Where to get vitamin D in autumn and winter

You know that our body is not able to produce vitamins by itself, and the only exception is vitamin D. You should spend only half an hour a day in the sun not to suffer its deficit, and even a partial hit of the rays on your skin will be enough. And if you spent a lot of time in the sun during the spring and the summer then it should be enough for the whole fall and winter.

So how does it work? Vitamin D penetrates through the skin into your bones, kidneys and intestines, regulates the amount of calcium in your body and strengthens the bones. This vitamin was found by the scientists quite accidentally. The fact is that at the beginning of the XX century rickets, one of the most frequent childhood diseases was treated with fish oil. Vitamin A contained in it was considered to be a key element in the treatment of this disease. However, the experiment of Elmer McCollum in 1922 revealed that absolutely another vitamin is responsible for healing. Since the scientists did not know this vitamin at that time and it was the fourth found vitamin in the list, so it was given the letter D. Later, in 1923, another scientist Harry Stenbock demonstrated the influence of ultraviolet radiation on food and the increase of vitamin D that it produced. Just about the same time A.F. Hess proved that a human body can independently reproduce vitamin D under the influence of sunlight. And it is due to this property that it received its second name - the vitamin of the sun.

Vitamin D is divided into two groups: cholecalciferol (D3) and ergocalciferol (D2). The first group is produced under the influence of sunlight, and the second one comes from food. They interact with other elements thus making our bones and our heart stronger, our hair thicker and our nervous system more stable.

So where should you get vitamin D, if it's cloudy outside, it's raining all the time and you are not in high spirits? Try to refresh yourself with a sunny vitamin from the inside. It is found mostly in oily fish, such as salmon or sardines, orange juice, oat flakes, red meat, eggs, cheese and tofu.

But if you want to raise your spirits, try to make your dishes more lively. Make the scrambled eggs with tomatoes and greens. Bake salmon and serve it with bright green beans or broccoli. Put your beef steak on a fresh salad bed.

Both lack of vitamin D and its overabundance can cause the undesirable effect. In autumn and winter you can get the required dose keeping to the balanced diet. And if you are going to use drugs you should consult your doctor first.