Melissa Paris Fitness

Aug 15, 2013

What’s The Deal With D?

by Melissa Paris

Vitamin D has been called the “nutrient of the decade”. But hold your applause! Studies have shown that we are most likely to be deficient in vitamin D. We produce our own vitamin D, so technically it’s not really considered a “vitamin”. However, because our bodies produce such inadequate levels of this nutrient, it is critical to get your vitamin D from supplements, foods, or through sunlight (at least 15 minutes a day). But you may ask, why vitamin D? Why is that considered the nutrient of the decade over others? It’s because a deficiency in vitamin D will not only cause inadequate bone development and excessive bone loss, it also affects every tissue in the body including the brain, heart, muscles, immune system has receptors for vitamin D, meaning that if you don’t proper levels of this nutrient it creates a domino effect for your body!

Where does vitamin D come from?
Vitamin D is both a nutrient we eat and a hormone our bodies make. Very few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D, so the biggest dietary sources of vitamin D are fortified foods and vitamin supplements. Good sources include dairy products and breakfast cereals (both fortified with vitamin D), and fatty fish such as WILD-CAUGHT salmon and tuna.

Vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin”, is also made in the skin under the influence of the sun. Yet some people don’t make enough vitamin D from the sun including people who are overweight, older, have darker skin tone or that cover up when they are in the sun. As I stated in my previous blog about SUNSCREEN, it’s still critical to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays, but it’s just as critical to fit in that 15 minutes of daily sunshine! Sunscreen reduces our ability to absorb vitamin D by more than 90%!!

How else can I get my vitamin D?
For most people, the best way to get enough vitamin D is taking a supplement. Even though multivitamins offer a variety of vitamins, they often give you less vitamin D than the recommended about. Thankfully, some companies have begun adding 800 or 1,000 IU of vitamin D but I suggest taking a vitamin D supplement instead, especially if you don’t get enough from the sun. But consult with your doctor first! I take Nature’s Way Vitamin D3 that gives me 2,000 IU, better safe than sorry!  According to the Food and Nutrition board, infants need about 400 IU and children need 600 IU, while adults and seniors need about 600- 800 IU. But the recommended amount can be even higher, ranging from 1,000 IU to 4,000 IU.

What does vitamin D do for me?
Vitamin D is essential to absorb and retain phosphorus and calcium for building bone. Together with calcium, vitamin D helps protects adults from osteoporosis and children from rickets. Muscles also need it to function, for example, nerves need it to cary messages between the brain and every other body part. The immune system also needs vitamin D to fight off infections and bacteria. Studies also show that vitamin D can reduce cancer cell growth.

What are the effects of being Vitamin D deficient?
Recent study has shown that 90% of older Americans are D-FICIENT because the production of vitamin D decreases with age!! Not getting enough vitamin D may increase the risk of a host of chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, some cancers, and multiple sclerosis, as well as infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and even the seasonal flu. ALSO!! If you don’t get enough vitamin D, you can’t absorb calcium, which is detrimental for your bone health.

BOTTOM LINE: TAKE YOUR SUPPLEMENTS! AND GET TESTED FOR VITAMIN DEFICIENCIES!!

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