Vitamin D provides many benefits-it helps your body absorb calcium, it can help with mood swings, it boosts your immunity, it regulates your blood pressure, and it may even protect you from cancer. With that being said you are probably rushing out to buy a Vitamin D supplement. But before you do, consider that many people take the wrong supplements and they are sometimes unnecessary. Often if you are eating and living right you can get most of your vitamins from your diet. You may still want to consider buying a Vitamin D supplement if you fall into any of these five categories.  

1.      You are vegan or vegetarian. Often people who are on a strictly plant based diet do not get enough Vitamin D. This vitamin is found in high levels in eggs, fish, and milk and therefore depending on your diet restrictions, you may need to look into taking a supplement.

2.      You are over 50. The older we get the harder it is to absorb and convert vitamin D into a form which our bodies can use.

3.      You are overweight. Obese people who have excess fat may need to take a Vitamin D supplement because it is a fat soluble vitamin. The more fat you have the more of this vitamin is simply stored in the fatty tissue without being used properly by the body.

4.      You have limited sun exposure. If you live in a colder climate or cannot go into the sun for health reasons you should take a Vitamin D supplement. Your body produces vitamin D after being exposed to the sun (without sunscreen). If you rarely see the sun the chances are that your body is not producing enough of it.

5.      You are lactose intolerant. If you have a problem with milk products you have to be careful that you consume an alternative food or drink containing vitamin D. Milk contains a large amount of Vitamin D, but so do alternatives such as fortified soy milk.

Lack of vitamin D can cause a number of health conditions. If you fit into any of the above categories you should look into taking a Vitamin D supplement. If you are still unsure as to whether you need it or not, speak with someone at your local health food store or a trained physician.