We all know that Vitamin D is important for our health and that the body needs sunlight to produce it (which actually makes it a hormone and not a vitamin, but that is beside the point).
What affects your ability to absorb sunlight and produce Vitamin D:
- Time of year
- Use of sunscreen
- Elevation
- Obesity
- Skin color
- General diet
- Age
- Time of day
- etc.
This doesn’t make it surprising that the majority of the population in the US is actually vitamin D deficient.
Why is vitamin D important:
- Protects against cancer
- Important for bone health
- Helps manage blood sugar levels
- Improves the immune system
- Improves mood (we’ve all heard of the winter blues, that is a vitamin D deficiency)
- Helps with learning, concentration, and memory
Symptoms of deficiency:
- Weakness
- Trouble sleeping
- Weak or broken bones
- Weak immune system
- Diabetes
- Osteoporosis
- Cancer
- Autoimmune disease
- Chronic pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Depression
- etc.
Testing for vitamin D levels is also easy with a test called 25-hydroxy vitamin D test.
While some foods provide vitamin D, the best way to get Vitamin D is through safe sun exposure. Aim for 10-20 minutes of being out in the sun, and keep in mind all the factors that determine how much sun you are getting.
Some of the foods that contain vitamin D include: eggs, raw milk, lard, some types of fish such as sardines, salmon, cod liver oil, and halibut. As a side note, do be careful with fish as heavy metal toxins are prevalent in these.
There are many for whom supplementing is an important step to get vitamin D levels back to where they need to be.
In this case, because vitamin D should be produced by the body, it is extremely important to choose the correct supplement.
What to look for in a supplement:
- D3 (not D2) cholecalciferol WITH vitamin K2
- The K2 allows your body to utilize the D3 appropriately to avoid toxic buildup.
- This is why at Health Unlimited, we prefer the product DV3 from Systemic Formulas, as they have a blend that is natural and combines everything your body needs to get maximum effect!
