If you’ve ever heard the term “winter blues” than you are already familiar with a lack of vitamin D and just didn’t know it.
Vitamin D, also known as the “happy” or “sunshine” vitamin, is actually quite an important chemical in the body, but its presence and production have been rapidly decreasing over the last few decades.
Vitamin D is naturally produced by the skin’s contact with sunlight, however with the increasing health risks associated with prolonged sun exposure without the use of sunscreen, many people are not getting nearly enough time in the light to produce adequate levels.
While using a sunscreen with a high SPF will protect your tissue from sun damage, it will also block out the UVB rays required to kick-start the production of Vitamin D, leaving you feeling sluggish and potentially vulnerable to bone and teeth difficulties.
You can get Vitamin D from a supplement but the best way is from food if you don’t get it from sunshine. The best sources of Vitamin D in food are fatty fish like salmon, tuna and sardines.
A can of sardines contains 80% of the Recommended Daily Allowance,RDA of Vitamin D.
The RDA is 600 International Units, IUs, so getting 600-800 daily is sufficent.
Signs You Are Vitamin D-ficient
You Feel “Down”
Vitamin D is an important component to the brain chemical serotonin, which is responsible for regulating happiness and positive thoughts. A lack of exposure to natural sunlight will lead to a decreased production of serotonin, causing many people to feel bored, lethargic or just not as interested in things as they once were.
You Lack Interest In Intimacy
Vitamin D has a profound effect on the production of estrogen in women and testosterone in men. A lack of this vitamin regulating these hormones can cause a decrease in the desire for physical affection.
You Have Dark-Pigmented Skin
The most natural way for the body to produce Vitamin D is by absorbing sunlight and transforming it into a usable vitamin. Even a little sun exposure can begin this process; however those with darker skin will find the results weak at best.
Dark pigmentation acts as a natural sunscreen for the body, repelling UVB rays away from skin and dramatically decreasing the production of Vitamin D.
You Experience Excessive Sweating
A lack of Vitamin D can also cause excessive sweating on the forehead. This is a result of neuromuscular irritability – a symptom of Hypocalcemia. In layman’s terms, the lack of Vitamin D causes an imbalance in the absorption of calcium, resulting in twitching muscles which overheat and produce sweat.
You Are Over 50
While age isn’t a factor we can control, it is a warning sign that it’s time to start incorporating additional vitamin supplements. Vitamin D acts as a supervisor for calcium, which is a vital mineral in the production of strong, healthy bones and teeth.
As we age, our bodies naturally produce less and less of the materials which make us active and healthy, and adding vitamin supplements to a healthy diet is a sure way to keep your body strong for many extra years.
Our bodies are living machines, and like their metal counterparts, what we put in them will determine how well they will run. Vitamin D supplements are made from all-natural ingredients and their incorporation into your diet will help ensure you stay happy, healthy, and energetic despite a lack of time in the sun.
