Vitamin D has hit the media by storm and become a nutrition favorite. Why you ask? Many people don’t consume enough through dietary sources or produce much upon exposure to sunlight (vitamin D is unique because our bodies can produce it if our skin is exposed to the sunlight; if you are dark skinned or slather on sunscreen, you certainly won’t be producing much). And, deficiency can lead to soft bones both in children and adults. In addition, low intake may cause other issues. Vitamin D may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of breast, prostate and colon cancer, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, depression, chronic pain and various other medical conditions.
The latest news? Your immune system may be hampered by too little vitamin D. Researchers took data from NHANES (the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey which totaled over 18,000 participants) and examined the relationship between vitamin D and upper respiratory tract infections. After adjusting for several potential confounding factors (season, asthma, smoking history, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), they found that serum vitamin D levels are inversely associated with upper respiratory tract infections.
What does this mean for you? It means you should take a look at your vitamin D intake through food (common sources include salmon, mackerel, tuna, milk, egg, liver, sardines) and how often your skin is exposed to sunlight. If you aren’t consuming a good amount of those foods (at least 3-4 cups of milk per day for instance), consider a vitamin D supplement or calcium + vitamin D.