So foods aside for the moment, how can you get more vitamin D? Well if I told you that it was as easy as making sure you step outside in the sunlight each day, would you believe me?
Just like all of the other essential vitamins and minerals that are needed for your body to carry out the processes that keep you alive, you have to get a sufficient amount of vitamin D. So here is some valuable information on how you can easily get yours.
Amazingly, vitamin D can be produced just by your skin being exposed to the light of the sun, as well as various other vitamin D food sources that I will list shortly. This may sound unlikely, or even impossible, but it is a scientific fact that the ultraviolet rays of the sun activate cholesterol that is present within your skin, and proceed to convert it into vitamin D. You are able to get your daily dose of vitamin D just by being outside in the light of day for and hour, or two each day, something that is surely possible for the vast majority of us right?
It sounds easy doesn't it, maybe even too good to be true? Well there are factors that vary the amount of vitamin D that the sunlight is able to produce. These variants include the time of year, where in the world you actually are, and the tone of your skin. Naturally this is because depending on where you are and what time of year it is, the strength of the sun's rays will vary, and your skin tone can determine how easy it is for the rays to penetrate it as well. Darker skin is obviously less susceptible to sunlight. This means that if everyone in the world went out and stood outside for an hour at the same time, they are not going to get the same amount of vitamin D from that period of exposure to sunlight. The warmer the area you live, and time of year it is, the easier it is to get the type of UV rays that you need. In colder months no matter where you are, you should be eating foods containing vitamin D and even think about taking a vitamin D supplement as well, just to make sure.
Generally speaking darker skin tones, more specifically non-caucasian skin tones, need more sunlight in order to produce the necessary vitamin D. The further North of the equator that you live, the fewer UV-B rays you get, the only type of ultraviolet ray that can cause your body to produce vitamin D.
In fact in the most northerly parts of North America, and Northern Europe, it may not always be possible to get the type of sunlight on your skin that is going to be able to get you the vitamin D that you need. So for anybody reading from there it is important that you also eat foods rich in vitamin D, and take a regular vitamin D supplement.
So basically in America and Europe, those in more southerly regions should get a couple of hours of sunlight a day. In the spring and summer months this will probably suffice, but in the fall and winter, you should up your vitamin D consumption in your diet, as well as look at supplements. Remember diet should always come before supplements. The further north you go, the less you should rely on sunlight alone. This should not be too much of a problem as there are so many vitamin D foods, that it is hard not to get it into your diet.
So going back to the idea of essential nutrients in food, what are the best food sources of vitamin D?
Here is a brief list of foods that contain vitamin D:
- Fortified milk - In the USA milk is fortified with 10 micrograms of vitamin D per quart (32 fl oz)
- Fish oils - Most notably cod liver oil
- Fatty cold water fish
- Cream
- Orange juice
- Cheese
- Fortified cereal
- Eggs - Most notably egg yolk
- Butter
For more information on a vitamin D deficiency click here.
I hope that this post has been able to help out all those wondering how to get more vitamin D, it really is as simple as making sure you step outside each day, and making a few small changes to your diet.
No comments:
Post a Comment