Vitamin D is one of the main nutrients the body needs to stay healthy. Nevertheless, according to the latest Australian Health Survey, about 4 million adults have a vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to fragile bones and is linked to heart disease, weight gain, depression, prostate cancer, colon cancer and breast cancer. While our bodies can produce a certain dose of vitamin C, many people also need additional intake of it in order to maintain its levels adequate. Here’s how you can increase your Vitamin D intake.
Doctors say that the best way to get enough vitamin D is by eating diverse healthy foods from all groups. Foods like salmon, milk, orange, margarine and egg yolk are all good sources of vitamin D. However, when consuming products such as yogurt, orange juice and margarine, it is important to check their labels, as the amount of added vitamin D varies in different products when artificially added.
Since the number of foods rich in vitamin D is limited, it can be difficult to get enough vitamin D from your diet alone. For that reason, you should consider adding a vitamin D supplement to it. These vitamin supplements can be easily found in specialized stores both online and offline. For healthy people, the amount of vitamin D recommended is 600 IU/day. It is important to mention that this is a general recommendation. To find out the right dose for yourself, consult with your doctor first. He/she will check your blood condition and will recommend you the right dose if needed.
Your skin has the ability to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunshine. The amount of vitamin D your skin produces depends on different factors such as the time of the day, the season, the amount of clouds on the sky, the place you live and even the air pollution. It is also called the “sunshine vitamin as it is produced in the skin as a response to sunlight. Since there is less sunshine in winter months, your skin won’t be able to produce that much vitamin D. For that reason, it is recommendable to consume foods that have it in abundance in this period of the year. Furthermore, during summertime, when exposing your skin to sunlight in the period between 10am-5pm, don’t forget to apply sunscreen to avoid sunburn. You know what they say, better safe than sorry.