Little Step No. 33
What to do:
Check your vitamin D
Why this step works:
My aim with little steps is to share one simple tip each week that has the potential to significantly improve your health. Today’s little step is incredibly simple, and has immense potential. In fact, I might even go as far as say, if you only have time for one little step this year, MAKE IT THIS ONE!
Links between vitamin D and bone health are long established. However, more recent research has taught us that vitamin D has widespread roles throughout the entire body. Vitamin D is important for heart health, brain function, mental health, bones, teeth and muscles, skin health, protection against various types of cancer, balancing inflammation, immune health, immune system regulation and much more.
Our main source of vitamin D is not food but sunshine! Bare skin can make vitamin D when it comes into contact with the sun’s UVB rays. In fact, about 80 – 90% of our vitamin D is made this way. During the cooler autumn and winter months however, we spend more time indoors, and even when outside, the altered angle of the sun and extra clothing layers means that vitamin D production in the skin is less likely.
Sadly, low vitamin D levels are relatively common in the UK, even now at the end of summer. It's especially important then to pay attention to your vitamin D levels as we look towards autumn and winter, not least for your immune health. Vitamin D levels can be effectively increased with supplements but it's impossible to decide on your optimal daily dose without knowing your starting point. Although much rarer, vitamin D can be too high as well as too low.
You can get your vitamin D levels checked through your GP or with a simple home test kit from a private company such as Medichecks, Vitamin D test or similar.
Vitamin D has so many different roles in the body that it's difficult to overstate its importance, especially at this time of year. Knowledge is power when it comes to vitamin D and now is an ideal time to get your levels checked x