Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Vitamin D

Life Essentials Mini-TabsVitamin D is a group of fat soluble nutrients that will help the body's metabolism levels as well as other things. Vitamin D has two major forms known as D2 and D3. Vitamin D3 comes from the sun. It comes from UV rays that have B radiation. You will find that there are many foods that are enriched with the vitamin and some that have just Vitamin D as an ingredient.

The difference is that some foods have it naturally as an ingrediat, however, vitamin D can be added to certain things like orange juice and milk so that you can absorb more of the vitamin in your diet. There aren't many foods that have the vitamin in it naturally and so that is why we enrich food with the substance. It is needed for you to grow strong and healthy.

Vitamin D keeps your body healthy because it will allow you to maintain the organ system by allowing it to function normally. Your organs need the system to function properly. In addition, it will regulate the amount of calcium and phosphorus in the body. IT will re-absorb calcium in the kidneys for your health. It will also help you with your bone strength.

That is just one of the reasons why it is important that you drink a lot of vitamin D milk when you are younger. If you do, the vitamin D will help you build a strong skeletal system. It also has been proven to help you prevent cancerous cells from forming.

Some people will have a vitamin D deficiency. It is caused from people who don't get sunlight in their lives. People who avoid the sun and keep their home closed tight from the sunlight will have a vitamin D deficiency. In addition, if you do not drink milk in your diet or eat foods fortified with the vitamin, you can have a Vitamin D deficiency.

When you get a deficiency, you will find a number of illnesses will ail you. You may have a liver or kidney disorder, soft bones, a low metabolism. In addition, it can cause rickets in children. If you have a vitamin d deficiency, you may be at risk for having or developing osteoporosis. It is very important that you keep your vitamin d levels up by eating fortified foods or by taking a supplement.

Vitamin D Supplements

Life Essentials Mini-TabsVitamin D is a vitamin found in food, and it can also be produced by your body after you are out in the sun. Supplements can also be effective in helping you get the vitamin D you need and prevent deficiency. There are many reasons you should consider making sure you are getting enough vitamin D; in fact it seems like each day there is a new discovery regarding this particular vitamin.

There are several benefits that are known for sure: Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption which helps you maintain strong bones, and it also helps to maintain your immune system. While these are important benefits themselves, there are other exciting potential benefits that are just being discovered. Recent studies suggest that vitamin D may help protect you against some cancers, and possibly reverse heart disease. In addition, there is an emerging opinion that vitamin D supplements may reduce symtoms of anxiety and depression, with a particularly strong effect on women who suffer anxiety with PMS and anyone who gets depressed during the winter months. (Reference information regarding these studies can be provided if you contact the author of this article).

There are three ways you can ensure you are getting enough vitamin D. First, there are direct food sources, such as fortified milk, large fish like salmon and tuna, many breakfast cereals, and egg yolk. However, if you don't consume the fish, it is actually very difficult to get enough vitamin D from another source. For example, most milk is fortified to the degree that you'd have to have 10 cups to get your daily allowance. Second, your body produces vitamin D when you are in the sun, though it doesn't work when you are wearing sunscreen (though it is still important to use sunscreen to prevent cancer and other problems due to sun exposure). You should check this with your doctor, but it is known that a short exposure to the sun, even as little as 10 minutes allows the process of vitamin D production to start. The third way you can get vitamin D is through over the counter pills or supplements.