As part of the raging debate over if sunshine is good for you or bad for you, I’m throwing my hat in that vitamin D3 supplement is not as much fun as getting outside and getting sun, but is still excellent for your health.
Vitamin D3 is created naturally in your body when ultraviolet light from the sun strikes your skin and converts cholesterol to Vitamin D. A short bout of 15 minutes will give you about 15,000 IU of the stuff. You have to be fully naked to get that amount but experts agree that is a pretty decent dose. Recent research says you can supplement as high as 10,000 IU a day safely, but the best consensus I can find is 1,000 IU to 2000 IU a day.
According to Reuters news service this week (3/7/10), vitamin D3 is essential for activating one of the most important functions of your immune system: the killer T cell.
The Killer T cells have many functions. They are responsible for destroying infected cells, and preventing you from getting same disease twice. They are the reason why you (usually) don’t get chicken pox twice, and why vaccines work. Confused Killer T cells can actually attack your own body, causing auto-immune diseases. Thus, lathering up your kids (or yourself) and never letting ultraviolet light get through to their skin will dampen their vitamin D3 in their blood and reduce T cell effectiveness.
Low Vitamin D levels have also been linked to breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, depression, weight gain, and even all causes of death later in life (meaning low vitamin D levels connect to all types of death in the elderly) These studies show that people with higher levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of disease.
Low Vitamin D levels have also been linked to breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, depression, weight gain, and even all causes of death later in life (meaning low vitamin D levels connect to all types of death in the elderly) These studies show that people with higher levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of disease.
Vitamin D is essential for making bone and reducing inflammation. The Vitamin D Council – “suggests vitamin D treatment might be found helpful in treating or preventing autism, autoimmune disease, cancer, chronic pain, depression, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, flu, neuromuscular diseases, and osteoporosis.” *
So, I would say it’s a no brainer – take 2000IU of D3 a day to reduce inflammation and keep your blood levels of up, as well as reduce short term and long term disease.
Getting Strong (and healthy) Together,
Brian
Brian
Cheap, good supplement: http://www.swansonvitamins.com/SW1030/ItemDetail?n=0
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