Deane Alban, Contributor
Waking Times

During the summer you probably forget all about the colds, sore throats, and viruses that strike you and your family every winter. Why do people get sick more in the winter? It used to be thought it was from getting cold, lack of fresh air, or from being in closed buildings.

Many experts now believe people get sick in the winter from having low levels of vitamin D.  That makes sense since it’s estimated that 80-90% of adults in North America have inadequate levels of vitamin D.

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, spring is right around the corner. Soon you can get outside and replenish your much-needed stores of vitamin D. But only if you do it right.

Vitamin D — What’s It Good For?

Vitamin D is technically not a vitamin; it’s a pre-hormone that’s created when your skin is exposed to sunlight. It’s the only human nutrient that’s created from sunlight.

Vitamin D is close to being nature’s cure-all. It’s a fantastic immune system booster. It’s been found to be protective against cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s.

Studies have shown it can lift your mood, banish depression, improve memory, and increase problem-solving ability. Inadequate levels may contribute to the depression many people feel in the winter.

Over 2,000 genes have vitamin D receptors. Lack of vitamin D can lead to cancer because without it, cells don’t get the message to stop reproducing.

Surprising Reasons You’re Probably Deficient

Getting 20 minutes of sun exposure on large surface areas of your body, such as on your back or legs, twice a week is said to do the trick. But this must be without sunscreen, in the right latitude, and with the right UV radiation levels.

Here are four things that can interfere with vitamin D formation.

1. Sunscreen

Even if you are outside a lot when the sun is shining, wearing sunscreen prevents vitamin D formation. I live in southern Arizona where the sun shines intensely, and I spend time outside every day. However, since I wear sunscreen I found that I was still vitamin D deficient! I now take a vitamin D supplement every day and only wear sunscreen some of the time.

2. Latitude

If you live in the US draw a line from Los Angeles to Atlanta. If you live north of this line, the sun’s rays are too weak to trigger vitamin D production except during the summer.

Time for some fun science! Here’s a way to tell if the sun’s rays are strong enough to stimulate vitamin D formation. Go outside, stand in the sun, and look at your shadow. The more direct the sun’s rays are, the shorter your shadow will be. A good rule of thumb is that if your shadow is your height or longer, the sun’s rays strike at too great an angle to promote vitamin D formation.

3. Skin Color

Our different skin tones evolved depending on how much sunshine our ancestors were exposed to. Light-skinned people from very northern areas evolved to utilize sunshine more efficiently. If you have dark skin, you need even more sun exposure to get adequate exposure levels, up to one hour a day.

4. UV Index

Just because the sun is shining and you’re in it, doesn’t mean you’re producing vitamin D! UV index is affected by season, time of day, cloud cover, air pollution, altitude, and even your surrounding surface. Whether you’re outside in the snow, at the beach, or picnicking on a lawn can affect how much UV radiation is reflected back at you by up to 40 fold.

It is only when the UV index is greater than 3 that the needed UVB wavelengths are present in sufficient amounts. Check a site like Weather.com to find your current local UV index before you take a vitamin D “sun bath”.

The Next Step — Know Your Levels, Supplement Accordingly

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms — muscle pain, weak bones, low energy, lowered immunity, depression, mood swings, and sleep problems — can be mistaken for many other health problems.

The only way to know for sure if you need vitamin D supplementation is to have a blood test to check your 25-hydroxy level. You can see your doctor to order the test or you can purchase a vitamin D test online.

If your level is found to be low and you can’t get enough sun exposure, you need to supplement.

There are five forms of vitamin D – D1 through D5. Most experts agree the most effective form is D3.

Some foods, like milk, are fortified with the D2 form which isn’t very well utilized. So don’t count on fortified food sources to meet your requirements.

The D3 version is found in fatty fish, but you’d have to eat 5 sardines a day to get enough.

Cod liver oil may have been all our grandmothers had to offer, but now there are more advanced and pleasant ways to supplement with vitamin D tablets, capsules, or drops.

When you choose a vitamin D supplement be sure to buy from a company you can trust. Last year a study on 55 brands of vitamin D supplements found they contained between 9% – 146% of what was listed on the label!

For most of the country, sunbathing days are still months away. Keep up your vitamin D levels with supplements until sunnier days arrive. Then keep these tips in mind to get the most benefit from the sun exposure you receive.

SOURCES:

What is vitamin D? What are the benefits of vitamin D? http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161618.php

Vitamin D and the Brain: More Good News http://www.dana.org/Cerebrum/Default.aspx?id=39412

The case against ergocalciferol (vitamin D₂) as a vitamin supplement 1’2 http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/84/4/694.full

Vitamin D supplement labels may be inaccurate http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/13/us-vitamind-supplement-idUSBRE91C1KH20130213

Sunscreen ingredient may increase skin cancer risk http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120507131951.htm

Vitamin D deficiency soars in the U.S., study says http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vitamin-d-deficiency-united-states/

About the Author

Deane Alban holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and has taught and written about natural health for over 20 years. She is the co-founder of BeBrainFit.com and the author of Brain Gold: Brain Fitness Guide for Boomers. She has discovered that most of us are inadvertently harming our brains… even when following a “healthy” lifestyle. If you’re concerned about staying mentally sharp for life, learn more here.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of WakingTimes or its staff.

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