The Importance of Sunshine & Vitamin D

​Vitamin D has received a lot of hype recently within the health community. What’s the hype really about? And could you benefit from a little extra of what’s known as the “sunshine vitamin”?

Essentially every cell in your body has a receptor for Vitamin D, this makes this little vitamin more similar to a hormone than a vitamin. This vitamin is needed for your body to function optimally, low vitamin D leads to low functioning. Osteoporosis, mood disorders, fatigue, weak immune system, and brain fog are just a few of the many symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. 

The most natural way to up your vitamin D levels is to get sun exposure during the peak hours of the day for approximately 20-30 minutes. This requires no sunscreen and maximized skin exposure for your skin to be able to convert sunshine rays into vitamin D. 

Being in a northern hemisphere, indoor daily routines, and lack of fatty fishes and organ meats in our common diet, makes receiving adequate vitamin D from natural methods difficult to achieve. Hence, why supplementation is so important, especially during the cooler fall, winter, and spring months. Meeting with your provider, having a simple blood test to determine your current Vitamin D level is helpful when dosing this supplement.  
Getting regular sun exposure through these next warm months can help boost levels before heading back into the cooler months where sun to skin exposure is minimal. Take care this summer and enjoy just a few of the natural healing benefits from Mr. Sunshine!


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