Fall is here! That means, cooler days, less day light, less vitamin D…… You’re saying, “So what?” Well, vitamin D is a fat-soluble prohormone, which encourages the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous, which maintains healthy bones. It plays an important role in more than just our bones. It helps regulate our immune system and arm it against disorders like the common cold. It may also have a key role in helping the brain to keep working well later in life, according to a study of 3000 European men. Along the lines of men, the Today Show had a special on last week showing a study being done right now that might link vitamin D deficiency to hair loss. Vitamin D is linked to maintaining a healthy body weight and helps fight depression. According to researchers from Harvard Medical School, who found after monitoring 616 Children, vitamin D can also reduce the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms, and also the likelihood of hospitalizations due to asthma. It has also shown to reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in women. Various studies carried out by Cancer Treatment Centers of America have shown that vitamin D deficiency is found to be prevalent in cancer patients regardless of what their nutritional status is.
You may be asking, “How do I know if I am deficient or not?” Well, you can go to your doctor to get a blood test done to get your exact levels, but in the meantime this may help you too. If you live in the tropics, close to the equator, and can expose your skin unprotected for 2 sessions of 15 minutes of sunlight a week, you will naturally produce enough vitamin D. The farther you live from the equator your sunlight will be less. Also, cloud cover, smog, sunscreen, elderly people as well as dark skin should consume extra vitamin D for good health. We will have a Vitamin D Intake Questionnaire at IronFitness that will also help you calculate the recommended level of vitamin D supplementation for you. For your convenience we have vitamin D at IronFitness from Shaklee for $9.50 per bottle. You can also contact Sonia for more information at 330-806-2452 or soniamaranville@yahoo.com.
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