Summer is not typically the time people think about loading up on their vitamins because of all the fun to be had.
But what if you could successfully do both with ease, gaining benefits beyond what you had imagined.
Well, you can! And we can tell you why you will want to.
Vitamin D is known to be the vitamin you get from sunshine, but it is also one of the best vitamins for fighting off the coronavirus, as Mommy Underground has previously reported.
As more studies are done on this super vitamin, more and more amazing benefits are discovered, making vitamin D a vital part of your day.
This is what the experts have found.
1. It makes bones strong
Jackie Newgent, RDN, culinary nutritionist and author of The Clean & Simple Diabetes Cookbook, shares with Health:
“Vitamin D promotes absorption of calcium in your gut, which ultimately allows for normal mineralization of your bones.”
Calcium is the mineral promoted by milk that adds to build strong bones, but what they don’t tell you is that you won’t be able to use any of that calcium without adequate vitamin D.
As people age they become more at risk for osteoporosis, a disease that makes bones brittle, so it becomes even more essential to load up on the vitamin.
Try to bask in the relaxing sun’s rays for 10-30 minutes a day to get a healthy dose of your super vitamin, according to Healthline.
2. It helps build muscle
Protein is a must for rebuilding muscle tissue, but without vitamin D maintaining muscle strength is impossible.
“Lack o f vitamin D in the body can increase the risk of having weak muscles..,” Lana Nasrallah, MOH, RD, clinical dietitian at UNC Health tells Health.
Keep up a good fitness routine, as Mommy Underground has previously reported, along with eating a delicious breakfast of eggs and a cup of soy milk, and you will have a vitamin packed day to get those lean muscles you have been working so hard for.
3. It strengthens your immune system
Dr. Nasrallah tells us vitamin D “can support the immune system by fighting off harmful bacteria and viruses,” according to Health.
This is extremely important when there are dangerous viruses around to fight.
In the summer it is much easier to get ample amounts of vitamin D with the long daylight hours, but in the winter you may want to consider taking a supplement to ensure you are ready to ward off any illness that comes your way.
4. It can strengthen oral health
It is no secret calcium also helps build strong teeth, but like bones in your body, your teeth can’t absorb the calcium they need if your vitamin D is lacking.
A 2011 review in The Journal of the Tennessee Dental Association it was found vitamin D is essential to oral health because of “its ability to function as an anti-inflammatory agent and stimulate the production of anti-microbial peptides.”
In addition to brushing at least two times a day and flossing, you should regularly eat mushrooms on your salad for lunch to amp up your teeth game.
There are dozens of delicious ways to get vitamin D in your daily diet as well as letting the sun do all the work for you.
Don’t neglect this important part of your well-being!