Are you getting enough Vitamin D? This is one of the things I never really thought about until it starts to affect my health and wellbeing.
A few years back I started to feel not just a little bit tired or worn out, but totally exhausted, initially I put it down to my busy lifestyle and lack of sleep as I was juggling two jobs home life and a family.
I started to get really deep bone pain in my pelvis hips and legs, it was so painful and uncomfortable, but no matter what I was doing the pain was constantly there from the moment I woke up till the moment I went to bed, it also made everyday activities really difficult and challenging. After several months it had started to really get me down so I decided to make an appointment to see my doctor.
The doctor thought it could be a lack of vitamins or minerals and suggested that I have a blood test.
After a few days, my results were in, it was confirmed that I had extremely low vitamin D levels, I was immediately put on a high dose of vitamin D for a few months until my levels returned to normal, which they did, but a few months later I repeated the blood test and to my horror, my levels had dropped dramatically yet again. I'm now on Vitamin D for life.
What is Vitamin D:
Vitamin D is a hormone which is created in your body when your skin is exposed to the sun. Due to lifestyle and climate changes, Vitamin D deficiency is now a global public health problem, affecting an estimated 1 billion people worldwide.
Vitamin D is also found in a small number of foods.
Sources include:
- oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel
- red meat
- liver
- egg yolks
- fortified foods – such as most fat spreads and some breakfast cereals
Another source of vitamin D is dietary supplements. In the UK, cows' milk is generally not a good source of vitamin D because it is not fortified, as it is in some other countries.
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and sustain a healthy amount of phosphorous. Without the right amount of it, you could be at risk from developing numerous health problems including heart conditions and weakened bones.
Overexposure to the sun is a danger which has been greatly publicised and, as a result, people are covering up more and using sun cream when outside. Although this is generally a good thing, it does mean that we’re are having less sun exposure and in the UK and where the sun is not particularly abundant at the best of times, this can be harmful, plus most people have a more sedentary, indoor lifestyles and longer working hours means we’re getting less and less Vitamin D than ever before.
But with the correct supplementation (seek your doctor or pharmacist advice) and the right amount of exposure to the sun, this can help to reverse this and fix the imbalance in your body.
