Vitamin D is needed in your body for the regulation of the
minerals calcium and phosphorus. Having
the proper amounts of Vitamin D in your system is important because it has
proven to aid in preventing the weakening of bones, bone loss and low calcium.
It can also be used to help conditions such as high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, weak muscles, multiple
sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and even tooth and gum disease.
So how much Vitamin D is enough? And where does it come
from? The recommended dietary allowance http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-vitamin-d-overview
for vitamin D is 600 IU (international
units) per day for adults up to age 70. Adults above the age of 70 should aim
for 800 IU daily. Amounts for children
and newborns vary and can be viewed here. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
Those of us in Indiana during the
winter may be a bit lacking as far as receiving natural Vitamin D lately,
because the sun hasn’t been shining very much!
Experts http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-vitamin-d-overview for vitamin D is 600 IU suggest that if you
can tolerate two 15 minute sessions of sunlight each week, it will be enough
natural Vitamin D from sunlight.
There are also several foods which include Vitamin D. These include: some fish, fish liver oils,
egg yolks, and fortified diary and grain products.
So if you are one of those people who isn’t in the sun very
much, suffer from milk allergies and are on a strict vegetarian diet, you might
be Vitamin D deficient. But how can you be sure?
Although there are some warning signs for people who are
lacking in Vitamin D, such as bone pain or muscle weakness, blood tests can
tell you for sure if you are deficient.
The Medical Foundation http://www.sbmf.org/index.php/clinicaltests/search/
offers the two most common types of
Vitamin D testing: Vitamin D, 1,25-Dihydroxy and Vitamin D, 25-hydroxy,
total. Vitamin D undergoes two
hydroxylations in your body for activation.
The first is in the liver where it is converted to Vitamin D
25-hydroxy. The second occurs in the
kidney and creates Vitamin D, 1, 25-hydroxy.
The concentration of Vitamin D 25-hydroxy is the best indicator of your
Vitamin D status. It reflects the amount
of Vitamin D produced and obtained by your body. However, this test does not indicate the
amount of Vitamin D stored in your body’s tissue. To see how much is stored in your tissue, opt
for the Vitamin D, 1, 25-hydroxy, which is a better indicator.
Although it is still a little too soon to tell and further
studies are being conducted, it is thought that maintaining adequate Vitamin D
levels will reduce the likelihood of colon cancer and may help to prevent both
breast and prostate cancer. It has also been associated with boosting the
immune system and preventing autoimmune disease.
While it may seem as though the benefits far outweigh the
negatives associated with Vitamin D, more isn’t necessarily the best
option. Rather, too much Vitamin D can
damage blood vessels, causing damage to the heart and kidneys.
So as the snow flies throughout the Midwest and Vitamin D
from the sunshine is a little less than preferred, let your ears perk up next
time you hear some buzz about Vitamin D.
Now you can order Vitamin D labs at http://www.yourdirecttest.com.
