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                About / News / 2016 / November / STAY HEALTHY THIS WINTER WITH VITAMIN D

                Stay Healthy This Winter With Vitamin D

                November 11, 2016

                Vitamin D is a wonderful, fat soluble vitamin used to maintain homeostasis in the body (temperature, blood pressure, pH levels, etc..) and it also aides in bone remodeling and strengthening. There is also correlation between Vitamin D3 status and immunity against virulent conditions such as influenza and the common cold. Vitamin D3 can be obtained through a few foods in your diet as well as exposure to sunlight as it is converted in the skin. With the colder weather season approaching and daylight savings time in full swing, the time spent outside and exposure to sunlight will drastically decline, which will leave your Vitamin D3 stores in the body thinking “What is happening to me?!” In fact, at latitude 40 (central Illinois) the sun’s rays are too weak to convert vitamin D3 in the skin in the months of January and February. At latitude 42 (Chicago area) the sun’s rays are too weak between the months of October through March!

                Over fifty percent of the U.S. population is vitamin D deficient and the defect is even greater among the older adults living alone. Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of autoimmune diseases (when the body attacks healthy cells), chronic disease, muscle function, and inflammation in the body, including colds and the flu. It also has an affect on our moods and increases depression. So the questions that begs asking is “How will I combat a Vitamin D deficiency during the upcoming winter months?” or more importantly “How can I stay healthy?”

                One way to stay healthy during the upcoming cold weather months is to eat the right kinds of Vitamin D3 rich foods. Examples include:

                • Fatty fish flesh – tuna, mackerel, salmon, sardines
                • Fortified Milk, Juice, Cereals and others
                • Egg Yolk
                • Liver

                Another tip to stay healthy is to supplement Vitamin D3. This is absolutely essential in maintaining healthy levels and fighting the common cold or flu. Some things to look for and consider when supplementing Vitamin D:

                • D3 is the more beneficial, superior Vitamin D and is the preferred “D” to supplement
                • Recommended supplementation is 2,000-5,000 IU per day
                • Make sure to read the labels on whatever brand you purchase and that it is 3rd party verified by the USP label

                Should you start supplementing Vitamin D? Everyone is different and some populations should not supplement vitamin D (people with kidney disease, those who use digoxin, and those with chronic hypercalcemia). If you have questions about your specific intake, please contact your physician for a more thorough lab analysis before embarking on your supplementation strategy. To learn even more about vitamin D please read this helpful fact sheet from the National Institute of Health: NIH- Vitamin D https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/.

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