At BESANA Health & Wellness, we are passionate about sharing our knowledge with you to help you lead a healthier, happier life. With that in mind, we are excited to share the many benefits of vitamin D — it does so much more than you may think!
We proudly host regular webinars to explain the benefits of different vitamins and nutrients, and our own nurse practitioner, Becky Barkey, led our recent webinar all about vitamin D. Here are some of the highlights!
Vitamin D helps boost and maintain:
● Bone health
● Cardiovascular health
● Brain health
● Mental health
● Immune function
We don’t get enough vitamin D from food alone.
The recommended daily dose of vitamin D is 5,000-10,000 IUs (international units). Salmon, one of the best food sources for vitamin D, has only about 1,900 IUs. A glass of milk has about 100 IUs. Typical multivitamins have about 400 IUs of vitamin D. Put simply, it is impossible to get enough vitamin D from just diet and multivitamins. Even getting daily doses of sunshine isn’t enough! That’s why it’s important to research vitamin D supplements to make sure you’re getting a high quality product with sufficient IUs. For help finding a supplement that’s right for your needs, you can always reach out to our team at 303.327.7300 or request a consultation online.
Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common.
Nearly half of all Americans today are deficient in vitamin D. Common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include:
● Brain fog
● Fatigue
● Decreased immune support
The optimal vitamin D level in blood is 60-100. A normal level is 30-100. People with a vitamin D blood level around 30 or lower are likely to experience some or all of these common symptoms. They are also at higher risk for a range of mental and physical health issues including cancer, heart attack, stroke, depression, anxiety and autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS).
It’s important to take vitamin K2 along with your vitamin D.
When vitamin K2 is taken in conjunction with vitamin D, it improves your body’s absorption of vitamin D and enhances your cardiovascular health. This is because vitamin K2 guides calcium to your bones and away from your blood vessels, where they can cause harm if allowed to build up. Vitamin K2 supplements can be purchased separately, but it’s best to get a combination product.
Optimal vitamin D levels can reduce your risk of cancer.
It has been shown in studies that there is a correlation between increased vitamin D levels and decreased incidences of breast cancer. Reaching and maintaining optimal vitamin D levels can actually reduce your cancer risk. Vitamin D can help make cancer cells less abnormal, less likely to multiply and more likely to die. These results have been associated with colon cancer, breast cancer and others.
The benefits of vitamin D are so vast it’s hard to hit upon all of them in one blog! In addition to what we have explained above, vitamin D is essential for strong bones, muscle performance and balance. It helps to prevent osteoporosis and is important for heart health. Vitamin D also helps you maintain a lower, healthier blood pressure and decreases your risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and inflammatory conditions.
One of Becky’s most important reminders is that “It’s never too early or too late to work toward being the healthiest you.” To learn more about vitamin D and how to become your healthiest self, reach out to us today at 303.327.7300 or request a consultation online!
