Vitamin D – Key To Better Health

With daylight savings time in full effect, the only thing other thing most people will be missing out other than more sunshine is vitamin D, the vitamin, which helps the body absorb calcium, the building material for bones and teeth.

Most people are not aware of the critical role vitamin D plays in their overall health. A deficiency in this key vitamin has been linked to various ailments and diseases such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and even breast and colon cancer.

So, how can you make sure you are getting enough vitamin D to make sure you are not risking your health? It's very simple – get outside and eat more nutritious foods.

Some natural sources of vitamin D include fatty fish such as salmon and tuna. Other foods such as cheese, egg yolks, beef liver and mushrooms also contain some vitamin D along with milk.

Making sure you get outside and catch a few rays of sun is also key. To get adequate amounts of vitamin D you will need to go outside for 10 to 15 minutes a day. If you are unable to do this, consider supplementing.

Recommended daily doses of vitamin D have changed throughout the years. Today, safety research supports an upper limit of a dose of vitamin D to be more than or equal to 10,000 IU of vitamin D3.

The new recommended daily allowance (RDA), as set in 2010, is based on age, as follows: for those 1-70 years of age, 600 IU daily; for those 71 years and older, 800 IU daily; and for pregnant and lactating women, 600 IU daily, according the Mayo Clinic.

For deficiency, at least 1,000 IU (25 micrograms) of vitamin D has been taken by mouth daily (or 8,400 IU of vitamin D3 weekly). Other doses that have been studied include 50,000 IU daily for six weeks, 300,000 IU of oral vitamin D3 three times a year, 800 IU daily in combination with calcium, 400 IU daily, and 300,000 IU every three months. 300,000 IU of vitamin D has been used intramuscularly as bolus dose of vitamin D2 or D3, three times per year, and 600,000 IU (15 milligrams) of vitamin D has been used as single injections.

Optimum levels of vitamin D have been associated with a number of health benefits. Most recently, a new study found that "among women younger than 75 years, intake of vitamin D from foods and supplements was related to decreased odds of early AMD (Age-related macular degeneration). Better eyesight is just another one of the many benefits of vitamin D.

Vitamin D plays an important role in preventing disease and also ensures you are not putting your health at risk. Ask your chiropractor for more information.