Say Cheese for Vitamin D!
Or if you prefer, salmon, eggs, fortified cereals – even sunlight. No matter how you choose to get your Vitamin D, you’ll be doing more than keeping your bones strong. In fact, it turns out you need it for several other important bodily functions.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts like a hormone in the human body. It is stored in the fat cells and released as fat is burned. This essential vitamin is supplied through diet, sunlight and supplements and it interacts with several body processes to keep a body healthy.
How does it work?
Vitamin D’s major role is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. It aids in the absorption of calcium, which helps form and maintain strong bones. Recent studies show vitamin D may also provide protection from osteoporosis, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cancer and several autoimmune diseases. In addition, adequate levels of vitamin D may actually prevent falls by helping us maintain muscle strength and balance as we age, not to mention the prevention of chronic pain, which has recently been linked to low levels of D.
A vitamin D deficiency, which affects up to 50 percent of adults and 30 percent of children in the United States, occurs over an extended period of time when an individual is either not consuming proper amounts of the vitamin or when the body is not absorbing the vitamin correctly. A simple finger-stick blood test, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, can provide you and your doctor with a clear picture of your vitamin D levels.
So, how much vitamin D is enough? Recommendations vary, but a daily intake in the range of 800 to 1,000 IU is likely to benefit most adults. Perimenopausal women may require 1250 IU of calcium per day, while postmenopausal women should consider up to 1500 IU daily. In addition to supplements that your doctor may recommend, you can always get Vitamin D the old-fashioned way by adding the following foods to a healthy diet:
- Cheese
- Butter
- Cream
- Eggs
- Fortified milk (all milk in the U.S. is fortified with vitamin D)
- Fish
- Oysters
- Fortified cereals
Consider taking in some sun while you eat, but do limit your sun exposure and wear sunscreen. Speak with your doctor to determine the right level of the vitamin for your individual needs, as well as about where to obtain pharmaceutical-grade supplements.
