Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that plays many important roles in your body, including helping with bone health, immunity, and even brain function. Unfortunately, it’s estimated that over 1 billion people around the world suffer from vitamin D deficiency.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss the risks associated with vitamin D deficiency as well as the benefits of increasing your intake to normal levels. We’ll also provide some tips for how to increase your vitamin D levels as well as how you can test for a deficiency at home.
What are the Risks of Vitamin D Deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency can have serious consequences for your health. People who suffer from a lack of vitamin D may find themselves more susceptible to chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. It has also been linked to depression, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and osteoporosis. Simply put, if you don’t get enough vitamin D, you will be at risk of these conditions.
What are the Benefits of Increasing Your Vitamin D Intake?
The good news is that increasing your intake of vitamin D can help reduce these risks significantly. Studies have shown that taking a daily supplement containing at least 800 IU (International Units) of vitamin D3 per day can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke by up to 20%.
Additionally, higher levels of this essential nutrient have been linked with improved cognitive performance in adults and better bone health in children. Finally, there is evidence to suggest that individuals with higher levels of vitamin D are less likely to experience depression and anxiety than those who have lower levels.
How Can I Increase My Vitamin D Intake?
There are several ways you can increase your intake of vitamin D without having to take a supplement every day. For starters, try eating foods like salmon and tuna which contain high levels of this essential nutrient or drinking fortified milk or orange juice which have added vitamins and minerals including vitamin d3. Spending time outdoors exposed to natural sunlight is also an excellent way to get a healthy dose of vitamin d each day which helps not only improve overall health but also provides additional mental health benefits including improved moods and increased energy levels!
Lastly you could consider taking a home test kit which measures the amount of active ingredient found within one’s system via finger prick sample collection – this will give you an accurate indication on what level your body is currently operating on!
Conclusion
While it’s true that many people suffer from low or deficient levels of vitamin d3 , there are steps we can take now to increase our consumption so as not to be affected by its negative side effects. Eating certain foods such as salmon or tuna which contain high amounts of this vital nutrient will help keep us healthy while spending time outdoors exposed directly sunlight provides additional mental health benefits too!
Additionally if one were concerned about their current level then they could utilize a home testing kit which measures the amount found within one’s system via finger prick sample collection – this will give you an accurate indication on what level your body is currently operating on!
Overall it’s important that everyone gets enough vitally important nutrients such as d3 in order maintain optimal physical & mental wellbeing – no matter what age!
