Dr. Craig Reese, DC, PC
DR. CRAIG REESE, D.C., P.C.
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DR. CRAIG REESE, D.C., P.C.
February 2008 Newsletter
As the snow is gently falling outside and the temperature is in the 20’s I think it is a good time to talk about the sunshine vitamin: vitamin D. We do get our fair share of sunny days here in Colorado but they aren’t always warm. By this time in winter, most of us have spent too much time inside and our vitamin D stores our low. Our pineal glands are also weak form the lack of sunshine through our eyes and the prevalence of Seasonal Affected Disorder goes up.
See the Light
Using full spectrum lights in your house and at work helps to give us some of the ultraviolet light we need but the sun is still the best source. One hour a day of sun with no contacts, glasses or sunglasses will help strengthen the pineal gland and help you sleep better and fight off the winter blues. To get my sunlight when I ski, I take my goggles off on the lift and wear them when I ski down the slope. Those 5-10 minute rides up the mountain gives me plenty of sunlight exposure after several runs. It also helps to reduce that “raccoon eyes” appearance since you get sun around your eyes as well.
Super-nutrient
What’s the big deal about vitamin D anyway? The vitamin D council has this to say about it on their web site: Vitamin D is a steroid hormone precursor that has recently been found to play a role in a wide variety of diseases. Current research indicates vitamin D deficiency plays a role in causing seventeen varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, and periodontal disease… If you don't get vitamin D the way Mother Nature intended, from sunshine, you need to take supplemental vitamin D3 cholecalciferol. Since most of us get a lot more vitamin D from sunshine than we realize, most of us need about 2,000 units a day extra (http://www.vitamindcouncil.com). You can see that it is vital to your health and that the deficiency will lead to many serious problems.
Second Best
To get enough vitamin D you have to let the sun hit large areas of your skin for 15-20 minutes. At below freezing temperatures most of us are going to stay bundled up so we have to get our vitamin D from food sources. Cod liver oil is one of the best sources available because it gives you the vitamin D you need plus your Omega 3 oils. One tablespoon of cod liver oil gives you about 1500 IU of vitamin D. Now 20 minutes of sun exposure on bare skin helps the body produce about 20,000 IU of vitamin D but 1500 is pretty good start. Consuming other vitamin D-rich foods such as raw milk butterfat, lard or bacon from pasture-raised pigs, free range egg yolks, and oily fish can raise your vitamin D intake up to the 2000 units a day level.
Overdose?
Many doctors are afraid of an overdose of fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A and D. The following was taken from Dr. Weston Price’s website:
In 1997, the Food and Nutrition Board of the US Institute of Medicine set the tolerable upper intake level (TUIL) for vitamin D at 2000 IU per day. However, the vitamin D content experts on the Upper Limits Panel objected to this limit, and several prominent vitamin D researchers have called for an upward revision of the limit. Experiments show that even during the winter with a low vitamin D intake, humans will exhaust stores of vitamin D at a rate of 3000-4000 IU per day, an amount that many people require to maintain optimal levels of the vitamin in the blood. Extensive exposure to summer sun at mid latitudes naturally produces levels of vitamin D in the blood equivalent to what is attained by supplementing with a continued daily dose of 10,000 IU, suggesting humans are designed to tolerate such large amounts of vitamin D. (http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/clarifications.html)
Choices
The cod liver oils on the market today actually don’t taste too bad and are flavored to cover up that fishy taste. Carlson’s or Nordic Naturals are two good brands that sell some safe cod liver oil. As with all fish oil products, you have to be careful about rancidity because they can spoil easily. The Omega 3 oils EPA and DHA found in cod liver oil are both fragile oils and spoil easily when exposed to light, heat and air. I recommend keeping your cod liver oil or fish oils in the refrigerator to help them last longer. If the thought of cod liver oil makes you nauseous you can use Standard Process’ Cataplex D as a natural source of vitamin D. If you get vitamin D from a health food store make sure it is D3 cholecalciferol. Another substance that is often called vitamin D is ergocalciferol (also referred to as vitamin D2 or Calciferol). It is derived by radiating fungus. It is not the naturally occurring vitamin D for humans. Fungus contains fat-like substances called sterols which are commercially irradiated to form ergocalciferol. As it is derived from plants, and not animals, ergocalciferol is considered Kosher.
Blood Test
If you want to know your level of vitamin D, it can be tested by a blood test that I or any doctor can order for you. Calcidiol (25-hydroxyvitamin D) is a prehormone in your blood that is directly made from cholecalciferol. When being tested for vitamin D deficiency, calcidiol is the only blood test that should be drawn. When someone refers to vitamin D blood levels, they are usually referring to calcidiol levels. Your doctor can order calcidiol levels but both your doctor and the lab will know the calcidiol blood test as 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Calcitriol levels should never be used to determine if you are deficient in vitamin D.
So when it gets sunny again and you can find a place to get sun without the wind, do your body a favor and get some sun on your skin for 10-20 minutes.
