Tips For Getting Enough Vitamin D

Tips for Getting Enough Vitamin D

"New research says that vitamin D may play a crucial role in weight loss by controlling appetite and helping fat cells become more metabolically active.

The sunshine vitamin also helps your body better absorb bone-boosting calcium, improves immunity, reduces inflammation, and may even protect against some forms of cancer. Nearly 75 percent of Americans are vitamin-D deficient, so there's a good chance you're not getting your recommended daily dose of 400 IU (some people may need as much as 1000 IU, so check with your doctor to find out what's right for you).

Children age 1 and older and adults between the ages of 19 and 70 should get an average of 600 international units of vitamin D a day. The same amount is recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Once you turn 71, your vitamin D intake should increase to about 800 IUs each day.

There aren't many foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D. Some of the best natural sources like

Fatty fish like salmon
Tuna and mackerel which are also rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Beef Liver
Cheese
Egg yolks
Mushrooms also have some vitamin D, but not as much.
Your best bet is to eat foods that have been fortified with vitamin D, like milk, cereal, orange juice, yogurt, and soy milk.

And don't forget the most convenient source of all: sunlight. "Vitamin D is actually produced in your body when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike your skin; the UV rays trigger the synthesis of vitamin D, which then gets converted in your liver into its active form."