Wisdom Wednesday!!

Vitamin D

Today I wanted to talk about Vitamin D. It is very important to our bodies. It helps our body to absorb calcium. It helps our body to regulate that calcium between our blood and our bones. Vitamin D promotes healthy cell growth, and helps maintain hormonal balance and a healthy immune system. It also helps us have more energy.
A lot of people don't think much about this vitamin. They think that if they go outside for a few minutes every day that they'll be okay. And yes that is true, kind of, but most people are not going outside everyday. You need to go outside for 15 minutes every day in order for your skin to get the UV-B rays it needs to convert into Vitamin D. But there are also many variables to consider if you really are getting enough sun light. For starters if you live above 40* latitude, which is about where New York is, then the sun's rays are only strong enough from May through September to trigger the vitamin D process. If you have darker skin you need to be in the sun longer. If you are overweight then the fat makes it harder for your body to process the rays into vitamin D, so you need to be in the sun longer too. And one of the biggest factors is Sunscreen. Putting sunscreen on stops the UV-B rays from absorbing into your skin, which is what sunscreen is supposed to do. By putting on sunscreen, even the low 8 SPF's, you are not allowing your body to work as it should. Now I'm not saying to go without sunscreen. I have two boys that are very fair skinned and on a hot enough day can burn very quickly. I'm just suggesting that you first go outside and get the exposure your body needs and then apply the sunscreen. For my kids, especially in the early morning, I let them play outside for about a half an hour before calling them back in to put on their sunscreen. In the spring I try to make it go longer or not apply at all depending on how hot the day is.
Some might say that I'm crazy, that I'm increasing the risk of my children having skin cancer later on in life. Well through research they are finding out that many, even children, are vitamin D deficient. There are many health issues related to being vitamin D deficient. Some of these health issues are; rickets in children, osteoporosis, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, asthma in children, depression, energy loss, high blood pressure, and obesity to name a few.
So really sun exposure is extremely important. It is the best form of vitamin D for your body because your body is making it. There are only a few other ways that you can get vitamin D. You can take a supplement. You can eat a few foods including, some fish, fish oils, egg yolks, beef liver, and some green leafy vegetables. More and more they are fortifying foods with vitamin D, though that is not the best source.
Whatever you do make sure you are getting enough vitamin D. Some of the signs and symptoms of being vitamin D deficient are, bone pain, muscle weakness, low energy and fatigue, getting sick more often, symptoms of depression, mood swings, weird sleeping patterns, and in women that have IBS or Chrohn's Disease there is a very good chance they are already vitamin D deficient because they can not absorb adequate nutrients through their intestinal wall in their colon. Now just because you have some of these symptoms doesn't mean you are vitamin D deficient. If I felt some of these I would change my diet and get more direct sun light. If symptoms didn't leave then I would call my doctor and see if he could run some tests. There are tests out there to determine if you are vitamin D deficient. But above all, and the point I'm trying to make, is vitamin D is extremely important for your health. So go outside enjoy the warm, lovely sunlight and make some vitamin D.

sources: www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/benefits-of-vitamin-d-sources-and-deficiency-104086.html
www.webmd.com/diet/vitamin-d-deficiency
www.womentowomen.com/healthynutrition/vitamind.aspx
www.longevity.com/od/researchandmedicine/a/vitamin_d.htm