How Can I Increase My Vitamin D Level?

April 24, 2019

How Can I Increase My Vitamin D Level?

 For those looking for more sunshine in your life, you might try Vitamin D3. Vitamin D, nicknamed the sunshine vitamin, is produced by the body's response to the sun. Spend a few minutes in warm rays, and you can get your daily dose. If you eat a vegan diet, avoid the sun or feel lethargic you might have a vitamin D deficiency. 

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones. It helps the body use calcium from the diet. If there is a vitamin D deficiency, it can lead to a whole host of health problems. Some of the time the symptoms are subtle but stronger symptoms like severe bone and muscle pain indicate low levels of vitamin D.

 

Low amounts of vitamin D can lead to the following:

•      Increased risk for certain cancers (skin cancer and prostate cancer)
•      Rickets (leading to soft skeletons and bone deformities)
•      Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease
•      Inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis
•      Lower cognitive abilities in adults

When you do a Google Plus search, you'll discover that daily intakes of vitamin D can help with preventing diabetes, glucose intolerance, and hypertension. Recent studies have shown that vitamin D helps the immune system fight off diseases and encourages weight loss.

Now that we know the importance of vitamin D let’s look at how you can increase your vitamin level.

 

Sun Exposure

One of the best ways to ensure you’re getting enough vitamin D is sunlight exposure. Take a moment during your lunch break or on the weekend to sit in the sun. Your bare skin takes the UVB rays and converts them to vitamin D, which in turns builds bone density. The stronger the sun, the more vitamin D, you’ll create.

 

Throw Away the Sunscreen

Whether you have light skin, dark skin, or somewhere in the middle, you need to wear sunscreen when in the sun for extended periods. However, if you want to increase vitamin D and calcium levels, don't use sunscreen as much. Wearing sunscreen is vital in preventing sunburns,  but if you are planning on being in the sun for 15 minutes or less, you're impairing vitamin D intake.

Healthy Eating

One way to receive your recommended daily intake (600 IU per day) of vitamin D is through a healthy diet. Sources of vitamin D are foods high in Omega3 fatty acids like salmon, fish oil, cod liver oil, or sardines. Dairy products like fortified milk and cheese will have added vitamin D in them. Orange juice also has high levels of vitamin D.

Vitamin D3 Supplements

The easiest and most effective way to encourage calcium absorption and vitamin D levels are taking a high-quality vitamin supplement. Since few foods have high levels of vitamin D, adding a supplement to your daily diet is an inexpensive insurance policy against osteoporosis, low energy, and other health conditions.

Regardless of how you increase your vitamin D level, doing so will help you live your life to the fullest or at least encourage you to sit in the sun a little bit longer.

 

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Kostoglou-Athanassiou, I., Athanassiou, P., Lyraki, A., Raftakis, I., & Antoniadis, C. (2012, December). Vitamin D and rheumatoid arthritis. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3539179/

LeWine, H., & M.d. (2014, April 04). Benefits of vitamin D supplements still debated. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/benefits-vitamin-d-supplements-still-debated-201404047106

Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin D. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-health Professional/

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Welland, D. (2009, November 01). Does Vitamin D Improve Brain Function? Retrieved January 15, 2019, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-d-make-a-difference/

 

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