Get Your Shine On with Vitamin D
Vitamin D has been called the “sunshine vitamin” because our body actually uses the UVB rays from the sun to synthesize Vitamin D. This could be part of the reason that some people are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder during the dreary winter months!
Vitamin D also encourages serotonin production and release, which can raise our spirits, and affect appetite, mood, and sleep patterns.
Some of the most apparent benefits of Vitamin D are:
- encourages the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous which results in strong bones and teeth
- beneficial treatment for psoriasis
- regulates the immune system and enhances immunity all around
- maintains brain health later in life
- maintains a healthy body weight
- reduces the risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women
- could significantly lower the risk of developing cancer
It is not readily available naturally in foods; Cod liver oil and certain fish are the only substantial food sources for this vitamin, and even fish doesn’t meet the minimum US RDA.
So because we probably don’t spend our days in a bikini on a tropical island, we likely don’t get all the Vitamin D we need from the sun, and for the record, I don’t recall seeing anyone sipping on cod liver oil recently. Our bodies are going to need some help.
Even the Vitamin D in milk (which is added in and not naturally found in cow’s milk) is nowhere near enough for us, nor is it in a form that is easily assimilated by our bodies.
Vitamin D is oil soluble, which means we need to take caution not to take too much. Work with your practitioner or medical professional to check your Vitamin D levels and consider supplementing with the sunshine vitamin.
Find more information on supplementing with Vitamin D in our “Product Description” here.