Vitamin D
Important Vitamin for Our Overall Health
One of the most important vitamins for our overall health is vitamin D. Many people worldwide, are not getting enough of this vitamin. Stored in your body fat until it is needed, the main job of vitamin D is to keep the right amount of calcium and phosphorus in your blood. Working together, these 2 nutrients make your bones strong. According to the National Institutes of Health learned that women who had an adequate intake of the vitamin were at a 32% lowered risk of developing uterine fibroids. This research was led by Donna Baird, Ph.D., at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
Blood Test to Find Out if You are Deficient
All it takes is a simple blood test to find out if you are deficient in vitamin D, but you need to have the right test done. Contact a naturopathic physician and ask them what test you need.
If you avoid the sun, and milk, or have a strict vegan diet, you may be at risk for a deficiency of vitamin D. Your body produces vitamin D in response your skin being exposed to sunlight. If you have dark skin your pigment melanin makes it more difficult for your skin to produce the Vitamin in response to the sun.
Occurs Naturally in Certain Foods
Also vitamin D occurs naturally in certain foods: some fish, fish oils, and egg yolks — and in fortified dairy and grain products. Because most of these sources are animal based, vegans may not consume the recommended daily allowances of Vitamin D from their diet.
Increasing Number of Illness from Deficiencies
We have seen an increasing number of illness from vitamin D deficiencies. Most of our knowledge about vitamin D is from research over the past 15 years. And recently, new research has shown many other reasons why this vitamin is so important for our health as listed bellow.