If you reside North of the latitude line connecting Beijing to Athens, and Philadelphia to San Francisco, you probably do not get adequate Vitamin D from the sun. Individuals with dark skin and those who are obese or overweight are likely to have less Vitamin D than others on average. Everyone should go outdoors and soak up the sun for 15 minutes or more, daily.
There is evidence that people who have lower levels of Vitamin D have a higher risk of developing such diseases as certain types of cancers, tuberculosis, osteoporosis, and the seasonal flu. This is quite shocking, to say the least. Several studies have indicated that nearly half of the people in the world have a deficiency in Vitamin D.
How much Vitamin D is actually recommended varies depending on which expert you ask. Those who are most at risk should take 2,000 UI or more daily. A realistic estimate is 800 to 1,000 UI for adults in general, though a report by the Institute of Medicine has listed 800 UI of Vitamin D daily for individuals over 70 years old, and 600 UI for people between 1 and 70.
You can consume too much Vitamin D. However, the amount is very high, with a limit of up to 4,000 UI for people ages 9 and older. Daily maximum amounts for children are as follows:
*From 0-6 months old: 1,000 UI
*Ages 6-12 months: 1,500 UI
*From 1-3 years old: 2,500 UI
*4-8 years old: 3,000 UI
There has been a survey done that indicates a connection between increased falls and fractures in older women, and extremely high dosages of Vitamin D. The participants who were involved took Vitamin D orally in the amount of 50,000 UI once daily on a single day yearly. This is why it is important to check your dosages from any supplements you consume.
How to Obtain Vitamin D
We can consume food that contains Vitamin D. Our bodies actually create Vitamin D from cholesterol. Since not many foods naturally have this vitamin, we have to be careful what we eat. Today, there are numerous foods which have been Vitamin D fortified.
Our body requires sunlight to start the process of converting cholesterol to Vitamin D. We must absorb the sunlight into our skin for this to work. Using sunscreen reduces our ability to absorb the sunlight by up to 90 percent. The sun's rays are not adequate in higher latitudes during the Winter and Fall to provide us with much Vitamin D at all.
A visit to a tanning salon with tanning beds high in UVB can be an alternative. There is nothing to be afraid of since all the reported risks from using indoor tanning come from abuse from people who tried to get as brown skin as possible. For vitamin D tannning, you need only 50% of the time it should take to get burned.
Foods That Are the Best
Only relatively few types of foods have Vitamin D in them naturally, and others are fortified. Consider which of them to include in your daily diet. You may want to take a supplement if you are particular low in this vitamin.
Dairy
Milk that has been fortified has a great amount of Vitamin D, especially whole milk as opposed to skim and various other kinds. It actually has around one-fifth of the amount that has been recommended to be taken daily. Also, eggs contain a high amount, especially the free-range version. Ricotta cheese is another excellent way to get your Vitamin D compared to other cheeses.
Meats & Fish
Tuna is a great source of Vitamin D, with one-third of the daily recommended value in just one serving. However, salmon has a greater amount, since you can obtain twice the recommended daily dosage from a half fillet of sockeye salmon. Other fish containing Vitamin D are sardines, sole, and flounder. You will receive one-seventh the recommended amount of the vitamin from 3 ounces of pork, and one-fourteenth of the daily dose from the same size serving of beef liver.
Other Food Sources
Mushrooms, especially the shiitake variety, are a great source of Vitamin D. Several types of cereals have been fortified with this vitamin. Choose raisin bran over corn flakes and various other types, as it has such a high dosage of Vitamin D.
Track the amount of minerals and vitamins that you have in your daily diet. Figure out which foods are the best for your needs, as well as if you should take a Vitamin D supplement. You will surely improve your health by changing your diet and time spent outdoors, as well as other aspects of your life.
There is evidence that people who have lower levels of Vitamin D have a higher risk of developing such diseases as certain types of cancers, tuberculosis, osteoporosis, and the seasonal flu. This is quite shocking, to say the least. Several studies have indicated that nearly half of the people in the world have a deficiency in Vitamin D.
How much Vitamin D is actually recommended varies depending on which expert you ask. Those who are most at risk should take 2,000 UI or more daily. A realistic estimate is 800 to 1,000 UI for adults in general, though a report by the Institute of Medicine has listed 800 UI of Vitamin D daily for individuals over 70 years old, and 600 UI for people between 1 and 70.
You can consume too much Vitamin D. However, the amount is very high, with a limit of up to 4,000 UI for people ages 9 and older. Daily maximum amounts for children are as follows:
*From 0-6 months old: 1,000 UI
*Ages 6-12 months: 1,500 UI
*From 1-3 years old: 2,500 UI
*4-8 years old: 3,000 UI
There has been a survey done that indicates a connection between increased falls and fractures in older women, and extremely high dosages of Vitamin D. The participants who were involved took Vitamin D orally in the amount of 50,000 UI once daily on a single day yearly. This is why it is important to check your dosages from any supplements you consume.
How to Obtain Vitamin D
We can consume food that contains Vitamin D. Our bodies actually create Vitamin D from cholesterol. Since not many foods naturally have this vitamin, we have to be careful what we eat. Today, there are numerous foods which have been Vitamin D fortified.
Our body requires sunlight to start the process of converting cholesterol to Vitamin D. We must absorb the sunlight into our skin for this to work. Using sunscreen reduces our ability to absorb the sunlight by up to 90 percent. The sun's rays are not adequate in higher latitudes during the Winter and Fall to provide us with much Vitamin D at all.
A visit to a tanning salon with tanning beds high in UVB can be an alternative. There is nothing to be afraid of since all the reported risks from using indoor tanning come from abuse from people who tried to get as brown skin as possible. For vitamin D tannning, you need only 50% of the time it should take to get burned.
Foods That Are the Best
Only relatively few types of foods have Vitamin D in them naturally, and others are fortified. Consider which of them to include in your daily diet. You may want to take a supplement if you are particular low in this vitamin.
Dairy
Milk that has been fortified has a great amount of Vitamin D, especially whole milk as opposed to skim and various other kinds. It actually has around one-fifth of the amount that has been recommended to be taken daily. Also, eggs contain a high amount, especially the free-range version. Ricotta cheese is another excellent way to get your Vitamin D compared to other cheeses.
Meats & Fish
Tuna is a great source of Vitamin D, with one-third of the daily recommended value in just one serving. However, salmon has a greater amount, since you can obtain twice the recommended daily dosage from a half fillet of sockeye salmon. Other fish containing Vitamin D are sardines, sole, and flounder. You will receive one-seventh the recommended amount of the vitamin from 3 ounces of pork, and one-fourteenth of the daily dose from the same size serving of beef liver.
Other Food Sources
Mushrooms, especially the shiitake variety, are a great source of Vitamin D. Several types of cereals have been fortified with this vitamin. Choose raisin bran over corn flakes and various other types, as it has such a high dosage of Vitamin D.
Track the amount of minerals and vitamins that you have in your daily diet. Figure out which foods are the best for your needs, as well as if you should take a Vitamin D supplement. You will surely improve your health by changing your diet and time spent outdoors, as well as other aspects of your life.
About the Author:
Let Karl Golpen guide you if you are at risk of having vitamin D deficiency and want to find the best sources of vitamin D.
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