Everyone needs “D”!

Everyone needs “D”! 

Vitamin D, that is! Vitamin D is a hormone made when we expose our skin to sunlight. Your body makes vitamin D when direct sunlight converts a chemical in your skin into an active form of the vitamin (calciferol). The amount of vitamin D your skin makes depends on many factors, including the time of day, season, latitude and your skin pigmentation. Depending on where you live and your lifestyle, vitamin D production might decrease or be completely absent during the winter months. Sunscreen, while important to prevent skin cancer, also can decrease vitamin D production. 

Vitamin D is a nutrient your body needs for building and maintaining healthy bones. Your body can only absorb calcium, the primary component of bone, when vitamin D is present. Vitamin D also regulates many other cellular functions in your body. Its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties support immune health, muscle function and brain cell activity. 

Healthy Vitamin D levels also improve insulin sensitivity and the function of the pancreatic cells that make insulin. It also manages the healthy regulation of the immune system. Low vitamin D can stimulate a master inflammatory gene, increase cytokine levels, and cause the overproduction of immune cells. Simply put, low vitamin D signals a chronic threat to the body. During your next visit with your doctor, request lab work to find out if you need more “D”!