Here are the three time-tested ways to increase your body's vitamin D levels:
Sunlight
The most common and natural way to soak up vitamin D is via your body's largest organ: your skin! How much vitamin D you’re actually being exposed to (and soaking in) from the sun can vary greatly, though, depending on the time of day, your skin's pigmentation, your geographical location and whether or not you've applied sunscreen.
Food
Food is another way to ensure you’re getting the right amount of nutrients, including vitamin D. The Recommended Dietary Allowance of vitamin D is set at 600 IU (international units) per day for everyone aged one year to 70.1 However, some recommendations are higher, such as the call from the Swiss Federal Food Safety & Veterinary Office for adults over 65 to aim for closer to 800 IU daily.2
Still others recommend even higher daily intake of vitamin D, such as Althea Zanecosky, a registered dietitian, nutrition educator and former spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She says, “many physicians are now advising 2,000 mg daily for those with low blood levels."3
Supplements
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient, meaning it has potential to be stored in the body and isn't as easily excreted as water-soluble vitamins. It's always a good idea to talk to a doctor before adding any new supplements to your health routine, but remember that supplements can help plug any nutritional gaps which may exist in your diet.
You be well, now.
Swanson
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Sources
- Update in Vitamin D. National Library of Medicine. Read source
- Daily Vitamin D Supplement. Asia Food Journal. Read source
- 15 Healthy Foods that are High in Vitamin D. Prevention. Read source