Here in the Northeast, we have been sunlight deprived lately. It has been a cold, wet spring. Not only is sunshine necessary for our sanity, but in its absence, it is very difficult to get a sufficient amount of vitamin D. Sunshine has been on our forbidden list for quite some time for fear of developing a deadly form of skin cancer; everyone now lathers on half a bottle of sunscreen before walking out the door to protect themselves. As a result, vitamin D deficiency has been on the rise and it is much more serious than most people realize.
Vitamin D may be the most underrated nutrient in the world of nutrition. The New England Journal of Medicine states that almost half of all patients in intensive care units are deficient in vitamin D, a common thread increasingly being linked to all kinds of serious illnesses such as breast and prostate cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, MS, and autoimmune diseases. There aren’t many food sources for vitamin D, other than fortified milk and some forms of fish such as sardines. You would have to drink 10 glasses of fortified milk to consume the recommended amount of vitamin D and I would not advise that! (Read more about why too much dairy is not good for you here).
Your body makes vitamin D when sunlight touches your skin—skin free of sunscreen. Twenty minutes a day is all it takes. I’m not saying to break out the baby oil and go bake on the beach, but exposing your skin to the sun for 20 minutes to a half hour each day without any sunscreen on is the best way to get your vitamin D. Sunlight is the easiest source, it is free and your body automatically regulates how much vitamin D you take in. Read More.
Sufficient levels of vitamin D are crucial for calcium absorption in your intestines. So if you are deficient in vitamin D, even if you take calcium supplements, the calcium will not be absorbed.
Most people who suffer from a vitamin D deficiency don’t even realize they have it. I found out I was deficient through a routine blood test at my annual checkup and have had to take supplements as a result. It can take months of supplementation to rectify the deficiency, but considering how essential this vitamin is to our health, it is well worth getting it checked out.
