NBC’s Dr. Natalie Azar and TODAY nutrition and health expert Joy Bauer break down the basics of vitamin D, including why it’s important, how much you should get per day, natural sources, the health risks of vitamin D deficiency, and more.
» Subscribe to TODAY: https://www.youtube.com/@TODAY
About: TODAY brings you the latest headlines and expert tips on money, health and parenting. We wake up every morning to give you and your family all you need to start your day. If it matters to you, it matters to us. We are in the people business. Subscribe to our channel for exclusive TODAY archival footage & our original web series.
Connect with TODAY Online!
Visit TODAY’s Website: https://www.today.com/
Find TODAY on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/today
Follow TODAY on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TODAYshow
Follow TODAY on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/todayshow/
» Stream TODAY All Day: https://www.today.com/allday
About: TODAY All Day is a 24/7 streaming channel bringing you the top stories in news and pop culture, celebrity interviews, cooking, and more. All in one place.
#health #vitamind #diet
>>> THIS MORNING IN TODAY’S CHECKLIST, WE’RE GOING TO BREAK DOWN ALL THINGS VITAMIN “D.” WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE SUNSHINE VITAMIN, AS IT’S KNOWN, THIS TIME OF YEAR, BUT WHY IS IT IMPORTANT AND HOW MUCH DO WE REALLY NEED? DR. NATALIE AZAR AND JOY BAUER HERE TO COVER IT ALL. WE’RE CALLING IT TEAM BOW-ZAR. YOU’RE WELCOME. LET’S START WITH VITAMIN “D,” FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO OUR OVERALL HEALTH? >> I THINK OF VITAMIN “D” AS THE KING OF VITAMINS. IT’S A FAT SOLUBLE VITAMIN, IT’S AVAILABLE IN SOME FOODS, ADDED TO OTHERS, AND COMES IN A SUPPLEMENT AND SYNTHESIZED WHEN THE SUN HITS OUR SKIN. IT’S BEST KNOWN, BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT FOR CALCIUM ABSORPTION AND MAINTAINS THIS REALLY IMPORTANT BALANCE BETWEEN CALCIUM AND ANOTHER MINERAL CALLED PHOSPHATE. AND THAT’S SUPER IMPORTANT FOR BONE GROWTH AND BONE MINERALIZATION. IT’S IMPORTANT IN CELL GROWTH, IT REDUCES INFLAMMATION. IT’S A JACK OF ALL TRADES. >> KING OF VITAMINS. >> HOW MUCH SHOULD WE BE GETTING? >> MOST OF US BETWEEN THE AGES OF 1 AND 70, WE NEED ABOUT 600, SOMETHING CALLED INTERNATIONAL UNITS EVERY DAY. YOUNGER, YOU GET A LITTLE BIT LESS, OLDER, YOU GET A LITTLE BIT MORE. >> YOU SHOULD BE TAKING — >> I AM. >> MOST PEOPLE, I GOT A LITTLE FEEDBACK FROM THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT VITAMIN “D,” SOME PEOPLE NEED A LOT MORE THAN THAT DAILY AMOUNT TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE LEVEL. I THINK IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND, THERE’S ACTUALLY NO FORMAL RECOMMENDATION TO SCREEN FOR VITAMIN “D” LEVELS. HOWEVER, I HAVE NEVER NOT CHECKED IT IN OUR PATIENTS IN RHEUMATOLOGY, BECAUSE IT’S SO IMPORTANT, AND I’VE NEVER HAD A PATIENT WHO CAME TO ME WHO DIDN’T HAVE A VITAMIN “D” LEVEL CHECKED. IT IS AVAILABLE TO BE CHECKED BY A BLOOD TEST. ONE LITTLE IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT SUNSCREEN. IF YOU HAVE AN SPF 8 OR HIGHER, IT ACTUALLY DOES BLOCK THE UV RAYS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRIGGERING THAT VITAMIN “D” SYNTHESIS, BUT MOST OF US DON’T USE OUR SPF THE WAY WE SHOULD, SO MOST OF US ARE GETTING SOME FROM THE SUN AND THEN, OF COURSE, SUPPLEMENT, AND FOOD. >> SPEAKING OF FOOD, JOY. SO LET’S SAY YOU’RE