Have you had your sun for the week?

Vitamin D – the vitamin hormone – is also referred to as the sunshine vitamin.  UVB rays from the sun, when exposed for brief periods, initiate vitamin D production in the skin, which is why some consider it to be more of a hormone than a vitamin.  However, by definition, it’s  a vitamin and a hormone.  The suggested exposure to direct sunlight, in terms of vitamin D production, is approximately 3-4 times per week at an interval of 15 minutes.  However, this exposure to the sun doesn’t allow the body to produce all the vitamin D the body needs; therefore, the rest must come from diet and supplements.

There aren’t an abundance of foods that contain vitamin D, but there a variety of  food sources such as cod liver oil, eggs, fish, fortified milk, orange juice and yogurt.  You’ll find fish, the skin and liver oils, to be one of the best sources.  In foods there are two types of vitamin D: 1) D2 (ergocalciferol) which is most commonly added to foods and 2) D3 (cholecalciferol.)  In vegetables, vitamin D is low so if you choose to get vitamin D from a vegetable source than you’re better off eating dark green leafy vegetables.  Also, vitamin D is considered to be a stable compound which means that storing foods with vitamin D for long periods of time won’t significantly reduce the level of vitamin D in the product.    The recommended daily allowance for vitamin D is between 200 – 400 I.U.

Of all the benefits vitamin D brings to the table, probably the most notable is it’s ability to aid in calcium absorption; this assistance with calcium absorption helps with maintenance and normal development of healthy teeth and bones.  Vitamin D also helps maintain the proper balance of calcium and phosphorus in the blood.  Someone who has an insufficient level of vitamin D can have their bones become brittle, thin and misshapen.  On the other hand, having plenty of vitamin D can help prevent diseases like rickets (found in children) and osteomalacia (found in adults.)  Combined with calcium, vitamin D can also prevent the elderly from osteoporosis.

• Rickets – Rickets is a disorder caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate. It leads to softening and weakening of the bones.
• Osteomalacia – is softening of the bones due to a lack of vitamin D or a problem with the body’s ability to break down and use this vitamin.
• Osteoporosis – is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine, and wrist.

Make sure you get out into the sun a few times a week to get natural vitamin D stimulation and add vitamin D-rich foods to your diet.  If that’s not enough, try to use vitamin D supplements such as pills you can buy in just about any store.  Your body will reap the benefits!

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