Why Getting Enough Vitamin D Is So Important For Your Health
If you pay any attention to health and wellness headlines and research, there's a good chance you run across a headline extolling the virtues of getting enough Vitamin D. But why is it so important to you health? What are the best ways to get enough?
Although according to WebMD.com, "the only proven benefit of vitamin D is its role in helping calcium build strong bones." Vitamin D is must-have to help with the absorption of calcium from the intestines so it can do what it does to keep our bones strong. There may also be a connection between getting enough vitamin D and the health of our tissues, nerves, skin, pancreas, and immunity to disease and sickness. There are some studies that even show getting enough Vitamin D can also be important for breast health. It must be pretty important, because our bodies make vitamin D themselves when they've had sufficient exposure to sunlight.
Turns out we need sunlight, after all. Always take precautions in the sunshine to do your best to protect yourself from burns and overexposure.
So what do we do in the middle of winter when it arrives? Well, thankfully we do have stored reserves. However, I like to try and take advantage of some of these sunny autumn days and take walks in the morning or evening to give myself a bit of a boost. In our area, experts say to aim for 15 - 30 minutes of sunlight a day. Like with many issues surrounding health, there are differing opinions.
There are also food sources of vitamin D, although many experts feel sunlight is best. Some of those foods include certain types of mushrooms and fortified whole grain cereals and plant milks. Vitamin D3 supplements are also an option, but be careful as there is concern that taking in more than the recommended amount could be potentially harmful.