Let the Sunshine In!

Why take Vitamin D-what type should I take-and is it safe?

Optimizing your vitamin D levels may be one of the most important steps you can take in support of your long-term health. There's overwhelming evidence that vitamin D is a key player in your overall health. This is understandable when you consider that it is not "just" a vitamin; it's actually a steroidal hormone that influences nearly 3,000 different genes in your body. Receptors that respond to the vitamin have been found in almost every type of human cell, from your brain to your bones.

Just one example of an important gene that vitamin D up-regulates is your ability to fight infections, as well as chronic inflammation. It produces over 200 antimicrobial peptides, the most important of which is cathelicidin, a naturally occurring broad-spectrum antibiotic. This is one of the explanations for why it can be so effective against preventing colds and flu.

What type of Vitamin D should you take?

Drisdol (trade name for D2 Ergocalciferol) is the synthetic form of vitamin D2; the form of vitamin D typically prescribed by physicians.  If you received a prescription for Vitamin D and you are getting it at your local pharmacy it is most likely D2.  Unfortunately, D2 is not the type produced by your body in response to sun or safe tanning bed exposure.

Supplemental vitamin D comes in two forms:

1.   Ergocalciferol (vitamin D2)

2.   Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3)

They have long been regarded as equivalent and interchangeable, however, Vitamin D3 is preferred if you need to take an oral supplement.  D3 is the same type of D vitamin created in your body when you expose your skin to sunlight.  According to recent research, D3 is approximately 87% more potent when it comes to raising and maintaining vitamin D blood levels and produces 2- to 3-fold greater storage of vitamin D than does D2. Regardless of which form you use, your body must convert it into a more active form, and vitamin D3 is converted 500 percent faster than vitamin D2. Vitamin D2 also has a shorter shelf life, and its metabolites bind poorly with proteins, further hampering its effectiveness.

What's Better than a Vitamin D3 Supplement?

It is important to realize that the ideal way to optimize your vitamin D levels is through appropriate sun or safe tanning bed exposure. There are a number of reasons for this:

·        When you expose your skin to the sun, your skin also synthesizes high amounts of cholesterol sulfate, which is very important for heart- and cardiovascular health. In fact, according to research by Dr. Stephanie Seneff, high LDL and subsequent heart disease may in fact be a symptom of cholesterol sulfate deficiency. Sulfur deficiency also promotes obesity and related health problems like diabetes

·        You cannot overdose when getting your vitamin D from sun exposure, as your body has the ability to self-regulate and only make what it needs

Guidelines for Naturally Optimizing Your Vitamin D Levels

To optimize your levels, you need to expose large portions of your skin to the sun, and you need to do it for more than a few minutes. And, contrary to popular belief, the best time to be in the sun for vitamin D production is actually as near to solar noon as possible. During this time you need the shortest exposure time to produce vitamin D because UVB rays are most intense at this time. Plus, when the sun goes down toward the horizon, the UVB is filtered out much more than the dangerous UVA.

Be cautious about the length of your exposure. You only need enough exposure to have your skin turn the lightest shade of pink. Once you reach this point your body will not make any additional vitamin D due to its self-regulating mechanism. Any additional exposure will only cause harm and damage to your skin.

The truth is vitamin D from sun exposure or a safe tanning bed is the BEST way to optimize your vitamin D levels. Safe tanning beds have electronic ballasts rather than magnetic ballasts, which help you, avoid unnecessary exposure to health-harming EMF (electro-magnetic fields). They also have less of the dangerous UVA than sunlight, while unsafe ones have more UVA than sunlight.

How much should I take?

If appropriate tanning is not feasible, then you'll be wise to consider an oral vitamin D3 supplement. According to the most recent findings by Carole Baggerly, founder of GrassrootsHealth, her research of nearly 10,000 people shows the ideal adult dose appears to be 8,000 IU's a day to get most into the healthy range. Just remember to get your vitamin D blood levels tested regularly if you take an oral supplement.  I feel that 2000 IU daily is safe without testing.

Your Serum Level is what Really Matters

While 8,000 IU's of vitamin D3 per day is a general recommendation that appears to be beneficial for most people, vitamin D experts from around the world are in agreement that the most important factor is your vitamin D serum or blood level. There's no specific dosage level at which "magic" happens.  I recommend an optimal blood level of approximately 50-75 ng/ml.