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Sun Exposure - Part II
In this article, I will continue to talk about the health benefits of having regular, safe exposure to sun, and specifically how it links to Vitamin D.
You read in my last article that safe sun exposure is healthy and absolutely necessary for everyone, contrary to what the med industry advocates. Sunlight is healing energy. We can't survive without it, and we need to expose our skin to it on a regular basis. Our primary health benefit from sunlight is Vitamin D - in it's purest form.
Just how beneficial is Vitamin D?
Protects against cardiac disease
Reduces hypertension
Reduces chance of heart attack
Reduces chance of stroke
Prevents auto-immune disease like MS
Prevents inflammatory bowel disease
Helps fight infections of all kind including cold, flu
Boosts the entire immune system
Reduces risk of many cancers especially breast cancer (linked to Vit D deficiency)
Boosts energy
Reduces pain
Helps with fibromyalgia and chronic fatique sydrome
And that's not even half the list.....
If you're deficient in Vitamin D, you're putting yourself at unnecessary risk for a host of diseases, all of which can be easily curbed. Everyone should get a routine physical (ensure there is a test for D) and check their Vitamin D levels. A healthy level is 50-70 ng/ml. Though you may be told that you are not deficient being under 50 ng/ml, the more you are under it, the more you're putting yourself at risk. So try to get your D levels in the healthy range. If you're aiming to treat chronic illness or cancer, raise your D levels even higher than 70 ng/ml, but keep under 100.
The best form of Vitamin D is NOT what's in your milk. If you're relying on that, that is a big mistake. Most supplemental D's are either not properly absorbed or not sufficient enough. The absolute best Vitamin D is from sun exposure - 15-20 minutes daily with skin exposed (sunscreen blocks the beneficial UVB rays).
Sadly, most of us of Indian origin are Vitamin D deficient. The reason is that we require greater amount of sunlight to produce sufficient quantities, and most of us typically avoid the sun for fear of tanning. If you're above age 50, you also have higher risk of being deficient, since as you get older your skin doesn't make as much vitamin D in response to sun exposure. At the same time, your kidneys become less efficient at converting vitamin D into the form used by your body. Additionally, older adults tend to spend more time indoors.
If you're like me and tan so quickly that your family doesn't recognize you, a quality Vitamin D3 supplement is highly advisable. Take 2,000 IU daily (or the dose recommended by your physician) and be sure to take it with Vitamin K2. The role of vitamin K2 is to help move calcium into the proper areas in your body, such as your bones and teeth. It also helps remove calcium from areas where it shouldn't be, such as in your arteries and soft tissues.
If you suffer from depression, achy bones, pain in calves, sweaty head, chronic fatigue, or a gastrointenstinal condition, see your doctor, test your D levels, and get yourself some Vitamin D. In fact, whether you have such symptoms or not, check your D levels. I had no symptoms and spent a lot of time outdoors, and I still had a deficiency 2 years ago. Now I take a regular supplement.
Do not go without sun, and definitely do not go without Vitamin D. Allow your children playtime in the sun every day. I can't stress just how important this is for each and every one of us, for our health today and a long, happy life in the future.
To Your Health and Happiness!
Hari Om
Amita
