Vitamin D and Your Health
It’s been estimated that 70 percent of children and adults in the U.S. are vitamin D deficient. The cause of this deficiency is not always clear but it is widely reported that a combination of not getting enough exposure to the sun and not having enough vitamin D in the diet may be primary causal factors. A simple blood test, 25-hydroxy vitamin D test, can reveal your Vitamin D levels.
How much vitamin D do you need?
Issues with Low Vitamin D:
- Chronic pain: A lack of vitamin D may play a role in chronic pain caused by a variety of conditions. Research has indicated vitamin D deficiency may be implicated in musculoskeletal conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathy, migraine, and inflammation.
- Heart disease: Studies have linked low vitamin D levels with heart disease and heart attacks. The systemic inflammation of RA affects internal organs and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Managing this risk includes seeing a preventative cardiologist, eating a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking. It may also include getting enough vitamin D.
To increase your Vitamin D level:
- Use food: You should include more oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel and tuna. Egg yolks and mushrooms also provide vitamin D, You could also choose a cereal and milk fortified with vitamin D.
- Expose Yourself: Just 15 minutes of exposure to the sun gives you 20,000 IUs of vitamin D. However, this is without sunblock in the summer, and be aware that you need to be careful not to expose your skin to the sun without sunblock for long stretches of time. This can cause skin damage and increase your risk of skin cancer.
- Take Supplements: If food and exposure are not enough, supplements may be the answer.
- Beware of medications you are taking: Medications can hinder vitamin D absorption. Hydroxychloroquine, or Plaquenil, and corticosteroids, which both can be prescribed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, are among these. Even if you are taking one of these drugs, your doctor can adjust your vitamin D dose to correct the malabsorption.