Vitamin D, often associated with the sun or milk, is one of the most important vitamins in your body. It is considered to be a steroid vitamin which means that it is fat soluble and helps with the absorption of calcium and phosphorus which are necessary for overall wellbeing as well as the bone strength and density within your body. Aside from bone and teeth strength though, vitamin D has also been shown to be beneficial in losing weight and overall obesity. Although some people will get the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D, over half of the adults in the United States alone are vitamin D insufficient, which means that they are lacking the important vitamin but are not quite deficient in it.

You can become vitamin D deficient if you live in areas with little to no sun much of the year or even in an area with a lot of cloud cover or smog. If your body is unable to produce vitamin D due to not enough sun exposure then you can obtain it from foods or vitamin D supplements, which is the easiest way to get the amount you need. Children need 200IU’s of vitamin D per day whereas adults need up to 400IU’s per day and seniors need the most at 600IU’s per day. Without taking vitamin D supplements you are relying on the sun to get what you need or foods, but the problem is that not that many foods contain the important vitamin D. There are some fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel that do as well as liver, egg yolks, and cheese. Of course you have milk which is fortified with up to 100IU’s per day of vitamin D, but often this still isn’t enough.

Vitamin D deficiency can be very serious for your health. It can lead to rickets, softening of the bones, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart failure, tuberculosis, periodontal disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and even cancer in some cases. Since vitamin D is crucial for the absorption of calcium and phosphorous it is essential that everyone gets their recommended daily allowance to help with the immune system, arthritis, strong and healthy bones and teeth as well as healthy weight management.