The Essential Vitamin You Need This Winter to Stay Healthy

Winter is here.

The post-holiday slump brings the full force of Jack Frost in the northern hemisphere. And with the colder temperatures and less daylight, people tend to stay indoors much more than they would in the warmer seasons. Adopting this type of hibernation lifestyle has consequences for our mental and physical health.

And both the immediate and long-term consequences can be detrimental to your well-being.

As entrepreneurs and business owners, we know the importance of eating a balanced diet and getting essential vitamins and minerals to sustain a healthy body, fueling our work ethic and increasing profits.

But there’s one vitamin that stands above the rest. A vitamin that’s so crucial to the human body, it operates like a hormone controlling how cells and organs function. Which vitamin is it?

It’s vitamin D, and you need to increase your intake during the winter if you want to keep healthy.

The Data

Americans are vitamin D deficient, and that number is rising.

Approximately 35% of adults in the United States have a vitamin D deficiency.

Our sedentary lifestyles, driving everywhere, sitting at desks in cubicles all day, and then coming home to binge-watch Netflix, have begun to affect our health.

Vitamin D is one of the many vitamins your body needs to stay strong and healthy.

However, it doesn’t only affect the United States. Studies show that this is a global issue.

About 1 billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency, while 50% have vitamin D insufficiency.

Studies also confirm that people with a higher level of skin melanin content (darker skin) and those who wear clothing with extensive skin coverage are more susceptible to vitamin D deficiency.

It’s already bad enough that we’re going outside less and less because of social media, streaming services, and video games. However, during winter, there’s even less time to reap the needed vitamin D from the supreme source: the sun.

The above study showcased how less than a billion outdoor activities and excursions occurred from 2008 to 2018.

This growing trend of avoiding the sun by choice has been deemed a threat to public health.

The Consequences

So, what happens if we are vitamin D deficient? What if we keep our indoor lifestyles of streaming and scrolling? What will happen in that scenario?

Well, kiss your bones goodbye. Not immediately, but much earlier than experiencing weakness in your old age.

Not having enough vitamin D can impact your teeth and bone health, immune system strength, and mental health.

Bone Health

Vitamin D3 helps regulate and absorb calcium, and it plays a vital role in the health of your teeth and bones.

Calcium is the most abundant of all the minerals in the body. The majority of this mineral lies in the skeletal bones and the teeth.

High calcium levels in your diet will help keep your bones and teeth strong. Inadequate calcium in your diet can lead to joint pain, early-onset osteoarthritis, and tooth loss.

Immunity

One of the most critical benefits of vitamin D is its essential role in maintaining and strengthening the immune system.

It stimulates the production of T-cells and helps to promote a proper response to infectious pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and fungus, responsible for various types of illnesses, including the common cold, influenza, and similar community-wide diseases.

Having high immune function during cold and flu season–right now–is paramount to your health and success in achieving your goals.

If you get sick and are in bed for five days, you can’t work or make money. Bump up your vitamin D to stay healthy as a horse.

Mental Health

Vitamin D benefits your daily mood, especially in the colder, darker months.

Several studies have revealed that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) symptoms may be linked to low levels of Vitamin D3, associated with the lack of sunlight exposure.

SAD is a mood disorder, and the primary symptom is depression.

Studies suggest that the decreased levels of Vitamin D3 may impact serotonin levels in the brain, a hormone that regulates mood.

By taking a vitamin D3 supplement or increasing your exposure to the sun, you could see a significant boost in your mood.

Brain Function

Scientists have connected how vitamin D influences numerous vital bodily functions, including how the brain works.

There are Vitamin D receptors located throughout the brain and the spinal cord. Vitamin D benefits you by playing a role in activating and deactivating the synthesis of neurotransmitters, as well as nerve growth and repair.

Additionally, studies on animal subjects have found that vitamin D helps to protect neurons and can reduce inflammation within the brain. These factors likely improve the brain's overall function, helping to promote alertness and quicker response time.

Another study analyzed the effects of vitamin D levels on preventing cognitive decline.

The study concluded that supplementing with vitamin D3, especially in winter, can reduce future dementia risk.

The Remedies

So, what’s the best course of action to get more vitamin D in our lives to stay strong, healthy, and vibrant year-round and through the winter months?

The Sun

If you can, you want to get actual sunlight. It will always be the best way for your body to get enough vitamin D.

Mind you, this does not mean sunbathing all day, every day. That’s a great way to age your skin faster and put you at potential risk for skin cancer.

Scientists say all you need is 10-30 minutes of midday sunlight several times per week to maintain healthy blood levels and get your vitamin D requirements.

Keep in mind that you may need more if you have darker skin.

Supplements

If you live in a colder place and going outside means covering and layering up, you definitely want to invest in a higher-quality vitamin D3 supplement. Yes, vitamin D3 specifically.

Stay away from supplements that are filled with seed oils and simple sugars. That’s basically candy. 

Bonus health points if you get a vitamin D3 with vitamin K2 combination supplement like this one.

Studies show that D3 and K2 taken together improve bone and cardiovascular health simultaneously.

Food Sources

And finally, if supplements aren’t your thing and you’re limiting the amount of processed foods in your diet (yes, supplements are heavily processed), then you’ll want to acquire the vitamin D that naturally occurs in food.

The best food sources for vitamin D are:

• Fatty fish like salmon, trout, tuna, and mackerel

• Canned fish like herring and sardines

• Egg yolks

• Beef liver

• Fish liver

The BMM Takeaway

In these winter months, when people slow down, get lazy, and get sick, it’s paramount that you get vitamin D3 to stay healthy.

As entrepreneurs and business owners, we can’t afford to lose working days. Employees depend on profits, and we can’t increase our bottom line if our health falters.

Let your competition get sick. You stay healthy by getting sun, moving your body consistently, eating high-quality foods, and supplementing your diet with vitamin D3.

That way, you live longer and stronger and can keep getting the money.