Best Sources of Vitamin D
Do you know the sun is a valuable sources of vitamin D?
Over the past few articles I have documented a few of the many benefits vitamin D offers to your body. If you weren’t previously, I hope you are now aware of the countless positive effects which result from maintaining healthy vitamin D levels. Scientists continue to research the many healthy benefits resulting from proper vitamin D intake, and ongoing studies seek to link vitamin D deficiencies with a growing list of health problems including cancer, asthma and osteoporosis. Naturally, making sure you obtain the proper vitamin D intake is essential to your overall health and should be closely monitored. However, many still wonder where they are to obtain vitamin D and how to increase their daily intake. There are two main sources for vitamin D intake and below I will detail the proper amounts to assure a healthy balance.
1) Vitamin D Enriched Foods
There are numerous food products which are rich in vitamin D. If you are a seafood fan, and choose to eat it regularly, you are likely already partaking in plenty vitamin D. Fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines all contain copious amounts of vitamin D. 3 ½ ounces of cooked salmon or mackerel contain 90% of your daily vitamin D value. Furthermore, three ounces of canned tuna in oil makes up 50% of your daily value and 1 ¾ ounces of sardines in oil contain 70% of your vitamin D daily value.
These are shockingly low amounts, yet it is surprising how many people continue to remain vitamin D deficient. Although relying upon a heavy fish diet also offers some health consequences, these numbers indicate that a introducing small portions of fish into your diet can significantly boost your daily vitamin D levels.
2) Natural Sun Light
If your mother and grandmother are anything like mine, you’ve probably been taught to never spend time in the sun without gobs of SPF 90 sun block on. They’ve warned you of the dreaded cancerous rays from the big bad sun. Well, they weren’t entirely inaccurate, but a healthy dose of sunlight on a daily basis is actually extremely beneficial to your health. Sun light is far more likely to meet your daily vitamin D requirements than any food product. UV rays trigger the vitamin D production in your skin, although there are several mitigating factors to this.
Many people do not live in environments which supply sufficient sunlight. This is particularly true in the winter months for northern countries which receive harsh, cloud-covered weather, forcing its residents indoors most of the time. However, for those who are fortunate to experience the sun, before you slop on all that sun block, try spending 10-15 minutes unprotected so that your skin may begin the vitamin D synthesis process. After that time period it is safe for you to apply sun screen to protect yourself from the harmful effects of the sun.
As noted, vitamin D offers many health benefits to those who maintain the proper levels. Try to avoid vitamin D supplements if possible and stick to natural solutions such as sun exposure and proper diet. Ultimately, spending a little time outside exercising will be the most beneficial to your health for many, many reasons.
Photo by NeilsPhotography
