Vitamin D and Northeast Ohio

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Vitamin D and Northeast Ohio

As fall comes to a close and winter begins in Ohio, sunshine starts to become a commodity. Cloudy, gray skies and bone chilling cold leave us feeling like we haven’t seen the sun for weeks. And unfortunately, the majority of Vitamin D in our bodies comes from sun exposure. In addition, Northeast Ohio falls near 40o latitude meaning that no vitamin D synthesis occurs from the sun during the winter even if you do go out into the sun. Fortunately, there are some steps we can take to prevent Vitamin D deficiency during these winter months. 

 

The recommended daily allowance for vitamin D is 15 mcg/d or 600 IU for ages 1-70. By meeting the recommended daily amount of Vitamin D we can reduce our risk for depression, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and more! You may be wondering if a Vitamin D supplement is right for you. First consider your diet, how many vitamin D sources do you consume?

 

Vitamin D dietary sources: 

            Fatty Fish – Salmon, tuna, and cod

            Fortified milk

            Fortified orange juice 

            Sardines

 

If dietary Vitamin D is low, and you live near 40o latitude consider a Vitamin D supplement for this winter. When selecting a supplement examine the dosage and the manufacturer. A person can see toxicity effects when they exceed 4000 IU of vitamin D per day so diligently read labels when selecting your supplement. 

 

 

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 1, 2020 at 9:43 AM

    Awesome content! Vitamin D is so important for various functions in the body and we are for sure lacking it in northeast Ohio! Thanks for sharing! MY

    ReplyDelete
  2. Kiersten QuinnDecember 4, 2020 at 5:40 PM

    This post is a good reminder that a lot of us lack Vitamin D during this time of year (especially in Ohio). It is important that we consume the accurate amount of it in our diets due to the lack of sunlight in the winter! Thanks for the reminder! - KQ

    ReplyDelete

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