The Power of Vitamin D

Happy Winter Solstice! It seems like a good day to talk about Vitamin D aka the Sunshine Vitamin 🌞

It’s one of those nutrients needed all over the body for things like:

Promoting:

• Calcium and phosphorous absorption for the development of strong bones and teeth

• Optimal immune function

Regulaing:

• Cell growth

• Mood & Depression

Protecting against:

• Cancer

• Multiple sclerosis

• Osteomalacia (soft bones)

• Osteoperosis (fragile bones)

• Heart diease

• Flu and other illnesses

Tips for Vitamin D absorption:

Whether you’re obtaining vit D from food, supplements or sunshine:

- Eat good fats! Vit D needs unprocessed fats like butter, tallow, coconut oil, avocado, olive oil, and lard to be absorbed in the body

- In the summer months, expose your skin to direct UVB sunshine from 10am-2pm (that means no clothing, sunscreen or glass between your skin and the sun.)

- If you’re above or below 37 degrees latitude, there are very little UVB rays available, so it’s best to obtain vit D through food and supplements

Food source for vitamin D:

🥇 Biggest bang for your buck: fatty fish (aka. trout, salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils

🥈Next best: Beef liver, egg yolks, and cheese

🥉Last place: Mushrooms that have been treated with UV light to increase their levels of vitamin D2 (note vit D2 is not very well converted to the active vit D3 in the body, but it’s better than nothing!)

And the honorable mention: Supplements can also be a good option for a lot of people but it’s best to check your levels with a health provider before starting those.

If you're interested in learning more about how to incorporate more vitamin D into your diet and lifestyle, reach out to set up a FREE introductory health coaching session.

REFERENCES

Guildelines for America (2020-2025) Food sources of vitamin D. Retrieved from https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/resources/2020-2025-di- etary-guidelines-online-materials/food-sources-select-nutrients/food-sources

Healthline editorial team (April 7, 2020) The benefits of vitamin D. Retrieved at https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-vitamin-d

Murray, M., Pizzorno, J., & Pizzorno, L. (2005) The encyclopedia of healing foods, New York, NY: Atria

BooksRaman, R. (April 28, 2018) How to safely get vitamin D from sunlight. Retrieved at https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-from-sun#bottom-line Shier, D., Butler, J. &

Lewis, R. (2018) Hole’s essentials of human anatomy & physiology, 13th Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education