Vitamin D has always played and continues to play a critical role in human evolution and health. This vitamin acts more like a steroid hormone in our bodies. For this reason, some scientists and health care practitioners refer to it as a hormone instead of a vitamin.
Most cells in our body have vitamin D receptors (gate like opening) on them to allow this vitamin to come in and perform its functions. That in itself is very fascinating, prompting many to ask why?
We know our sun is 1 million times larger than Earth. This should give us an idea to its importance as the sun governs all life on our planet and is miraculous with all of its spectrums. Obtaining optimal vitamin D levels is a non-hackable process.
How vitamin D works using sunlight
When the rays of the sun hit the surface of our skin, UVB interacts with cholesterol (called 7-dehydrocholesterol) located just underneath our skin and is converted to cholecalciferol. This then travels in the blood to the liver, which is then converted to 25-hydroxycholecalciferol. After the liver, this is shuttled to the kidneys where it becomes 1a,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, active form of vitamin D. The health status of our livers and kidneys are very important along with skin exposure in order to make hormone D.
Facts
- Vitamin D cannot penetrate glass, therefore we cannot absorb vitamin D from a window or car window.
- Vitamin D is non-hackable.
- Direct sunlight is more optimal than supplementation.
- The making and utilization of vitamin D may depend on our body fat levels.
- One of the best ways to know your levels is though a blood test, either using an at home kit that is sent away to a lab to be tested, or through you medical provider.
- I do not advocate using tanning beds for UVB spectrum.
- Many healthcare practitioners and labs will inform you that a particular range is optimal for healthy outcomes, ie. 50-70 nmol/L. My thoughts are, we are all different and from various backgrounds, therefore we have to be careful not to group all cultures, ages, and sexes into the same category of needed sun exposure.
- The amount of time needed in the sun will vary from person to person, season to season, the thickness of your skin as well as cultural background.
- Get pure sunlight.
- People with darker skin, will typically need more time in the sun compared with someone of a fairer complexion.
- Most of our elderly are at great risk due to the amount of time spent indoors. We should take care to ensure their safety during times of sun exposure.
- According to The Vitamin D Society’s website, low vitamin D status is critical because it is correlated to many adverse health outcomes such as heart disease, depression, addiction, fear, anxiety, many cancers , diabetes, fractures, rickets, osteomalacia, peripheral vascular disease and other diseases.
- Vitamin D regulates mineralization of bones. Many football athletes in America were moved indoors for training after a couple of fatal accidents due to dehydration or other. This in turn increased bone fractures in athletes and was said to be due to low vitamin D levels.
- Babies can be born with a vitamin D deficiency.
- The more optimal our vitamin D levels the better the outcome for happiness,
mental health, sexual health, bone and teeth mineralization, skin health, immune system health, circadian rhythm regulation, hormonal regulation and heart health.
- Foods such as mushrooms (if cultivated in the sun), mackerel, and eggs contain vitamin D.
- Vitamin D can increase testosterone and libido.
My Opinion
Multiethnic children may be at great risk for vitamin D deficiency. This is my personal experience as well as observation from others. Children born into or adopted into a family where the parents are from different backgrounds may be nurtured to adopt the lifestyle habits of one of the parents. For example, if mom is of European descent and dad is from South America, Africa, South East Asia, India, Italy, Greece (or any other country where the sun shine is consistent and winters are not extreme), mom may be more apt to place sunscreen on her baby in fear of the child getting a sunburn as she may. This may lead to low vitamin D levels.
This brings to mind all the misconceptions and untruths my wife was told about the sun. Hence the sunscreen on our children in their younger years.
Recommendations
- Please exercise caution and safety when in the sun, hydrate properly with water and electrolytes as necessary. A sprinkle of Celtic Sea Salt or Pink Himalayan Salt in your water can be of great benefit if your losing too much water and minerals through sweat. Mineral rich water may also be very useful. Coconut water with a little salt is a great option.
- If you get a chance to go fully unclothed while receiving the sun’s rays take it, that includes a private setting within your own compound or a nude beach. I encourage everyone to go out and get responsible sunlight at different times of the day and take advantage of different spectrums of light for your health.
- All skin tones are beautiful and should be appreciated and celebrated for their beauty and evolutionary adaptive protection.
- A natural mineral base sunscreen should be applied after you feel you’ve had enough direct sun exposure and want to continue with outdoor activities. You can cover your body with light breathable clothing or remove yourself from direct sunlight to eliminate negative outcomes.
- Please take caution and be aware of how much is enough.
Things that may hinder vitamin D absorption and synthesis
Excess body fat
Impaired kidney function
Compromised liver
Clothing
Sunscreen
Depression
Anxiety
Fear