Vitamin D – iOTH Health

Vitamin D Supplements – Do You Really Need Them?

According to a report revealed by the researches analyzing numerous studies suggest that Vitamin D supplements may not help protect healthy, middle-aged adults from osteoporosis. What’s even worse is that abusive use of the supplements may even increase the risk of death from other diseases.

Does that mean Vitamin D supplements should not be taken?

Before you completely deny the health benefits of Vitamin D supplements, make sure you are not deficient of this essential nutrient. The only message for patients suffering from Vitamin D deficiency is that Vitamin D supplements can only cause a positive impact on your health and nothing else.

A large number of Rheumatologists all over the globe suggest that if you are healthy and are not getting treated for any medical condition, then you need not worry about Vitamin D supplementation. But, in case you are now taking supplements, make sure you get your Vitamin D levels checked before stopping them.

Are You The One Who Needs Vitamin D The Most?

If you belong to any one of the below mentioned categories, then you certainly do need to pump up your Vitamin D levels –

If you are on long-term steroid doses
If you are pregnant or a lactating mother
Postmenopausal women
Aging adult (especially the home bound or nursing assisted elderly people)
Patients with parathyroid diseases
Patients with chronic kidney diseases

If you don’t belong to any one the above stated categories and are still not sure you’re at a risk of Vitamin D deficiency, it is then advisable to consult your health care provider and get your Vitamin D levels checked. Doing this will help your health care provider prescribe the right amount of Vitamin D supplements for your overall well-being.

Understanding The Partnership Between Calcium And Vitamin D

It is no unknown fact that Vitamin D and Calcium share a symbiotic relationship in order to strengthen and protect your bones. In fact, health care experts especially recommend postmenopausal women to take Vitamin D and Calcium supplements to prevent the risk of osteoporosis – a bone-thinning disease, which is one major cause of devastating falls and fractures in old age.

A number of studies have linked Calcium to heart attack as well as stroke. This is mainly because higher doses of Calcium supplementation can increase calcification in the arteries, causing heart diseases. This is one main reason why a number of patients prefer taking Vitamin D supplements alone for prevention.

Although, sunlight constitutes the best source of Vitamin D, but it is certainly not the best way to boost the Vitamin D levels in your body. It is very essential to wear sunscreen before stepping out into the sun, to prevent skin cancer, but doing this also negates the effects of the sun. This is exactly where you need to look out for other sources of Vitamin D to fulfil body’s daily nutrient requirement.

Fracture Protection: What Do Studies Suggest?

Older people certainly stand a greater chance of developing a deficiency of Vitamin D. A majority of health care experts all over the globe suggest that Vitamin D supplements can have a major impact in preventing osteomalacia – a disease characterized as softening of bones which increases the likelihood of more fractures.

According to health care experts, Vitamin D supplements may not only improve bone density in older patients, but may also deliver huge benefits for muscle function, cognition as well as falling.

It should however be noted that health care experts still believe that further research needs to be done on Vitamin D as more evidences are needed to verify its health benefits.

The Secret Of Best Vitamin For Skin Revealed

Vitamin D aka the sunshine vitamin is popular for its bone and dental health benefits. In fact, everyone today is well aware of the importance of maintaining optimum levels of Vitamin D in the body for promoting overall health and well-being. However, you would be surprised to learn that Vitamin D is also indispensable to the beauty, health and longevity of the largest organ of the body – the skin. This makes Vitamin D the best vitamin for skin.

Sunlight – Should You Be Concerned?

Its no unknown fact that the body is capable of producing Vitamin D upon sun exposure. However, the problem lies in the fact that excessive sun exposure accelerates the process of skin ageing. Also, with the passage of time, the Ultra-Violet radiations from the sun further damages the skin, resulting into sun spots, blemishes, fine lines and wrinkles. Not only this, it may also increase your risk of skin cancer. It should also be noted that much of the Vitamin D produced by the skin, is mainly taken up and used by other parts of the body.

The following article discusses the crucial role of Vitamin D in development and repair of skin cells and also how Vitamin D capsules deliver direct benefits of Vitamin D to your skin, preserving its health, softness and youthfulness.

Interesting Facts About Vitamin D

It would be interesting to learn that Vitamin D does not fit in the classic definition of being a vitamin at all. A vitamin is defined as any substance, which is crucial for performing everyday functions, but cannot be synthesised in sufficient quantities by the body and hence, must be obtained from the diet.

