The Importance of Vitamin D

In my sunscreen post, I talked about sunscreens causing a deficiency in Vitamin D that can lead to diseases.  So I wanted to talk about how important vitamin D is to us. 

If you haven't heard already, Vitamin D is actually a hormone because it has binding proteins that carries it to target organ which in turn respond to it.  But it is called a vitamin nonetheless.  It is called the "sunshine vitamin" because that is our best source.  There are food sources but they don't compare to the sun.  Food sources include:  salmon, sardines, mackerel, shrimp, cod, eggs and fortified foods.  I wouldn't go with the fortified foods because they are usually highly processed. 

We need to get unprotected sun for about 10-15 minutes per day between 10:00 and 2:00 pm during the months mid-March through mid -September (in NJ) to get the benefits. The average amount produced during this time is 15,000 - 20,000 IU's and because it is a natural source when you have had enough sun, the body starts to break down the precursor of vitamin D so you are no longer producing activated vitamin D.   This benefit of does not happen when supplementing or using fortified foods. Isn't the body amazing?

A simple blood test from your doctor will tell you if you need to supplement.  Conventional recommendations are to have levels between 35-50 ng/ml, but functional medicine says it should be higher - between 50 - 80 ng/ml.  The average blood levels when tested are usually below 35 ng/ml. 

So, to get back on topic, we are using sunscreen ALL the time and creating an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency.  This is not good because Vitamin D affects every cell of our body!

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms

• Musculoskeletal pain
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Nerve pain or neuropathy
• Bone Pain
• Fatigue

What does Vitamin D do? 

• It works with other nutrients in the body to support healthy bone growth by directing calcium and phosphorus to the bone.  This is important for our children and vitamin D is so rarely tested in them. 
• It promotes normal cell growth and differentiation throughout the body
• It maintains hormonal balance
• It helps maintain a healthy immune system. In fact, you are less likely to get the flu if you have optimal levels of vitamin D! 
• It inhibits systemic inflammation which is at the root of most disease processes.
• Adequate vitamin D levels can reduce body fat in overweight people.

Have you had your Vitamin D levels tested lately? 





Sources: 
The Vitamin D Solution, Michael F. Holick Ph.D,
www.Mercola.com
www.naturalnews.com