With winter just around the corner and sunlight becoming scarce, now is the perfect time to be proactive about getting enough vitamin D…
Because when it comes to your bone health, vitamin D deficiency can cause serious problems. Why?
Put simply, vitamin D helps our bones absorb calcium so they can grow and stay strong.1
So even if you’re getting enough calcium, if your vitamin D level is too low, your body won’t be able to absorb it…
Which is why people who don’t get enough vitamin D can experience fatigue, hairline fractures, and even osteomalacia—a condition in which bones become soft, weak, and prone to breakage.1
Are YOU getting enough vitamin D?
According to Cleveland Clinic, 42% of adults in the United States are vitamin D deficient. And that number is even higher in premenopausal women and people who…
- Are over age 65
- Have poor nutrition habits
- Take prescription medication long term for heartburn, acid reflux, and constipation2
Which leads us to the question…
How much vitamin D do you need?
According to the National Institutes of Health, “The recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 400 international units (IU) for children up to age 12 months, 600 IU for people ages 1 to 70 years, and 800 IU for people over 70 years.”3
But those numbers are only a starting point, because the amount of vitamin D your skin makes in response to sun exposure can vary greatly depending on factors like…
- Time of day
- Season
- Latitude
- Your skin pigmentation
In fact, depending on your location and lifestyle, your skin might produce very little vitamin D during the winter months—or even none.
So with winter just around the corner and the days getting shorter and darker, it’s very important to be proactive about getting enough vitamin D.
Especially because most people not only spend less time outdoors in the winter, but when they do they’re all bundled up. And also because the low angle of the sun during winter means less UV light gets through the atmosphere.4
For example, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), during the winter, a midwest state like Michigan typically has a UV index below 2, which NOAA classifies as “low”. But in the height of summer, the UV index can rise above 10, which NOAA classifies as “very high.” 5,6 That’s more than a 500% increase!
So, how can you get more vitamin D during the winter? We’re glad you asked! Here are…
3 Great Ways to Get Enough Vitamin D This Winter
The very first thing you should do is get a blood test to measure your current level of vitamin D. This will help you determine how much more your body needs. Then, to get more of it, you can…
Get outside
The best way to get vitamin D is from the sun. Yes, there’s less of it during the winter months, but every little bit helps.
Eat foods high in vitamin D
Foods rich in vitamin D include cold-water fatty fish like wild salmon and tuna, mushrooms, and eggs. (For a list of the top 10 foods rich in vitamin D, see our article called ”The Top Natural Sources of Vitamin D”.)
Take a supplement
There are many vitamin D supplements to choose from, and they can be very effective. However, if you want to maintain or increase your bone density, you can get all 13 essential bone-building minerals and 3 vitamins—including 1600 IU of vitamin D3—in a daily dose of AlgaeCal Plus.
In summary…
Vitamin D is critical not only to bone health, but also to overall health, so make sure you get enough of it. Especially during the winter!
For further reading, visit the following two articles:
- ”Vitamin D Guide to Deficiency, Signs, and Symptoms”
- ”Top Vitamin D Benefits” (includes 9 evidence-based benefits of vitamin D)
Sources
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15050-vitamin-d–vitamin-d-deficiency
- https://www.cantonmercy.org/healthchat/42-percent-of-americans-are-vitamin-d-deficient/
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
- https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/linuspaulinginstitute/2016/01/25/sunlight-vitamin-d-winter/
- https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/uv_index/gif_files/dtw_17.png
- https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/stratosphere/uv_index/uv_annual.shtml
susie welling
January 22, 2022 , 9:23 amI’ve taken algecal for years. I am out of it and need it.
I can’t seem to get that across.
I have my own strontium and when it’s gone I’ll get yours.
Please help me get algaecal.