What does Vitamin D do for you? What are the signs of a Vitamin D deficiency and what can you do to supplement your diet?

Vitamin D has always been one of the major vitamins that we absorb in our lives, be it through natural sunlight or through meat products and oily fish, and that's not without reason. Vitamin D is necessary for the growth and development of healthy bones and teeth, and is responsible for cellular replication, immune function, insulin production, and a happy, healthy heart.

Recent studies have even shown that this wonder vitamin is playing an important role in reducing the risk of breast cancer in women when taking supplements.

Really, the list goes on why this little vitamin is so important in our lives. So why then is it estimated by scientists in Britain and Canada that a staggering one billion people worldwide suffer from a Vitamin D deficiency?

According to experts a lot of us just aren't getting enough Vitamin D through our diets and our daily sun intake, and it could be responsible for a lot of ailments as a deficiency in Vitamin D has been linked to a many number of symptoms and illnesses, including: chronic pains, diabetes, arthrits, muscle weakness, osteoporosis, heart disease and autoimmunity. A deficiency can also require you to take up to twice as much of an opiate pain killer, such as vicodin or methadone, to see the same benefit as someone without a deficiency.

Many people have started taking Vitamin D supplements in the form of tablets as part of their daily regime to help balance their levels to the “normal” range, which according to doctors is 50ng/ml (125 nmol/L) as is indicated in a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test. This can help in increasing your levels, but the recommended intake of vitamin D can vary from person to person. You need to look at a lot of different factors, including your diet and your exposure to natural sunlight. At the end of the day, your doctor should be able to tell you more about whether your vitamin D levels fall within the recommended levels and they can then talk to you about your options concerning supplements.

If you're interested in starting Vitamin D supplements the best place to ask about which tablets are available over the counter is your local pharmacist. They'll be able to inform you further and give you some more information about steps to increase your Vitamin D levels.

For those of you who aren't into taking a lot of supplements, changing your diet just a tiny bit is a good way to up your intake. A good natural source of Vitamin D can be found in fatty and oily fish, such as catfish, salmon, mackerel, sardines, and tuna. Eggs also provide a good source of Vitamin D as well as beef liver. Sadly, the only vegan option for Vitamin D are mushrooms.

One of the best and simplest ways to increase your intake is one most of us can get behind: get out in the sun! We get a majority of our Vitamin D from natural sunlight. This is because Vitamin D forms under the skin in reaction to sunlight. The best source is, of course, summer sunlight, weather permitting. But take care to put on sunscreen if you plan on being out in the sun for a long time!

Whether you choose to take supplements in the form of tablets or if you strive to get a little bit more sun every day, please be sure to speak to your doctor and inform yourself before making any radical changes. Only your doctor can give you an informed decision on your health.