If the past 11 months have taught you anything, it should be: Maintaining a strong immune system is essential. During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous doctors discussed the many natural ways in which you can strengthen your immunity, highlighting a particular star nutrient: vitamin D.
Whether through food or supplements, vitamin D is an important crucial nutrient in your diet and is known to offer many health benefits. “One of the main roles that vitamin D plays is to help maximize the absorption and utilization of calcium, which is an important mineral for our skeletal system and teeth,” said Nicole Avena, Ph.D. and assistant professor of neuroscience at the School of Mount Sinai medicine in New York said Eat this, not that!. “It is also important for muscle, heart and lung function.”
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Vitamin D can help fight infections, strengthen bones, improve wound healing, improve mental health and may even promote a healthy pregnancy, according to research. The nutrient is so vital that if you are disabled, your body will warn you with some telltale signs.
That is why, during the COVID-19 pandemic, flu season, and the cold winter months, most doctors have advised their patients to ingest adequate amounts of vitamin D to stay healthy.
“There is good evidence that if you have a low level of vitamin D, you are more likely to become infected when infections are nearby,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. in an interview on Instagram Live last year with actress Jennifer Garner.
“If you have a vitamin D deficiency, it has an impact on your susceptibility to infection,” said Dr. Fauci. “I wouldn’t mind recommending – and I do it myself – taking vitamin D supplements.”
If you want to start taking vitamin D as a supplement (we like Well Told Health for its organic and simple ingredients), be sure to check with your doctor first to make sure it is safe for you.
Otherwise, the following are some of the best dietary sources of vitamin D that you can start incorporating into your diet today for immune-boosting benefits. And while you’re at it, make sure to avoid these 100 most health-damaging foods on the planet.
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