In my quest not to be sidelined this year by my nemesis, bronchitis, I have learned much about supplements: what I really need to take, what is a gimmick, and how to determine their quality. Vitamin D plays a bigger role than I realized in maintaining a healthy balance in our immune systems and overall health. Read on and I’ll show you why you too should regard Vitamin D as a key player in becoming healthy!

Vitamin D helps in the development and maintenance of bones and teeth. Recent reports show that populations around the world are suffering from Vitamin D deficiencies. There is evidence that suggests vitamin D deficiency increases during the winter months because of decreased exposure to sunlight, although vitamin D deficiency may also occur during the summer months. This could cause severe repercussions in overall health and bone fracture rates.
 
Vitamin D promotes a healthy, balanced immune system through its key role in regulation and differentiation of immune system cells, and it is believed to support cardiovascular health and normal functioning of the nervous system. Vitamin D deficiency has also been associated with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and some autoimmune diseases.
 
New research has shown that those who are Vitamin D deficient are more susceptible to contract the flu. Vitamin D promotes your body’s production of antibacterial peptides that help protect against the flu as well as increasing your body’s production of 2-300 different antimicrobital peptides that are actually far more effective than any synthetic antibiotic or antiviral.
 
During the colder months its difficult for us to get enough sun exposure because most of our body is covered up and not only is their not enough surface area on your face, your skin is thinner there and should be protected to avoid sun damage and aging. This is why I choose to supplement with a pharmaceutical grade Vitamin D during the winter months and when I’m getting minimal exposure during the spring and summer months.

If you are an athlete or enjoy intense physical workouts there is another great reason to make sure you are not deficient in Vitamin D as it might help you recover faster! Studies have shown that with an increased level of pre-workout Vitamin D, muscular skeletal weakness after a hard workout was decreased leading to faster overall recovery.
 
Getting your vitamin D naturally through exposure to the sun is the best way because your body will quit producing Vitamin D once it gets enough. Your body requires UVB rays to produce Vitamin D.  Unlike UVA rays, which are present all day long and are also the cause of sun damage and aging, UVB rays are strongest during the midday hours between 10 am to 2 pm. In order to get full benefit large portions of your skin should be exposed not the face and hands. The key is to avoid sunburn, which increases the risk of skin cancer and premature aging.
 
Taking a high quality Vitamin D supplement is another acceptable way to get your daily dose of Vitamin D.  Choose a Vitamin D3 supplement over the synthetic Vitamin D2 which is less effective and can even pose potential harm to your body.  Make sure you also include Vitamin K2 which helps direct the calcium to the areas of your body where it’s needed and away from areas it shouldn’t be such as soft tissue.  I recommend the Vitamin D made by USANA Health Sciences not only for its high quality, but it is formulated to include the right amount of K2 to make it effective.

Are you ready to add USANA Vitamin D to your daily regimen?