Why Vitamin D is so important right now, and always!

If there’s one thing you want to do right now for your health, it is get on some Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is the vitamin we stack up from the sun, but if you are lucky enough to live in the northern hemisphere the chances are you will not be getting your daily allowance, especially as many of us have been cooped up inside for such a long time. The truth is, even in a normal year it is thought that around 40-80% of us are Vitamin D deficient, even more so as winter sets in.

Sunlight is our greatest source of Vitamin D, which provides us with about 90% of our Vitamin D, but due to the fact that many of us work inside these days, and our lifestyle leading us to mainly be inside a lot more we are missing that vital exposure to the sun.

Roughly 10 minutes in the sun, provides around 10,000 units of natural vitamin D. However, this will differ from person to person. The more melanin you have in your skin directly effects how much Vitamin D your can produce, so the darker your skin the higher your risk of Vit D deficiency. Cholesterol in your body converts the melanin into usable Vitamin D to be used throughout the body.

So, why is Vitamin D so important? Because it not only supports your bones, muscles, intake of calcium, but it is one of the number 1 vitamins we need to strengthen our immune system!

A deficiency in Vitamin D has been linked to all kinds of disease and physical conditions, from high blood pressure, fatigue to diabetes and breast cancer, so getting your daily intake can be key in disease prevention as well as overall health.

Whilst we can absorb Vit D from certain foods, like oily fish, eggs, mushrooms, and some vegetables, the process of Vit D creation inside our bodies, can be a little bit more complex, so in time where we have little access to sunlight, supplementation is encouraged.

An increase in Vitamin can support,

• Blood pressure

• Bone health

• Kidney disease

• Asthma

• Heart Disease

• Muscle Strength

• Immunity

Some signs and symptoms you may be deficient…

• fatigue

• depression

• trouble sleeping

• anxiety

• weak bones

• weakened immune system

• inflammation and swelling

SUPPLEMENTING

Vitamin D is fat soluble, so it requires fat in order to break it down. Thats why the best and most optimal way to intake Vitamin D is either in liquid form, unless you have a supplement with fat present to make it more absorbable. The recommended intake for 1000 IU per day, however there are reports to suggest up to 4000 IU is optimal, and causes no harm. So we have pulled together our favourite brands and supplements, to support your body through these winter months and beyond.