Thursday, March 18, 2010

Boost Immunity With Vitamin D

As a child you probably drank lots of milk and in addition to milk mustaches, you were also providing your body with vitamin D and calcium. Vitamin D has been known for helping to strengthen bones and teeth. Some may be surprised to know that it also has many other health benefits.


Instructions


1. Find out the tolerable intake level of vitamin D for your age group. Although an overdose of vitamin D is not likely, toxic levels of vitamin D can cause calcium levels to abnormally increase, which may result in calcification of organs, bone loss, heart disease and kidney stones. For infants up to a year old, 25 mcg per day is a tolerable level of vitamin D. For children over a year old and adults, 50 mcg per day is a tolerable level of vitamin D.


2. Take the recommended or tolerable level of vitamin D per day. You can get vitamin D from foods such as milk, egg yolk, fish such as salmon and sardines, cod liver oil, or you can take it in pill form. You can also get vitamin D from the sunlight’s ultraviolet (UV) rays.


3. Have the level of vitamin D in your blood tested during your annual physical check up. This is especially important if you plan on consuming more that the tolerable level of vitamin D or if you‘re concerned that you‘re not getting enough vitamin D. Your results will let you know if your vitamin D levels are low or high and what risks are associated with either of these extremes. Not having enough vitamin D or having too much vitamin D can both cause you health problems.


4. Monitor your health and note any improvements after you start consuming the recommended amount of vitamin D. If taken in the recommended doses, vitamin D can help to regulate your blood pressure levels, prevent or protect against certain illnesses such as type 2 diabetes and decrease your risk of developing certain autoimmune diseases such as lupus, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, some cancers and multiple sclerosis.








5. Pay attention to any medications you’re taking while you’re taking vitamin D. Some medicines can decrease the effectiveness of vitamin D by not allowing enough to be absorbed into the intestines. Speak with your doctor about possible medication or drug interactions with vitamin D.








6. Take vitamin D in combination with other vitamins and minerals. Many vitamins work well together and your body needs more than one type of vitamin in order to stay healthy and function properly. Taking a multivitamin once daily can help to ensure that all of your vitamin needs are met.

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