Where’s Your Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is getting a lot of attention these days. I was alerted to an article about diabetes risk in children of moms with low vitamin D levels, so I did a little snooping. In addition to bone health, vitamin D appears to have a relationship with immunity, inflammation, cancer, hypertension, chronic diseases (including diabetes), and more.

It is pretty well known that a natural source of vitamin D is the UV rays in sunlight. Unfortunately we need to be careful how much direct sunlight we get; we protect ourselves from skin cancer by wearing sunscreen, which blocks our ability to make vitamin D. Another problem is the angle of the sun at different times of year. I live in a place that gets sun most days of the year, yet all winter long we aren’t at the right angle for the vitamin D benefit. It’s a good idea to balance your sun exposure time (a little) with your sun protection time (a lot).

People also tend to know that milk is fortified with vitamin D. A reminder: all commercial milk contains vitamin D; not just whole milk, but everything down to fat-free. Some people argue they (and their children) have to drink whole milk because it has vitamin D – argue no more!

Another article has some excellent and very thorough information about vitamin D sources, levels, and more. Parts of it get a little technical, but most is very helpful. Talk to your health care provider about getting your vitamin D level checked, be aware of where you are getting vitamin D, and be informed about whether or not you need a vitamin D supplement.

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