18.jpg

Tips for Vitamin D

Vitamin D is very crucial to everyone’s body. It is responsible for numerous imperative processes such as building, maintaining and strengthening our bones.

Vitamin D deficiency is considered a crucial public health issue all over the world. It approximately affects 13% of the globe’s total population.

Vitamin D has quite a few necessary functions. It regulates calcium and phosphorus absorption and facilitates a normal and functional immune system.

That’s why acquiring an adequate amount of vitamin D is very crucial for bones and teeth development and strength. It also aids in revamping resistance against several illnesses and diseases.

Several factors that can affect your ability to gain vitamin D:

  • If you’re always using sunscreen

  • If you’re always in a high-pollution area

  • If you’re spending more time indoors than outdoors

  • If you’re residing in huge cities where tall buildings and establishments hinder the rays of sunlight

  • If you have darker skin

What then, can you do to get sufficient vitamin D?

Best Ways to Get Vitamin D

Sunlight

This vitamin is often known as the “sunshine vitamin” since it’s normally generated in our skin in response to the rays of sunlight. Vitamin D is present in a family of compounds that incorporates vitamins D-1, D-2, and D-3.

Yes, the number one way to get your vitamin D levels up is undoubtedly the sunlight. When your skin is directly exposed to sunlight, your body naturally produces vitamin D.

The key is you have to do it at a certain time of the year. You have to expose yourself to the sunlight in the middle of the day because the angles matter.

The sun is doubtlessly one of the best sources of vitamin D. Our skin hosts a kind of cholesterol that works as an antecedent to vitamin D. Once this compound gets exposed to the sun’s UV-B radiation, it’ll start to become a nutrient - vitamin D.

The vitamin D that comes from the sun can course and circulate 2 times longer than the vitamin D that’s sourced from supplements and foods.

For those people who have darker skin, it’s recommended for them to spend extra time under the sun to get more vitamin D. A darker skin contains more melanin, which means a slow production of vitamin D can happen.

One other thing that0. can have an impact is age. As people get older, their skin’s vitamin D production becomes less efficient. That’s why older people should spend more time under the sun.

For those people who live near the equator, I must say that you’re lucky. Due to your physical nearness to the sun’s rays, no doubt you’ll produce more vitamin D year-round. On the other hand, if you live far away from the equator, it will be challenging for you to get sufficient sun exposure.

Our skins can truly generate huge amounts of vitamin D when they’re exposed to the UV-B rays of the sun. Even so, a lot of circumstances affect this operation. Several kinds of sunscreen and clothing can either inhibit or totally block the production of vitamin D.

However, if you want to prevent yourself from getting overly exposed to sunlight but you want to gain vitamin D, you can try this suggestion - an 8 to 15-minute sun exposure can already help you acquire lots of vitamin D especially if you have lighter skin.

But, you have to remember that sunglasses also matter. Wearing them while driving and when the sunlight is high-reflective. I usually wear a hat and get my eyes exposed to the sun as much as possible.

Supplements

Here’s another thing - if you can’t get enough sunlight, you have to supplement. But one of the biggest mistakes in supplementing vitamin D is you’ve not taken enough of it. The best way to do that is to load it twice a week.

Yes, there are lots of people who are more fond of taking supplements instead of exposing themselves to the sunlight. Many of them have a fear of getting skin cancer, that’s why they turn to supplements to get enough vitamin D.

As you know, vitamin D subsists in 2 important biological structures - vitamin D2 and D3. The common source of D2 comes from plants, while the common source of D3 comes from animals.

A lot of research states that D3 is more capable of increasing and maintaining the total vitamin D levels. So, it is quite advisable for you to look for supplements with D3.

Moreover, make sure that you’re purchasing trustworthy, high-quality, and clean supplements that are tested independently. In some countries, nutritional supplements aren’t regulated. This kind of supplement can truly affect the supplement quality negatively.

You can also try acquiring 50,000 units every Monday and another 50,000 units every Friday. You can also make it 75,000 units each or even 100,000 units! Once your levels are normal, then you can supplement daily to keep it up. Just keep getting the sun as it is very important for you.

Benefits of Vitamin D

Being rich in vitamin D can help in reducing the risk of various diseases such as multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and flu. Vitamin D also plays a crucial part in regulating our moods and reducing depression.

There’s a study where scientists discovered that people who are battling depression have experienced several improvements in their symptoms after they have received vitamin D supplements.

Some people with fibromyalgia also conducted another study and the researchers discovered that vitamin D deficiency is mainly present in those people who are battling anxiety and depression. That’s why when someone is having anxieties or depression, gaining lots of vitamin D might help them mitigate their symptoms.

Adding another dimension, vitamin D helps in losing weight. If your goal is to lose weight and protect yourself against heart disease, it will be very beneficial for you to take vitamin D supplements and get regularly exposed to the sunlight.

It is proven in one study that those people who are taking calcium and vitamin D supplements every day are more capable of losing weight. The scientists stated that the supplementary calcium and vitamin D do give an appetite-suppressing outcome.