Get Your Vitamin D!
19 Oct
Well, we’re approaching the time of year in the Pacific Northwest when the sun makes its annual retreat behind a grey veil.
This absence of sunlight may cause you to consider replacing and replenishing your vitamin D stores.
Below is a brief primer on the subject that hopefully covers many of the bases with regards to this essential vitamin.
Please note: This is not medical advice. Always consult your personal physician before taking any drug or dietary supplement.
What is vitamin D?
Surprise, it’s not really a vitamin — it’s a prohormone or hormone precursor. Like cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone, it’s derived from cholesterol molecules.
How do I get it?
Humans make vitamin D in the bottom two layers of the skin in a photochemical reaction driven by a narrow band of UV light. This means the most significant source is sunlight.
How do I become deficient?
Generally, most people start healthy. Those of us in climates and latitudes with longer winters and extended cloud cover (and 9-6 office jobs!) can take a few months of darkness to become vitamin D deficient. It’s difficult to stay topped up in the midst of an Oregon winter and spring (and summer?), especially if you spend seven days a week playing World of Warcraft in a man-cave.
What’s the vitamin D sold in stores?
When you take vitamin D orally, you usually take vitamin D3 as cholecalciferol. It’s absorbed in the gut, carried into the blood, and then makes its way to the liver.
Why should I be interested in vitamin D?
First of all, it strengthens your immune system. It also decreases risk of serious and common autoimmune disorders like Type I diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.
Vitamin D replacement improves insulin sensitivity, the ability to secrete insulin, as well as hypertension.
Currently, while vitamin D deficiency does increase the likelihood of diseases of civilization, it’s not seen as a primary cause.
What about the big “c”?
A ton of studies show that exposure to UV light and in some cases vitamin D intake are inversely related to the risk of common cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, esophagus and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Okay, I’m sold. Where can I get some vitamin D?
You can get more than 80 percent from sunlight. It’s the only natural source of any significance.
General guidelines suggest that getting whole-body sunlight between 10 and noon for 20 minutes is equivalent to oral dosing with 10,000 IU.
How much do I need?
The current Recommended Daily Allowance is 400 IU a day, which is the bare minimum required to avoid rickets.
If you can get sun at midday — say on lunch-break, with a quarter of your skin uncovered (leave on your pants) for a half hour, and your latitude and the season allow enough UV, you should be fine.
What if there’s no sun? What kind of vitamin D should I buy?
Vitamin D3 only. Almost any brand is good. We have very high quality Poliquin D3 for sale at the gym.
How much should I take?
It’s best to get plasma 25(OH)D status tested, but if you’re out in the sun a lot, then 5,000 IU daily should maintain.
If you’re low, you’ll need to take much more. Test to know for sure, every 3-6 months.
What if I still eat wheat?
Be aware that wheat will cause you to use up your stores of vitamin D much faster, and also will stop vitamin D from getting into the cells where it can be used.
Any other benefits?
For sure! I’ll leave you with just two: some research shows that having optimal vitamin D levels may reduce your likelihood of getting sunburnt. I have noticed this personally, even just last week. I was out in the sun all day, no sunscreen, in San Diego. No sunburn. Since bringing my D levels up, I never seem to burn.
Also, vitamin D will help you with your gains in the gym. It has been shown as long ago as the 1950s that exposure to UV radiation increases strength. It was also noted that trainability and performance peaked in late summer and was lowest in mid-winter. From a 2009 research article by Cannell, et al:
Methods: We reviewed the world’s literature for evidence that vitamin D affects physical and athletic performance. Results: Numerous studies, particularly in the German literature in the 1950s, show vitamin D-producing ultraviolet light improves athletic performance. Furthermore, a consistent literature indicates physical and athletic performance is seasonal; it peaks when 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels peak, declines as they decline, and reaches its nadir when 25(OH)D levels are at their lowest. Vitamin D also increases the size and number of Type II (fast twitch) muscle fibers. Most cross-sectional studies show that 25(OH)D levels are directly associated with musculoskeletal performance in older individuals. Most randomized controlled trials, again mostly in older individuals, show that vitamin D improves physical performance. Conclusions: Vitamin D may improve athletic performance in vitamin D-deficient athletes. Peak athletic performance may occur when 25(OH)D levels approach those obtained by natural, full-body, summer sun exposure, which is at least 50 ng[middle dot]mL-1. Such 25(OH)D levels may also protect the athlete from several acute and chronic medical conditions.
