Why Vitamin D Is Absolutely Crucial For Your Health

Did you ever wonder why you feel happier and more energetic after getting a bit of sun? Or why you get sick less often in the warmer months? The answer to both of these questions lies in vitamin D, a powerful nutrient that about 80-90% of Americans are severely deficient in.

To show just how powerful vitamin D is for your body, consider this quick fact: there are approximately 30,000 genes in your body… and vitamin D has been proven to affect about 2,000 of them. In addition to strengthening bones, lowering overall inflammation in the body, decreasing depression and helping to prevent the common cold and flu, vitamin D has also been linked with preventing some of the most deadly diseases plaguing us today, such as heart disease and cancer. In fact, recent studies prove that you can decrease your risk of some of the most common forms of cancer by more than half simply by ensuring that you get enough vitamin D.

So how do you get your daily dose of D? The best source is sunlight, followed closely by vitamin D supplements and cod liver oil. Unfortunately, recent studies show that most sun blocks actually prevent your body from the photoproduction of vitamin D. As a result, even doctors are now suggesting that people get several small doses (roughly 15 minutes) of unprotected sun-exposure each day in order to keep vitamin D levels optimal.

For more information, search for Vitamin D articles on Mercola.com or google "Naked At Noon: Understanding Sunlight and Vitamin D," an amazing study on the link between disease and Vitamin D deficiency.