Vitamin D is a much talked about vitamin these days. Also called the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D, really a hormone, is a fat soluble vitamin that is stored in the body and affects 2,000 genes.  If you’re like me and live in a place with long winters or you work inside a lot and you don’t get a lot of sunshine, then you may be at risk for Vitamin D deficiency.

Benefits Of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a major component to good health. There are numerous benefits associated with optimal levels of Vitamin D. Vitamin D regulates absorption of calcium and phosphorus necessary for strong bones and teeth.  Vitamin D strengthens the immune system and protects against various auto-immune disorders like Multiple Sclerosis.  It decreases heart disease, the flu, infections, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), depression, lethargy, aches, pains, and researchers believe that adequate levels of Vitamin D could prevent chronic disease and slash several types of cancer in half.

Who Is At Risk?

Those who are at the greatest risk are those I mentioned above who live in areas with cold winter months, work inside, pregnant and nursing mothers, those who are elderly, and obese. The farther away from the equator you live, the more at risk you are for Vitamin D deficiency.  Some researchers say that as much as 50% of the adult population is Vitamin D deficient and as much as 70% of school aged kids.

Sources Of Vitamin D

The body creates Vitamin D naturally through direct exposure to sunlight and it only takes about 10 minutes for a fair skinned person to get adequate levels, daily.  There are 3 ways to increase your Vitamin D levels.  Sun exposure, which may or may not be possible, supplements, and food sources.

Sun Exposure

The sun is these best source of Vitamin D by far.  You can get huge amounts in a very short time and you can’t overdose on Vitamin D from the sun. The more you can get during warm weather the better as Vitamin D is stored in your body and is gradually released into the bloodstream over time.   The amount of time needed to attain adequate Vitamin D levels is dependent on a lot of factors. Your age, health, location, and skin color all contribute but in my reading I found that about 10-15 minutes a day of sun exposure directly on your skin is enough to keep your levels up.  Obviously this isn’t possible every day so keep reading for more options. You can also check out this post to read about 10 benefits for spending time in nature.

Supplements

There are varying recommended daily amounts out there regarding how much vitamin D you should be taking.  I for one take the higher end but you can refer to the Vitamin D Council, scroll down about half way and there is a nice little chart that outlines the recommended intakes for different ages by different organizations.  It is also recommended that you take Vitamin D3 instead of D2.  There are a number of reasons for this:  D3 is more potent and thus more helpful than D2. D3 is what is produced by sun exposure and humans don’t manufacture D2 in their bodies. D3 is also more shelf stable and has been used much more frequently in clinical trials. (Medscape)  Right now I take this Vitamin D supplement,  2,000 IU  a day.  You can also buy a liquid form for kids .

Food

These days many foods are fortified with Vitamin D.  While I don’t think that all of these foods that are fortified (i.e. processed cereal) are necessarily healthy, measures are being taken to help increase Vitamin D levels in our population which is a positive. There are certain foods you can include in your diet that have naturally varying amounts of Vitamin D.  Salmon (425 IU/3 ounces), sardines (270 IU/ounce), egg yolks (pastured, 25 IU/per yolk), and also beef liver (50 IU/3.5 ounces).  As well as smaller amounts in cheese and mushrooms.  While these foods don’t contain tons of Vitamin D they are very healthy and a great addition to regular sun and if needed a supplement. There is so much more information out there on this topic.  Click on the links below to find out more great information! Do you take Vitamin D?  Comment below to share what benefits you have discovered by increasing your amount of Vitamin D.

Additional Reading And Sources:

Book : The Vitamin D Solution Vitamin D Council Web MD Health Line Mercola Medschool This post was shared on the following natural living blogs, go check them out for more great articles: Nourishing Joy, The Prairie Homestead, Homegrown & Healthy, Kelly The Kitchen Kop, Frugally Sustainable