What Is The Sunshine Vitamin?

VITAMIN D!  Traditionally called the sunshine vitamin because your skin can make it, vitamin D is actually much more complicated and extremely important to your health.  New research is showing that vitamin D is actually a hormone involved in bone formation, kidney function, digestive function, and the immune system.  As reported by Gregory Plotnikoff, MD, MTS, FACP, Senior Consultant at Allina's Integrative Medicine Clinic, "Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk for nearly all major human diseases such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in addition to diseases of reproduction and birth."

Studies have shown:

• better insulin function and less resistance with adequate vitamin D, therefore improved blood sugars
• low vitamin D levels are associated with higher risk of heart attack and high blood pressure
• less pregnancy complications with adequate vitamin D levels
• decreased chronic pain with adequate vitamin D levels
• low levels of vitamin D are associated with a recent upper respiratory tract infection, especially prevalent in those with asthma or COPD 
• higher rates of death due to any cause in people with vitamin D deficiency

The process to make vitamin D starts when your skin is exposed to UVB rays (this is midday sun mostly), then to the liver for a conversion, then to the kidneys for another conversion, then finally the active form of vitamin D is in your blood stream.  This occurs if you get midday sun with no sunscreen on in the summer months of May-September.  Minnesota winter sun will not be strong enought to make any vitamin D!

Also, consider that vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which means you need to have a source of fat with your food or supplement in order to absorb it.  How much nutrition then are you getting from your nonfat yogurt and nonfat milk?  If you have no fat, you won't absorb vitamin D, then you won't absorb your calcium!  Be sure your fat source is a natural fat, preferrably an animal based fat such as organic milk, cheese, butter, eggs and nothing processed (low-fat or hydrogenated).  In small portions, this is OKAY!  If you are uncomfortable with this, keep checking in because I will have more on this topic later. :)

So it is very hard to keep your body's level of vitamin D in a healthy range with today's lifestyles, limited sun, slathered on sunscreen, and typical low-fat diet!  You can feel very safe taking 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D daily, then double your dose in the winter months November through March.  Ideally, you'll want to get your vitamin D level checked through a blood test, the healthy range is 50-70, at some point in the summer and the winter months.  Personally, I take 4000-5000 IU daily because I don't get much sun at all.

This is a lot of info to take in, but if you get anything out of it, know that taking vitamin D supplements are necessary and so important for your health and longevity and disease prevention.