Vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency is becoming more and more common today, maybe due to our diets, or that we are spending too much time inside. Either way it is an important vitamin that we need in our body otherwise we see many symptoms that affect our health.
Did you know that vitamin D deficiency effects 1 in 3 Australians?
Did you know that during the summer and autumn months 42 per cent of women and 27 per cent of men living in the southern states were suffering from vitamin D deficiency? These numbers then increased to 58 per cent of women and 35 per cent of men during winter-spring.
For me living in Victoria I see that in winter the lack of sunlight and even when the sun does come out we are all rugged up to go outside causes many of us to have low vitamin D levels. If we are going outside with long pants and a jumper on we aren’t exposing our skin to any sunlight and thus us not absorbing it. We also know that those with dark skin struggling to absorb vitamin D compared to those with pale skin.
Having low vitamin D can lead to many symptoms that can affect our health dramatically. We see that those who have low vitamin D sometimes are also suffering for mental health issues. This is why many leading phycologists suggest that those suffering with mental health issues should eat their breakfasts outside in the mornings so that they are getting exposure to sunlight without getting the exposure when the sun is at its hottest.
Obversely over winter we are wanting to get more sun exposure during the day so you may need to be out in the sun midday sun for about 30 minuets but in summer it is recommend that you only need a few minutes of mid-morning or mid-afternoon sun to get enough vitamin D for the day.
Did you know that those who were obese and physically inactive were around twice as likely to be vitamin D deficient?
Exercising outside for 30 minutes a day is a perfect way to keep active and get your daily dose of vitamin D.
Vitamin D and calcium also work together in ensuring that we have strong healthy bones. Ensuring that we are getting enough calcium in our diet will also help with our vitamin D levels, so consuming leafy greens, fish, dairy products, brazil nut to help with both our vitamin D and calcium levels. We also should look and eating foods rich in vitamin D like eggs, liver, and fatty fish. But it is good to note that food only contributes to10% of our total vitamin D intake, we need to get the rest from either sunlight exposure or a supplement.
How to know if you might be vitamin D deficient well here I have listed some symptoms that may be linked to low vitamin D. I can also refer you to get a blood test so we can see what your levels are before we start supplementing.
Symptoms that could suggest low vitamin D:
Chronic pain
Muscle weakness
Depression
Skin conditions
Hypertension
Bone pain
Fatigue
Very sweaty
Digestion problems
If you may think you are having any of these symptoms you should defiantly go and talk to your health care professional or book an appointment with me to get you back to being your best self!
