A Natural Solution for Better Brain Function

A Natural Solution for Better Brain Function

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What’s Better Than Natural?

If I told you that I had a natural solution that would help your brain function better, wouldn’t you be interested?

And if it’s really easy to do and doesn’t cost much, well, what are you waiting for?

It turns out I do have that very solution: Vitamin D.A Natural Solution for Better Brain Function

Vitamin D Deficiency

I think it’s pretty much common knowledge that most of us living in the northern hemisphere are prone to vitamin D deficiency, due to our lovely winters.

So this time of year, just as spring (and hopefully the sun) are making an appearance, we are probably down to our last supplies of vitamin D.

I had mine vitamin D levels checked a couple of years ago and it was so low that I had to go on intense supplementation for about a week.

So how do you know if you have a vitamin D deficiency, without going to the doctor?

Here are some symptoms of low vitamin D:

  • You seem to catch every cold (and everything else) that goes around
  • Feeling tired more than usual
  • Having a wound that is slow to heal
  • Depression
  • Muscle and joint pain, especially in your back
  • Hair loss

As you can see, these symptoms could easily be attributed to other things, and some of them won’t show up until you are severely deficient.

Vitamin D, ADHD, and Your Brain

While it wasn’t specifically mentioned in the list of symptoms, poor cognitive function can also be related to not having enough vitamin D.

According to The US National Library of Medicine and The National Institute of Health (source), there have been a number of studies done on children with ADHD who were low in vitamin D. Once their levels were brought to acceptable levels, they showed an increase in cognitive function.

In other words, your brain can operate more effectively when your body has enough vitamin D.

As I always say, a healthy body means a brain that can function at its best, and that means you have less trouble with your ADHD symptoms. You might want to check this out, too.

Where Can You Find Natural Sources of Vitamin D?

Well, I’m sure your milk is most likely fortified with vitamin D, but are you drinking it? (My mom used to insist that the milk in her coffee was more than enough for her to get her calcium. Right….)

By the way, one cup of milk is about a third of your daily requirement. If you have cereal for breakfast, that’s probably pretty close.

And if you’re a fan of yogurt or cottage cheese, they likely have about the same amounts of vitamin D.

Fatty fish like salmon has almost half of your daily requirement – if it’s wild caught. Farm raised salmon has less.

Other seafood like herring, tuna, shrimp, and even oysters have vitamin D, too.

So do egg yolks.

Here is an article that covers this in more depth.

How Much Vitamin D?

The Mayo Clinic says that most people do well with about 600 IU a day, but that 1,000 – 2,000 is still safe.

And if you find that trying to get enough vitamin D through diet is too much, you can always take a supplement.

I like the NOW brand, because I’ve used them for years, I know they’re gluten free, and they’re high quality. I also like the fact that the company is family owned.

However you decide to get your vitamin D, make sure you’re getting enough. Once the weather gets nicer and the sun is out more often, you may decide to get your vitamin D the most natural way of all: from the sun.

Just don’t forget the sunscreen!

And by the way, Harvard Health says that most of us don’t use so much sunscreen or use it often enough to make a difference in the amount of vitamin D we get from the sun.

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Lacy Estelle

Lacy Estelle is the writer of Lacyestelle.com and the Podcast host for An ADD Woman.

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