If you live in a hot climate, and you don’t get outside for at least 15 minutes each day, you may have low vitamin D. 

Why? Because your body actually makes most of its vitamin D from sunshine, and if you keep running away from the sun, you are likely to become deficient.

Why do you need Vitamin D?

• Maintain bone health – Vitamin D is crucial for the body to be able to absorb calcium and phosphorus, both of which are critical for building healthy strong bones. Having weak bones puts us at greater risk of fractures and developing osteoporosis, and may result in back pain, hindered movement, lost height and a hunched posture.
• Increase muscle mass & body strength – Vitamin D also acts directly on muscles to increase protein synthesis thus increasing muscle mass and general body strength.
• Support a strong immune system – Research also suggests that vitamin D may a major role in the inhibition of viruses. If your vitamin D is low, your immune system may be less effective.

 

How can you increase your vitamin D levels?

The three ways to increase vitamin D levels are through diet, sunshine, and supplements. Given the limited number of foods that are naturally-rich with vitamin D, and the dangers of excess sun exposure, most people end up resorting to supplements to meet their vitamin D needs – in which case making the right choice on the right supplement is crucial.

How to choose a vitamin D supplement?

Before you decide on a vitamin D supplement, it’s a good idea to get your levels tested. A blood test is the only way to know whether your levels are deficient, insufficient, sufficient, or optimal.

Factors to consider when shopping for vitamin D supplements include:

• Form of vitamin D – Vitamin D supplements contain either ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) or cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). While both forms can increase levels of vitamin D, vitamin D3 can increase levels more significantly and for longer.
• Quality – Look for supplements that are packaged in dark glass or opaque containers to protect vitamin D from getting oxidized by light and oxygen. Look also for evidence on testing for purity, quality, and accuracy, ideally from a third-party organization.
• Dose – Choose a product containing an appropriate dose of vitamin D to meet your needs. Keep in mind that the recommended amount of vitamin D varies by age and whether you’re looking to maintain adequate levels of vitamin D or are deficient.

Why you may also need to supplement vitamin K with vitamin D?

While Vitamin D increases calcium absorption to ensure you have enough of it to meet your body’s demands, Vitamin K makes sure that you use that calcium efficiently; by increasing its deposition in bones & reducing its accumulation in soft tissues such as blood vessels.

Taking high doses of vitamin D without enough vitamin K may cause blood vessel calcification which increases the risk of certain conditions like heart & kidney disease.

How can you optimize your levels with Valeo?

1-Test – The only way to tell if you’re vitamin D deficient is to get your blood tested. Valeo allows you to conveniently & affordably measure your vitamin D levels – at only 99 AED (like seriously?!) – and provides you with recommendations on how to improve them if they are out of range through diet, sunshine, and supplements.
2-Supplement – Valeo provides the highest quality vitamin D supplement which includes vitamin D+K combos. Your Valeo Health Coach will recommend the right dosage for you based on your levels.
3-Reap the benefits! – Results with Valeo are guaranteed – but don’t take our word for it! You can ask 95% of our repeat customers who managed to improve their levels following Valeo recommendations.