Vitamin D is an essential vitamin your body needs to function at its best. It is sometimes referred to as “the sunshine vitamin” because it is produced by the body when exposed to sunlight. Many people are deficient in it partly because they spend more time indoors and eat a Western diet low in good sources of this vitamin. Here's a list of the benefits from healthy vitamin D levels.

1. Guard Against Viral Diseases:
   
   Vitamin D boosts our immune health. It may help protect our body from viral diseases like the flu and help us recover from illnesses more quickly. This is especially important right now given the fact we are in a global pandemic due to a contagious virus.
   
   
2. Strong Bones:
   
   Our bones are made of calcium, and our bodies need an ongoing supply of calcium for overall health and bone maintenance. Vitamin D helps stimulate the calcium in our body. If your vitamin D levels are low, your body will not be able to deposit to your bones; instead, that calcium will be deposited into your bloodstream. Without the nutrients they need, your bones will begin to weaken and you may become more prone to breaks and fractures. 
   
   
3. Cardiovascular Health:
   
   Daily consumption of vitamin D may help protect you from a range of heart diseases like sudden cardiac arrest or heart failure.
   
   
4. Improved Blood Pressure:
   
   Daily vitamin D supplements may help reduce high blood pressure, especially if taken when your blood pressure spikes. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider to ensure supplementing is right for you.
   
   
5. Elasticity of Arteries:
   
   Healthy vitamin D levels can help maintain and improve the elasticity of your arteries, avoiding the hardening of arteries that leads to poor cardiovascular health.
   
   
6. Improved Muscle Function:
   
   It is not only your bones that suffer from low vitamin D; your muscles start to weaken as well when you suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D can help strengthen muscles, improve their performance, and increase stamina. 
   
   
7. Reduced Risk of Cancer:
   
   Daily consumption of vitamin D may help reduce the risk of various cancers, such as ovarian, lung, breast, throat, colon, and prostate. Vitamin D may help reduce the rate at which cancer cells spread from one to another, possibly contributing to both the prevention and treatment of cancer. 
   

Sources of Vitamin D

Sunlight:

It is a reliable source of vitamin D. When UVB rays come into contact with our skin, cholesterol in skin cells react by converting these rays into vitamin D. The success of the reaction depends on the amount of skin (no sunscreen) is exposed to sunlight, as well as the amount of Melanin in the skin. Melanin is the pigment that determines the colour of our skin, hair, and eyes. 
It's important to note that sun exposure can increase your risk of skin cancer so only spend short periods of time in the sun without protection.

Dietary Sources:

• Beef liver
• Red Meat
• Cheese
• Egg yolk
• Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna)
• Mushrooms (chanterelle, maitake, morel, oyster, shiitake)
  Note: researchers have found that we can increase the levels of vitamin D in mushrooms even more by exposing mushrooms to sunlight (UV light) before consumption.

Foods Often Fortified with Vitamin D:

• breakfast cereals and oatmeal
• Dairy products (milk & yogurt)
• Non-dairy milk (almond & soy, etc.)
• Orange juice

Supplements:

For those who aren't exposed to enough sunlight or don't consume enough vitamin D enriched foods, supplementation might be a good idea. This is especially true for those who live in northern areas or during wintertime. I just spent the winter in Finland. If you know about Scandinavian winters, you know they're DARK. There can be no sunlight for months. I worked with my naturopath and supplemented with vitamin D everyday. It made a positive impact on my health.

Be sure to chat to your healthcare provider if a supplement is required and proper dosages.

I hope this information allowed you to understand why vitamin D is extremely important for good health. It plays several roles in keeping your body's cells healthy and functioning the way they should.

Wishing you health and happiness.

Love,

Sarah