May 14, 2021
The Sunshine Vitamin: Top 3 Benefits of Vitamin D
Vitamin D’s nickname is the “sunshine” vitamin because it’s naturally produced in your skin in response to direct exposure to sunlight. However, if you don’t live in a year-round sunny climate, it’s essential to get Vitamin D through the foods you eat or supplements you take.
Vitamin D has several important roles in our overall health — the top one being the growth and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. It has other benefits that make it important. Here are three of the top benefits of adding the sunshine vitamin to your daily diet.
Fights Disease
- Boosts the body’s natural immunity
- Reduces the occurrence of the flu
- Decreases risk of heart disease in some adults
- Reduces risk of contracting Multiple Sclerosis
Reduces Depression
- Lowers risk of depressive symptoms
- Supports healthy brain function
- Helps regulate mood swings
- Increases the “feel good” hormone Serotonin
Boosts Weight Loss
- Linked to decrease in overall body fat
- Reduces formation of new fat cells
- Lowers accumulation of fat in the body
- When paired with exercise, can result in more calories burned
With all the great benefits of the sunshine vitamin, it’s important to make sure we’re getting it in the foods we eat. The best nutritional sources of Vitamin D are:
- Salmon & Tuna
- Herring & Sardines
- Cod Liver Oil
- Eggs
- Mushrooms
- Fortified Foods (e.g. cow’s milk, soy milk, hot/cold cereals, and juice)
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Sources: Healthline and Mayoclinic.org