How often do you step outside and soak up the glorious, beneficial rays from the sun?
It may interest you to know that it’s estimated that over 50% of the general population is at risk of Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency. More concerning is that more than 70% of school aged children are at risk of this. These days, we’re taught that the sun has only negative effects on the body. We are told to always wear sunscreen and avoid the sun at all costs. In actual fact the vitamin D from the sun is SUPER beneficial and important to our health.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to almost all the major diseases. Here’s some, just to name a few:
- 17 varieties of Cancer (including breast, prostate and colon)
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes
- Autoimmune diseases
- Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Chronic Pain
Thankfully, increasing your levels of vitamin D is pretty easy! All you have to do is step outside into the sun for 10-20 minutes each day (enough that you don’t get burned). It’s important to note that being exposed to the sun through glass doesn’t count as the glass filters out most of the UVB that stimulates vitamin D production. It’s also important that you avoid early morning and afternoon sun as you’ll be exposed to harsher UVA radiation which could potentially increase your risk of skin damage or skin cancer.
The only way to know for sure that you’re Vitamin D deficient is via blood tests. However, there are some signs and symptoms to be aware of as well. If any of the following apply to you, you should get your vitamin D levels tested sooner rather than later.
– Have darker skin
– You feel ‘blue’
– You’re 50 or older
– You’re overweight or obese
– Your bones ache
– Head sweating
– You have gut trouble
Preventing Vitamin D deficiency…a great reason to step outside and soak up those rays!
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/05/28/vitamin-d-deficiency-signs-symptoms.aspx
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