Supplement the Sunshine Vitamin

Winter means a lot less sunshine especially if you live north of the 49th parallel. Which means we are exposed to less sunshine and that isn’t great for the sunshine vitamin. Yep, poor Vitamin D is having a hard time being produced during the winter months. It is important to supplement Vitamin D at this time of the year for our bone health and our teeth. An under active stomach with low levels of HCL, poor liver function and other digestive disorders such as Crohn’s or celiac disease can be factors in poor Vitamin D absorption, as does aging. Being obese will also impair your ability to extract Vitamin D from the blood cells creating a deficiency. Signs of mild Vitamin D deficiency can include bone pain, muscle weakness, and slow wound healing. A deficiency in this vitamin can put you at greater risk for cardiovascular diseases, cognitive impairment in older adults, asthma in children and cancer. You can get dietary Vitamin D from your diet through oily fish, cod liver oil, egg yolks and butter as well as fortified foods. But, supplementation during the winter months will prevent any Vitamin D deficiencies. However, be careful to follow the recommended amounts, as Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and is stored in our bodies. Too much Vitamin D can cause toxicity creating excessive thirst, diarrhea, nausea, weakness and headaches.