Vitamin D-It's In The Woodlawn News
When was the last time you had your Vitamin D levels checked? An increasing number of Americans are becoming Vitamin D deficient and a simple blood test can help you determine if your levels are high enough. Certain people tend to be more likely to have lower than normal levels but, even if you\'re not in one of these groups your health can be at serious risk and you may not even know it.
Our bodies produce Vitamin D when our skin is exposed to the sun. Vitamin D is plentiful in a few foods like egg yolks, some fish, fish oils, fortified milk, cheeses and beef liver. Vegans and those who are darker skinned (and therefore have more melanin in their skin) or those who tend to avoid the sun are at especially high risk for deficiency. Most of us just do not eat enough of the Vitamin D rich foods or spend enough time in the sun daily to maintain a healthy level of Vitamin D in our bodies.
Some symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency include bone and muscle pain but others are much more subtle and they can go unnoticed or a person can sometimes mistakenly attribute their symptoms to other causes.. Vitamin D is necessary for your body to use the calcium in your diet so if you don\'t have enough Vitamin D your bones can actually demineralize and become weak.
There are several serious health conditions which are caused by or worsened by low blood levels of Vitamin D:
- Increased risk of death from heart disease (cardiovascular disease)
- Cognitive impairment in older adults
- Severe asthma in young adults and children
- Increased risk of certain cancers
New research is also showing that Vitamin D could play a roll in the prevention and treatment of many conditions such as type 1 and type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), glucose intolerance and multiple sclerosis.
At Barrett Family Chiropractic in Woodlawn, Maryland we can help you be sure that your Vitamin D levels are within normal limits so that your body can get healthy and stay healthy. Don\'t put yourself at risk! Call us today 410-265-9911.
