7 Great Facts to Know About Vitamin D
Vitamin D is one of the many essential nutrients that your body needs in order to have a healthy body. It is mainly helpful in enhancing the intestinal ability to absorb minerals like calcium, iron, phosphate, zinc and magnesium. Though not an essential dietary vitamin, since vitamin D is also synthesized by many mammals using sunlight, the benefits and effects of it cannot be under-emphasized. Listed below are 7 great facts to know about vitamin D.
1. There are two ways of getting enough vitamin D required by the body – one is food, and the other, sunlight. Studies have shown that as many as 70% people all over the world do not get adequate vitamin D necessary for the body. Not getting enough exposure to the sun is one reason. Not including foods that contain vitamin D in your diet is probably the most crucial reason for this worldwide deficiency.
2. Just adequate intake of vitamin D is not enough. Your body must be able to absorb the nutrient so as to be able to use it for your benefit. Certain medications can render this absorption difficult. Medicines like hydroxychloroquine, plaquenil and corticosteroids which are generally prescribed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis can stunt the absorption process of vitamin D in your body. Therefore, when taking these medicines, one must consult with the doctor and ensure adequate precautionary measures.
3. In order to ensure adequate intake of vitamin D, all you have to do is modify your diet a bit. Have more eggs and mushrooms, include oily fish, salmon, tuna and mackerel in your everyday diet to ensure proper intake of vitamin D. Go for milk, cereals and other food products which are fortified with vitamin D.
4. As you already know, the sun is a great source of vitamin D. All you need is just fifteen minutes of exposure to the sun to get your daily dose of vitamin D necessary for your body. However, you must not expose your bare skin to sunlight for long stretches of time without good quality sunscreen as it could lead to skin cancer.
