Monday, October 24, 2011

Vitamin D is good for me!

Did you know that 40% of the U.S. population is Vitamin D deficient? Did you know that up to 60% of all hospital patients are vitamin D deficient? Make sure during the winter months that you are getting adequate amounts of vitamin D. A person would have to drink 10 tall glasses of vitamin D fortified milk each day just to get minimum levels of vitamin D into their diet.Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen. Vitamin D sufficiency prevents rickets in children. Also, if it hurts to press on your sternum, you may be suffering from chronic vitamin D deficiency. However in adults, vitamin D sufficiency prevents osteomalacia. Calcium and vitamin D also helps protect older adults from osteoporosis.
In nature, very few foods contain vitamin D. Some of the best sources of vitamin D are the flesh of fatty fish (such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel) and fish liver oils. There are also small amounts of vitamin D found in cheese, beef liver, and egg yolks. The best way to get adequate amounts of vitamin D is being exposed to ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight. However as we all know during the fall and winter months it is hard to receive proper amounts of sun exposure. A good way to make sure you are getting enough vitamin D during those months is by taking a dietary supplement. There are many dietary supplements containing vitamin D on the store shelves. Most dietary supplements contain only 400IU of vitamin D. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of how much vitamin D a person should be taking daily varies based upon age.

Monday, October 10, 2011

How much do you really know about vitamin D?

Did you know that 40% of the U.S. population is Vitamin D deficient? Make sure during the winter months that you are getting adequate amounts of vitamin D. According to the National Institutes of Health, "Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen." Vitamin D sufficiency prevents rickets in children. However in adults, vitamin D sufficiency prevents osteomalacia. Calcium and vitamin D also help protect older adults from osteoporosis. In nature, very few foods contain vitamin D. Some of the best sources of vitamin D are the flesh of fatty fish (such as tuna, salmon, and mackerel) and fish liver oils. There are also small amounts of vitamin D found in cheese, beef liver, and egg yolks. The best way to make sure you are getting enough vitamin D is by taking a dietary supplement. There are many dietary supplements containing vitamin D on the store shelves. Most dietary supplements contain only 400IU of vitamin D. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of how much vitamin D a person should be taking daily varies based upon age.