The Importance Of Vitamin D

Every single day, in one way or the other, we get ourselves exposed to the sun. Most dermatologists though would stress that it isn't that good to frequently expose yourself to the sun because certain harmful ultra violet rays may not have been blocked by our ozone layer that is currently full of holes. They would always advise for people to apply sun block before going out of the house.

Though we may not be aware, exposure to the sun helps our body produce vitamin D which is essential as it works with other vital vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies strong and healthy.

Vitamin D is very important to maintain strong bones and teeth. It helps increase the levels of phosphorus and calcium in our bodies and it is essential in the body's absorption of its needed calcium. It has even been reported to increase calcium absorption of up to eighty percent. Not getting enough of the daily requirement of vitamin D would increase your risk of contracting diseases involving weakness of the bones. Vitamin D is very important to maintaining a healthy immune system and recent studies have indicated that vitamin D also helps in cell growth.

Exposure to the sun helps us obtain the necessary vitamin D intake our body needs. Although due to the changing lifestyles of the people, a certain percentage of the world's population is greatly at risk to being deficient in this vitamin. This goes especially for the old people who may be suffering some health related problems or who don't go out that much. Basically they lock themselves inside their homes or are stuck in hospital beds. You also have to consider a person's geographic location, since there are certain areas on this earth that only get limited hours of sun exposure. This may be due to the fact that they experience cold winter for a large portion of the year.

For those people who have difficulty in obtaining the necessary daily requirement it is advisable for them to take supplementation. They could also obtain sources from vitamin D fortified foods like soya milk, sunflower seeds, cream, butter, liver and egg yolks aside from the dietary supplement.

For those of you who still could find the time to even have a few minutes of sun exposure, you should feel lucky. Actually exposing yourself to even just five to ten minutes a day for the entire summer is enough for your body to produce the necessary vitamin D needed for the entire year.