VITAMIN D

Because while basking in the sun all day sounds like an ideal way to get your vitamins, for many people, it’s just not practical. In addition to being an important factor in the maintenance of good health, Vitamin D stimulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus into the body, both of which are essential for maintaining bone health. A Vitamin D deficiency in a child may manifest as rickets, and in adults as a softening of the bones or osteoporosis. It’s also critical for proper immune function and plays a role in ensuring that your muscles, heart, lungs and brain are in top shape.

Vitamin D is a health basic. Everyone from infants to seniors can benefit from the appropriate dose of Vitamin D, especially those who live in a colder climate with limited year-round exposure to direct sun. Because diet alone is a poor source of Vitamin D, most of your body’s needs are met from exposure to sunlight and complemented with supplements. 

Studies have shown that in order to get sufficient levels of Vitamin D, one would have to expose their skin to at least 2 hours of midday sunlight every day. Knowing this, it’s easy to see how nearly 40% of the world is deficient in Vitamin D and sadly, Canadian’s aren’t any exception. A recent survey shows that approximately 3 million Canadians have inadequate concentrations of Vitamin D. Only 10% are at optimal levels while 60% of Canadians aged 30-39 are below the normal Vitamin D range. In fact, Vitamin D deficiency may be the most common medical condition in the world, and supplementation may be the most cost effective strategy to improve health, reduce disease and increase longevity.

Vitamin D has always been a part of the basic recommendations for the maintenance of general health, but researchers are now noting that we actually require far more than what was previously thought. While Health Canada considers blood levels above 50nmol/L to be sufficient to prevent Vitamin D deficiency, many other sources list an optimal level between 100-150nmol/L.