The skin is capable of producing as much as 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D when exposed to summer sun for 20-30 minutes. However, there are many limitations to internal Vitamin D synthesis, some of which include age, colour, geographical location, sunlight availability due to seasonal variation and generous use of sun protection lotions, which make it difficult for your body to produce as much Vitamin D as it is capable of producing.

Vitamin D resembles more of a hormone than a vitamin. In fact, calcitriol – the active form of Vitamin D, is unquestionably one of the most powerful hormones present in the body and is capable of activating over 2,000 genes in the body.

The Best Vitamin For Skin Cell Growth And Replacement

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin. This makes it quite easy for calcitriol to cross over the phospholipid membrane of the body cells, to get close to the nucleus. Next, it binds with the Vitamin D receptors. This helps in regulating the expression of genes, which work to activate and de-activate different cell functions. All the Vitamin D receptors are directly involved in cell proliferation and differentiation to optimise immune health functions. This process vitally serves crucial for your skin, which serves as first line of defence against a host of pathological diseases.

This constant loss of cells from the surface of your skin must be offset naturally. This is mainly compensated by the ongoing Vitamin D dependent skin renewal process that takes place in specialised cells called as keratinocytes, which constitute about 95% of the total cells in your epidermis. These cells are highly valuable owing to their two main properties – their ability to divide actively and their ability to differentiate. This ways, keratinocytes provide a continuous chain of new cells for the replenishment of skin’s surface.

Skin and Benefits of Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in skin health, protection and rejuvenation
The active form of Vitamin D, calcitriol plays a major role in skin cell growth, repair as well as metabolism
Although, body is capable of producing this best vitamin for skin upon sun exposure, too much of Vitamin D can accelerate skin aging
Age, seasonal variation, skin tone and geographic location can at times make it difficult for your skin to produce Vitamin D, due to varying sunlight availability. Therefore, you can consider taking Vitamin D capsules to fulfil your body’s daily Vitamin D requirement.

Choose the best vitamin D supplement for best results.

Tips to Improve Your Health at Work

Sitting behind your desk for long hours can be hazardous for your health. However, integrating a bit of wellness tips into your workplace can help you enjoy a healthier workday! If you’re spending most of your time in front of the system, then here’s some unsettling news for you: your job could actually be bad for your health. Research suggests that people who sit and work for long stretches are more likely to be depressed and obese, mainly due to the deficiency of Vitamin D than those who stay more active throughout the day.

So, in case you are tired of being tired and sick of getting sick, then here are 6 tips to help you improve your health at work.

Begin With The Right Foot

The more you walk, the better it is for your health – this is one of the most popular healthy lifestyle tips, which only a few follow. Therefore, for optimal health benefits make sure you begin your day by parking your car as far as possible from your office building. In case you take a public transportation then get off one stop early and walk the remaining way to your work station. Also, when you reach your office building, prefer taking the stairs and avoid using elevators.

Keep Away From Snack Attack

The mouth-watering snacks your co-workers place on their desk is nothing more but an invitation to add a few hundred calories to your diet every day. If you’re not careful with what you eat at work, you would easily gain a few unwanted pounds day after day. So, remember if someone at your workplace has a tempting candy dish, simply walk over the desk to avoid the temptation. Also, keep your personal stock of healthy food available to you to get over your periodic hunger, and resist yourself from reaching out to chips or cookies.

Hydration Is Essential

Drinking sufficient quantities of water, about 8 – 10 glasses daily, can help you keep your body well-nourished and hydrated. Certain foods also serve as an excellent source of water. Fruits such as oranges, watermelon, apples and grapes can further add up to help you meet your daily water requirements. Most often the 4 o’clock lull experienced my people at work is due to dehydration, therefore it is advised you have as much water as you can throughout your work day.

Walk Your Way Out In Lunch

Walking during your lunch hours is by far the best thing you can do during the entire day to stay fit and healthy. This ways you not only burn down your calories but are indirectly de-stressing and refreshing your exhausted self. Plus, as you are spending majority of your time indoors, then going out in the lunch time can also benefit you in getting your daily dose of natural Vitamin D through sunshine. In the absence of sun, however, you can meet up your Vitamin D requirements by consuming reliable and effective high quality Vitamin D supplements.

Fitness Breaks Are Essential

You can also practice some fitness breaks right at your desk by performing gentle stretching or any other form of mild exercises by making use of portable equipment. For instance, you can perform 15-30 seconds leg raises under your desk or hold your leg behind you for a stretch during the breaks for your wellness in workplace.

