Over recent years Vitamin D has received more and more attention from researchers and subsequently the media. This vitamin that was once thought to be adequate in anyone who saw sunlight has now become and vitamin deficiency endemic which is on the rise in western countries.
In this article I will discuss vitamin D further and its myriad of health benefits, including its prevention of the common cold.
What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D, often called the ‘sunshine vitamin’ is compound which actually acts more like a hormone. The actions of this vitamin are truly far reaching; it is involved in immune function, bone formation, insulin regulation, cardiovascular health and mood enhancement to name a few.
Vitamin D comes in 2 forms, Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3. Both are useful and absorbed well by the body however vitamin D3 is often favoured form as its effect tends to occur quicker and last longer than its counterpart.
The main source of Vitamin D is from UVB light (sunlight) and due to this it was often presumed to be readily available and utilised by everyone. Smaller amounts of vitamin D can be found in higher fat foods such as oily fish, flax seed, avocado, cheese and whole milk. A lot of products are also fortified with vitamin D.
The rise in processed food, decreased outdoor work, increase in office based work hours and the surge of indoor activities like tablets and the TV have all lead to an epidemic deficiency of vitamin D throughout our population.
How to increase your Vitamin D
The most simple and basic way to increase vitamin D, like all other things, is to get outside more, enjoy the outdoors and eat a healthier diet. In today’s hectic society, however this is not always an option, and even if it is, light levels in winter are low and dietary vitamin d is difficult to come by to the appropriate level. Due to this supplementation can be of help; however please do take advice from a registered healthcare professional before starting this.