Health and Wealth 247

The BIG question…how much do we need?

The Sunshine Vitamin, in more ways than one. Emerging research has highlighted Vitamin D as one of the most important factors for good health. Most of us are aware that our skins make it in sunlight and that it is important for bone growth, development, and maintenance.

What has become realized lately is that vitamin D is really a hormone and has important roles to play in many other areas of our lives. Deficiency leaves us vulnerable to many problems, not just bone problems. Recent research reveals Vitamin D has an important role to play in preventing the growth and progression of cancer cells, particularly in colon and prostate cancers, but is also protective in breast, lung, ovarian, stomach, bladder, esophageal and kidney
cancers.

Vitamin D influences the effects of insulin, renin, serotonin and estrogen, all important hormones involved with Diabetes, hypertension, brain function and female well being respectively, so one can see its emerging importance. It also can affect obesity through Leptin, reduce inflammation in bone conditions and teeth disease and strengthen theimmune system, so how do we get enough of this “Wonder Vitamin”?Well firstly we need to know what we need. The old recommendations of up to 600 IU daily depending on age are now thought to be
outdated so the new value is at least 1,000 IU daily (it is safe up to 10,000 IU daily but there is
no point in going beyond 2,000 IU).

There are dietary sources of Vitamin D, some quite good, cod liver oil for example (ugh) provides 1360 IU per tablespoon but a cup of milk a bit surprisingly only 100 IU, so it is difficult to get your 1,000 units a day this way, although dietary Vitamin D (about 3 or 400 units a day for most of us helps a bit. Sunlight…now this is the real source for us. Wandering around in a tee shirt for ½ an hour or so in the summer will produce about 2,000 units from facial and arm skin, which is lots. Unfortunately if you live above the 30th parallel (yes, that’s you in LA too!) you will not get enough Vitamin D in the winter and the further north you get the longer you will need to supplement.

Our current recommendations are that everyone in northern latitudes, (remember that’s north of 30), should supplement with 1,000 IU daily from September until the end of May. ProVit Xcell + contains 1,000 IU plus lots of other good things). If you want to do the sun thing properly, apply your sun tan lotion only immediately before you go out in the sun as it takes 20 or 30 minutes to work. Darker skinned people or people who tan easily can apply it after 20 or 30 minutes in the sun (unless you live near the equator!). If you do that then you will get enough with your supplements at other times of the year. One last thought…if you sit outside with no sun tan lotion (it blocks UVB) for 20 minutes in a bathing suit you will produce more Vitamin D than you get from 100 glasses of milk!

Dr. Philip A. White

Technorati Tags: Nutrients, Vitamin D, Vitamins and Minerals

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