Vitamin D is one of the most beneficial nutrients for your entire health from head to toe. But as you get older, you are no longer able to maintain the adequate amounts of vitamin D that you need. So how can individuals help support optimal bone mineral levels and enhance their bone strength, while preventing this from becoming a continuing cause of their deteriorating health?
Most experts agree that adding more vitamin D to the diet through foods and/or supplements can help increase your bone strength. And contrary to decades of warnings about overexposure to the sun, a moderate amount of daily sun exposure can flood the body with vitamin D from the suns rays.
Research from The Vitamin D Council states that as little as 20 minutes spent in the sun produces up to 10,000 International Units (IU) of vitamin D. This is close to 50 times the amount of the United States governments recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 200 IU per day.
A vitamin D deficiency can not only lead to decreased bone strength, but according to the Council, medical studies show that ensuring optimal and adequate levels of this vitamin may promote heart and cardiovascular health, support strong immunity, enhance your mood and mental health, promote strong and healthy muscle function, and maintain healthy cellular function.
In fact, vitamin D is so important for the body that it helps maximize the use of other key nutrients including magnesium, zinc, vitamin K2, boron and vitamin A. However, obtaining and supplementing with the right kind of vitamin D can produce the greatest benefits for your health, as well. The Council states that vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, is the most potent form of the nutrient and has strong health-promoting properties.