What if I told you that you can live 5 years longer by spending less than £10 per month?

What if I told you that a certain nutrient makes us live longer by inhibiting inflammation and improving the length of our telomeres - structures at the end of our DNA chromosomes, associated with shortening in ageing? (1)

What if I also told you that this particular nutrient is cheap, highly available and we can even make it ourselves? 

What if it could also prevent acute and chronic conditions, improve vitality and and even prevent osteoporosis? (2)

Of course, I am talking about vitamin D which technically is a hormone that we make ourselves when our skin is exposed to the sun. Time after time though, I do find that nearly every single client of mine is deficient in vitamin D and has never had their levels tested. We have so much clinical data now showing that Vitamin D is the single most important affordable supplement that could prevent a whole range of diseases. Some of these, but not all, are allergies, childhood asthma, depression, diabetes types one and two, infertility, insomnia, cardiovascular issues, colds and flus, skin diseases, like psoriasis and eczema, muscle pain and periodontal disease. (3)

Not only are good levels of vitamin D associated with prevention of the diseases mentioned above, but lack of it has also been implicated in obesity (4). Studies show that adequate levels of vitamin D improve insulin sensitivity and fat metabolism, effectively leaving you less tired. Low levels could also explain why you always want to grab that snack and why every croissant you see seems to have your name written on it. 

Vitamin D levels can nowadays be easily tested through a finger prick test. Some, but not all, GPs are open to testing their patients. If that is not an option, contact your nutritional therapist to arrange an appointment and get this inexpensive life saving test done. The practitioner can tell you exactly how much of vitamin D you should be taking in order to have adequate levels in your blood and also to not overdose.

The levels of vitamin D normally drop in spring after winter, unless you have been to some exotic hot country holiday for at least few weeks. And remember, that the darker the skin, the more likely you are at risk of being low in vitamin D levels. 

References:

1. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/86/5/1420.abstract
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28431765
3. IHCAN conference - inflammation and antioxidants - 22 April 2017 
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28409320