Vitamin D Earns Star Status Among Supplements

Author: P.S. Orrbr
Source: ezinearticles.combr
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Until recently, vitamin D has generally been considered the supplement used to prevent rickets but not as important for other aspects of health. Now, through additional research, this simple vitamin has earned star status with its new found ability to support bone health, immune function and healthy cell division. Other health issues such as insulin resistance, autoimmune disease and heart problems are found to respond to proper doses of vitamin D. Surprisingly, up to 60% of the U.S. population is deficient in this supplement.

The question to why so many Americans are deficient in vitamin D lies very much in the latitude of where populations live. Since this supplement is interconnected to how much sun exposure a person gets, many people do not benefit from its effects if they live in areas of the country where every day sun exposure isnt the norm. Northern latitudes in the winter season does not provide enough UVB light that activates pre-vitamin D to be formed which then causes the production of the D supplement.

Also, other factors such as the season of the year, how much time is spent outside without sunscreen, a persons skin pigmentation, age (over 50), obesity, pollution and gastrointestinal health issues contribute to how much vitamin D the body actually absorbs. Only a few foods such as eggs yolks, cod liver oil and salmon provide the necessary supplement and most people only get it through fortified milk products. So, generally, many people cannot receive the adequate supply of supplements through food and other means without the addition of this supplement to their diets.

Of course, not everyone is low in vitamin D and it is recommended to have a blood test performed to make sure. Its best to have serum 25(OH) D levels tested to be sure. Most adults should take up to 2,000 IU a day and should deliberately undergo natural sun exposure for 5-10 minutes two or three times a week with no sunscreen. In most people, this will provide the amount of necessary vitamin D to insure healthier bones, immune function and heart health.

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