Jamieson Vitamins: A Safer Source of Vitamin D

I love having “A-Ha!” moments.

Honestly, they’re just so satisfying, aren’t they? There you are, minding your own business, doing things the way they’ve always been done, and then… out of the blue… your mind is blown.

Recently, I had one such moment during a conversation about Vitamin D. No, really – hear me out!

I’d always been under the impression that I didn’t need to take my Vitamin D supplement during the summer months. I spend more than enough time outdoors, and figured about an hour or so of daily sun exposure would be enough to boost my level to the point where I could forgo taking a daily vitamin.
In fact, I was so confident in my warm weather health regime that I found myself bragging to an acquaintance about how I swapped my supplements for the sun.

“But you wear sunscreen, right?” she asked. “Of course I wear sunscreen!” I replied haughtily. “Well, if you’re wearing sunscreen – to shield you from the sun’s rays – how is your body producing Vitamin D?” 

Err. Ohhhh.

And that’s when I had my “Ah-Ha!” moment: The Vitamin D chewables I normally take during winter months actually needs to be taken year round! Thankfully Jamieson Vitamin D is available in multiple formats – tablets, fast-dissolve, soft gel, chewables, gummies, spray and droplets – making it super easy to add to my morning regime.
An adequate level of Vitamin D is extremely important as it plays a vital role in a healthy immune system, healthy bones and may also reduce the risk of some types of cancer – particularly colorectal and breast cancers. However, many Canadians are not receiving the required amount of Vitamin D suggested by Health Canada. Approximately 40% of Canadians are below the cut-off in winter, and although the number is reduced to about 25% in summer, that still means that 1 in 4 Canadians are walking around with a deficiency right now.

Taking into consideration my previous “A-Ha!” moment – that sunscreen actually blocks the production of essential vitamin D – it’s important to get vitamin D through a daily vitamin D supplement or from your diet where possible.
(And just in case your mind is wandering down a dark path, don’t even think about skipping the sunscreen – practicing safe sun should be your first priority.)

This summer, the Canadian Cancer Society and Jamieson Vitamins are working together to educate Canadians about sun safety, the dangers of UV rays and the benefits of safer sources of vitamin D. To demonstrate their commitment, Jamieson Vitamins will match donations made to Canadian Cancer Society research dollar-for-dollar (up to $100,000).

Donating is easy! Simply purchase the Gift of Discovery at cancer.ca/discovery and your donation dollars will effectively be doubled. Join the fight by funding important cancer research led by Canada’s best and brightest researchers – and make a difference in the lives of Canadians living with cancer.

For more information visit http://www.jamiesonvitamins.com/canadiancancersociety. You can also follow Jamieson Vitamins on Facebook or Twitter.

I’m looking for honesty here, folks – do you skip your Vitamin D supplement during the summer months? Did you realize that sunscreen blocks the production of essential Vitamin D? It’s okay – you’re not alone. But we’ll do better now that we know, right?

This post is sponsored by Jamieson Vitamins. The opinions on this blog, as always, are my own.