Start the Week Off Right: Get more Vitamin D in your diet
Vitamin D is extremely important for good health but many people don’t realize just how important it is. Many experts agree that there is a widespread vitamin D deficiency in our society today. Grab a cup of coffee and test your knowledge of this crucial vitamin with the fun facts below.
• Vitamin D is often called “the sunshine vitamin” because your body has the ability to produce it through the action of sunlight on your skin.
• Vitamin D is technically not a vitamin. In its natural form, it is a prohormone that is created by the body.
• There are four forms of vitamin D. D3 is made by the skin when exposed to sunlight.
• Sun therapy was praised by Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine.
• Studies have found that there are higher breast cancer rates in northern latitudes where there is less sunshine year-round.
• If you live in the north, it is important to supplement with vitamin D during the winter. It is difficult to get enough through foods, so experts recommend quality supplements.
• The darker your skin, the longer you need to be in the sunlight to get adequate vitamin D.
• The rays of natural sunlight that produce vitamin D in your skin cannot penetrate glass. This means you cannot get vitamin D inside your car or home.
• Vitamin D plays a role in every system in your body.
• Sunlight and supplementation are the two primary ways to get vitamin D. It is difficult, if not impossible, to get all the vitamin D you need from diet alone.
• Some experts believe that current vitamin D recommendations are way too low.
• According to one study, 59 percent of the population is vitamin D deficient.
Hopefully, you learned something new about this amazing vitamin. Scientists are still discovering more functions this vitamin has in our bodies. Some of those important roles include:
• Supporting the immune and nervous system
• Maintaining the health of bones and teeth
• Regulating insulin levels and aiding diabetes management
• Supporting lung function
• Supporting cardiovascular health
• Regulating cell growth and cell to cell communication
• Playing a role in cancer prevention
Sayed Shah, MD, is a holistic medicine practitioner at Mandala Integrative Medicine.
http://qctimes.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/start-the-week-off-right-get-more-vitamin-d-in/article_c9962336-c5ee-5ce7-80c8-2063fa071ec1.html
• Vitamin D is often called “the sunshine vitamin” because your body has the ability to produce it through the action of sunlight on your skin.
• Vitamin D is technically not a vitamin. In its natural form, it is a prohormone that is created by the body.
• There are four forms of vitamin D. D3 is made by the skin when exposed to sunlight.
• Sun therapy was praised by Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine.
• Studies have found that there are higher breast cancer rates in northern latitudes where there is less sunshine year-round.
• If you live in the north, it is important to supplement with vitamin D during the winter. It is difficult to get enough through foods, so experts recommend quality supplements.
• The darker your skin, the longer you need to be in the sunlight to get adequate vitamin D.
• The rays of natural sunlight that produce vitamin D in your skin cannot penetrate glass. This means you cannot get vitamin D inside your car or home.
• Vitamin D plays a role in every system in your body.
• Sunlight and supplementation are the two primary ways to get vitamin D. It is difficult, if not impossible, to get all the vitamin D you need from diet alone.
• Some experts believe that current vitamin D recommendations are way too low.
• According to one study, 59 percent of the population is vitamin D deficient.
Hopefully, you learned something new about this amazing vitamin. Scientists are still discovering more functions this vitamin has in our bodies. Some of those important roles include:
• Supporting the immune and nervous system
• Maintaining the health of bones and teeth
• Regulating insulin levels and aiding diabetes management
• Supporting lung function
• Supporting cardiovascular health
• Regulating cell growth and cell to cell communication
• Playing a role in cancer prevention
Sayed Shah, MD, is a holistic medicine practitioner at Mandala Integrative Medicine.
http://qctimes.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/start-the-week-off-right-get-more-vitamin-d-in/article_c9962336-c5ee-5ce7-80c8-2063fa071ec1.html