Protect Your Eyes

Eye strain is one of the most common problems encountered by people who spend a major portion of their day in front of their computer systems. It can not only cause difficulty in focus, but may also be the main reason for causing headaches and increased sensitivity to lights. In order to fight unnecessary straining of eyes, maintain a distance of about an arm’s length between you and the screen. Additionally, make sure you are regular with your daily consumption of essential supplements that contain perfect quantities of essential nutrients such as lycopene, beta-carotene, lutein, grape seed extract and methylcobalamin for healthy and radiating eyes.

Are You Doing Enough To Protect Your Bones?

You would be surprised to know that your bones keep changing all through your life. This means, now is the right time to think about their health. The following article discusses some essential tips to help you protect and monitor the health of your bones.

You probably don’t think about it much, but your skeleton structure is an incredible part of your body. From a total of 300 bones you had at birth to 206 bones you have by the age of 25, your bones fuse and renew, to develop a strong framework in order to protect body’s organs and help you stay fit and healthy.

Here’s What You Should Know about Vitamin D: Boosting Your Bone Health

Vitamin D popularly known as the sunshine vitamin is necessary for maintaining good bone health. A deficiency of this vitamin can lead to serious health consequences as our body loses its capacity to absorb calcium effectively.

Calcium works with Vitamin D to help support the growth cycle of bone formation, ensuring that it can be used as and when needed by the bones, teeth and other parts of the body.

You’ll come across various kinds of milk products, juices and cereal products that are sold with ‘Vitamin D fortified’ labels attached. But, the most easily available source of this nutrient comes from direct sun exposure. Exposing your skin to ultra-violet radiation prompts the body to produce Vitamin D. However, during the short winter days this source is less readily available. So, how can you support your bone health during winter?

Add a Supplement to Your Diet

This is by far the most convenient method to flag up your Vitamin D levels, especially during cold winter months. Adding a quality Vitamin D supplement, such as iOTH’s iDaily- D, can help you compliment the natural food sources in your daily meals, ensuring you get required doses of this vitamin on a day to day basis.

The Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) of Vitamin D for girls and boys up to 18 years of age is 600 IU per day. This range remains the same for adult males and females, aged between 19 to 70 years and increases up to 800 IU in aging adults over 70 years of age.

Look What You Eat

There are certain foods that can help you get fair quantities of Vitamin D. These foods include salmon, margarine and mackerel along with other fortified milk products and UV exposed mushrooms.

However, it must be noted that you cannot fulfill your daily Vitamin D requirement through diet alone, which is why it is very important you add a daily dose of Vitamin D supplement to your diet.

This is specifically important during winter months when less sunlight is available to you and other sources of Vitamin D become more and more crucial.

Exercise Your Way to Build Bone Mass

A living tissue, your bones are constantly being broken down and rebuild in a process called as remodeling. It is up to the age of 20 – 30 years that the rate of bone formation exceeds that of bone destruction in individuals who get enough Vitamin D and the ones who exercise.

However, during later stages of life, bone destruction typically exceeds the production process. But the good news is – you can actually reduce the bone loss with age, provided you exercise on a regular basis.

This is especially true for weight-bearing exercises, including walking, running, weight lifting, playing games such as tennis, dancing and hiking, etc. These are some of the best ways to boost your overall bone health.

Guarding Against Osteoporosis

People who do not get sufficient quantities of Vitamin D or the ones, who do not perform any type of physical activities, stand at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis – a painful disease that is typically characterized by weakening of bone tissues followed by low bone mass.

If ignored to left untreated, it can lead to fractures, most commonly on the hip region, wrist or even spine.

Remember, osteoporosis can develop undetected over a period of many years. However, a proper bone mineral density test can help you detect it in its early stages, such that you can determine your risk of fractures and even monitor your response to the respective treatment.

Maximizing Safe Sun Exposure for Best Results

Natural Vitamin D is good for you and you can even get it in cold winter days as well, but for that you need to be strategic. People with moderately fair skin should enjoy the mid-day sun for 7-30 minutes to get sufficient quantities of Vitamin D daily.

However, people with darker skin tone are required to spend more time out in the sun to gain similar quantities of Vitamin D. This means you are required to spend anywhere between 20 minutes to 3 hours exposure to mid-day sun.

But, it should be noted that if you going to step out into the sun, make sure you have adequate sun protection even in winters!