Sunshine is the Best Medicine

Vitamin D in your body can affect the amount of calcium in your bones in the following ways: 

• Too low a level of vitamin D can lead to decreased bone mass (osteoporosis), increasing your risk of bone fractures.

• Too high of a level of vitamin D can lead to calcium deposits in the kidneys (kidney stones), or calcium build-up in other soft tissues like the heart, lungs, and blood vessels.

It is estimated that more than 90% of a person’s Vitamin D requirement comes from casual exposure to sunlight. This poses a problem for those whose environments are limited in their exposure to the sun. In the winter months, countries in the northern hemisphere, the inhabitant is exposed to less ultraviolet light; therefore, reducing the amount of Vitamin D produced in the body. 

Statistics Canada reports that, during the winter months, 40% of Canadians had Vitamin D levels below the recommended range. That number is much smaller in the summer, yet still a whopping 25% below the recommended range. 

You can naturally absorb Vitamin D from many foods, including egg yolks or fatty fish such as salmon or mackerel. As mandated by law, foods such as milk, soy milk, rice beverages, and margarine are produced with fortified Vitamin D to prevent the risk of deficiency in the general population. 

Nutritional labels often describe which foods contain a significant level of fortified Vitamin D. It also never hurts to add a little more sunlight to your day!

For questions about keeping your bones (and the rest of your spine, muscle, and nervous system) in good health this winter (and throughout the year), you can always ask Dr Vollrath.