Winter in St. Louis has been gloomy—week after week of gray
sky. On the very occasional day we had sunshine, I made a point of taking a
walk. I am a sun lover and have a habit of getting out in the sun everyday when
the weather cooperates—before 11:00, or after 3:00—I don’t like to use
sunscreen. Skin needs to be bare to turn the sun’s light into Vitamin D.
Dr. Mercola, on his health and wellness website, tells us
vitamin D is one of the simplest solutions to wide-ranging health problems. He
considers vitamin D deficiency to be pandemic in the United States. Many
Americans are not aware that they may be lacking this important nutrient.
Vitamin D is not a regular vitamin; rather it is a steroid
hormone that you get primarily from either sun exposure or supplementation. Marcela
states vitamin D has the ability to influence genetic expression that produces
many of its wide-ranging health benefits. Research studies have shown that
increasing levels of vitamin D3 can prevent many chronic diseases. They believe
the incidence of several types of cancer
could be slashed in half.
Dr. Mercola interviewed Dr. Michael Holick, a leading
vitamin D researcher, who expounds on these and many other health benefits of
vitamin D in his book, The Vitamin D Solution. Holick, an MD and a PhD, tell us
D also fights infections including colds and the flu. It regulates the
expression of genes that influence your immune system to attack and destroy
bacteria and viruses.
Dr. Holick says. "We had shown many years ago that
during the winter time, if you live [north of] Atlanta, Georgia, you basically
cannot make any vitamin D in your skin from about November through March.
Obviously, you need to either take a supplement or use a tanning bed or an
ultraviolet light that will produce vitamin D... I typically recommend, if
you're going to go out into the sun, expose your arms, legs, abdomen and back,
two to three times a week for about half the time it would take to get a mild
sunburn... [W] hen you make vitamin D in your skin, it lasts two to three times
longer in your body.”
Dr. Edward Group, DC, and NP, recommends vitamin D3 because
it is the most bioavailability form of vitamin D. Group warns we are all at risk to be
deficient of this crucial element. Vitamin D is essential for the
regulation of calcium and phosphorus in the body and maintaining proper bone
structure.
The easiest and most reliable way to get vitamin D is
through sun exposure. To produce enough vitamin D, the hands, face, arms, and
legs need to be exposed to sunlight a minimum of two to three times a week for
a quarter of the time it takes to develop mild sunburn. Exposure time varies
with age, skin type, season, and time of day. Group tells us good levels of
vitamin D can be restored by sunlight quickly---6 days of casual sunlight
exposure without sunscreen can make up for 49 days of no sunlight
exposure. Vitamin D is stored in
body fat during periods of sunlight and i.e. then released when sunlight is
gone.
If you live in Canada and the northern half of the US you
are at risk for vitamin D deficiency. D deficiency also occurs in sunny
climates when people are stay indoors more, cover up outside, or consistently
use sunscreens to reduce skin cancer risk. Older people are at risk for vitamin
D deficiency because they are less likely to spend time in the sun, have fewer
“receptors” in their skin to convert sunlight to vitamin D, may not get vitamin
D in their diet, and may have trouble absorbing vitamin D or may have more
trouble converting dietary D to a useful form because of aging kidneys.
Studies show the risk for vitamin D deficiency in people
over 65 years of age is high. Nearly 40% of older people, even in sunny climates
such as South Florida, don’t have enough vitamin D in their systems. Dr. Group
reports vitamin D supplements may be needed by older people, individuals living
in northern latitudes, and “for dark-skinned people who need extra time in the
sun, but don’t get it.”
Vitamin D supplements prevent bone loss in people taking
drugs called corticosteroids and when taken with calcium seems to improve bone
density in people with existing bone loss caused by using corticosteroids.
Older people who do not have enough vitamin D tend to fall more often than
those with adequate levels Also, vitamin D, in combination with calcium may
prevent falls by decreasing body sway and blood pressure especially in women
and those living in hospitals or residential care facilities. Taking a specific
form of vitamin D called cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) along with calcium seems
to help prevent bone loss, Osteoporosis (weak bones), and bone breaks.
Some research shows a high-dose vitamin D supplement plus
calcium may lower risk of developing certain types of cancer. Those taking
vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) have a 49% reduced risk of cavities. Research
shows school aged children taking a vitamin D supplement during winter have a reduced
chance of developing seasonal flu, as well as, asthma attack triggered by a
cold or other respiratory infection. Individuals with lower vitamin D levels
are more likely to be obese while women taking calcium plus vitamin D are more
likely to lose weight and maintain their weight.
Research over the last few years demonstrates a correlation
between Alzheimer’s
disease and vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is
a potent immune system modulator, which modulate the immune response
and strengthen immune defenses. A study showed high dose Vitamin D
supplementation resulted in RA symptom improvements in an
astonishing 89% of patients and 45% of patients obtaining complete remission.
If you choose to use a tanning bed to increase vitamin D
synthesis, Dr. Holick recommends protecting your face, and to only go in for
half the time recommended for tanning. The tanning bed you're using needs to
put out UVB radiation. It is the UVB that interacts with the skin to create
vitamin D.
Many tanning beds on the market that only put out UVA, which
creates a tan. UVA rays are the ones responsible for skin damage and they do
NOT make your skin produce vitamin D. He tells us beds tend to vary between
three to 10 percent UVB and the higher the percentage of UVB the better. There
are also beds that make UVB only. A UVB only bed won't make you tan. However,
for the health benefits a UVB tanning bed is certainly a great option.
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/3-amazing-health-benefits-vitamin-d3/
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-929-VITAMIN%20D.aspx?activeIngredientId=929&activeIngredientName=VITAMIN%20D
No comments:
Post a Comment