Discover The Amazing Health Benefits of Vitamin D

Vitamin D – one of the most controversial vitamins, both for how to obtain (synthesis in the body) and for the beneficial effects on health. You can write whole books about vitamin D but I will try to briefly present her story, as I am used to with other interesting topics.

So far, I’ve only seen at least a decent level on blood tests, if that person hasn’t supplemented. You can test the two variants of vitamin D in the blood, but these tests are relatively expensive and are not usually done.

What is Vitamin D?

It is actually a fat, a fat-soluble vitamin. Considered by some sources as a hormone (in the category of steroid hormones – not to be confused with synthetic anabolic steroids used as doping), vitamin D undergoes various transformations in the body, but the starting point is a common precursor to cholesterol. Here’s another reason why cholesterol-free flight is perhaps the greatest stupidity of medicine in decades.

On the other hand, the types of fats beneficial for the content of vitamin D and the metabolism of this vitamin are from animal sources and mostly saturated, blacklisted by obsolete medicine. So, things are exactly the opposite: vegetable oils rich in unsaturated fats do more harm than good when it comes to vitamin D.

What is the role of vitamin D3 in the body?

In popular culture, vitamin D is linked to “calcium assimilation”. Although it does play an important role in calcium metabolism, vitamin D has many other beneficial effects, until recently neglected.

These are: the fight against cancer, mineral absorption, immunomodulation (useful for both boosting immunity and preventing autoimmunity), antioxidant, hormonal regulator, strength and muscle mass (testosterone), improves glucose tolerance (reduces the risk of diabetes), in autoimmune diseases, in polycystic ovary syndrome, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, sterility, depression, degenerative diseases, heart disease, inflammatory diseases, development and functioning of the nervous system (beware vegetarian pregnant women!!!), depression, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, lupus.

Here are some sources you can look into to check for these details:

The simplest use is against the classic “colds” (viruses) that occur in spring, probably due to low immunity (lack of vitamin D, in winter we do not stay in the sun, right?).

The problem is that some drugs used to “treat” these conditions reduce the metabolism of vitamin D in the body… you will conclude. The most handy example is medication for hypercholesterolemia (statins). It is very important that the increased intake of vitamin D is accompanied by an optimal intake of calcium (to avoid the absorption of heavy metals) but also that the increased intake of calcium (high consumption of dairy or calcium supplements) is accompanied by vitamin D ( to avoid the problems caused by excess free calcium in the blood).

The fact that the intake of magnesium must be in a ratio of 1: 3 or even 1: 2 compared to that of calcium you should know by now. Also, other minerals and vitamin K are very important. It is insufficient or even dangerous to supplement with calcium alone. Vitamin D and calcium supplementation helps the body burn fat, so it is also indicated in weight loss regimens or even in the treatment of obesity.

Recommended daily dose

The currently recommended daily amount of vitamin D (400 IU) is considered by some researchers to be 10 times lower than we need for optimal health (4,000 IU – the dose considered “maximum tolerable”). It goes up to recommendations of 8,000 IU per day or even more in certain situations. In many scientific communities, the recommended daily dose has already started to increase. The source of this major medical error (the recommendation is too low for vitamin D intake) is explained here:

During this period, I consider it optimal to take a sufficient dose, which will lead us to a good level in the blood. If possible, we also do the blood test. Click on the image for details. Where do we get vitamin D (what are the sources)?

We have 3 important sources: sun exposure (the body synthesizes vitamin D from 7 dehydrocholesterol), diet, supplements. Being a fat-soluble vitamin, the danger of overdose is low because it is stored as a safety net. However, it does exist and the level of vitamin D in the blood must be tested to find out exactly. This is not the case with vitamin A (not beta-carotene, which is provitamin A), where toxicity is real if overdosed.

Food

Being a fat-soluble vitamin, it is found mainly in fatty foods: milk, fat and organs of animals exposed to the sun, eggs (yolk, obviously) of free-range chickens (not in the bulb), wild fish, which feeds on phytoplankton catch, herring, sardines, mackerel, cod liver). As we can imagine, vegetarians and vegans are at greater risk of hypovitaminosis D (in addition to B12).

The most important sources are: cod liver, bacon, oysters, black caviar, herring and other ocean fish, egg yolk, butter (from free-range herbivores), liver (especially lamb, which also contains vitamin B12) . So here we are talking about high fat foods, most often avoided in weight loss programs. However, the availability of these foods, as well as the amounts we have in our regular diet may be too small, so a test of vitamin D in the blood can tell us if we need supplements.

Sun exposure

When we talk about sun exposure we think of exposing the whole body, not just the face and hands as it is always recommended. Paradoxically, the midday sun is much more useful (more UVB / UVD) than the morning or evening sun. It is also important that the skin is in a natural state, not washed or opaque with creams.

Some creams contain compounds that under the influence of the sun’s rays become carcinogenic, thus doing more harm than good. Also, wash your skin with soap a few hours after sun exposure. The need for exposure also depends on the type of skin (melanin level).

UVA are type A ultraviolet (UV) rays (which tan you and are largely in the morning and evening) and UVB are type B ultraviolet rays (which inflame your skin but induce the synthesis of vitamin D). In vain do you sit in the sun in spring, autumn, morning and evening. Not enough vitamin D is produced, only the skin ages.

Supplements

When you want to bring your vitamin D level to at least normal, the only solution is supplements. Liquids (oily drops) are, in my opinion, the most effective. Normally we should test the blood level first, but given the generalized practical deficit and the fact that it is more difficult to go to the harvest during this period, supplementation becomes almost indispensable. Let’s also take into account the fact that the vitamin D supplement is given to all children, so it is something necessary.

But there are also gels (here’s my favorite on Amazon from Now Foods), for the most comfortable. “Chalk” tablets do not have optimal assimilation. For children there are liposomal sprays (like this one from Now Foods), easy to administer, with vitamin K. Toxicity is considered a problem at high doses, taken for long periods of time. So if you take high doses, blood tests (both types of vitamin D, PTH) are very useful.

If we think about man’s way of life in nature, all this is very clear: man was exposed to the sun and ate those foods rich in vitamin D: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3356951/