When we hear the term Vitamin D many of us think of the need for sun. Whilst this isn’t entirely wrong, but there’s more to Vitamin D and there are more ways to get it. It’s important to get enough every day of the year and in this post we share with you how. From the sun to food to ordering vitamins online, we tell you why it’s important to get the Vitamin D your body needs!
What is Vitamin D?
According to the NHS website, Vitamin D is a nutrient needed to keep our bones, muscles, and teeth healthy. Our body actually makes it every time that the sun hits our skin. This nutrient is then used to help our body absorb the calcium that it needs to help our bodies work as they should.
How can I get Vitamin D?
There are various ways to get your daily intake. As we mentioned before, the sun, food, and supplements are it. The thing is, sometimes each thing isn’t enough to give you what you need. Which is where a combination of these can beneficial.
Sun
In the UK, you can be sure you can get all that you need from the sun between the months of April – September. As we said earlier in the post, once the right amount of sun hits your skin your body starts creating Vitamin D. The UV rays from the sun (UVB, to be precise) converts the substance 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) into pre-vitamin D3. This then is converted into Vitamin D3. The UV rays that cause sunburns and create Vitamin D3 are the same, which is why it’s necessary to be alert and find the right balance.
If you’re tired of trying to get out into the sun by just walking or running, why not try out something new, like mountain biking?
Food and Supplements
You can also take supplements to help you during the months that we don’t get that much sun; some foods have it too.
If you want to get more of the vitamin from food then consider foods such as:
- eggs (found in the yolk),
- oily fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines),
- liver,
- red meat,
- and fortified foods
Supplements are a great way to get you to the right amount that your body needs. The recommended daily amount is said to be 600 IU. But there are different factors to consider such as your overall health, weight, age, and lifestyle.
When it comes to supplements you can take typical vitamins or if you don’t really like taking tablets you can opt for vitamin D drops. These drops are so much easier for you to ingest as you just need to put a drop in your rmouth, hold it for 30 seconds, and swallow. These are great to have on the go or keep in your office drawer without needing to faff about with bottles of vitamins in tablet form.
Vitamin D Overdose
There’s such a thing as a Vitamin D overdose. This can happen if you exceed 4,000 IU a day, which is something that you shouldn’t do as this can lead to irregular heartbeats, excessive urination, and weight loss. In more severe cases the excessive absorption of calcium can put vital organs, such as your kidneys, heart, and blood vessels at risk.
If you stick to the recommendations and consult with your GP you can ensure that you don’t have any issues or deficiencies and get the right amount that you need of Vitamin D every day of the year.
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