I had a blood test last week and the doctor told me that I have a vitamin D deficiency. “What can I do about it?” I asked him. If I get more sunshine I’ll increase my chances of sun cancer. I can eat more oily (mostly non-white flesh) fish, but then I’ll have more heavy metals in my body. I can eat more egg yolks but doesn’t that add to my cholesterol problems.
Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin because it is formed by sunlight on our bare skin interacting with enzymes from our kidneys and liver. It is a non-essential nutrient; if we have adequate exposure to sunlight we have no need to obtain it from the food we consume.
Deficiency of vitamin D over a few months or years can lead to osteoarthritis, diabetes, heart disease, depression, psoriasis, gum disease and possibly cancer.
The best way to improve your vitamin D supplies is to get about 20 to 30 minutes exposure to sunlight daily, preferably not between 11am & 3pm when the UV rays are harshest. Take a break and go for a walk outside to get some fresh air into your lungs and some delicious sunlight on your skin.
Foods that supplement our bodies’ vitamin D supplies include: butter, greens, oatmeal, sweet potatoes and extra virgin olive oil. Vitamin D helps our bodies utilise calcium and phosphorous more efficiently. Lack of Vitamin D may lead to tooth decay, fragile bones, rickets, muscle weakness and retention of phosphorous in our kidneys.
Calcium balance is maintained by parathyroid hormone and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Together they co-regulate:
- gut calcium absorption
- renal calcium reabsorption
- bone formation and breakdown
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