Aspen Club and Spa

Our body requires a variety of nutrients everyday to function well and remain disease free. How many times have you been told to have your vitamins daily? Simply popping vitamin supplements can sometimes become a little overwhelming. It definitely helps to have an understanding of what are body requires and why!

What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a fat soluble Vitamin that is available to our body through the food that we eat and from exposure to the Ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun.

Why is Vitamin D important?
Vitamin D takes care of many important functions in our body –

• Makes bones stronger and teeth healthy through proper calcium absorption.

• Maintains a proper level of phosphorus and calcium in the blood.

• Makes the immune system stronger and helps in bone mineralization.

• Regulates and promotes the re absorption of calcium in the kidneys.

Sources of Vitamin D
Unlike most other vitamins that are not produced in the body and only derived from the food that we eat, Vitamin D is formed in our body when exposed to sunlight.

Good sources of Vitamin D include:

1. Exposure of the body to the sun’s rays at least twice a week.

2. Milk and milk products

3. Eggs, Cod Liver Oil

4. Salmon, Sardines and Tuna, etc.

Vitamin D Deficiencies
Vitamin D is extremely essential for the body and any deficiency of this all-important vitamin due to insufficient exposure to sun’s rays or low intake through our diet, etc can lead to osteoporosis, thin and brittle bones, diseases such as rickets in children and an increased chances of getting other dangerous chronic diseases such as tuberculosis, high BP, cancer and chronic pain etc.

After a few months of dreary days, we are ready for a dose of sun. Not only in our minds and spirits, but in our hearts and in our…bones? Not only does the sun heighten our moods (light therapy anyone?)  it provides us with Vitamin D, which helps to maintain calcium levels in the bloodstream. Isn’t it cool that when the ultraviolet light in sun strikes the skin, it creates Vitamin D.  Ouila, just like that. The only significant source of Vitamin D via food consumption is fish liver.  Blah. So we douse ourselves in sun all day,  get a killer tan, and our RDA of Vitamin D, right?  Not so fast-too much sun exposure can be bad for you, nobody wants skin cancer and wrinkles.  So, what to do? A bit of sun each day is the answer-and a heavy dose of sunscreen, of course. But there is more good news! Natural vitamin supplements can provide us with Vitamin D, Calcium, and for the love of pete, Fish Liver Oil.

The hunters and gatherers in the days of yore spent much more time outside in the sun, getting about 10 times more Vitamin D than we do today. They also spent much more time being active, with all that hunting and gathering they had to do. Today, we can pick up our meals, vitamin supplements, and get a work out at the gym or spa. Now that is convenient. I still like to lay in the sun however, like a giant smiling seal splayed out on the rocks, taking in all the warmth.  I am looking forward to sunny days  at the park or stretched out on the beach.  Sun is good. My heart and mind needs it, and hey, I am getting Vitamin D, right?

Health benefits of Vitamins has been one of the most studied and discussed topic but there is so much that we are yet to learn. Vitamins indeed are vital for our systems and body, so that they continue to function properly and it is not an exaggeration if we say that it is the health benefits of Vitamins that gets us going all the way.

Adequate Vitamin-intake has enormous health benefits. Vitamins give immunity to our body, prevent cancer, slow down the aging process, provide us energy, in fact, they strengthen our body in one or the other way. The health benefits of Vitamins will be more pronounced when you stop giving your body its normal quota of vitamins. Everything right from your hair to your eyes and your mood will gradually start showing signs of deterioration.

Here we discuss the different vitamins that your body needs every day (in varying quantities) to perform at its peak level. Let us start with the health benefits of vitamin C.

Vitamin C is usually considered the most important of the vitamins as it has many functions. Vitamin C strengthens your body’s immune system and helps keep the connective tissue healthy. Vitamin C being a strong anti-oxidant, wards off cancer-risks (of course, it is also used to treat cancer and other chronic diseases). This anti-oxidant property of this vitamin also delays the appearance of wrinkles and slows down skin aging.

Speaking of the health benefits of Vitamin E, this Vitamin too has anti-oxidant property. Hence, Vitamin E effectively delays the aging process and defends your body against cancers. Vitamin A is important for vision. Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus and plays an important role in the formation and reinforcement of bones. Vitamin K, on the other hand, plays a vital role in blood clotting.

Vitamin B or rather Vitamins B1, B6, B12 and the other vitamins in this group together perform functions no meaner that your own brain. They assist the transmission of nerve impulses. Apart from the neurological functions, they aid in the synthesis of the friendly hormone Serotonin, which help to increase your concentration and support normal growth. Vitamin B12 is also essential for the maturation of erythrocytes and is used for the treatment of pernicious anemia.

Another important Vitamin is Vitamin P, which is very important for the circulatory system. Vitamin P strengthens blood vessels and capillaries, preventing the accumulation of plaque. It even protects the blood vessels and capillaries from infection and diseases. Consequently, Vitamin P is prescribed for High Blood Pressure, preventing nosebleeds, etc.

As far as health benefits are concerned, the above-mentioned vitamins are the most useful vitamins for the human system. They together with minerals, aid the normal growth of the body and help it function properly.

Most of these Vitamins are contained in fruits, vegetables and other foods. Vitamin A is found abundantly in carrots, egg-yolk, fish-liver oil, etc. Fruits (especially dry varieties), vegetables, whole cereals, dairy products and most importantly brewers’ yeast is rich in Vitamin B. Citrus fruits are a rich source of Vitamin C. The other Vitamins too are present in different foods in different ratios. However, Vitamin D can only be synthesized by the body under the effect of sunlight. Therefore, it is very essential to eat balanced diets in order to give your body the health benefits of Vitamins.