Vitamin D, The sun is your friend!

Vitamin D is a group of fat soluble secosteroids responsible for intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate.  Vitamin D is absorbed by the skin and must first undergo hydroxylation in the liver by D-25-hydroxylase (25OHase) to 25(OH)D.  25(OH)D then undergoes further hydroxlyation in the kidneys by 25(OH)D-1-OHase to form the biologically active form of vitamin D 1,25(OH)2D.  1,25(OH)2D then stimulates intestinal calcium absorption.  Without vitamin D only 10-15% of dietary calcium is absorbed and only 60% of phosphorus is absorbed this is why it is crucial to get your vitamin D, because Vitamin D enhances calcium and phosphorus absorption by 30-40% and 80% respectively.  Without vitamin D your calcium intake is mostly unusable and this explains the perplexing issue in the industrialized world today that we have a very high calcium intake, but also very high rates of osteoporosis and ties into the fact that vitamin D deficiency affects nearly 50% of americans in our modern society.

We highly recommend sitting in the sun for 5-20 minutes three times a week.  Supplementing with synthetic Vitamin D may not metabolize as efficiently as direct exposure to sunlight and wearing sunscreen with an SPF of 30+ reduces vitamin D absorption by more than 95%.  Its best to get exposure without the use of sunscreen in order to get a good amount of vitamin D absorbed in your body.  If you are not able to get in the sun then a tanning bed for 5-10 minutes 3 times a week is also acceptable.  Finally If you cannot do either of the above then you should supplement with a natural source of Vitamin D3 and we recommend Stronger Faster Healthier or some Cod Liver Oil.  You should try to get 1000-2000IU a day of Vitamin D3 from supplementation.

The take home message for vitamin D?  Get it from the sunlight without lathering on sunscreen, but you only need 5-20 minutes depending on how dark you are.  The darker you are the more exposure you will need to sunlight.  There is evidence that increased vitamin D will slow or eliminate the possibility of cancer and it far outweighs the potential drawback to increased sun exposure.

-This study points to the idea that with low levels of vitamin D are associated with increased rates of osteoporosis, reduced calcium absorption and increased bone fracture risk.

-For those of you wondering if increased sun exposure will increase the rates of skin cancer.  Here is a study that indicates that increased sun exposure and in turn increased vitamin D levels leads to improved cancer prognosis and the potential health benefits far outweigh the potential adverse effects of sun exposure.

-This study indicates that increased vitamin D from the sun or tanning beds reduces the risk and/or prognosis of internal cancers.