NOT GETTING IT NATURALLY, YOU KNOW, FROM EXTERIOR SOURCES, WHAT ABOUT THE STUFF THAT YOU INTAKE. >> SO THERE’S ONLY A FEW FOODS THAT ARE GOOD NATURAL SOURCES OF VITAMIN “D.” AND I’M GOING TO SAY SALMON IS AN ABSOLUTE STANDOUT. TO PUT THIS INTO PERSPECTIVE, I’LL SHOW YOU MY HAND. A PALM-SIZED PIECE OF SALMON GIVES YOU HALF OF YOUR DAILY ALLOWANCE. AND TO THE EXTENSION OF YOUR FINGERS, ABOUT 5 TO 6 OUNCES, THAT IS THE FULL AMOUNT YOU NEED FOR A DAY. THIS IS ANOTHER REASON TO PRAISE SALMON. MACKEREL, AS WELL. SARDINES ARE TERRIFIC. TUNA HAS SOME. AND TO A LOWER EXTENT, EGG YOLKS HAVE A LITTLE BIT, MUSHROOMS HAVE A LITTLE BIT. BUT THESE ARE THE NATURAL RESOURCES. AND SOME BRANDS WILL FORTIFY THEIR FOODS. MEANING THEY ADD VITAMIN “D.” YOU’LL ALMOST SEE IT ACROSS THE BOARD, IN NOT ONLY COW’S MILK, BUT ALMOND MILK, OAT MILK, SOY MILK, SOME CEREALS, SOME YOGURTS AND SOME BRANDS OF ORANGE JUICE WILL FORTIFY. >> SO IF YOU DO DO HAVE NOT ENOUGH VITAMIN “D” IN YOUR SYSTEM, ARE THERE HEALTH RISKS? >> THERE ARE. HERE’S A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WE KNOW ARE AT RISK OF VITAMIN “D” DEFICIENCY. IF YOU’RE BREAST-FED, BECAUSE MILK DOESN’T HAVE VITAMIN “D,” YOU HAVE LIMITED SUN EXPOSURE, THINGS LIKE COELIAC, CROHN’S DISEASE, YOU MAY NOT ABSORB VILE “D” AND OLDER ADULTS. VITAMIN “D” DEFICIENCY CAN BE COMPLETELY YMPTOMATIC OR EXPERIENCE FATIGUE, BONE PAIN, MUSCLE WEAKNESS, AS WELL AS MOOD CHANGES. AND OF COURSE, THE HEALTH RISKS OF VITAMIN “D” DEFICIENCY. WHEN YOU’RE YOUNG, VITAMIN “D” CAN CAUSE SOMETHING CALLED RICKETTS, BUT CAN ALSO INCREASE THE RISK OF OSTEOPOROSIS, THINNING OF THE BONES, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES, AS WELL AS CERTAIN CANCERS, LIKE BREAST AND COLON AND PROSTATE. >> IT’S IMPORTANT! >> SUPER IMPORTANT. >> VITAMIN “D” RECEPTORS THROUGHOUT THE BODY. >> WHAT ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS? I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF VITAMIN “D” SUPPLEMENTS OUT THERE? IS THAT SOMETHING FOLKS SHOULD BE TAKING? >> DEFINITELY. >> IF YOU HAVE A LOW VITAMIN “D” WHEN YOU GO TO THE DOCTOR AND GET IT SECOND, THAT’S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. AND SO, A FEW RULES OF THUMB. THE FIRST IS, WHEN YOU CHOOSE A SUPPLEMENT, YOU WANT TO CHOOSE ONE THAT HAS D-3 VERSUS D-2. WE KNOW THROUGH RESEARCH THAT D-3 IS A LITTLE BIT BETTER ABSORBED BY THE BODY. NEXT, BECAUSE THE FDA DOESN’T REGULATE SUPPLEMENTS, IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET A BRAND THAT HAS A THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION. AN INDEPENDENT LAB HAS TESTED FOR QUANTITY AND QUALITY. USUALLY YOU’LL SEE A LITTLE STAMP THAT SAYS USP OR NFS, OR YOU CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE. THE THIRD IS MONITOR YOUR TOTAL INTAKE. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. VITAMIN “D” IS A FAT SOLUBLE VITAMIN. AND THAT MEANS TOO MUCH WILL BUILD UP IN YOUR FAT STORES. THE UPPER LIMIT IS 4,000 INTERNATIONAL UNITS, AND KEEP IN MIND THAT VITAMIN “D” IS IN YOUR MULTI-VITAMINS, IT’S IN YOUR CALCIUM SUPPLEMENTS. >> SO IF YOU’RE EATING ALL THE RIGHT FOOD — >> RIGHT. >> YOU CAN GET TOO MUCH. >> ONE THING IS THAT THE BODY WILL SELF-REGULATE FROM THE SUN AND FROM FOOD. YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING TOO MUCH FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, BUT FROM SUPPLEMENTS, YOU DEFINITELY DO. >> WITH OR AFTER FOOT, IT NEEDS A LITTLE BIT OF FAT TO BE ABSORBED. >>
