Vitamin D Deficiency is the New Black ! Supplement vs Food Source

My fourth day into the A- Z blogging challenge and am blogging the letter D. What better topic to blog about than Vitamin D ? When I was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency, I was quite surprised. I soak up the sun to get my D rays and am quite conscientious about drinking my milk  and getting my food source of D , so why was I deficient ? Doc told me 1 out of 5 people end up with vitamin D deficiency. Reasons could be anything from lack of exposure to sun, not being absorbed by the body or the increased melanin content of skin which prevents absorption. The best treatment is a supplement. When I took supplemental Vitamin D , I lost weight, and felt healthier. If you have a diagnosed D deficiency  the best way to bring up your D levels quickly is to take a supplement . Doctors usually prescribe anywhere between  1000 iu to 5000 iu. If you have a mild or borderline deficiency, food sources are fine.  Making sure you eat a diet rich in vitamin D is good insurance against preventing a deficiency and will help to boost absorption of Vitamin D.

Conditions related to lack of Vitamin D

Obesity:Vitamin D deficiency is frequently linked to obesity, as the insufficient level of vitamin D holds back the production of hormone leptin, which regulates the fat in the body.

Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Severe asthma in children.

Rickets : Softening of the bones in children.

Cognitive impairment in older people

Osteoporosis

Depression and fatigue : associated with a lack of sunlight. This is called D depression and seen to occur mainly in the winter. A supplement of Vitamin D has been seen to improve the condition.

Food sources of Vitamin D

    Milk, eggs, tuna, salmon, cod liver oil, yogurt,

    orange juice, cheese, enriched breads,

    enriched   cereals.

To read more posts and recipes in this challenge click here  . Check back tomorrow to check out my post on the letter E !