If you’re reading this article, it is likely that you are Vitamin D deficient, as the literature states greater than 60% of Americans have inadequate Vitamin D levels (Mitchell et al. 2012). Vitamin D is commonly known as the “bone vitamin” due to its necessity in absorbing Calcium. In addition to the human body’s natural manufacturing of Vitamin D, milk industries find Vitamin D so vital for Calcium absorption that they add it to every glass. However, recent studies have shown that Vitamin D is necessary for more than just healthy bones. Contradicting its name, Vitamin D is actually a hormone produced by our body when our skin is exposed to sunlight. Along with its production, Vitamin D receptors can be found on nearly every tissue within the body. Therefore, without sufficient levels, our muscles and tissue cannot function at peak capacity.
Dr. Haggquist recommends at least 50,000 units of Vitamin D per week, or the amount of units that we produce from spending 1 hour in the sun. Though Vitamin D can be found in certain foods such as fatty fish or eggs, our primary source of Vitamin D, specifically Vitamin D3, comes from sun exposure or via a dietary supplement. Vitamin D also aids the immune system in fighting infections and regulating cardiac function. In the end, Vitamin D can only help you, and chances are that you have a deficiency in it!
- Mitchell DM, Henao MP, Finkelstein JS, Burnett-Bowie SA. Prevalence and predictors of vitamin D deficiency in healthy adults. Endocr Pract. 2012 Nov Dec;18(6):914-23.
