Do I need more vitamin d? It's a question that everyone should ask themselves seeing as it's a very common problem. Vitamin d is needed by the body and is an essential element in ensuring strong and healthy bones. It can be gained via eating certain foods, but the body can also manufacture it when it is exposed to enough sunlight. If you fall into any of the following categories then you may well require more of it.
Your body is not exposed to enough sunlight
This is more of a problem in the northern hemisphere where there are less daylight hours. If your lifestyle is such that you spend a lot of time indoors, or if you cover up when you are outside then you may well find that you do need more vitamin d. Darker skinned people also tend to need more daylight than those who are lighter skinned to have the same effect. As you get older, and your skin thins, then the body does not manufacture as much of the vitamin.
Increased need
Pregnant women and breast feeding women come under this category. Growing children need a plentiful supply to aid healthy bones, so the mother provides a store of this when breast feeding. The body stores supplies of vitamin d, and when a woman is pregnant she uses up these stores. If she then gets pregnant again very quickly, the body will not have had a chance to replenish them before the next pregnancy starts.
Vegetarians or those who don't eat vitamin d rich foods
Certain types of food contain the vitamin, such as liver, oily fish, dairy products and mushrooms. If your diet doesn't contain these items then you are at a high risk of being vitamin d deficient. Many cereals and breads are not fortified with vitamin d (this means it is artificially added), so that it makes it easier to ensure that everyone is able to eat foods which are rich in it.
You need to take a close look at your diet and lifestyle and then you will be able to work out for yourself the answer to the question 'do I need more vitamin d?'
Your body is not exposed to enough sunlight
This is more of a problem in the northern hemisphere where there are less daylight hours. If your lifestyle is such that you spend a lot of time indoors, or if you cover up when you are outside then you may well find that you do need more vitamin d. Darker skinned people also tend to need more daylight than those who are lighter skinned to have the same effect. As you get older, and your skin thins, then the body does not manufacture as much of the vitamin.
Increased need
Pregnant women and breast feeding women come under this category. Growing children need a plentiful supply to aid healthy bones, so the mother provides a store of this when breast feeding. The body stores supplies of vitamin d, and when a woman is pregnant she uses up these stores. If she then gets pregnant again very quickly, the body will not have had a chance to replenish them before the next pregnancy starts.
Vegetarians or those who don't eat vitamin d rich foods
Certain types of food contain the vitamin, such as liver, oily fish, dairy products and mushrooms. If your diet doesn't contain these items then you are at a high risk of being vitamin d deficient. Many cereals and breads are not fortified with vitamin d (this means it is artificially added), so that it makes it easier to ensure that everyone is able to eat foods which are rich in it.
You need to take a close look at your diet and lifestyle and then you will be able to work out for yourself the answer to the question 'do I need more vitamin d?'
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