Vitamin D plays crucial roles in the body! It regulates hundreds of genes throughout the body and maintains healthy bones, muscles, teeth, immune system, cardiovascular system, balanced mood, and cognitive function.
For this reason vitamin D is not only vital for maintaining health but also building life! From mamas to be who are planning to conceive, pregnant mamas with little ones growing inside, and postpartum mamas who are breast-feeding it is essential to be well stocked on this vitamin!
Top sources include sunshine (ideally this is where we get about 90% of our intake); cod liver oil; cod livers; fish/seafood in general, and trout in particular; organ meats, particularly liver and kidney, from pasteurized animal; lard from pasture raised pigs; pasture raised chicken, duck, and goose with the skin; dairy fats from pasture raised animals; egg yolks from pasture raised eggs; and sunshine!
It’s important that we make sure we are getting enough from sunshine, food, and supplement. For this reason, it’s good to get a vitamin D tested from time to time to check in on your levels.
Though some people will have no symptoms of deficiency, common signs to look for include:
– Frequent infection or illness
– Fatigue and tiredness
– Bone, back, or muscle pain
– Depression or anxiety
– Poor wound healing
– Bone or hair loss
– Weight Gain
Fun fact: did you know that while “vitamin D” is referred to as a “fat soluble vitamin” it is technically a prohormone (a precursor or building block of a hormone.)
As you can see, we all know we need optimum Vitamin D levels! Look for my upcoming posts sharing how much you should aim to consume in general, during preconception, pregnancy and postpartum.