Half the people in our country have Vitamin D insufficiency; they're not getting enough Vitamin D from their environments or diets. And this can have a big impact on our health.
"Especially when we're talking about bone density. It works really well with calcium. A lot of times what happens is, if we're not getting enough calcium in our diets, the body actually will decrease the calcium stores. So Vitamin D kind of helps maintain those calcium stores to keep our bones nice and strong. A lot of research actually does support that Vitamin D helps with overall mood," Beth Czerwony, a Registered Dietitian with Cleveland Clinic, said.
She says a simple blood test can tell you if you're Vitamin D-deficient, but there are some warning signs: fatigue, bone pain, muscle weakness and mood changes.
She said eating certain foods can help you get more Vitamin D, including fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines, mushrooms, egg yolks, and milk fortified with Vitamin D.
Czerwony said getting at least 10 minutes of sun a day can help, too. She encourages people to talk to their doctor to see if a Vitamin D supplement is necessary. If it is, she says when you take that supplement can make a difference.
"I always recommend eating it with your heaviest meal because it is a fat-soluble vitamin. It'll actually increase your absorption better with some sort of fat," she said.
Even though many people take their vitamins in the morning, our breakfasts may be too light to see the full benefits.
"So I always recommend doing it at your evening meal if that's your biggest meal, and you'll actually end up seeing the numbers increase a little bit faster," Czerwony said.
She also said your doctor may check your Vitamin D levels regularly if you have certain risk factors for a deficiency.
