Shining Some Light on Vitamin D3, the Sunshine Vitamin
Recent studies on the benefits of vitamin D3 have indicated that vitamin D deficiency may be linked to ailments and diseased like:
Cancer
Depression
Flu and other infections
Diabetes 1 & 2
Hypertension
Autism
Asthma
I can’t say about the benefits of vitamin D for the all of the ailments listed above, but I have seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which I didn’t realize until I moved back to Oregon from sunny California thirty years ago. Winters in Oregon can be marked by weeks without seeing the sun, and the days are short. We need sun light on our skin in order for our bodies to manufacture vitamin D3, so if you are indoors most of the time, wear clothing, or live up North like me vitamin D3 deficiency can be a real problem. For me it lowers my mood and brings on mild depression. I take Nature’s Sunshine Vitamin D3 every day all year long, which I find greatly beneficial. Vitamin D is also vital to the health of your skeletal and immune systems.
Vitamin D comes in two forms: D2 and D3. Of the two, D3 is more bioactive. The body synthesizes vitamin D from sunlight: it cannot be obtained from foods.
Many companies offer synthetic vitamin D products. NSP Vitamin D3 is completely natural. It is derived from lanolin harvested from BSE-free sheep’s wool fat from New Zealand and Australia.
Dr. Mercola has stated that he thinks that everyone should be tested for vitamin D deficiency as a regular part of their physical exam because it is a key player in your overall health. (See Dr. Mercola’s Article).
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