Health experts agreed on taking vitamin D supplements to stay healthy since more and more people are getting less and less exposed to sunlight. This is a major shift on health advisories issued by health officials years ago. The former recommendation was that eating healthy food, having a balanced diet and getting enough sunlight will supply the body with sufficient amount of vitamin D.
According to Dr. Oliver Gillie, a long-time advocate of taking food supplements, this recommendation comes with a practical reason. He explained that with more people staying indoors and spending more time away from sunlight, there is more need to taking Vitamin D.
"Obviously, you have to be careful to avoid burning but many people fail to realize that sunlight is our primary source of vitamin D and, therefore, crucial to health," Dr. Gillie continued.
Vitamin D is one of the nutrients needed by the body. It is potent for calcium absorption, which keeps the bones and teeth remain strong. On the other hand, the lack of vitamin D is associated with a series of problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and multiple sclerosis.
Officials suggest that taking vitamin D supplements should be seen as a preventive measure, not as a solution to preexisting conditions. Likewise, consumers should be given due advise to ensure that they are taking vitamin supplements the right way. However, there are also experts who pointed out that there are bone-supporting supplements already added to some products, like fluoride in toothpaste and vitamin D in some nutritional products.
Health experts underscored that the elderly, young children under five years old, pregnant moms, dark-skinned individuals and those who do not frequent outdoors should consider taking vitamin D supplements. In fact, statistics shows that one out of every five adults and one in every six children are vitamin D deficient. This could lead to the demineralization of the bones, rickets for children and bone deterioration for adults. Constipation, muscle and bone pain, stunted growth, and a weak immune system are also the result of vitamin D deficiency.
