Vitamin D is necessary for your body to function properly. It supports bone health and your immune system. It has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease.
Vitamin D comes in 5 different forms but the most important to your body are D2 and D3. Of these two, D3 is more significant because it is the one more efficiently processed by your body. Numerous studies have shown that a Vitamin D3-specific deficiency has been linked to a number of health problems. A few of these are depression, back pain, cancer, complications during pregnancy (including insulin resistance and pre-eclampsia), impaired immunity and macular degeneration. The list goes on and on. Just google “vitamin D3 deficiency” and see what pops up.
While most people assume that they get it from the food they eat, there are actually only a small range of foods that contain significant amounts of vitamin D and most of these are sources of Vitamin D2. The main food that naturally contains D3 is fatty fish (such as salmon, catfish, mackerel, tuna, etc.). In fact, it is nearly impossible to get the recommended amount of Vitamin D through your diet. So how do we get Vitamin D3? The answer is easy: our bodies synthesize it from UV light exposure to bare skin. It is the only vitamin that can do this which is why it is often referred to as “The Sunshine Vitamin”.
So, if getting Vitamin D3 is as easy as going out in the sun, why has there been such a HUGE increase in Vitamin D deficiency? That answer is even easier: people spend almost their entire day indoors and/or they have become afraid of the sun. The first reason can’t be helped. People have to work and for most that means an indoor job that gives them little chance to get sunlight. The second reason is just a matter of being educated. The cosmetics industry has done an AMAZING job of making people think that they need to buy all products with sunscreen in them without ever mentioning that sunlight exposure is vital to good health.
Don’t get me wrong on this. Just like most things, too much exposure is not good for you either. Moderation is the key to getting enough Vitamin D without damaging your skin. The safest way to get the amount you need (which is about 15-20 minutes a day, several days a week) is to use a tanning bed in a professional salon with a well-educated staff. By using a tanning bed, you are getting mostly UVA rays whereas natural sunlight contains UVA and UVB rays (UVB rays are more likely to cause burning). With a tanning bed, you get a controlled amount of exposure that won’t go over the time you need for your body to synthesize an adequate amount of Vitamin D3.
In coming posts, I will talk about the various other reasons that the benefits of those with moderated UV exposure outweighs any risks, even for people with a family history of skin cancer. However, Vitamin D is essential to health and longevity so therefore it will always be the most important reason to get some sun!
Millions of people have barely enough energy to get through the day, much less pursue their dreams & goals! Little life changes can make a huge difference. I use Vitamin supplements like D-3, B, Calcium and Zinc to help me battle fatigue and depression especially throughout the winter. I notice a difference when I miss these supplements. I will drag and want to be a couch potatoe. They boost my energy levels and make me wana get outside where I can not only absorb more Vitamin D from the sun but also get exercise working in my yard. Other benefits I notice are improvements in my hair, skin and nails. I am usually not a fan of the tanning bed I prefer the sun, however, you made some very convincing arguments as to why I should reconsider my opinion of the tanning bed. At least as an option for the winter months when it is just too cold to be outside. Looking forward to learning more about the benefits of tanning beds.
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