Health Benefits of Vitamin D. Does It Do it all?

Need a mood boost? Vitamin D. Fighting a cold? Vitamin D. Not sleeping well? Vitamin D. Stress fractures and weak bones? Vitamin D.

 Are you noticing a pattern?

Let’s cut right to the health benefits of vitamin D. Every cell, every organ, every system, in your body uses vitamin D. Vitamin D helps build strong bones, keep our blood pumping, filter out nasty toxins, and make essential chemical signals in our bodies. (Need a more comprehensive list? Read here!) Your body needs it so badly, that it can even make its own if given the right tools.

Your body’s Vit D tool kit:

1. skin
2. cholesterol (yes you need this, ditch your cholesterol bashing thoughts)
3. sunshine

This is why it feels SO GOOD to have the sun on your face, and why you crave a day at the beach. Your body is making nutrients for itself!

It’s so fancy and responsible like that.

BUT - Sometimes we just don’t have time, or don’t live in a place where we can catch some rays (uh… Midwest winters, or busy schedules anyone?). So luckily, we can get vitamin D from our food and supplements.

If your body can make it, why are most people lacking in the D department?

Common reasons for D deficiency:

• Sun screens blocks rays needed for vitamin D production
• You have naturally dark skin (pale skin produces vitamin D more easily)
• You don’t live close to the equator… and can’t afford regular vacations down South (#bust.)
• Medications can block vitamin D absorption
• You don’t eat enough vitamin D rich foods (fish, eggs, liver… because who really eats liver?)
• You’re fooled by “vitamin D fortified” foods (just because there’s some in there, doesn’t mean it’s enough… trickery!)

 Low Vitamin d levels can be scary.

Diseases that are linked to Vitamin D deficiency:

• 10+ types of cancer (including breast, colon, prostate, non-hodgkin's lymphoma, ovarian, bladder, kidney, and uterine)
• Osteoporosis
• Autoimmune disorders (hashimoto’s, multiple sclerosis, lupus, type I diabetes… etc.)
• Depression and anxiety
• Fibromyalgia
• Inflammation
• Dementia and other age related disorders (Parkinson's, Alzheimer’s)
• Heart disease
• Tooth and gum disease

How can I feed the need?

Ways to increase Vitamin D naturally

• stand in the sun (Olivia Pope style, but also literally go stand in the sun.)

(note: getting 15 minutes of sun without sunscreen can help you make some Vitamin D, but lather up if you’ll be out for much longer… or you know, you’ll be served for the next meal at Red Lobster)

• physical activity (Harvard researchers found that regular exercisers have higher levels of Vit D, and the good kind of cholesterol)**
• eat food rich in Vitamin D3
• Salmon, mushrooms, eggs, beef liver

Be proactive!

Request a Vitamin D3 (Vitamin D 25 (OH))*** from your medical doctor, naturopath, chiropractor, nutritionist, or functional medicine provider. Impress your doc by knowing your stuff!

• Vitamin D levels fall on a range between 30-100ng/mL.*
• Most practitioners agree that adequate levels are around 50ng/mL and optimal values fall 60-80ng/mL.
• Doses between 5,000-15,000IU/day of a high quality supplement are adequate for most American’s without a diagnosable condition.

We recommend testing 2x/year, because seasonal changes and geography influence your body’s ability to produce and absorb Vitamin D. Work with a qualified healthcare provider that understands the importance of nutrition to make sure your Vitamin D deficiency isn’t a sign of a more significant underlying problem. If you’re deficient, ask to schedule a follow-up test, and be mindful of your body’s response (changes like unusual weight loss or weight gain, lack of energy, changes in vision, etc.)

Well Labs Vit D3 + K2 liquid is colorless, tasteless, convenient, and travels well. One little bottle of D3 + K2 has 590,000 IU of Vit D! So even when taking a dose as large as 10,000 IU it still lasts around 2 months!

D3’s buddy vitamin, K2, is an added bonus needed for heart and bone health. Click here to learn more!

Did we mention colorless and tasteless? Aka easy to sneak into food and drinks so your family suspects nothing? #healthninja 

Satisfy that one thing every part of you craves. Stand in the sun!

And if you don’t have time to stand in the sun, get a little boost from Well Labs. We’re glad to help!

 

Tweet Tweet: “Satisfy that one thing every part of you craves. Stand in the sun!” #feedtheneed #wellLabs

 

*this information is based on the Fellowship in Metabolic & Nutritional Medicine program provided by the American Academy of Anti-Aging, Regenerative, & Functional Medicine

**http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/2011/10000/Vigorous_Physical_Activity,_Mediating_Biomarkers,.9.aspx

***Vitamin D test information: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003569.htm

 https://www.jenreviews.com/vitamin-d/

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