How to Get More Vitamin D Each Day

Up to three-quarters of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D. Vitamin D is thought to have powerful health properties and the potential to lower the risk of a variety of chronic diseases. Are you getting enough of this important vitamin? If not, discover how you can get more vitamin D and reap the many health benefits this vitamin has to offer.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Get More Vitamin D Through Diet
   
   Vitamin D is not found in many natural food sources. Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, shrimp, and sardines are among the best vitamin D rich foods. Egg yolks and beef liver have less, but still significant amounts of vitamin D. Fortunately, there are now foods that are fortified with vitamin D such as margarine, yogurt, and some breakfast cereals. Read labels carefully and add more of these foods to your grocery cart.

2. Get More Vitamin D Outdoors
   
   The best source of vitamin D is the sun. Ten to fifteen minutes on bare skin three of four times a week will provide most of vitamin D you need. If you live in a Northern climate that gets little direct sunlight during the winter, this may not be enough, particularly if you have dark skin which blocks absorption of vitamin D. If this applies to you, go to step three.

3. Get More Vitamin D From a Bottle
   
   If you can't get enough vitamin D through sunlight and diet, consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Choose one that provides 800 mg. of vitamin D in the form of cholecalciferol or D3. Always check with your doctor before starting a vitamin D supplement. Your doctor can do a blood test to check your vitamin D level and see if you're really deficient.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't take large doses of vitamin D. In large quantities, it can be toxic and your body has difficulty eliminating the excess.

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on 9/14/2009 Finally doctors are waking up just a little bit about vitamin D. Vitamin D3 has been found to be just as important as calcium for strong bones. Don't forget the magnesium also. Almost everyone is deficient in magnesium. So get your D3,and magnesium everyday for strong bones! P.S. Calcium is much easier to get in our diets.

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on 9/13/2009 Vitamin D is hard, Great article. So important. I myself suffer vitamin D. Working on it. Thanks 5* recmnd