More than 80% of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D
The geographic location of the United States on Earth is known as the “Mid-Latitudes” (from 35 to 50 degrees). This position causes us to have little to no access to UV-B rays from some point in autumn to some point in spring. These UV-B rays are required for us to naturally produce vitamin D in our body. During these times, we must rely on our stores of vitamin D that we have accumulated through the summer and/or vitamin D from foods and supplements. Those who are not aware of this information and do not supplement are very likely to be suffering from Vitamin D deficiency. This deficiency is associated with a myriad of health problems anywhere from poor functioning immune system to increased risk for cancers and many other diseases. It is unfortunate that more than 80% 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.
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 manyimportant discoveries in the past few years about the health benefits of having optimal levels of this vitamin in our body. 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.
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How Much Vitamin D Should I Take?
It is a great idea to add this one as a supplement for your daily use. Adults in the United States should take 5,000 units of Vitamin D each day through the summer and increase intake to 10,000 units through the winter months. Children from the ages of 5 to 10 should take 2500 units each day. For those under the age of 5; supplement with 35 units per pound per day.
For those who may have been deficient for an extended time, it is important to have levels tested by a lab using a serum test or a dried blood spot test. It may be necessary to supplement with 4 to 5 times the recommended doses above for a short time to restore adequate levels.
I have recently been tracking my vitamin D intake from the Sun using a smart phone application called “D minder”. With a few clicks, the app can very accurately track your intake and account for many different variables including geographic location, cloud cover, amount of skin exposed, etc. The app can also warn when too much exposure is increasing your risk of burn. The use of this app has helped me to really understand how difficult it is to maintain adequate vitamin D levels from sun exposure alone. It also helps me to be more mindful of the time I spend in sunlight and offers me more opportunities to obtain the vitamin more naturally.
Please enjoy this 4 minute video clip that further discusses the topic:
For more information, please visit http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
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