Health Benefits of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin obtained from sun exposure, food and supplement. It is biologically inert and has to undergo two hydroxylation reactions to become active in the body. 

The active form of vitamin D is called calcitriol and this promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from food in the gut and reabsorption of calcium in the kidneys – this increase flow of calcium in the bloodstream.

Overall Benefits of Vitamin D include:

1. Crucial absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous especially for maintenance of healthy bones
2. It is an immune system regulator and important way to arm the immune systems against common colds – University of Colorado, Denver School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Children Hospital Boston
3. It may reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis – Department of Neurology and director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center at Oregon Health and Science University
4. Key to helping brain work well later in life  - Study of 3000 European Men between ages of 40 and 79
5. Linked to maintaining a healthy body weight – Medical College Georgia
6. Reduces the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms – Harvard Medical School
7. Shown to reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women
8. Vitamin D could be one of our body’s main protections against damage from low level radiation – New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
9. Various studies shown people with adequate levels of D have significantly lower risk of developing cancer. D Deficiency is found prevalent in cancer patients regardless of nutritional status – Cancer Treatment Center of America. Visit Naturalnews.com for more on cancer prevention.

Food Sources

Concentrated food sources of vitamin D include salmon, sardines, cow’s and goat’s milk, shitake mushrooms and eggs.

Sun exposure

On average we require ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least twice a week (mid day) on face, arms, hands or back without sunscreen greater than 3 UV Index for adequate amounts of D3. 


All of us in the tropics have no excuse to standing to stand in the sun a couple of minutes a day! Remember to my surprise, it's midday sun that has more ultra violet B radiation which produces Vitamin D. Remember the body self-regulates so will only take what it needs. The darker your skin the longer you need to stay in the sun,

Test on Vitamin D

There is also a test called 25-hydroxyvitamin D to determine if you have adequate levels of Vitamin D (excess or deficient). I have never heard of anyone taking this test here but I will consult my local physician to get his feedback on this.

Dosage

The Institute of Medicine, a group that uses scientific research to formulate public health policies, currently recommends an Adequate Intake, or AI, rather than a specific daily amount of vitamin D. The AI for vitamin D is 200 International Units for adults under age 50, 400 IU for those 51 to 70, and 600 IU for those age 71 and above

Consumption

Since Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, it is very difficult to absorb.


Vitamin D is best taken with a large fatty meal, as long as you are eating food that contains some sort of animal or vegetable fat. If you are eating a meal that has olive oils or fish oils, that works great as well. 


Taking your Vitamin D liquid with a fatty meal will allow it to absorb quickly into your body. And without a doubt, a liquid form of Vitamin D is what you should be taking. Vitamin D3 liquid is a great option - 5 drops, or about 5,000 international units with a high fat meal should give you 100% absorption.

Fifteen facts you probably never knew about vitamin D and sunlight exposure. 

Compiled by Mike Adams, based on an interview with Dr. Michael Holick, author, The UV Advantage)

Vitamin D prevents osteoporosis, depression, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and even effects diabetes and obesity. Vitamin D is perhaps the single most underrated nutrient in the world of nutrition. That's probably because it's free: your body makes it when sunlight touches your skin. Drug companies can't sell you sunlight, so there's no promotion of its health benefits. Truth is, most people don't know the real story on vitamin D and health. So here's an overview taken from an interview between Mike Adams and Dr. Michael Holick.

1. Vitamin D is produced by your skin in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight.
2. The healing rays of natural sunlight (that generate vitamin D in your skin) cannot penetrate glass. So you don't generate vitamin D when sitting in your car or home.
3. It is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your diet. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way to generate vitamin D in your own body.
4. A person would have to drink ten tall glasses of vitamin D fortified milk each day just to get minimum levels of vitamin D into their diet.
5. The further you live from the equator, the longer exposure you need to the sun in order to generate vitamin D. Canada, the UK and most U.S. states are far from the equator.
6. People with dark skin pigmentation may need 20 - 30 times as much exposure to sunlight as fair-skinned people to generate the same amount of vitamin D. That's why prostate cancer is epidemic among black men -- it's a simple, but widespread, sunlight deficiency.
7. Sufficient levels of vitamin D are crucial for calcium absorption in your intestines. Without sufficient vitamin D, your body cannot absorb calcium, rendering calcium supplements useless.
8. Chronic vitamin D deficiency cannot be reversed overnight: it takes months of vitamin D supplementation and sunlight exposure to rebuild the body's bones and nervous system.
9. Even weak sunscreens (SPF=8) block your body's ability to generate vitamin D by 95%. This is how sunscreen products actually cause disease -- by creating a critical vitamin deficiency in the body.
10. It is impossible to generate too much vitamin D in your body from sunlight exposure: your body will self-regulate and only generate what it needs.
11. If it hurts to press firmly on your sternum, you may be suffering from chronic vitamin D deficiency right now.
12. Vitamin D is "activated" in your body by your kidneys and liver before it can be used.
13. Having kidney disease or liver damage can greatly impair your body's ability to activate circulating vitamin D.
14. The sunscreen industry doesn't want you to know that your body actually needs sunlight exposure because that realization would mean lower sales of sunscreen products.
15. Even though vitamin D is one of the most powerful healing chemicals in your body, your body makes it absolutely free. No prescription required.

Personal Note

After my diagnosis my breast surgeon put me on Calcium(600mg) with Vitamin D (200 IU) supplements. I take it 3 times a week but I also ensure I get adequate sun exposure and diet rich in calcium and vitamin D.