I love sitting out on my back deck on a sunny morning soaking in the sun’s rays. There is something primal and deeply relaxing about sunbathing. Of course we all know that too much sun is not healthy, and a sunburn is to be avoided, but getting a little direct sunshine without sunscreen on is critical to absorbing Vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential to the body and people who rarely expose themselves to the sun can become depressed and unhealthy. In the summertime getting sun is easy, but in the winter, when many places are too far from the equator for the sun to provide much Vitamin D, most of us need a boost.
Enter the sunshine vitamin: Vitamin D3! This is what’s sold in vitamin and health food stores, and comes in gel caps or liquid drops. The synthetic version, Vitamin D2, is not the same thing, and won’t provide the same benefit. As more research is done on this miraculous vitamin (technically a hormone), we are realizing just how critical it is to our health and wellbeing.
My son seemed to get colds constantly, and we’d all get some version of the flu almost every year. Since taking Vitamin D3, we have had far fewer colds, haven’t had the flu in five years, and it’s definitely helped boost our mood and stave off the winter doldrums and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a common occurrence here in New England.
Vitamin D is essential for strong teeth and bones, since it facilitates the absorption of minerals like calcium and phosphorous. You may be getting adequate calcium, but without enough Vitamin D, you won’t absorb it well. It plays a role in the function of the heart, lungs and brain, and the deficiency of Vitamin D has been linked to everything from cancer and depression, to autoimmune diseases and asthma. Osteoporosis is much more common in people with lower vitamin D levels, and virtually nonexistent in those with optimal levels. It’s also essential for regulating blood sugar levels in your body. I’ve also read that getting enough vitamin D is the number one thing a person can do to protect themselves from breast cancer. That’s pretty amazing information, considering its an easy one to comply with–get some summer sun every day–and take a Vitamin D3 supplement in the winter months.
The health professionals I’ve spoken to agree that the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of 400IU is far too low. What’s most important is determining the amount you need to get your blood level into the protective or optimal zone, and although 400 IU may prevent rickets, a severe form of Vitamin D deficiency, it won’t do much else.
Many people, especially those living in colder climates, will need to start taking Vitamin D3 in the early fall and continue until late spring. You don’t want your Vitamin D levels to drop, since then it will take longer to get them back up into the optimal zone. There are no absolutes when it comes to optimal levels, but most experts agree it’s best to keep your blood levels somewhere in the 40-50s.
There are plenty of studies showing that optimizing your levels in this way can help protect you from colds, flus and other viruses. While some folks will opt for a yearly flu vaccine, others simply ramp up their Vitamin D levels to boost their immunity. To find out your current blood levels you need to get a standard blood test from your doctor, or order a kit online (see below). The test to ask for is the 25 (OH)D test. Most doctor will automatically order this one since it’s the most accurate.
Although I highly recommend getting a baseline blood test, especially if you’ve never done one, you can also simply start taking Vitamin D3 in the winter months, knowing that virtually everyone needs it. For example, I take 5,000 IU a day fall though spring. I’ve had my blood tested enough times to know that this dose will keep me in the 50 ng/ml zone. You can roughly calculate your dose with this formula:
1000 IU OF Vitamin D3 for every thirty pounds of body weight.
For my son, who weighs about 75lbs, I give him 2000 IU a day in winter. My husband, who is about 175lbs, takes 5000 IU a day. I will stress that if you’ve never gotten a baseline Vitamin D blood level, it’s best to do that first. Ideally, you would do it in the fall, when you can get an idea of where you are and what you need to do to optimize your levels, but anytime is fine.
While some foods contain vitamin D, like meat, cheese and eggs, it’s not enough to counteract winter deficiency. Cod liver oil is the old standby, because of it’s high Vitamin D content, but most foods in general don’t have enough to make a real difference.
A good source for information on Vitamin D3 is the Vitamin D Council (www.vitamindcouncil.org) They list specific health conditions, and feature studies where Vitamin D was used as the remedy. They also sell a kit so you can test your Vitamin D levels at home. You mail in your sample and they send you back the results. I’ve done it, and it’s easy and fast. It costs around $50.
If you had to choose one supplement to take, Vitamin D3 would be it. Unless you live in a very sunny climate, consider taking it!
Remedy Love 