Making Sure You're Getting Enough Vitamin D

Large numbers of Americans experience a vitamin D (aka, the sunshine vitamin) deficiency during the winter months and many fight low Vitamin D numbers all year long.

Why is vitamin D so important?

Vitamin D assists in keeping our bones and bodies strong because it helps us to better absorb calcium. Low vitamin D has been linked to increased depression, muscle weakness, heart disease, weight gain, and other conditions including cancers. On the flip side, consistently good levels of vitamin D may help us to combat different types of cancers, osteoporosis, depression, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases including diabetes - but more studies need to be done. 1

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How do I get vitamin D?

So, how can we make sure we’re getting enough vitamin D on a daily basis, especially in the winter months? THANKS, I thought you’d never ask!

Go outside and get some sun

I realize in many parts of the country it’s cold, but a little goes a long way. Try your best to get outside for 15 to 20 minutes, three days a week. Sitting and/or walking in the sun for 20 minutes can make you feel great!

Eat more food with vitamin D

We are what we eat - and that means eating more foods with high amounts of the D vitamin.

  • Proteins high in D include fatty fish like: salmon, tuna, swordfish, mackerel sardines, eggs, and hard cheeses.
  • Vegetables high in vitamin D include: mushrooms, spinach, kale, okra, collard greens, white beans, soybeans, tofu, seaweed, and citrus.
  • Fortified foods (foods that have extra nutrients added to them) include: milk (animal and plant-based), yogurt, orange juice (a little goes a long way), and steel-cut oats.

Ask your doctor

Talk to your doctor about taking a daily vitamin D nutritional supplement. Make sure the supplement you both agree on is a good option for you and is okay to take with your daily medications.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The Type2Diabetes.com team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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