The Vitamin D Report
Dear reader:
- Do your bones (not the joints, the bones themselves) ache?
- Have you broken or fractured a bone from a normally-non-bone-harming impact?
- Are your wounds healing slower than normal?
- Have you been suffering from frequent viral infections?
- Have you been feeling chronically fatigued or in a depressed mood?
- Do your muscles ache?
This is not a diagnosis, but “Yes,” to any of those questions could indicate a Vitamin D deficiency.
What is Vitamin D?
Despite being named “Vitamin” D, Vitamin D is a hormone. Classification aside, it is a crucial element of optimal health; its receptors are on the nucleus of almost every cell in the body, and it plays a huge role in estrogen synthesis. Vitamin D keeps our teeth healthy, our bones strong, and our brains functioning well.
Vitamin D is a boon to our bones because it allows us to absorb more calcium and phosphorus. Deficiency of Vitamin D means your body absorbs less of both. This leads to bone troubles like Rickets, a condition of soft, deformed bones in children, and softer bones in adults. If bones keep weakening, they develop deep, aching pains and your risk for uncommon fractures increases.
According to the National Institute for Health, around 600 IU per day is recommended daily intake for most healthy bodies. Many supplements contain 1,000 units per capsule. Vitamin D is fat soluble, meaning it is stored in your fat cells, and excess amounts won’t be released in urine as with water soluble vitamins.
Can You Have Too Much D?
Before you dash off to book a ‘D’ booster, consult with us or your’ PCP, because Vitamin D is not necessarily something you want to much of without a second thought. Exceeding your needed intake could lead to your body storing an excess of Vitamin D, which can result in hypercalcemia.
Despite being named “Vitamin” D, it is actually If the Vitamin D isn’t all absorbed, Plaque could build in your arteries. Taking K2 with Vitamin D will significantly reduce chances of this happening.
With a quick blood test, our staff can determine your levels accurately, and from there, we can craft plans for proactive health.
In some cases, Vitamin D deficiency could be a result of a Vitamin D binding issue. Our genetic testing capabilities can help us determine if this is the case.
Where can I get Vitamin D?
You can, of course, get a quick Vitamin D Booster shot at Optimal Movement. However, spending more time in the sun works too! Humans literally soak up Vitamin D from the rays of UVB light emitted by the star we orbit. The Vitamin D we get from space stays in our fat cells for months, until it’s needed. Then, the kidneys and liver convert it into its active form, calcitriol. That’s why there is always such urgency around the “get some sun” rhetoric in summertime in Minnesota.
Getting Vitamin D via sunlight is as simple as wearing a tank top in the sun a few times per week. The time required differs depending on skin tone. People with darker skin require more time in the sun, while people with lighter skin can usually soak up all the Vitamin D they’ll need in under half an hour. You must be outside, though; sunlight through glass, while capable of burning skin, does not deliver Vitamin D.
The sweet spot on the UV index is 3; Rochester’s UV index hovers right around there, for the most part.
Because this is a sun-related vitamin, many Minnesotans struggle to get enough. Sunshine is hard to get here in the winter. That’s not just an opinion, either – Minnesota’s climate has caused Vitamin D trouble in the past.
The following is an excerpt from:
Research conducted on the prevalence of low vitamin D levels in a midwestern obstetrics practice.
“The data demonstrate the high rate of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in this white and nonwhite urban population in which samples were collected in both winter and nonwinter months. The percentage of woman who had 25(OH)D levels below 30 ng/mL was significantly higher than that reported in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III) (92.5% compared to 69%).”
What Foods Provide Vitamin D?
So, absent sunshine, how do you get Vitamin D? The following foods are the best places to start:
- oily fish, salmon/tuna (526 IU/100 grams)
- beef liver (49IU/100 grams)
- egg yolk (41 IU/100 grams) (from chickens who were running and eating right/play outside)
Those items pale in comparison to cod liver oil, which is the most concentrated dose you can get, at 1360 IU per tablespoon.
One false friend to watch out for: dairy. It’s often cited as a good way to get Vitamin D, but dairy contains Vitamin D2, which is far less helpful than Vitamin D3.
For picky eaters who are also averse to a quick and painless booster shot of D3 we have an answer. Two quick little drops of this D3/K2 supplement will do the trick!
While studies continue regarding Vitamin D’s effectiveness against cancer, heart and immune diseases, its established benefits should be enough to get you looking into your own levels. Book a consultation today to see what we can do.
Contact:
email: Philip@optimal-movement.com
Phone: 507-261-5439
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