese, egg yolks, and beef liver. While most of the milk produced in the U.S. is fortified with vitamin D, foods that are made from milk, such as ice cream and cheese, are typically not fortified. Vitamin D has recently been added to an increasing number of breakfast cereals, as well as orange juice, soy beverages, and yogurt.
Vitamin D can be found in medical supplements to help increase heath in two forms. These are D2 and D3. Both of these types of vitamin D supplements increase the amounts of the vitamin in the blood.
The body also creates vitamin D on its own when skin has direct exposure to the sun, which is how most people get the bulk of their vitamin D. However, skin that is exposed to the sun through a window inside is not productive of vitamin D. Other elements, such as clouds, shade, and skin ton affect that amount of vitamin D that the body creates when exposed to the sun as well.
People who choose to avoid sun exposure due to the health risks of skin ailments or risk of skin cancer (which is prevalent down here in South Florida!), or those who use sunblock or cover themselves with clothes should try to include strong sources of vitamin D in their diets, in addition to taking a vitamin D supplement if recommended.