The more researchers learn about the vitamin D, the more it seems to be essential for our well-being. Seeing that most of us can’t get enough of the “sunshine vitamin” most of the year (winter just makes it so darn hard!), many of us are deficient in this key vitamin- especially now that the recommended levels of vitamin D for adults and children have been increased. Because getting the country on a regular vitamin-D supplement regimen isn’t really feasible, researchers have been working on the best way to up our intake. One solution? A new vitamin D-fortified food: bread made with high-vitamin D yeast.
In a study published in ACS Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers did experiments with laboratory rats and found that bread made with vitamin D2-rich yeast had effects that seemed just as beneficial as taking vitamin D3. Previously, vitamin D2 was not thought to be not as biologically active as the form produced by the sun, vitamin D3.
According to the research, seven in 10 people in the United States may not get enough vitamin D, which can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium and therefore negatively effect bone health. Vitamin D insufficiency has also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, cancer and allergy in children. While vitamin D is supplemented in a lot of milk and dairy products, the researchers say this obviously isn’t enough.
Do you take a vitamin D supplement? Make sure to get 15 minutes of sunlight a day? Would you like to get more vitamin D in your bread? Tell us about it in the comments!
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7 Wise Ways to Use Your Daily Bread