Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin

Mother nature gave us the ability to form Vitamin D simply by sitting in the sun. It’s the only vitamin that is made in our body without us consuming anything, and this is great news for those of us who live in sunny climates, or spend a lot of time outdoors and so can easily obtain enough sunlight most days.

However, as more Americans are lathering on the sun screen and spending more time indoors, their Vitamin D levels lowering, which in turn is resulting in a growing health problem. Additionally, as we turn to soft drinks and juices to quench our thirst we are drinking less and less milk, which is good source of Vitamin D.

Recent studies have showed that between 50 and 75 percent of Americans have less than optimal levels of Vitamin D, this is concerning because low levels of the sunshine vitamin can raise the risk of weak bones and, possibly, heart disease. In fact, worryingly, America is seeing a return of rickets – a disease caused by lack of Vitamin D. The figures show that 7 out of 10 of American children have too-low levels of Vitamin D putting them at huge risk of developing rickets.

So what does Vitamin D actually do once its in my body?

Vitamin D helps calcium to be absorbed into our bodies, this gives us strong bones and teeth. Without Vitamin D, no calcium can be absorbed and this increases the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Vitamin D helps blood flow by relaxing blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. This is good in helping to prevent heart disease.

Vitamin D also may play a role in preventing diabetes and hypertension.

What are good dietary sources for Vitamin D?

There are very few food sources which naturally contain Vitamin D, but one of the best sources of Vitamin D would be fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel, and fish liver oils. Small amounts are also found in beef liver, cheese and egg yolks. Consequently, because it’s quite hard to get enough Vitamin D from the foods we eat, a lot of the food we buy is actually Vitamin D fortified. Most of the U.S milk supply is fortified to give us 25% of our daily allowance of Vitamin D in every cup. Breakfast cereals, some yogurts, margarines and orange juice may also contain added amounts of Vitamin D.

I used the FoodEssentials tool to find some canned tuna – a good source of Vitamin D, and it’s quick and easy to add to your daily menu.

Try either of the Chicken Of the Sea products as they contain the lowest amounts of sodium.

It may be time to consider switching off the TV and the computer and attempting to spend a little more time in the outdoors and the sun*. You can relax knowing your body (and mind) will be benefiting from it. However, when the weather gets a bit cooler and the sun goes on holiday for the winter, up your intake of Vitamin D rich sources, or even take a multivitamin each day which will help keep Vitamin D levels balanced.

* Note that Vitamin D can only be absorbed into your body if you are free from sun screen, so please be cautious and don’t stay out too long unprotected. 10 – 15 minutes of sunshine a few times a week is plenty!

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