Get outside in the name of health!
It is summer soon, which means great time for the beach, outdoor games, and working in the yard. This is the time of year my patients really build up their vitamin D levels. It is the sunlight that makes vitamin D in our cells. The vitamin that is not a vitamin at all but a hormone just like thyroid hormone, the sex hormones, you name any hormone the body makes and vitamin D is right there. A hormone is a molecule that the body sends to the organs to tell them what to do.
What is so special about the D-hormone is every cell in our body has a receptor for vitamin D. Every cell needs vitamin D to operate correctly. I saw a lady several weeks ago and in reviewing her bloodwork everything look pretty good except her vitamin D level was at the low end of normal (normal 30-100) her doctor said her level of 36 was fine. I did not think this was fine as she had a lot of fatigue. I gave her 50,000 units of vitamin D as an injection and saw her a few weeks later. Wow! She never had so much energy in her life. She was begging for another vitamin D injection which I gave her. Most people need 5,000 to 10,000 units of vitamin D daily.
The first step in the 5 step process to make energy requires a lot of vitamin D. Lower levels of vitamin D equals lower levels of energy. Even the World Health Organization says you needs a level of over 60 vitamin D for cancer prevention and heart health. Vitamin D can raise calcium levels so you do need to watch this if you are supplementing your vitamin D. Doctors are reading more and more on how important vitamin D is in sickness and disease. Professor Coimbra a neurologist in Sao Paulo, Brazil has treated thousands of patients with auto immune disorders such as MS. When he gets their vitamin D level between 250-300 95% of his MS patients note their disease goes away. This is his study of over 5,000 patients in 5 years. In Crohn’s patients he noted if their vitamin D level was over 250 then 100% of patients saw their Crohn’s resolve.
So make sure this summer you get outside and not just staying in an air conditioned building. The best time for getting vitamin D is between 10:00 a.m. and 2 p.m. with no sunblock on for at least 20 minutes. Sunblock stops the production of vitamin D. Talk to your doctor and he or she will be glad to monitor you and check your calcium level. Have a great summer everyone!
John D. Young, M.D.
727-545-4600 YoungFoundationalHealth.com
