Hello everyone. Today’s article is a guest post from Staysure.
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Everyone tends to be feeling a bit run down near to the beginning of the year, but if you’ve been particularly prone to colds and flu this winter, you might want to look into upping your Vitamin D intake. The vitamin has countless health benefits, and yet so many people do not make an effort to get more of it by way of their diet. Not only does it keep bones and teeth healthy, a lack of the vitamin could also trigger serious conditions such as rickets and there is also plenty of evidence linking it to fertility, eyesight and the immune system.
Winter in the UK can pose something of a problem for vitamin D intake. The best way to store up the vitamin is through exposure to sunlight – which is often lacking in the cold months. Therefore, during this season it becomes even more important to make sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D in your diet – whether by way of enriching foodstuffs or supplements.
Good food sources for the vitamin include oily fish such as salmon and sardines, eggs, fortified fat spreads, fortified breakfast cereals and powdered milk. The good news is that because the body stores vitamins up for future use, you do not need to include vitamin D in your diet each day.
Some people may choose to take daily vitamin D supplements in order to up their intake. Doing so is particularly important for members of certain groups, who are prone to deficiency in the vitamin. This includes all children aged six months to five years, pregnant and breastfeeding women, those over the age of 65, people who do not get much sun and people with darker skin. According to the Department of Health, taking 25 micrograms or less per day of vitamin D supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Research has shown that vitamin D is a very common deficiency, particularly between the months of January and March, and while colds and infections are rife at this time of the year, the people who tend to contract them are those who are the lowest in vitamin D.
Furthermore, research from the University of Minnesota also revealed that Vitamin D levels in the body at the start of a low-calorie diet increase the chance of weight loss success – indicating the clever vitamin could help you to shift those stubborn pounds.
Andrew Johnson, a herbalist and nutritional therapist, underlines that it is advisable to get vitamin D levels checked, noting that many people would be surprised that they are lacking in the essential nutrient. Getting a check-up would allow the individual to work out what level of vitamin D supplement they need to start taking in order to improve their health.
The expert adds that vitamin D can relate to mood as well, saying: “If people get sad, it may not be just because they’re low in serotonin, but also partly related to vitamin D deficiency.”
Making sure you get enough vitamin D is one way to boost your health, just like eating right and exercising. However, medical insurance is also a necessity when traveling to make sure that should you fall ill, you receive the appropriate treatment and are back on your feet as soon as possible.