Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Seniors and Vitamin D

Last month I visited my doctor's office for a yearly blood test and prescription refill. My doctor told me all the doctors in the practice were "pushing" vitamin D, and he thought I should start taking it along with my daily multivitamin. I asked him if it would help the SAD (seasonal affective disorder) I was struggling with and he said, "Absolutely."

Yesterday his office called to confirm that advice, as apparently my blood test revealed I was depleted in that area. In fact, they doubled the amount I had already started taking.

Today I found several articles on Senior Journal dot com that affirmed my doctors advice. An increasing number of studies show low levels of vitamin D are an invitation for some deadly diseases to take over our bodies. As vitamin E is losing it's popularity, vitamin D is picking up steam as studies prove it is a helpful deterrent against diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis.

Check with your doctor, obtain a blood test if necessary, and follow your doctor's recommendation before proceeding with any dosage.

Those who spend a lot of time in the sun, drink plenty of milk, and obtain vitamin D in other ways, probably won't need any additional vitamin D. But, if you live in a frigid climate such as MI, as I do, and your diet is lacking in this essential vitamin, you may want to make sure you get the nutrients you need.

To read these important articles, click on this link => SeniorJournal.com. There are a growing number of articles that will confirm vitamin D is a most important nutrient for an increasing number of people, especially seniors.

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