Vitamin D

Vitamin D is the vitamin of the sun. When our skin is exposed to sunlight, UV rays activate a blood soluble form of the vitamin termed D3. There have been a many important discoveries in the past few years about the health benefits of having optimal levels of this vitamin in our body and it is shocking to think that up to 85% of Americans may be deficient. There are small amounts of vitamin D in a few foods. Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to get the proper amount that your body needs from food.
A powerful article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition identifies vitamin D’s potential for contributions to good health in the adaptive and innate immune systems, the secretion and regulation of insulin by the pancreas, the heart and blood pressure regulation, muscle strength and brain activity. Furthermore, it demonstrates that 36 different organ tissues in our body respond biologically to vitamin D. Similar to the past newsletter about Omega 3 Fatty Acids, optimal vitamin D levels has been shown to reduce the risk of death from ALL CAUSES.
Most of us do not expose our skin to the sun for long enough periods throughout the year to maintain adequate Vitamin D levels. It is a great idea to add this one as a supplement for your daily use. A generous dose for adults would be 5,000 units each day and it may be a good idea to double up in the winter months. Be sure to buy D3 as opposed to D2 because D3 is the type that your body creates with sun exposure. For more information, please visit http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

Your local contact for preventative healthcare,
Kelly Baltuska, DC