We have all heard of Vitamin D but as with many of us not fully understood the significance of it to us. Vitamin D is actually not a vitamin at all it is actually a prohormone and at a very high-level Vitamin D is a group of fat soluble seco-steroids that are responsible for many positive biological effects in our bodies, but I do not want to go into the detail in this post save to say that this “vitamin” means more to us than previously thought.
First up let’s look at the signs that you could have a potential Vitamin D deficiency. This list is by no means exhaustive and is not definitive that Vitamin D is causing these symptoms in your body.
· Muscle cramps and pain
· Tiredness
· Bone and joint pain
· Hypertension
· Inflammation
The potential causes of this deficiency in your body could be among the following
· Vitamin D is produced in your skin in reaction to exposure to UVB light so little or no time in the sun
· Pollution blocks the UVB light as well
· Darker complexion people need more and longer exposure to UVB light to produce the same amount of Vitamin D
· Fat tissue absorbs more Vitamin D, so obesity has been linked to lower Vitamin D in individuals.
· Poor gut health can also be linked to lower Vitamin D absorption.
So, the big question is how do you know if you have a vitamin D deficiency? You can get your healthcare practitioner to order a blood test for you. The test (25 hydroxyvitamin D) blood test will reveal your current levels. Based on this you can decide the next steps to either maintain or intervene.
The great positives of Vitamin D are that it:
· Strengthens your bones and muscles
· Supports and boosts your immune system
· Prevents and fights excessive inflammation
· Reduces Insulin Resistance
· Helps maintain healthy blood pressure
· Helps with the normal function of the skin
· Helps in preventing many dental problems
· Can assist in mood disorders
· Help boost weight loss
So how do we get it:
The sources of Vitamin D are through food, the sun and through supplements.
Food sources include small amounts of vitamin d and these include
Oily fish – salmon / mackerel / sardines
Meat
Egg yolks
Mushrooms
Cheese
This is not an exhaustive list and have just mentioned the highlight sources.
When it comes to supplements most show in micrograms or international units (IU) 1 microgram = 40 IU. Each manufacturer will vary from a couple of hundred IUs to a couple of thousand IU’s. There are recommendations found in documentation that adults should supplement between 600 and 800 IU’s each day but as we know everyone is unique. One should first find out your current levels of Vitamin D in your own body before deciding on supplement levels.
Please drop me a call +27833267152 or a mail malcolm@regenr8.co.za and I can assist to begin your journey to optimum health.
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