The "Sunshine Vitamin"

In order to make up for deficiencies in our diet, I really do believe in integrating vitamins / minerals / herbs on a daily basis. As they say, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." I look at it as you either pay for it now or later in your life.

While aging is unavoidable, there is no reason why advancing years must be identified with pain, disability, or mental decline.

Back in my late 30's I took a very proactive approach in fortifying my diet with good quality supplements. To this day, I attribute those efforts in being able to get pregnant without outside intervention. However, it was an eye opener once I ceased to take my supplements. Problems started surfacing which I first attributed to getting older. As a "mature" mother, I've become quite an ardent advocate in a take-charge approach to learning about better nutrition and supplementing to fill in the gaps.

It has been well documented that the vitamins and minerals most people lack are minerals. I found it fascinating that every illness and/or health issues can all be traced back to a lack of a specific mineral or trace mineral in our diet. Most people actually lack magnesium, selenium, chromium and iodine. For women these are essential minerals needed for the endocrine glands. In the vitamin department, both men and women are very deficient in vitamin D, namely vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).

Vitamin D is actually a hormone that is critical for immune support, preventing depression, certain cancers like breast, ovarian, prostate, colon cancer and even preventing Alzheimer's, psoriasis, certain autoimmune diseases......and you're hearing!!

Even if you live in a sunny climate, people's misplaced sun-phobia has most of us slathering on sunscreen, blocking out the healthful rays and adding more toxic chemicals into our body. I've personally stopped using sunscreen, unless I want to bask in the sun, which is never, or if I know I'm going to be out in the sun for more than 20 mins. Judicious use of sunlight everyday is not just good for your health, but very necessary in the recovery of chronic afflictions.

Vince on the other hand has NEVER used sunscreen even while living in Arizona. I'm beginning to believe it's the exposure to the ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays from sunlight that has given him such a strong immunity and not because he was born with good genes.

If you live in a sunny climate like Florida, SoCal, or Arizona, you probably get plenty year-round vitamin D just from your normal outdoor activities. If you live in a very rainy, foggy, or overcast climate, or even in an environment with heavy humidity, you might not, because the UVB light from the sun is either blocked or reflected.

Interestingly, you get very little, if any vitamin D from plant source, and your body actually stores vitamin D in your body to last you through the winter months. Here are some foods that have vitamin D, with butter having the least amount of vitamin D and canned sardines having the most: butter, cheddar cheese, eggs, liver, beef, milk, shrimp, fresh salmon, fresh herring, fresh mackerel, canned sardines.

Another interesting bit of information......you especially need more vitamin D if you're older because you only make about half as much vitamin D in your skin as when you were younger, or if you're housebound, or if you take drugs to lower your cholesterol as they interfere with the absorption of vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins. Other things that can deplete your vitamin D3 level are corticosteroid drugs. Alcohol blocks your ability to absorb vitamin D in your intestines and store in your liver...maybe that's why a lot of alcoholics I know and have known have always been depressed?

A word of caution, too much vitamin D from supplements is dangerous as well as too little (i.e. below 400 IU). Interestingly, when your skin is exposed to the sun's UVB, it can generate 20,000 IU of vitamin D. However, it is the UVA rays in sunlight that will absorb the excess levels of vitamin D to prevent overdose. The recommended amounts tend to change as new science evidence emerges. Most people believe taking 1,000 IU (25 mcg) is a high dose, however, it isn't uncommon to see adults take 5,000 IU in order to achieve healthy blood levels. You should actually discuss intake levels with your doctor.

Lastly, look for supplements that provide D3 (cholecalciferol) which is synthesized by humans when the skin is exposed to sunlight rather than D2 (ergocalciferol) which is synthesized by plants.