Doctors Are Urging People To Take This Vitamin Now

If the past 11 months have taught you anything, it should be this: Maintaining a strong immune system is imperative. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, countless doctors have discussed the many natural ways in which you can strengthen your immunity, highlighting one all-star nutrient in particular: vitamin D.

Whether through food or supplements, vitamin D is a crucial nutrient important to have in your diet and has been known to offer many health benefits. "One of the major roles vitamin D plays is helping to maximize the absorption and utilization of calcium, which is an important mineral for our skeletal system and teeth," Nicole Avena, Ph.D. and assistant professor of neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York told Eat This, Not That!. "It's also important for muscle, heart, and lung functioning."

Vitamin D can help fight off infection, strengthen bones, improve wound healing, boost mental health, and may even promote a healthy pregnancy, according to research. The nutrient is so vital that, if you're deficient, your body will warn you via some tell-tale signs.

That's why, during the COVID-19 pandemic, flu season, and cold, winter months, most doctors have been urging their patients to get adequate amounts of vitamin D in order to stay healthy.

"There is good evidence that if you have a low vitamin D level, that you have more of a propensity to get infected when there are infections around," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an Instagram Live interview last year with actress Jennifer Garner.

"If you're deficient in vitamin D, that does have an impact on your susceptibility to infection," Dr. Fauci said. "I would not mind recommending—and I do it myself—taking vitamin D supplements."

There are many foods that are rich in vitamin D that you should consider incorporating into your diet, such as cow's milk, eggs, mushrooms, and salmon. If you want to start taking vitamin D in supplement form (we like Well Told Health's for its organic and simple ingredients), be sure to check with your doctor first to make sure it's safe for you.

For more healthy tips, check out the one food that experts say can significantly increase your vitamin D intake.