The 10 Best Benefits of Vitamin D

Summer is here! Time for fun in the sun. Do I still need Vitamin D?

Is vitamin D just an ordinary vitamin? Not really, it is a steroid vitamin that influences nearly every human cell receptor in our body, resulting in a powerful impact on many disease processes. Considering that the human body has over 20,000 genes, and researchers have found over 3,000 genes up-regulated by Vitamin D, abundant health benefits from Vitamin D are being found in numerous diseases.

Where does vitamin D come from?

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and pro-hormone that exists as Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2) and comes from plant sources whereas cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) is found in wild salmon, cod liver oil, sundried shitake mushrooms, sardines, mackerel, tuna and fortified food products. There are many vitamin D supplements on the market, so unless you are taking a PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE OF VITAMIN D, it will not get into the body where it is needed. Vitamin D are not all made equally, be cautious with the brand chosen. Additionally, take your vitamin D supplements with food!

Vitamin D deficiency is in EPIDEMIC PROPORTION around the world and linked to: Cancer, Heart Disease, immune system issues, etc.

THE 10 Best Benefits of Vitamin D

An ideal way to optimize Vitamin D is through safe exposure to the sun, without sunblock and as near to solar noon as possible. One is capable of producing greater than 10,000 IU of vitamin D daily considering factors well known as the angle of the sun’s rays, which is affected by the time of day, season and latitude. In turn, these factors determine the amount of UVB exposure to reach the skin and stimulate Vitamin D production in the body. UVB Rays are the portion of light that stimulate Vitamin D production and are diffused primarily at the early and latter parts of the day, during winter months and at latitudes north of the equator. You should continue sun exposure, exposing a large amount of your skin, until your skin turns the lightest shade of pink. Therefore, about 20-30 minutes of sun without sunscreen should be enough to generate adequate Vitamin D, then cover up with sunscreen, a hat, etc. Need to consider skin type? Those with darker skin pigmentation require longer sun exposure time for vitamin D synthesis. Therefore, the combination of skin type, latitude and season must all be factored into determining the necessary length of sun exposure time for an individual to produce optimal amounts of vitamin D.
What about tanning beds? Due to geographical area, seasonal changes, etc a safe tanning bed in the next best option. Safe tanning beds have electronic ballasts vs magnetic ballasts. Electronic ballasts helps one avoid unnecessary exposure to health-harming EMF fields as well as less dangerous UVA than sunlight. Getting you Vitamin D.
The last choice is Vitamin D, especially when sunlight and tanning beds are not an option. Bioactive vitamin D binds to specific receptors in almost all the tissues in our bodies thereby regulating the function of a variety of tissues. The primary function of vitamin D is to maintain healthy calcium and phosphorus in the blood to support bone mineralization, proper nerve and muscle function as well as cell functions. It acts as a hormone, enhancing the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the small intestine. Therefore, without Vitamin D, only 10-15% dietary Calcium is absorbed.
Vitamin D’s role has more diverse health-related issues such as inflammation (probable at the cause of many diseases), insulin resistance, heart activity and blood pressure, peripheral neuropathies, autism, brain health (higher score on mental function testing), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), PMS, Menopause, depression, skin rejuvenation, dementia-related conditions, bone fracture repair, etc.
In recent years, scientists have discovered some of the profound effects that Vitamin D has on the immune system with evidence it may help with autoimmune conditions, by reducing flare-ups. Vitamin D supplementation has been associated with beneficial effects in a number of conditions including, influenza to cancer/chemotherapy. Some of the immune conditions associated with vitamin D intake include: multiple sclerosis, lupus, (SLE), fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatological issues (i.e. psoriasis), diabetes type 1 and type 2, infectious diseases, amongst others.
Vitamin D helps prevent cancer by blocking cell differentiation and growth, as published from a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. A study done by Dr William Grant, PhD, international scientist and Vitamin D expert, found that about 30 % of cancer deaths, which amounts to 2 million worldwide and 200,000 in the United States—could be prevented each year with higher levels of Vitamin D.
In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 104 women given Vitamin D, it was reported they were 3 times less likely to report cold and flu symptoms. “A low dose (800 IU/day) not only reduced incidence, but also abolished the seasonality of reported colds and flu. A higher dose (2,000 IU/day), given during the last year of their trial, virtually eradicated all reports of cold or flu”.

“Our paper discusses the possibility that physiological doses of vitamin D (5,000 units a day) may prevent colds and flu, and that physicians might find pharmacological doses of vitamin D useful in treating some of the people who die in the world every year from influenza.”

Vitamin D is also making the news in several roles involved with optimal women’s health conditions, including pregnant women. It has been seen that if the pregnant mom is deficient in Vitamin D, so will her baby. The National Institute of Mental Health concluded it is vital for the mom to get enough Vitamin D while pregnant in order for the baby’s brain to develop normally. Not only do children need enough Vitamin D for “normal brain function”, so do adults. In woman with PMS, prostaglandins are associated with inflammation and pain when these levels are increased and linked to menstrual cramping. Since Vitamin D helps to decrease production of prostaglandins and inflammation, PMS symptoms may decrease as well.
Since it regulates over 200 genes that control important pathways in the body, as we age, we lose some of our ability to synthesize and absorb vitamin D. This supplement works as a key factor in maintaining hormonal balance and a multiple of studies have shown a correlation between higher levels of vitamin D and leaner body mass which may aid the success of an overweight individual participating in a weight-loss program.
What type and how much Vitamin D do you need? You ONLY want to supplement with natural D3 (cholecalciferol). DO NOT USE synthetic and highly inferior D2, which is the one most doctors will give you in a prescription unless you ask specifically for D3. The correct test your Doctor needs to order is 25 (OH) D or 25-hydroxyvitamin D which is the best marker that’s associated with overall optimal health.