Articles by Dr. Erdman are for informational purposes, and are not to be taken as specific medical advice.
One of the subjects I try to engage most patients in is that
of nutrition and nutritional supplementation.
Coming into the winter months, a few words about vitamin D3 seem
appropriate.
Did you know vitamin D is not really a vitamin at all? It is a steroidal hormone precursor necessary
to every cell in the body, yet not found in the natural food supply; except in
eggs, liver and fatty fish. Essentially,
it affects your entire health condition.
Heart heath, skin health, the aging process, athletic performance,
vascular system, immune system, bone health, carbohydrate and fat metabolism,
and pregnant women all need optimal vitamin D levels. If you are eating a low fat to no fat diet,
you need even more vitamin D. Dark
skinned people need more than normal due to melatonin blocking UVB rays
entering the skin. Vitamin D regulates
over 2000 genes in the body!
There are essentially three ways to get vitamin D. The first is by natural exposure to the
sun. In summer months, May to August,
this is the preferred method. You only
need about 15 minutes of midday sun to make 20,000 IU’s of Vitamin D. (You must expose most of your skin, not just
your face, hands and feet!) The body
will self-regulate, and stop producing D when you reach your maximum dose. Don’t burn!
Secondly, especially in climates above 30° latitude and between September and
April, supplementation of vitamin D3 is necessary. How much?
Well, that’s where blood work comes into play. You need to know where your levels are,
before you can say exactly how much you need to take. The correct test needed is the 25(OH) D or
25-hydroxyvitamin D. It is measured in
nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl). Here is a simple chart:
|
50-70
|
Optimal
|
|
70-100
|
Treating cancer & heart disease
|
|
>100
|
Excess
|
|
>180
|
Overdose with side affects
|
Here are some general dosages as recommended by Dr. Mercola:
|
Under 5 years old
|
35 IU per pound per day
|
|
5 – 10 years old
|
2500 IU/day
|
|
Adults & pregnant women
|
5,000 -10,000 IU/day
|
|
Only way to know for sure is blood test!
|
|
Third, you can use tanning beds with UVB bulbs. These are NOT the ones found in most tanning
beds, they are UVA, and only serve to brown your skin, not give you vitamin D
conversion.
I know, I know…the medical profession says stay out of the
sun and especially the tanning beds.
Well, for your good health, you will need to overcome your fear of the
sun! Don’t let them scare you. The medical and cancer society’s say to stay
out of the sun because it causes skin cancer.
Do you believe it?
In my next
article, we’ll look at recent research that proves they are wrong, and how
ignoring vitamin D from the sun is actually more harmful to you than the
dreaded sun exposure.