The Importance Of Vitamin D

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Vitamin D is actually a hormone created through sun exposure, supplementation or food consumption. High levels of this hormone can reduce the risk of certain cancers by 50%, strengthen the immune system, and fight off infection. Vitamin D will also exert its influence on 3,000 of the approximately 30,000 genes which exist in the body. A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to increased chances of heart disease, autism, rheumatoid arthritis, and common infections, such as the cold and flu. According to experts, the ideal vitamin d dosage for a child is 35 IUs per pound of body weight. For adults, it is 8,000 IU’s per day.

Getting Vitamin D Into The Body

One way to get Vitamin D into the body is through proper sun exposure. A tanning bed with an electronic ballast is a possible option. Unlike other tanning beds, they are less likely to cause cancer. The DMinder app is another tool which can be used to facilitate safe sun exposure for the purpose of Vitamin D supplementation. It provides more specific guidelines on how much vitamin D your body will create based on weather conditions, skin tone, and age. The time when the most vitamin D is created through sun exposure is usually during noon, but if daylight saving time is in effect, peak sun exposure is going to be at 1 pm.

The other way to get Vitamin D is through supplementation. If you’re going to go with this option, it is better to take Vitamin D3 instead of Vitamin D2. According to Dr. Mercola, vitamin D3 works more effectively on the body. In addition to taking vitamin D3, you’ll also need adequate amounts of vitamin K2 in order to avoid the incidence of vitamin D toxicity. Good sources of vitamin K2 are organic fermented vegetables, organic eggs, and organic butter. It so happens, that eggs are one of the other food sources for vitamin d.

If you choose to get vitamin d3 through foods alone, it can be obtained through egg yolks, raw milk, salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines. There are potential problems with these sources, however. If you’re only consuming eggs and/or milk, the chances are high you won’t be getting enough of this vital nutrient. Fish does provide a lot more vitamin d3, but it also contains mercury, which has negative health effects on the body.

In the final analysis, the best way to get vitamin D into the body is to take vitamin D3 supplements and engage in appropriate sun exposure using a tanning bed with an electronic ballast.

Sources:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/16/vitamin-k2.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/16/vitamin-k2.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/02/23/oral-vitamin-d-mistake.aspx

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