Have a spring fling with the 'sunshine vitamin'
Nikole Gavriilidis
Issue date: 3/17/10 Section: Life
Last week we all got a tiny taste of spring. The sun finally broke through the clouds as our sandals molded back onto our feet. Having battled through this dreary winter, I'm sure everyone wanted a whole lot more of that warm sunshine. After all, we all love that big ball of fire in the sky, not only because it makes us happy, but also because it provides us with an essential vitamin that we need to survive.
That vitamin is vitamin D.
According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), vitamin D is the "sunshine vitamin" and within just 15 minutes of outdoor activity, our body can make enough of it on its own without the help of supplements.
The sun's rays are absorbed by the skin, then those absorbed rays turn cholesterol into the vitamin, keeping us healthy and happy. But when the winter months hit and evening comes at four o'clock in the afternoon we can become deficient in the vitamin.
To combat this, vitamin D can be supplemented into your diet with fortified foods like milk and cereal. Other foods that contain the vitamin are egg yolks, oily fish like salmon and sardines, and cod liver oil. Vitamin D can also be taken in pill form.
Taking this vitamin is essential for bone health at all ages because it functions as a hormone that regulates blood levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body.
According to the Food and Nutrition Board, the dietary recommendation of vitamin D for adults is 200 international units. But according to the New York Times, many researchers are now recommending 800 IU to 1,000 IU a day.
Just to paint a picture for you, an eight ounce glass of milk has 100 IU, an egg has 40-50 IU, and 3 ounces of cooked salmon has 360 IU. Meanwhile most supplements today contain 400 IU of the vitamin.
The ADA states that deficiencies in the vitamin can lead to rickets or "bow legs" in young children. In adults it can cause an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes.
So when the sun comes out next, soak it in, because you never know when it will be back to give you your dose of the "sunshine vitamin."
That vitamin is vitamin D.
According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), vitamin D is the "sunshine vitamin" and within just 15 minutes of outdoor activity, our body can make enough of it on its own without the help of supplements.
The sun's rays are absorbed by the skin, then those absorbed rays turn cholesterol into the vitamin, keeping us healthy and happy. But when the winter months hit and evening comes at four o'clock in the afternoon we can become deficient in the vitamin.
To combat this, vitamin D can be supplemented into your diet with fortified foods like milk and cereal. Other foods that contain the vitamin are egg yolks, oily fish like salmon and sardines, and cod liver oil. Vitamin D can also be taken in pill form.
Taking this vitamin is essential for bone health at all ages because it functions as a hormone that regulates blood levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body.
According to the Food and Nutrition Board, the dietary recommendation of vitamin D for adults is 200 international units. But according to the New York Times, many researchers are now recommending 800 IU to 1,000 IU a day.
Just to paint a picture for you, an eight ounce glass of milk has 100 IU, an egg has 40-50 IU, and 3 ounces of cooked salmon has 360 IU. Meanwhile most supplements today contain 400 IU of the vitamin.
The ADA states that deficiencies in the vitamin can lead to rickets or "bow legs" in young children. In adults it can cause an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes.
So when the sun comes out next, soak it in, because you never know when it will be back to give you your dose of the "sunshine vitamin."
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