Did you know that most of us are deficient in Vitamin D?
My friend recently took a blood test on the recommendation of her doctor. She had various levels tested in her blood and she received the results for a few of them quickly. One that she was most surprised about was her test for Vitamin D. Normal range is 30-100 and her level was 17.
I did some research about Vitamin D and sent her some videos to watch by Dr. Mindy Pelz (my new favorite YouTube doctor). I was surprised to learn that my friend is in the critical zone for her levels. We were also surprised because we live in an area where it is sunny usually until noon and we walk together in the morning sun three times a week.
From the videos I watched by Dr. Mindy, I learned that a lot of people are deficient in the vitamin. I even realized that I am probably not getting enough either and now I'm taking a supplement. Since we drink raw milk, it's not fortified with Vitamin D like store bought milk is.
Some symptoms of the vitamin deficiency include fatigue, trouble sleeping, hair loss, loss of appetite, getting sick easily, and more! It's interesting how some of these symptoms are also symptoms of so many other deficiencies!
Ways to acquire Vitamin D through diet include egg yolks, sardines, salmon or other fatty fish, or beef liver. Since I eat very little, if any, of these things, I assumed I was getting enough from the sun. Dr. Mindy said you have to have on very little clothing so the sun can be absorbed by your skin and you need to spend 20-30 minutes in the sun when it is the highest. Here where we live, it would be highest at noon and it's almost always cloudy then!
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
In this video, Dr. Mindy cites many sources and studies about the vitamin. If you're low in Vitamin D, you're more likely to get sick or get an infection. It also works with hormones - a vital part of fertility. It is also important for cardiovascular health!
I was totally amazed and interested in learning more about this vitamin and realizing how much I need it. How much we all need it! If getting out in the sun is not on your to-do list today, how are you going to get enough Vitamin D in your system?