Ode to Vitamin D

by Elizabeth on January 22, 2011

There’s been a lot of back and forth controversy about Vitamin D lately, so I thought I’d include some interesting info and articles for this post.

See below for more extensive reading on the subject, but here’s a quick overview.

*Vitamin D is one of the most essential nutrients for our bodies and also one of the most difficult to get sufficient amounts of from our diets. Benefits include prevention of certain cancers, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and the common cold/flu to name a few.

*Foods that contain vitamin D include milk, egg yolks, sardines, salmon, cod liver oil, and mackeral.

*There are two types of Vitamin D – D2 and D3. D2 is synthetic so try to avoid it. D3 is the one to look for.

*The best way for our bodies to absorb Vitamin D is through natural sunlight.  Therefore, it’s unlikely you’re getting the recommended amount unless you live in a tropical or sub-tropical area,  so it’s a good idea to take a supplement in the fall and winter months.

*The best way to test for Vitamin D deficiency and to determine the correct supplement dosage is through a blood test. An optimal level is at least 50 ng/ml or higher. There are two markers for Vitamin D <strong>so make sure to ask for the 25 hydroxy D marker </strong>as it is the most accurate.

*Over absorption of Vitamin D has it’s problems too, so re-test your blood levels after a month of beginning supplements to make sure you’re not over doing it.

Check out <a href=”http://drbenkim.com/vitamin-d-facts.htm”>this</a> article by Dr. Ben Kim for more info.  Because I’ve had digestive problems and wasn’t properly absorbing nutrients (a common side effect of digestive issues), I take a <a href=”http://www.pureformulas.com/emulsid3-liquid-1oz-by-designs-for-health.html”>liquid supplement</a>.  I took a break the last few days though because I was lucky enough to get some sunshine! Here are some more shots from the weekend in Turks &amp; Caicos.

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