If you are a woman or man in your 30s, 40s or 50s, it’s time to think about vitamin D. This little wonder of a vitamin plays a central role in many body processes. Studies have linked it to preventing osteoporosis, heart disease diabetes, cancer and weight gain. If that seems like a lot of prevention in one little vitamin, you are right, it is. The problem, though, is that as many as half of adults are deficient in vitamin D and are therefore not receiving the benefits.

You may think of vitamin D as you do other vitamins such as your B vitamins. However vitamin D is unique in that it functions more similar to a hormone than a vitamin. And as known from deficiencies in other hormones such as insulin and thyroid hormone, that a hormonal deficiency can cause of multitude of seemingly unrelated problems.

For our menopausal women, It is so important to be aware of your intake of vitamin D because research is discovering its role in the prevention of many diseases and conditions that are more common as you age. You may be aware of vitamin D as a helper for absorbing calcium and building bones, but it is involved in many other processes that protect you from disease and health problems.

Depression? Vitamin D has been shown to have a positive effect on low mood and cognitive performance.

Did you know that Vitamin D has been studied for its role in treating and preventing other conditions, such as muscle weakness, irritable bowel syndrome, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, celiac disease, other autoimmune diseases and asthma and allergies. We are just beginning to understand how widespread its actions are and how integral it is in healthy body functioning.

After reading this information, you’re probably wondering what your vitamin D level happens to be. Considering that the majority of the population is deficient, this is a good question to be asking. Thankfully, you can easily learn what your level of vitamin D is with a simple blood test done at our office, the cost is only $65