The Sunshine Vitamin D3

Where does it come from? Sun, food, and supplements! Most people obtain their Vitamin D from sun exposure. The sun is the best way to receive adequate amounts of vitamin D.

There are very few naturally occurring foods that contain vitamin D but you can get some levels of Vitamin D from the food you eat. There is not enough Vitamin D present in foods to supply you with the levels you need. However small amounts are found in fish liver oils, cheese, beef liver and egg yolks. Also, in the U.S. there are foods that are fortified with Vitamin D such as milk, breakfast cereals, some orange juices, yogurts and margarine.

 The US regulates which products can be fortified with Vitamin D as well as the amounts of Vitamin D that are added to these food products. Then, as a 3rd source of Vitamin D, there are Vitamin D supplements. Make sure when picking a Vitamin D supplement that it is in the form of Vitamin D3 because that is the naturally occurring form.

Do not a use a synthetic form of Vitamin D as it is not proven to be as effective. So what is the problem? Many people are deficient in Vitamin D3! This is becoming a worldwide problem. Optimal blood levels of Vitamin D are between 30 and 100 nanograms per milliliter of blood. You are considered Vitamin D insufficient if you levels are between 15ng and 30ng.

 You are considered Vitamin D deficient if your levels are less that 15ng. In fact, a recent US study showed done on 600 children in the US showed that 70% of them had low levels of Vitamin D. Of those, 61% were insufficient and 9% were deficient. Kids with low Vitamin D levels are at risk for bone problems, at risk for high blood pressure and at risk for lower HDL cholesterol levels. Why the cause of this widespread deficiency? People spend less time outdoors and people have poor diets.

With all of the talk about protecting yourself from the sun and skin cancer, people are avoiding direct exposure to the sun. It is a good practice not to get too much sun, however, a little bit of sun is still important. Without sun exposure, you body cannot produce the Vitamin D3 it needs. For those with lighter skin, your skin is more sensitive to the sunlight, so less sunlight is needed to produce Vitamin D.

If your skin is darker, then more sunlight is needed to produce Vitamin D. Having said this, it is important not to take too much Vitamin D3 because it can be toxic in excess. Vitamin D is a very important vitamin for everyone. Believe it or not, Vitamin D is actually a hormone produced by the body.

Cholecalciferol, known as Vitamin D3, is the naturally occurring form of vitamin D. It is made naturally in large quantity in your skin when sunlight, or ultraviolet rays, strikes your bare skin. Naturally our bodies make Vitamin D3 but sunlight is required for this process to occur. Vitamin D3 can also be taken as a supplement form.

There are many benefits that come from Vitamin D3 such as a better immune system, lower blood pressure, clearer skin, a healthier brain, protection against illnesses and cancers and more. When it comes to bone and joint health, Vitamin D3 is the most important vitamin. Recent studies are even connecting Vitamin D3 with the protection against the H1N1 virus.