Did you know that over 40% of Americans have a Vitamin D deficiency? Seniors face worse health outcomes when their nutritional needs go unmet, and many Vitamin D benefits can help with common issues among elders.
As you and your loved ones age, you want the best chance at fighting off the illnesses that come with age. Vitamin D can help.
Want to know how to avoid getting sick, boost personal wellness, and improve long-term health outcomes? Read on, and we’ll tell you the unique benefits of Vitamin D in healthy living for seniors.
Vitamin D Benefits
Vitamin D offers health benefits for seniors across a wide spectrum of bodily functions. Maintaining a healthy Vitamin D level gets more challenging with age, but the myriad benefits make it worth it.
Bone Health
For many years, Vitamin D research focused on the benefits of the vitamin in maintaining bone health. Vitamin D plays a role in calcium uptake in the body, so those without enough can start losing bone density.
As seniors age, bone density begins to slip. Issues like osteoporosis and bone spurs become more common. Vitamin D makes it harder for these issues to take root.
Acute Illnesses
Research shows that bacterial and viral infections, including COVID-19, cause more harm to those with Vitamin D deficiencies. As elders already face a heightened risk of serious illness from these sources, keeping those Vitamin D levels high could make a big difference in quality of life.
Depression
Some senior health tips neglect the intimate relationship between physical and mental health. Low Vitamin D levels correlate with worse depressive symptoms.
Maintaining a positive outlook as one ages can make those later years more rewarding. Don’t make it harder by ignoring a key nutrient for mental health.
How to Avoid Getting Sick With Vitamin D Deficiency
You can address a Vitamin D deficiency in multiple ways. Choose the one that works best for the situation you and your loved ones face.
More Sunlight
In warmer, sunnier areas of the world, including here in Texas, regular sunlight exposure can produce sufficient Vitamin D. The sun on your skin will cause your body to produce Vitamin D.
Cells can store Vitamin D for a long time, so if you get sun often enough, your body can store it for periods when you don’t get outside. Reducing illness risks means erring on the side of more sunlight here.
Aging causes Vitamin D production to drop. Elders need about four times as much time in the sun to synthesize the same amount of Vitamin D as people in their twenties with similar overall health.
Your skin tone affects the rate at which you can synthesize Vitamin D. Darker skin tones require more skin exposure, more time, or both to synthesize the same amount.
Diet
Many foods contain Vitamin D. Healthy living for seniors often requires attention to diet, and healthy Vitamin D intake can serve as one of the pillars of a well-planned diet.
Foods that provide significant Vitamin D include:
- Fortified juices
- Many fish, including tuna, salmon, and rainbow trout
- Fortified milk
- Yogurt
- Mushrooms
You and your loved one should balance the importance of Vitamin D against other health concerns, such as lactose intake, sugars, and cholesterol. An elder who remains in good shape and goes outside often will need less Vitamin D from dietary choices.
Supplements
Vitamin D supplements can help seniors who have lost their ability to synthesize vitamins within their bodies. Due to the effects of skin tone and age on one’s capacity to synthesize Vitamin D, you and your loved ones should work with a doctor to find an appropriate amount of Vitamin D supplementation.
Do You Need It?
Those who already maintain healthy Vitamin D levels don’t always need supplementation. While the body can store Vitamin D for a long time, taking it in excess doesn’t do anything that maintaining a healthy level won’t accomplish.
When to Test Vitamin D Levels
If you have concerns about your Vitamin D levels or those of a loved one, reach out to a doctor for a test. To know whether current diet and sun exposure meet Vitamin D needs, doctors need to look for levels at their lowest. You should test Vitamin D levels during the winter when days have less available daylight.
Follow-Up Testing
If the test indicates a need for greater Vitamin D intake, get a second test about three months after implementing any intended changes. As the body stores Vitamin D for a long time, this gives a chance for levels to even out and a new baseline to form.
Is Vitamin D Enough?
No single magic bullet will solve every health problem that occurs with aging. Vitamin D levels play a key role in bone health and potentially offer several other health benefits, but medical scientists don’t know how many benefits it offers. Keeping an eye on Vitamin D levels works well when implemented alongside other senior health tips for fitness, illness reduction, and mental health.
Does your loved one live in an independent living community? The staff may have programs to help maintain comprehensive health while aging. Choosing a good community for your elderly loved ones can set them up for success in implementing Vitamin D monitoring and other healthy living steps.
A Sunny, Healthy Life
If you’re looking for how to avoid getting sick, signs you might already have a long-term illness, or simple steps to take to set yourself or a loved one up to age well, Vitamin D levels offer a great starting point. Low levels of Vitamin D open one up to risks like bone damage and infectious disease, while healthy levels serve as both a foundation of good health and a counter-sign for many systemic problems.
Do you want a community that will help you or a loved one make the most of senior life? Look at the Conservatory at North Austin. Our service-rich independent senior living options provide:
- quality dining
- events with sporting activities and live music
- artistic and cultural activities
Does that sound like a good fit? If so, schedule a tour today.
