Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Getting enough Vitamin D?

Growing up nobody ever told me about getting enough vitamin D. It was always drink your milk and make sure you get enough calcium. But I didn't know that the key vitamin that helped in absorbing calcium was vitamin D. Nowadays Vitamin D is a deficiency so many of us have without even knowing it. If you are deficient in Vitamin D, a whole slew of ailments can follow: Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, Cognitive impairment, Asthma and Cancer to name a few. Here are some more symptoms that may suggest you are low in Vitamin D:
Muscle pain
weak bones/fractures
low energy/constant fatigue
low immunity (getting sick often)
depression or mood swings
irregular sleeping patterns

So, the first step is to go to the doctor and find out just how low you are in Vitamin D. Next, you will need to take a suppliment that the doctor prescribes if you are low. If you don't want to go to the doctor, your daily diet should contain at least 200 international units for children and adults up to age 50, 400 IUs for ages 50 to 70, and 600 IUs for those 70 and older.