Daylight Savings Means More Time to Soak Up Vitamin D

March 2, 2017 | Blog

by David Calderetti

Project Director, NJPHK – Vineland

Winter is winding down, and daylight savings begins March 12, which means we gain an extra hour of sunlight per day. This is great for two reasons – warmer weather is on its way (finally!), and you can get more vitamin D into your system. Regular exposure to sunlight allows your body to create vitamin D, which is essential for bone and immune health. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences reports an average adult up to age 70 should get 600 IU of vitamin D daily. Here’s a refresher on the sunshine vitamin:

1. Vitamin D deficiency is common during the winter months – Sunlight isn’t the only place to get vitamin D, but it’s hard to get some sunshine when the days are shorter.
2. Vitamin D can boost your metabolism – Getting the daily amount of vitamin D is useful for many aspects of your body’s systems, including your waistline.
3. Vitamin D is found in a variety of foods – Salmon, milk, orange juice, and yogurt are a few of the foods that contain Vitamin D. Not a fan? Taking a vitamin D3 supplement with calcium will do the trick.

For more information on Vitamin D, you can check out this article: Vitamin D: Health Benefits, Facts, and Research.

 

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