Healthy Eating & Vitamin D

The most commonly heard of vitamin today is vitamin D. Why you ask? Because of its role in the body’s need to stay healthy. Vitamin D is used by the body to maintain the balance of calcium in the blood and bones. The vitamin D helps to build the bones and tissues, using both calcium and phosphorus. Severe vitamin D deficiency leads to a decline in calcium and phosphorus absorption by the intestines with leads to hypocalcemia (low calcium levels in the blood) and hyperparathyroidism (overactive parathyroid glands). Decline in these minerals causes symptoms of muscle weakness and cramps, fatigue and even depression. The body’s functions to stay balanced will take the needed calcium from the bones which leads to osteoporosis and osteomalacia.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to chronic diseases besides bone health. Cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cognitive decline, and weakened immune systems making you more susceptible to colds and flus in the winter.

Vitamin D deficiency is more common in people with higher melanin content and those who wear clothing that covers all the skin. 50% of the population has vitamin D insufficiency and 35% of the adults in the United States are vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D deficiency is not obvious in adults but can be noticed by fatigue, bone pain, muscle weakness, aches, or cramps and mood changes like depression.

Vitamin D levels can be maintained by getting into the sunlight daily, even this time of the year. Unfortunately with the sun’s angles being lower, we must be out longer during the hours of 11:30 - 1:30. Be sure to keep face, neck, hands and arms if possible exposed to the sun, striving for 1 to 2 hours, but even 15 minutes a day is better than none. Supplements is the next best method for those who are deficient. There are two forms, vitamin D2 and D3. Both are naturally occurring forms but D2 is produced in plants and fungi and D3 in animals and humans. It is recommended to take vitamin D3 with K2 to increase the absorption and maintaining the levels longer. Also there are very few foods naturally rich in vitamin D.