(ThyBlackMan.com) Vitamin D is necessary for our bone heath, immune system, and our body’s ability to absorb other vitamins such as vitamin C. It is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because your body has the ability to create vitamin D, unlike other vitamins, on its own through your skin’s exposure to the sun. The body can get vitamin D though some of the foods we eat. “It also occurs naturally in a few foods — including some fish, fish liver oils, and egg yolks — and in fortified dairy and grain products.” With that food lineup, it’s important to note that if one adheres to a vegan diet it can be difficult to get the proper amount of Vitamin D via one’s diet. However, whatever is lacking in diet can be accounted for by adding a vitamin D supplement. Often times, an adequate amount of vitamin D can be found in a good multivitamin.
Many of us have been told that being out in the sun, especially without sunscreen, is not good for our skin. Granted too much sun 
can be dangerous, but allowing ourselves time in the sun allows our skin to soak up the vitamin D our body needs. “When your skin is exposed to the sun, it produces vitamin D and sends it to your liver. If you take supplements or eat foods that contain vitamin D, your gut also sends the vitamin D to your liver. From here, your liver changes it to a substance called 25(OH)D. When your doctor talks about your vitamin D levels, he means the amount of 25(OH)D you have in your blood”
When we don’t have adequate vitamin D many things can go wrong in the body. We can intake the right amount of other vitamins and minerals such as calcium, and vitamin C, but our body will not be able to absorb those vitamins due to the vitamin D deficiency in the body. It is well known that calcium in needed for strong fortified bones, it would be terrible to let the calcium we are intaking go to waste due to a lack of vitamin D. “Vitamin D is important for general good health, and researchers now are discovering that vitamin D may be important for many other reasons outside of good bone health.
Some of the functions of the body that vitamin D helps with include: immune system, which helps you to fight infection, muscle function, cardiovascular function for a healthy heart and circulation, respiratory system for healthy lungs and airways, brain development, and anti-cancer effects.” Having a vitamin D deficiency had a damaging affect on the body as so many of our organs need this vitamin to remain healthy. Type II diabetes, certain cancers, high blood pressure, depression, the autoimmune disease sclerosis, and many other diseases can be linked to vitamin D deficiency.
Honestly, summer is not my favorite season and I have been known to remain indoors when it is hot. However, I remember elders saying, “you need to get out in that sun…it will make you feel so much better”. They were on to something. The body needs Vitamin D, and it can make it on its own. Some people must take supplements, and others can account for the vitamin in their diet. However, maybe we should try, if possible, to get out into the sun and let our body absorb vitamin D naturally, and we very well may feel better in the process.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
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