Winter has come to a close and spring is at hand. During the transitional period, we see a lot of people ill. That extra environmental stress takes its toll on the immune system making it harder to deal with all the pathogens. It doesn’t help that our Vitamin D stores are lower from not getting the necessary sun exposure during the winter months.
Studies over the last 70 years have linked low levels of Vitamin D with a long list of debilitating maladies. New research shows Vitamin D levels have a direct influence on whether you succumb to the flu, a cold, or some other form of infection. Vitamin D is the body’s natural antibiotic and antiviral compound and is one of the safest and most effective tools for your protection.
Vitamin D is not really a vitamin. It has more characteristics of a hormone, and it isn’t even a single substance. There are two forms - D2 and D3. The first comes from plants. The other is found in animal products, particularly eggs and fatty salt water fish. The form you make in your skin, D3, uses cholesterol as its raw material. Unfortunately, the “war on cholesterol” has deprived the population of critical nutrients for optimal health.
Probably what surprises me the most with Vitamin D deficiency is the fact that it stems from something as simple as lack of sunlight exposure. Instead what appears to be happening is even stronger promotion of sunscreen and increased propaganda of the dangers of sunlight. The public has been brainwashed into believing that exposure to the sun, at practically any level, is dangerous. So the solution would be to use another pharmaceutical product? It is interesting to note that a sunscreen of SPF8 reduces Vitamin D production by 95 percent. So get 20 minutes of summer sun exposure at the beach and put 20,000 IU’s into your body!
In addition to sunlight, fats from animals and animal products are one of the primary sources of Vitamin D and several other crucial nutrients. The unfounded fear of cholesterol has made consumption of animal products off limits. As a result, we are seeing an escalation of health problems linked to deficiencies in these nutrients. Make sure your vitamin supplement gives you at least 800 IU of Vitamin D per day as D3 and get out in the sun, but don’t burn.
Practically everything we have done over the last hundred years has systematically reduced our exposure to the sun and Vitamin D intake. To make matters worse, our dietary preferences have changed. Meats, fats, salt water fish and many vegetables have fallen out of favor. Based on the false premises that cholesterol is the cause of heart disease, meat consumption has declined. Margarine has replaced butter. Beans and legumes are foreign to the last couple of generations as are green vegetables unless you count iceburg lettuce smothered in ranch dressing.
When you combine all these factors, a clear picture emerges. Vitamin D levels play a very significant role in our overall health. Don’t deprive yourself of this vital nutrient!
Till next time,
Dale, Associate MTs
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