Vitamin D Shortage
Canadians need more Vitamin D, according to a report issued by the Government’s Office of Statistics. Only two-thirds of Canadians have adequate Vitamin D in their blood. Those conclusions were reached by examining patient blood levels of Vitamin D. Not getting enough of the vitamin can create a deficiency which has been linked to serious illnesses in both the young and old alike.
Youngsters who are deprived of Vitamin D can develop Rickets, which leads to soft bones and skeletal deformations. Low levels of Vitamin D in adults can lead to osteoporosis, a condition where the bones become brittle and prone to fracture, breakage, and chronic pain. Apart from brittle bones, Vitamin D helps build the immune system, lower blood pressure, protect against depression, and reduce the risk of Type II Diabetes. Vitamin D has even been shown to help prevent several kinds of cancer. The government report says, “that adequate vitamin D may have benefits, such as lowering the risk of breast and colorectal cancer.”
So how do you increase your Vitamin D level? The answer is simple. Eat the right foods and get out in the sun. When the sun shines on our skin, our body produces Vitamin D. Unfortunately, we’re so conditioned to protect ourselves from the sun’s harmful rays, we apply sunscreen to our skin. Doing so almost guarantees you won’t get any Vitamin D from the sun. So when you seek sunlight to increase your Vitamin D levels, make sure you don’t apply sunscreen. Limit your exposure to the sun to under 15 minutes.
Apart from sunlight exposure, there are many foods that increase our Vitamin D levels. Wild caught fish contain high levels of the all-important vitamin. A move to lower people’s egg consumption, by promoting egg whites over whole eggs, has reduced average Vitamin D intake. That’s because egg yolks are rich in Vitamin D. Sardines are also high in Vitamin D, and are yummy on crackers with mayonnaise. Shiitake mushrooms also increase Vitamin D levels. Milk has a lot of the good stuff with most manufacturers adding the vitamin to their product. In fact, many dairy products contain the nutrient, including cheese and yogurt.
But the quickest way to get vitamin D into one’s system is by taking a Vitamin D capsule, but it’s not recommended for the young. They should get theirs through sun exposure and nutrient-rich foods. Us older folks have a harder time creating Vitamin D, even when we do get adequate sunlight. So, taking a Vitamin D supplement may be the preferred option.
