Dmystified- should I be taking a vitamin D supplement?

 

The simplest way to boost levels is by soaking up ultraviolet rays, prompting the skin to manufacture D, but in gray northern climates the sun is too weak from November through February to trigger the viatamin’s synthesis.  Even in sunnier environments like Arizona or California, deficiency is common because most people are sun-phobic.  A sunscreen as weak as SPF 8 can inhibit the vitamin’s production, and SPF 50 (mine) can shut down the production entirely.  Experts have long known that D, along with calcium, boosts bone strength.  And new research shows that the vitamin may help prevent breast cancer by decreasing cell proliferation, and that D levels are low in those with MS.  So what is a girl to do?

To D or not to D- that's not the question, what a funny tanline she'll have!

To D or not to D- that's not the question, what a funny tanline she'll have!

Despite its nickname “the Sunshine Vitamin” people are still afraid to throw aside the risks of sunbathing [i.e.wrinkles, agespots, and skin cancer] for the benefits of nature’s best production source of Vitamin D, a vitamin that is currently claimed to prevent stress fractures in bone, ward off breast cancer, protect against multiple sclerosis, and even boost immunity against the flu [I wish that I had known that LAST week]!  The confusion is actually the fault of physicians, for we in the medical community have been saying for years to wear your sunscreen!  All the time!  Now that people are becoming more and more aware of the bad side-effects of the sun, we have pulled a complete 180 turnaround and now many of my clients in Manhattan wear sunscreen even when they are indoors because they are afraid that too much sunlight is streaming through their office windows.  Most people know that Vitamin D is good for you, but for the most part, sun exposure is bad for you, and the studies up to this point have been inconclusive as to which type of Vitamin D to take if you did want to add it to your supplement regimen.  According to Anthony W Norman, Ph.D., a long-time D researcher and professor of Biochemistry at the University of California at Riverside vitamin D is crucial for good health.  The catch is getting enough; according to the latest estimates, half of us fall short because we are sun deprived.  

  1. Take a supplement- 1,000 to 2,000 I.U.’s of D3 per day.
  2. Eat a D rich diet- salmon, tuna, sardines, milk, and eggs.
  3. Soak up (a little of) the sun- just 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week on sunscreen-free arms  and legs will provide all of the D that you need.

So, getting the appropriate amount of Vitamin D is as easy as 1,2,3!

 

Have a Beautiful Day!

Dr. Lisa

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