Enjoy the Sunshine!
Vitamin D is crucial in metabolizing calcium for healthy bones. Without enough vitamin D, one can’t form enough of the hormone calcitriol. This in turn leads to insufficient calcium absorption from your diet. In this situation, the body must take calcium from where it stores it in the skeleton, which weakens existing bone and prevents the formation of strong, new bone.
You can get vitamin D through your skin, your diet, and from supplements. Vitamin D is formed naturally by the body after exposure to sunlight. Fifteen minutes in the sun a few times a week without sunscreen is plenty for many people to manufacture and store all of the vitamin D they need.
Experts generally recommend a daily intake of between 200 and 600 IU (International Units) of vitamin D, depending on your age. There are actually very few foods that naturally contain vitamin D. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines canned in oil are among the best sources. Small amounts of vitamin D are found in egg yolks, cheese, beef liver, and some mushrooms. Fortified foods provide most of the vitamin D in our diets. Nearly all milk in the U.S. is fortified with vitamin D regardless of whether it’s whole, nonfat, or reduced fat. Many brands of orange juice, yogurt, margarine, and breakfast cereals are also fortified with vitamin D, so check the labels for this important vitamin. You could get most of your daily requirement by eating a healthy breakfast rich in vitamin D.
The best known benefit of vitamin D is its role in helping build strong bones. But that’s not all. Vitamin D helps regulate the immune system and the neuromuscular system. It protects against many cancers, including breast and prostate. Vitamin D also plays major roles in the life cycle of human cells. So enjoy the sunshine, just be very careful not to over do it.