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Vitamin D, The Amazing Sunshine Vitamin

February 10, 2022 Comments Off

Vitamin D has been a hot topic in the news recently. The research keeps pouring in on just how important vitamin D is for your health. Research studies also show that vitamin D offers a multitude of important benefits including healthy heart function, immune and bone health, but surprisingly, up to 80% of Americans have insufficient levels of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is produced in your body from cholesterol, and it influences your entire body, from cells in your brain to your bones. Science has now realized that vitamin D does more than just aid in the bone formation and the absorption of calcium, it is also involved in regulating your immune system, repairing cells, and more. Along with exercising and eating healthy, make sure your vitamin D level is at its optimal level. This step is so simple, but one that stands to make a huge difference in your health.

Why do most Americans have low levels of Vitamin D? The answer is lack of sun exposure. Vitamin D is considered the sunshine vitamin because it is produced when sunlight touches your skin. Research has shown that if you get very little sun exposure, you use sunscreen when you are exposed to the sun (for a short period of time), are elderly, or have a dark skin complexion, you may need more. Just 15 minutes of sun exposure a day can boost your vitamin D levels in the body and benefit your health.

Are you getting enough Vitamin D? According to experts in nutrition, we may not be getting enough and it is still being debated as to what this amount should be. The conventional RDAs are as follows:

400 IU for infants, children and adolescents

200 IU for adults up to age 50

400 IU for adults aged 51 to 70

600 IU for seniors over 70

These numbers are the bare bones minimum from what is actually needed for optimal health. Many experts now agree you need about 35 IU’s of vitamin D per pound of body weight, which may actually be 3 to 4 times the amount than we are currently getting.

The level of vitamin D supplementation you may need depends on many factors including time of year, where you live, how much sun exposure you get each day, sunscreen use, your age, your skin color, how often you eat fish or vitamin D fortified foods, if you are overweight, and how often you exercise. Modifying your diet is also a good way to get some additional vitamin D. Some fish like Salmon and tuna, as well as cod liver oil are among the best sources of vitamin D.

To play it safe, it is best to supplement your diet with a daily multi-vitamin supplement with plenty of vitamin D3 specifically, as it is the easiest to absorb. Look for one with at least a minimum of 800 IU of vitamin D per serving.…

Is Getting Vitamin D From Sunshine a Thing of the Past?

July 8, 2021 Comments Off

Open just about any newspaper, magazine, or website on Health, and you will see an article on Vitamin D. Often there are several articles, many asking if obtaining Vitamin D from sunshine is all that we need. Research has shown that as much as 80% of the population of the United States has insufficient blood levels of this essential vitamin. Because Vitamin D has always been known as The Sunshine Vitamin, many have assumed that simply seeing the sun most days is adequate for supplying the D which our bodies so desperately need.
When sunshine touches human skin, the ultraviolet B, or UV-B, rays are converted into Vitamin D in an amazing molecular reaction. It has been estimated that one needs to be out in the mid day sun for 10-15 minutes each day in order to get the required daily minimum of D so necessary for healthy bones, to promote healthy heart and immune system functions, and to insure the development of healthy cells. Even though the normal adult body has about 10 trillion cells, it is important that each and every one of them remains as healthy as possible, for each cell is its own mini-factory, performing countless functions to continue its part in maintaining a healthy, functioning body.
What are some of the contributing factors of Modern Life in the decrease of this simple, yet essential, nutrient in our bodies?
1- Much of the modern workforce spends all day inside a building, lit primarily by artificial lights; even if there are skylights, the substance making up those skylights most likely reduces the sun’s beneficial rays to almost zero.
2- The farther away from the equator one lives, the greater the risk of receiving inadequate Vitamin D levels from the sun. For most of us who live in the USA, this distance from the equator is vast.
3- Certain foods contain Vitamin D, and many such as milk, cereals, and orange juice are fortified with D. However, trying to get enough D from dietary sources can be extremely difficult.
4- With the breakdown in the ozone layer in our atmosphere, most people are turning to sunblock creams to protect delicate skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Even the weakest sunscreens, ie. SPF 8, can inhibit the body’s ability to produce Vitamin D by as much as 95%. It’s a troubling dilemma; we need the sun’s rays to produce Vitamin D, yet we need to protect our skin from the harm which those same rays can cause skin cells.
5- As we age, our bodies become less efficient in the conversion of UV-B to Vitamin D, while at the same time, aging bodies need D more than ever.
6- For those with darker skin tones and more pigment, which protects cells from the UV rays of the sun, the body simply cannot convert enough sunlight into Vitamin D.
Research studies are concluding that as we get less Vitamin D from sunshine, it is becoming more important than ever to supplement the diet with tablets containing Vitamin D3. It is one of the most economical nutrients to produce, and therefore economical to purchase and consume on a daily basis. A simple test at the Doctor’s office can help ascertain the amount of D to take, as can a number of charts which one can fill out.…