You Might Be Part of this Worldwide Vitamin D Deficiency

You might be amongst the 77% of Americans that are currently suffering from some form of vitamin D deficiency without even knowing it.

You might even say to yourself that if you go outside once in while and soak up some rays of light you should be more than fine. Right?

Or you might argue that the weather simply does not allow you to get enough sunlight and that you’re completely out of sources of vitamin D.

Then you simply might be unhealthily acting on a misinformed notion of what vitamin D is and how it affects your overall health and wellbeing.

What Exactly is Vitamin D?

Don’t let its name misguide you; vitamin D is not a mineral. It’s actually a fat-soluble hormone that you get from just being in the sun or found in special supplements or foods.

There are also two types of vitamin D. They’re known as vitamins D2 and D3. Out of both, D3 is particularly effective at solving the issue of severe vitamin D deficiency.

Current studies show that vitamin D is vital in helping your intestines absorb calcium and phosphorous. More importantly, it helps promote and regulate a healthy flow of calcium between your blood and bones.

It could also help protect your bones and muscles.

Currently, there are over three hundred thousand genes mapped in the human body. Did you know that almost three thousand of your genes are directly affected by your body’s current intake of vitamin D?

What Are the Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency?

If you want to gauge your overall vitamin D intake keep an eye out for the overall health of your bones.

In children, vitamin D deficiency is shows in the way their bone structure develops. Lack of vitamin D causes children’s bone structures to grow riddled with deformities and become increasingly weak.

In adults, however, lack of sufficient vitamin D may cause chronic conditions like osteoporosis and osteomalacia.

More importantly, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to at least eight common diseases that can reduce your overall quality of life.

The most horrifying among them are definitely are the many forms of heart disease, autism, and even some cancers (despite UV rays being always associated with skin cancer).

Speaking of cancer, did you know that a healthy amount of vitamin D could potentially help mitigate it?

How Vitamin D Could Help Prevent Cancer

– Studies show that safe long-term exposure to sun rays can help light-skinned women half the risk of developing advanced skin cancer.

– Some scientists estimate that if the global population got rid of vitamin D deficiency epidemic, up to half a million of cancer cases would be completely avoided.

– Optimal vitamin D levels could potentially help prevent up to ten types of cancer, even skin cancer!

It’s still common knowledge that sunlight is still the best natural source for your body’s supply of vitamin D.

But this does not include tanning beds; please avoid these at all costs!

However, you can still add these foods to your diet to improve your vitamin D intake naturally as well.

Salmon is still my favorite. What is yours?