Vitamin D is the daylight vitamin
- col-bobbie-randall
- February 16, 2023
- 670
In a few short weeks, the spring equinox will occur. The number of daylight minutes will be greater than the nighttime minutes. That means there is more sunshine available. More sunshine means a greater opportunity for the skin to soak up solar rays to make and store vitamin D.
This vitamin is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means the body stores vitamin D for approximately three months. No matter how much body fat a person has, the amount of vitamin D that is stored is in proportion to the amount of sun’s rays that are absorbed or consumed.
Because the vitamin D season has not begun yet, there is a good chance most people are lacking in this important vitamin. Taking a daily oral supplement of 1,000 IU to 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 is recommended when adequate sunshine is not available. More than 10,000 IU daily is not advised.
An IU stands for international unit. It’s a unit of measurement just as a gram, microgram, ounce or pound. Vitamins A, D and E are measured in IUs. Each vitamin has a different requirement of IUs.
To receive adequate vitamin D, either take an oral supplement or expose your skin for 20 minutes a day or both. Vitamin D3 supplements are good substitutes, but vitamin D made by the sun lasts twice as long in the body as vitamin D3 taken by mouth.
Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Salmon, tuna, mackerel and fish liver oils are among the best sources. Small amounts of vitamin D are found in beef liver, cheese and egg yolks. Some mushrooms provide vitamin D in variable amounts.
Fortified foods, like milk and some cereals, provide most of the vitamin D in the American diet. All pasteurized milks sold to the public are fortified, not just the red-cap whole milk. Raw milk is a very low a source of vitamin D.
Vitamin D is one of the most useful nutritional tools we have at our disposal for improving overall health. Scientists have proven vitamin D is required for healthy bones. A vitamin D deficiency is linked to many other health conditions such as depression, back pain, pneumonia, cancer, type 2 insulin-resistance diabetes and pre-eclampsia during pregnancy.
Macular degeneration is affected by a vitamin D deficiency. Studies are linking some heart diseases to a lack of adequate vitamin D. Getting plenty of vitamin D can boost immunities and keep colds and viruses at a minimum.
Dr. Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, a dermatologist, is the crusader in vitamin D research. In his book, “The Vitamin D Solution,” he reports three out of four Americans are deficient in vitamin D.
Twenty years ago only 50% of the population was lacking in vitamin D. That is a big change. Dr. Holick said Americans are not getting out in the sun as much as they used to, and without sunshine the skin is not able to make a healthy supply of vitamin D.
Bobbie Randall is a certified diabetes care and education specialist and a registered, licensed dietitian. Email her at bobbierandallrd@gmail.com.