Vitamin D, Are You Getting Enough?

Most of us know Vitamin D in relation to bone health, that vitamin D and calcium are important to ensure your bones are in great shape and we are bombarded with supplementation options of all forms of media.

What many of us don't know is that "low levels of vitamin D are linked with an increase risk of:

• multiple sclerosis
• Diabetes
• Some types of cancer (particularly colon cancer)
• Heart disease
• Mental health disorders such as schizophrenia
• Worse outcomes in stroke
• Altered immunity and other autoimmune diseases"

(Source Victorian Government Health)

So, it is very important to ensure that we are getting enough vitamin D. How are we to get our Vitamin D? The easiest and more efficient way to get our Vitamin D is via the sun. Obviously, it is also important to avoid too much sun exposure and therefore increase risk of skin cancer. So how do we get our Vitamin D and reduce our risk of some diseases while not exposing our selves to too much sun and therefore increasing our risk of skin cancer? Well, it is important to know when the sun is at its strongest and most dangerous for sun exposure and also to know how long one can be exposed in the sun before it gets dangerous. To find out this, check with your local cancer council.

It is also important to know that in certain seasons the sun is more dangerous to be exposed to than other seasons. Obviously, summer is the season that we're exposed to the sun the most with less clothing coverage and winter is the least when we wear long sleeves and long pants. The time when the sun is high in the sky is the time of the day when it is most dangerous in the sun.

Your complexion is a factor that also needs to be considered. Those with fairer skin (fair skin to olive skin) are able to absorb vitamin D more quickly from the sun but also need to be cautious in the sun to ensure they don't increase their risk of sun exposure.

Those with darker skin colour, have a little more difficulty absorbing vitamin D from the sun and therefore probably need more exposure to the sun to help with this. And they may not even need to where sunscreen, but still need to protect their eyes from the sun.

Sunscreen should be used for the times that the UV exposure will be greatest (usually the middle of the day) and this shouldn't put you at risk of vitamin D deficiency.

You can get small amounts of vitamin D from some foods such as fish and eggs, although it is difficult to gain enough from these sources to ensure your vitamin D levels are high enough. There are also some foods with vitamin D added to these and they may contribute some vitamin D to your diet, although, again, sun is a much more effective way to improve your vitamin D levels.

If you are concerned about your vitamin D level, it is advisable to discuss it with your GP, if they feel that it is appropriate they can arrange to check your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D supplements are available and depending on what you're GP advises, you may need to have these supplements. Ensure you follow the instructions given by your GP with regards to supplements as your GP may advise you differently for different seasons, depending on what your blood test results return and there may give different advice depending on what other risk factors for various conditions you may have.

As you would assume, getting out and enjoying your day during lunch is vitally important not only to make you stop for lunch, increase your exercise levels but now for ensuring that your vitamin D levels are maintained also. Exercise has the potential to help with your vitamin D levels also.

Seeing that the sun is usually strongest during the middle of the day, lunchtime is the perfect time to work on your vitamin D levels. So make the most of the opportunity that your lunch break affords with regards to vitamin D. It is important to ensure that you plan your lunch well also, to include good sources of Calcium such as dairy.

For further information on why stopping for lunch is important see our article of the same name at http://www.TheBalancedLunchbox.com/articles. It's also important to ensure that you plan your lunch well also to include good sources of Calcium such as dairy as well as ensuring you're meeting your Vitamin D requirements. To learn how to balance your lunch well see our website at http://www.TheBalancedLunchbox.com
Remember that balance is important in both your diet and also in your lifestyle.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joanne_Mirtschin