Most women know to take vitamin d to prevent osteoporosis, but it’s important in other ways too. If we don’t have enough vitamin d we can’t absorb our hormones. There are a lot of studies linking low d levels with cancer, obesity, fatigue, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). There are also a lot less google searches for depression in warmer months.
At work we started checking our patients vitamin d levels when their hormone levels improved, but they hadn’t yet seen improvement in their symptoms. Almost all patients came back with low vitamin d and most were surprised they had never been checked. Once we started these patients on vitamin d supplementation their energy levels improved as did their symptoms. I had never had my vitamin d level checked and decided to add it to my routine testing for the hepatitis c needle stick the year before. The recommended range is 50 to 100; mine came back at 17. I took a prescription dose of vitamin d and increased my sunlight exposure and my level rose to 90. I honestly felt the best I had in years. My afternoon fatigue was gone. I was no longer yawning and downing coffee through the last few patients of the day. I had checked my bone density in my mid twenties and I was already in osteopenia, the stage in between normal and osteoporosis. After correcting my vitamin d my bone density returned to normal. I wasn’t taking calcium and the vitamin d seemed to be the only change. Many patients swore by vitamin d and even noticed they felt best during certain times of the year…when they had higher levels of vitamin d, but not necessarily higher levels of hormones. The vitamin d just allowed them to utilize the hormones they’d had all along.
So many of you are asking about the newest quickest weight loss trends. I believe vitamin d is the number one ingredient in weight loss. Not only will you have much more energy with vitamin d, studies show it’s easier to lose weight with higher vitamin d levels. When you have more energy it’s easier to work out. I saw this in many patients and truly believe in vitamin d. I recommend checking your level every year especially in the winter when we’re not getting as much sun. The best way to increase your level is by spending 10-20 minutes outdoors between 10 & 2. Once your skin reaches a certain temperature your body will start converting the energy into vitamin d, usually just went you start to turn pink. You are then at your peak absorption level and you won’t continue converting vitamin d. If you can’t expose a large amount of skin without sunscreen, makeup, etc during these hours you really need to supplement as there is no way to get enough through diet alone. According to Dr. Mercola the average adult needs 8,000 IU’s of vitamin D3 per day in order to elevate his or her levels above 40 ng/ml — the bare minimum requirement necessary for disease prevention. Ideally, you want your levels to be above 50. Take it with your biggest meal of the day since it’s fat soluble. I will continue to take it everyday as I’m fair skinned, and hope you’ll check you’re level if you haven’t already.
With that said I am excited to announce my first giveaway…. a 4 month supply of vitamin d! You have multiple chances at winning and will help me get off my feet by sharing the giveaway with your friends, so thanks in advance.
About the Author: Emily Smith is a RN-BSN and Holistic Health Coach who counsels patients all over the world. Visit OrganicHolisticHealing.com for more information.
