The Facts

  • Vitamin D is an ESSENTIAL nutrient.
  • It is a fat soluble vitamin.
  • It is especially important for people with MS. Whether you get it through supplement or sunlight it is crucial to get some everyday!
  • Vitamin D has been shown to be beneficial for people with MS.🧑‍🦯
  • Vitamin D is also the only vitamin that your body makes itself! (It’s actually a hormone!)
  • It is the most undervalued nutrient in the world since most people think they get enough from the sun.
  • Vitamin D is crucial to muscle movement, immune function, bone health, and one of the most essential reasons for us MS’ers is that it helps conduct nerve connections to the brain🧠
  • Vitamin D regulates SO many functions in the body. It’s also promotes oral health and may help to prevent diabetes!

The recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 400 international units (IU) for children up to age 12 months, 600 IU for people ages 1 to 70 years, and 800 IU for people over 70. However, it is typically recommended people with MS get a higher dose. Speak with your health practitioner about what would be right for you.

What’s It In?

There are a few foods found to be naturally rich in Vitamin D. The best sources are fatty fish and fish liver oil. It is also found in eggs, cheese and beef liver. As with most things in life, moderation is key, because although you may get the nutrient from those sources, they are not necessarily the healthiest options. Fish may contain mercury. Cheese contains unhealthy saturated fats. Liver may contain toxins. (I have never found it particularly appetizing to eat something whose main function is to REMOVE toxins from the body.) And consuming too much liver can result in vitamin A and copper toxicity.

The best organic options are:

  • Sunlight
  • supplements
  • fortified plant milk
  • fortified orange juice
  • mushrooms grown in UV light

When searching for supplements, keep in mind Vitamin D2 is plant sourced, and D3 is animal sourced.

We don’t get enough. Over 75% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient.

Fun Fact: Did you know your body can only absorb Calcium when Vitamin D is present?

Go outside. Enjoy the sun.☀️ You’re body will be stronger for it!🏋‍♂️

For fun plant-based recipes to supplement your Vitamin D intake, try — https://thebeet.com/vegan-vitamin-d-recipes/

 

Reference – https://www.mayoclinc.org/