Article courtesy of @live.love.balance

Why is it important to get enough vitamin D?

Are you getting enough vitamin D? In the UK, the time of year has come to hide away indoors with a fluffy blanket and cup of tea (in other words, my year-round agenda) so there’s no longer a great deal of opportunity to soak up those midday rays. Nature intended us to maintain our vitamin D levels during the darker months, by building up a good supply of this vital vitamin in our fat cells during the summer.

Unfortunately, many of us are hidden inside buildings for long hours during the summer months, leaving us vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency – particularly when winter arrives. We can get a little vitamin D from food sources such as mackerel, sardines and eggs, however sunlight is by far the best source to generate stores quickly and effectively. The body synthesises vitamin D from cholesterol, which is why it’s important to pack those good fats into our diets!

What causes vitamin D deficiency?

If you’re one of the many people who has been hibernating for most of the summer, and you don’t eat food sources rich in vitamin D, then it’s even more adviseable to supplement this important vitamin throughout the winter. Vitamin D helps regulate the levels of calcium and phosphate in our cells, in order to keep our bones healthy. Having good levels is also crucial for fertility and healthy pregnancies, as well as prevention of osteoporosis.

Why is it important to supplement vitamin K2 with vitamin D?

If you are supplementing vitamin D3, it is also important to ensure you are getting enough vitamin K2 in your diet or through supplementation. Vitamin K2 is necessary to direct calcium to the bones instead of blood vessels (so they don’t calcify).

Check out our post on vitamin D, K2 and calcium for bones for more information on this topic.

Tip

I also occasionally make use of a safe tanning bed called the Ergoline Sun Angel. This particular bed uses electric ballasts instead of the magnetic type, which eliminates the high EMF radiation emitted from many tanning bed models. Incredibly, the bed can test skin type beforehand, so it can set the UV doseage accordingly to prevent burning and other skin damage. I find this to be a great way to boost my vitamin D levels throughout the winter months (and top up my tan while I’m at it).

For more nutrition info and handy wellness tips visit my blog on instagram @live.love.balance