Summer Health Series- We Kick it off with Vitamin D
Summer is here and to kick off this series of blog post we are going to cover the most important part of summer which is Sunshine=Vitamin D! You would think we get Vitamin D year around but only people that live very close to the equator can absorb Vitamin D year around. Living in the United States we only get a few months of Vitamin D between May and September. Another stipulation is the time of day. Mornings until around 1:00pm are the best times to get some sun on your bare skin. Later on in the day you do not get the good rays, you actually get the rays that cause skin cancer instead. Because of our location on the planet most Americans are not getting anything close to what is recommended for vitamin D. Most adults should be getting about 800 to 1,000 IU per day.
Now you are probably thinking “well, if it’s so hard to get why do we need it?”. Vitamin D is extremely important for you to get year around. Deficiencies have been proven to cause:
Cancer (colon, prostate, breast cancer)
Diabetes
Heart Disease
Depression
Muscle Weakness
Death
Osteoporosis
Vitamin D is vital in keeping our cells healthy and not turning on us and mutating which is where Cancer comes into play. Sun is the best way to get Vitamin D, but we are all not lucky enough to get consistent Sunlight to get the amounts we need.
You can get Vitamin D from food sources and most of us need to take a look at incorporating these foods in our diet.
Wild Atlantic Salmon 988 IU per serving 3.5oz
Farmed Salmon 250 IU per serving 3.5oz
Tuna 268 IU per 3.5 oz serving
Sardines 177 IU per 3.8oz serving
Cod Liver Oil 448 IU per teaspoon
Pasture Raised Free Range Egg 148 IU per egg yolk
Wild Mushrooms 2,300 IU of D2 per 3.5 oz serving
Sea Algae 2,000 IU (The only Vegetable source known to have D3)
You can see above that there are two types of Vitamin D. We need a combination to fulfill our daily needs for our bodies to function and keep cancer and depression from occurring.
D3- is animal sourced with the exception of Sea Algae sources. D3 is more crucial of the two types
D2- is vegetable sourced
If you are plant based it is crucial that you take a supplement year around to get enough vitamin D3. Below are some great brands not only for Plant based people but everyone in general.
Great company with high standards. This supplement packs 2,000 IU of Organic Vegan Algae Complex D3 in every serving. Just one pill a day keeps the blues away. Click here to find out more.
Ritual has turned the Vitamin world on its head. This company takes purity and science to another level. They carry a full range of vitamins for Men, Women and Children and let you know exactly the source and how its derived. Great for everyone including hard core Vegans. You can count on getting 2,000 IU from sustainably harvested lichen. No sheep’s wool or fish liver vitamin D3 here! Click here to find out more.
Now you can go overboard on taking Vitamin D. So its best to get tested from your Physician to see if you are getting enough or not enough before you self diagnose yourself. The Company EverlyWell offers at home testing kits to check for Vitamin D levels. Most health savings accounts cover the cost of these kits and some insurance plans do as well. The kit runs about 49 US dollars and you can do it in your own home. Click here for more details.
You want to learn more?! I have a great Podcast for you that will give you great information on Vitamin D. In this Podcast he interviews Max Lugavere and Dr. Elizabeth Boham. Max Lugavere is a filmmaker, health, and science journalist and New York Times best seller Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier. Also the host of the The Genius Life podcast. Elizabeth Boham MD is a physician and nutritionist and a popular Health Lecturer. This is a good one so take a listen.
I have featured Dr. Mark Hyman in previous post. His opinions are researched backed and he a a great source of knowledge and understanding of the human body. In this podcast he goes into detail about Vitamin D and how to get it if you dont have access to year around Sunshine. Listen here to learn more its well worth the listen!
Have a wonderful Wednesday! Next week we are going to talk about Healthy Summer Grilling!
All the best,
Shara
Sources: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-foods-high-in-vitamin-d#6.-Mushrooms, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/vitamin-d2-vs-d3#vitamin-d-3-foods, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/time-for-more-vitamin-d, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-from-sun, https://ritual.com/ingredients/vitamin-d3, https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-side-effects#1.-Elevated-blood-levels, https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-10175/vitamin-d3-oral/details, https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-d/art-20363792, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/vitamin-d-toxicity/faq-20058108, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15050-vitamin-d--vitamin-d-deficiency