The Importance of Vitamin D in the Winter

Short days, cold temperatures, and cloudy skies often herald the arrival of cold and flu season. Why? Part of the answer lies in the fact that we rely on sunshine for our daily dose of vitamin D, and when the sun isn’t out as much we can become vitamin D deficient, which is bad news for our immune system. Fortunately, there are ways to provide your body with the vitamin D it needs to keep you healthy and happy through the winter months.

Why is Vitamin D so Important?

Vitamin D is crucial to your overall health. Among other things, it boosts immunity, reduces depression, and helps fight infection—all of which are especially important in the wintertime, when viruses are rampant and the cloudy days make it hard to feel cheerful. Some recent research even indicates that taking vitamin D at night can be beneficial if you have trouble sleeping. Getting enough vitamin D is therefore important to your overall wellbeing, both emotional and physical.

Am I Vitamin D Deficient?

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, the answer is probably yes. In our area of the world, the sun is too low in the sky during the fall and winter months for its UVB rays to reach your skin—and those are the rays your body needs to create vitamin D. Even if you spend time outside every day in the wintertime, it won’t give you enough of this important vitamin.

Signs you may need more Vitamin D include:

• Fatigue or not sleeping well
• Getting sick a lot
• Feeling depressed
• Bone pain or increased chronic pain
• Muscle weakness and cramps

How to Get Enough Vitamin D

The most reliable way to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D, particularly during the dark winter months, is to take a supplement. Although you can get your vitamin D from the sun during the summer by spending a few minutes outside each day (with sunscreen!), this isn’t possible in the winter—at least not in our area. And although eating vitamin D-rich foods is an option, it can be hard to track how much you’re getting. Vitamin D-rich food options also tend to be limited to things like fatty fish, egg yolks, and fortified processed foods such as some brands of milk, yogurt, cheese, cereal, and orange juice.

Taking a supplement ensures that you’re getting the right amount of vitamin D each day, and makes it easy to do. A vitamin D supplement is a safe and effective way to boost your immunity and your mood during the long winter months, and we can all use a little extra of that—especially this year.

If you have any questions or would like to purchase supplements, please give us a call! We want you to feel your best this winter, and we’re committed to helping you become your healthiest self. Chiropractic care is about more than just easing back pain—it’s a whole-body wellness plan, and that includes making sure that your immune system is in tip-top condition when you need it most.

Sources:

1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/why-getting-enough-vitamin-d-in-wintertime-is-so- important/2020/01/17/c3598082-3875-11ea-9541-9107303481a4_story.html
2. https://www.theactivetimes.com/healthy-living/20-signs-you-should-be-getting-more-vitamin-d/slide- 12
3. https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/well/prevention/do-you-need-vitamin-d-supplement