Are you the victim of Vitamin D deficiency?
Do you know, vitamin D is not actually a vitamin, rather it’s a type of hormone that is manufactured by your body by itself. If you are living in the UK (or US or Northern Europe), you’re probably not getting enough sunlight (especially during the winter months) to produce enough vitamin D for your body to perform at its best level.
Hence it’s important for you to know what causes vitamin D deficiency, the important signs to look out for, and the dangers involved, as well as what to do if you think you might have a vitamin D deficiency.
As sunlight is our main natural source of vitamin D, short winter days or less sunny days can have an impact when it comes to getting enough vitamin D.
Even if you are staying under the sun for longer times, you might not get enough Vitamin D, if you are using sunscreen lotion. But, the advice is NOT to apply the lotions, as it’s still important to protect your skin from getting burnt from too much sunshine.
There has to be a balance.
Is it possible to source some vitamin D through diet? The answer is a reluctant yes as the amount from food is not enough for the daily dose.
Another vital reason to be aware of is: certain ethnic people suffer from a lack of absorption even if they spend a lot of time outdoors due to poor gut health and especially those with dark-coloured skin. (Sorry not meant to be a racist here)
To know the signs of Vitamin D deficiency, first to understand the great help Vitamin D does to our body and our health. Vitamin D might have anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antiangiogenic benefits.
Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the gut and maintains adequate serum calcium and phosphate. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin and brittle.
So, the Vitamin D deficiency may result in low immunity and be more susceptible to infections and viruses. Unexplained body pains, muscle weakness are common signs of Vitamin D deficiency.
There are severe and serious cases of osteoporosis and we know some families have to move back to India due to the lack of sunshine in the western countries.
It’s always a good idea to consult your doctor for a blood test to check if you really have Vitamin D deficiency, this can be done by yourself with a at home blood test too.
If you have a deficiency, then you must take action. One of them is to stay outdoors for 25-30 minutes in the midday sun. This is because the sunshine is more abundant when the sun is highest in the sky, making the vitamin D synthesising process more efficient.
Eat plenty of fruit and veg for general health benefits. And look for decent supplements to boost your Vitamin D intake. Some suggest taking fish oil tablets, but if you are vegan, then go for plant based Vitamin D supplements.
Personally I benefited immensely from Advaita Vitamin D3 5000 IU HPMC capsules. It’s all plant based and the ONLY vegan capsule I know.
This is because cholecalciferol dissolved in the best grade Virgin Coconut Oil, this is meant to make sure that the entire D3 present in this capsule gets absorbed into the human body.