#####
Speaking of vitamins, here is a delicious liver recipe courtesy of Carolina. Liver = nature’s multi vitamin! (more on that coming soon)
Liver, the Spicy Way
—–
- 1lb of liver (get from farmer’s market or favorite butcher)
- mushrooms (I used chanterelle’s)
- green pepper, 1/2
- onion (1 whole)
- brussel sprouts (1/4 lb or so)
- tomatoes (1 large slicing)
- carrots (1 1/2)
spices/other:
- garam masala, 1 teaspoon
- cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon
- salt (optional)
- garlic, 3 cloves minced
- ginger, 1 teaspoon
- butter or bacon fat (enough to coat a large pan)
– melt butter/bacon fat with onion, ginger, & garlic, cook until onion is browning a tad
– throw in liver, mushrooms, carrots, green peppers, and brussel sprouts along with garam masala & cayenne better.
– add tomatoes towards end to add some juice
– Cook until liver is ready. Make sure pan is hot.
** cut up veggies whichever way you want, I did mine lengthwise
Important thing to remember about VitD and sunlight exposure – if you’re in Portland, or anywhere north of the 45th parallel for that matter, you’re looking at late May through early September, at best, to get intense enough sunlight to stimulate vitamin D production.
And remember that cholesterol bit. Vitamin D is fat soluble. Yet another reason to make sure you are actually getting enough good fats in your diet.
Saw this and maybe some of you are looking for a heart rate monitor?
Here’s a Groupon for one!
http://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-heart-rate-watches-mio-global
So much knowledge!! Thanks again!!
So if we’re in Portland (duh), and aren’t totally convinced that we need another supplement, would a tanning bed be an OK substitute for the actual sun?
I used to think tanning beds were great (in high school) and then the devil (ever since then), but I read Nora Gedgaudas’ book Primal Mind, Primal Body, and she clearly stated that UV exposure is good and sunscreen is baaaaad. So I’m kinda confused. Scott? Madoc?
Thanks for asking the same question I was thinking Brittany.
Sunscreen= BAD!
Full spectrum tanning might be a better way that vit D supplements. There is more than just vit D synthesis that happens with sun exposure. Most tanning beds emit mostly the vitamin d destroying rays (UVA) and not the beneficial ones (UVB). So, be sure to find a full spectrum tanning bed with a decent amount of UVB/UVA.
This is interesting, but I haven’t checked into it further: http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page_id=982
Also interesting info: http://blog.vitamindcouncil.org/2011/09/12/dr-cannells-vitamin-d-regimen/
Agreed with the none medical advice – sunscreen is not necessarily a good idea in general.
Tanning beds – less than a good idea.
Vitamin D supplementation doesn’t take much to accomplish, and decent D3 supplements aren’t hard to find or particularly pricey. An alternate, liquid source is Cod liver oil. Vegan sources come from UV exposed fungi – shiitakes that have been sun dried have an enormous amount of available vitamin D, but then finding actual sundried shiitakes can be a little difficult.
Another thing to bear in mind is how far down the processing chain your D3 supplement is – most of the D3 supplements out there are processed from fish, lanolin, and chemical conversion (I just looked up the process by which D3 is derived from lanolin, and let’s just say it’s “better living through chemistry”).
Another thing to bear in mind is that worrying about “x” nutrient is great, but don’t fall into the whole “not seeing the forest for the trees”. What I mean by this is that your first source of any nutrient should be your food (and in this case your exposure to UV radiation as well). You can get the RDA for Vitamin D through the above recipe – both the liver and mushrooms are a good source. Heck, a 3 oz. portion of wild salmon contains 2/3rds or more of the RDA for most adults. Most deep water, oily fish tends to have high levels of vitamin D in a form that your body is ready to use.