Boosting Vitamin D when Days Go Short

We are constantly being bombarded with information about vitamin D - how much we need, how we need to get it, why we need to have it, the best form, and sometimes the negative aspects of vitamin D. But we believe that it is better to keep hearing about all this information than to forget and neglect.

Last week was day light savings time - fall back - our days are shortened and the sun keeps moving further and further away from us. So as we turn our noses to the sky hoping that the sun will force our eyes to squeeze close and our chilled skin willl feel the warmth of the huge glowing star of life we realize those days are soon to be over. It is sad, and our bodies recognize the absence of the sun immediately, it affects both our mental and physical health. This is why it is important to increase your vitamin D when you live in the winter tundra land of the Midwest.  (and all those other places where snow is a plenty.)

Here is some interesting benefits on why you should be stepping up your vitamin D intake.
 ( Via http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161618.php)

• It is crucial for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous, which have various functions, especially the maintenance of healthy bones.
• It is an immune system regulator.
• It may be an important way to arm the immune system against disorders like the common cold, say scientists from the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Children's Hospital Boston.
• It may reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is much less common the nearer you get to the tropics, where there is much more sunlight, according to Dennis Bourdette, chairman of the Department of Neurology and director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center at Oregon Health and Science University, USA.
• Vitamin D may have a key role in helping the brain to keep working well in later life, according to a study of 3000 European men between the ages of 40 and 79.
• Vitamin D is probably linked to maintaining a healthy body weight, according to research carried out at the Medical College of Georgia, USA.
• It can reduce the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms, and also the likelihood of hospitalizations due to asthma, researchers from Harvard Medical School found after monitoring 616 children in Costa Rica.
• It has been shown to reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in women.
• A form of vitamin D could be one of our body's main protections against damage from low levels of radiation, say radiological experts from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
• Various studies have shown that people with adequate levels of vitamin D have a significantly lower risk of developing cancer, compared to people with lower levels. Vitamin D deficiency was found to be prevalent in cancer patients regardless of nutritional status, in a study carried out by Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

If this doesn't convince you - I would say, give it a shot. Some say, that if you are deficient then it may take a month of taking a supplement until you start feeling an effect. But I challenge you, start taking a vitamin D supplement and track your progress. The sun is here for a reason it creates life and sustains healthy living, so when you are not absorbing vitamin D through the solar queen grab some supplements. Ask your doctor if this right for you, or course.