Did you know that lack of sun exposure may cause your bones to become brittle after a while? Yes, deficiency in Vitamin D, the essential sunshine nutrient, has been associated with a greater risk of osteoporosis, says a leading natural health expert.
Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician, remarks that the greater incidence of osteoporosis, a disease of the bone that leads to an increased risk of bone fractures, is due to Vitamin D deficiency in several studies.
A particular study published by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society supports this view of Dr. Mercola. It looks into the prevalence of bone loss in older women and discusses its link to Vitamin D deficiency. “Being vitamin D deficient puts the elderly at more of a risk to fall and injure themselves, possibly leading to death…[Vitamin D] has been proven to assist in the function of healthy bones and muscle and brain function. Lacking in either of these could cause an elderly person to fall,” conclude the researchers.
Health Benefits of Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays a huge role in strengthening the bones, according to Science News in 2004. Produced by the skin when it is exposed to sunlight, it also helps keep your blood levels of calcium and phosphorus at normal range.
Based from recent research, Vitamin D has also been revealed to have many other protective or healing benefits such as:
- Protection against multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Prevention of muscle weakness
- Defense against a variety of autoimmune disorders
- Diabetes prevention
- Reduced risk of cancer
Boost Your Bone Strength, Get Vitamin D from Tanning or Supplementation
To protect you from risk of fractures resulting from osteoporosis, Dr. Mercola recommends getting optimal Vitamin D levels.
“Having normal storage levels of Vitamin D in your body helps keep your bones strong and may help prevent osteoporosis,” explains the holistic health expert.
You can obtain enough Vitamin D from tanning in the sun. Sunlight remains the major, natural source of this essential nutrient.
But if you live in the US and have difficulty sun tanning during the winter months, Dr. Mercola suggests using a safe tanning bed or taking Vitamin D supplementation. High quality tanning beds that come without electromagnetic radiation and have health-enhancing lights such as UVA, UVB, Infrared and Red can help you get optimal amounts of Vitamin D that your body needs. You can also go for Vitamin D supplements but make sure you get your Vitamin D levels checked first to avoid possible overdose.
Do you care a lot for your bone health? You can start by tanning in the sun to experience the therapeutic benefits of Vitamin D.
Related Articles:
