Could you be one of the overwhelming numbers of Americans who are deficient in vitamin D? In fact, other than having heard that exposure to the sun’s rays may boost your levels of this “sunshine vitamin,” you might not have given much attention to this vitamin. Typically, the winter months result in changes to our diet, not to mention less time spent outside soaking up the sunshine.
Why Should You Even Care About Your Vitamin D Levels?
For starters, let’s keep in mind that there are two types of vitamin D that you need to keep in mind:
- Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is synthesized by plants and is typically found in mushrooms, fortified foods, and vegan dietary supplements. This form is not produced in people and breaks down into metabolites foreign to the human body.
- Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the form naturally found in people and animals, formed by exposure of the skin to sunshine containing sufficient intensity of UV-B rays.
You might not know that vitamin D is essential for the proper functioning of the heart, lungs, brain, and muscles or that a vitamin D deficiency might result in growth delays in children, muscle weakness, bone loss, and fractures. What’s more, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to high blood pressure, several cancers, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and even thyroid problems.
Some People Need More Vitamin D
Certain groups of people need more dietary vitamin D than others, including:
- Older people typically spend more time indoors and, thanks to the aging process, have thinner skin and make less vitamin D when their skin is exposed to sunshine.
- People with darker skin have more melanin, which reduces the body’s ability to make vitamin D3 when exposed to sunshine.
- Those who live farther from the equator are exposed to less UV-B intense sunlight all year round.
- People with certain medical conditions that reduce fat absorption are prone to vitamin D deficiencies.
All of these potential health challenges make it important for all of us to take steps to boost our levels of this essential vitamin, which is really more of a hormone than a vitamin..
3 Simple, Expert-Approved Ways to Boost Your Vitamin D Intake
While your doctor can carry out a simple blood test to determine your levels of vitamin D, this winter you can make a start at boosting your levels by following some simple advice.
- Enjoy the Sunshine in the Tropics
During the winter there isn’t any UV-B rays in the sunshine we get north of Florida, so it isn’t possible to get vitamin D from sunlight during the winter in most of the USA. So, take a vacation in the tropics and soak up the sunshine while you are there. Sunshine is your best source of vitamin D as it is the way God made us to get our vitamin D. In fact, if you can get outdoors around midday in the tropics when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, that’s when its UVB rays are the most intense. Because of this, you will need less time in the sun to get a healthy dose of vitamin D.
- Take a Supplement
In addition to making conscious changes to your diet and the time you spend outside, you could also consider taking a Hallelujah Diet® Vitamin D3 / K2 supplement. This will give you a vitamin D3 boost, especially if you feel you might be deficient or if a blood test has shown that you are. Vitamin K2 helps direct the extra calcium absorbed by the higher amount of vitamin D to go to the right places, like bones, and not in the wrong tissues like cartilage and blood vessel walls. It is recommended to take vitamin K2 whenever taking large doses of vitamin D3.
- Invest in a Vitamin D Lamp
Sperti has created a vitamin D lamp that has been clinically proven to improve vitamin D levels in people. Just 5 minutes a day, using the built-in timer, will keep your vitamin D levels up just like in the summer time. The Sperti lamp has cleared by the FDA as a safe source of vitamin D. Because of the built-in timer, this lamp is convenient, safe and easy to incorporate into your day.
The Bottom Line
Winter is the season where you can easily get sidetracked into “hunkering down” indoors and out of the cold and becoming complacent about your diet. It takes a conscious and yet exciting effort to increase your sun exposure and to seek out vitamin D supplements that have big benefits for your health.
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i have appreciated Rev Malkus’ focus on God’s Word as a source of his diet plan to improve our health. I usually find the articles very informative and helpful, and I enjoy reading them and learning new ways to guard and improve my health. I would like to point out that the picture chosen for the article on Vit D seems very inappropriate on a Christian-based site. The sunbathing woman in the picture is barely clothed, albeit she is probably absorbing a lot of Vitamin D on her practically naked body.
Sure would love to make copy’s of your news letters to pass out to friends .. Your friendly printer option is missing ..
Karen, I passed your advice to the person who handles that sort of thing. Thanks for your input.
I noticed that too, Carolyn. The picture is very inappropriate.
Vitamin D is very important for our health and bodies. I highly reccommend getting out in the sun each day if possible. If this is not an option the Hallelujah Diet Vit D3 K2 works great!
Oh puhleeez @Carolyn Ellis, I’m often wearing less than that when I’m working (no, not a lady or lad of the night). You must have nightmares when going to the mall I would suspect. Plenty of young women wearing less than that shown in the picture.
I don’t agree that the photo is not appropriate. It is simply a family at the beach enjoying together time. It is typical beach attire. If you are offended, I guess you don’t go to the beach very much.
What other type of picture would illustrate the proper way of absorbing Vitamin D from the sun?
I did not even notice picture till you mentioned it.
She has a bathing suit on.
I did not know that there was such a thing as a Vitamin D lamp. It sounds like it is a convenient way to get vitamin D by sitting under it for 5 minutes daily.
However, it is even easier to take Hallelujah Vitamin D3 K2.
I really did not look very closely at the picture, which was drawn attention because the article was much more important than the family enjoying the sun on their private property (seeing no one else was around). The attire here in Florida represents just that. But I suppose it is the way one looks at it, in which there are many views on the subject of attire. Hopefully, everyone will get past the attire and focus on the article itself.
I wish people would “get over it”. The point of this article is Vitamin D. Not a harmless picture, If you are offended by it. Move on. This is about people who want to learn how to take care of our body God gave us, not complain about the things that you don’t like.
Great information on Vitamin D. It’s a great reminder to be mindful of our Vitamin D especially during the winter.
I was very surprised by this comment on your Vitamin D article:
During the winter there isn’t any UV-B rays in the sunshine we get north of Florida, so it isn’t possible to get vitamin D from sunlight during the winter in most of the USA.
I’ve never heard this before. Can you verify the validity of this statement? I was also looking for some statement or recommendation on the amount of Vit. D folks should take during the winter months. We take 5,000 IUs in the winter, 2,000 in the Spring and Fall and 1,000 during the summer. Does that sound like a good plan? Can you overdose on Vit. D?
In answer to Phil’s question. Just have a woman in a bathing suit that isn’t a bikini. The picture caught my attention too. The bottoms looked more like a belt around her waist than the bottoms of a bikini. But as someone said, it was obviously a family enjoying some sun on the beach so I didn’t find it overly offensive, but as a man, it did certainly catch my attention.
Hi Ben,
The only way to be certain if we are taking the right amount of vitamin D is to get a blood test. Olin Idol, VP of Health for Hallelujah Diet, recommends the levels it be 50 to 90 ng/ml
I do not know the source of the information in this article. I found THIS article from Harvard that says:“Except during the summer months, the skin makes little if any vitamin D from the sun at latitudes above 37 degrees north ……”
I found that North Carolina, where I live, falls below this line. However, how can it be that I am getting enough vitamin D during the winter when it is so cold outside I have to wear long sleeves, pants and a coat? This past weekend it did warm up enough for me to get outside to play tennis in a sleeveless shirt. When taking a walk or just sitting outside though, I am in long sleeves.
Hi Ben,
The only way to be certain if we are taking the right amount of vitamin D is to get a blood test. Olin Idol, VP of Health for Hallelujah Diet, recommends the levels it be 50 to 90 ng/ml
I do not know the source of the information in this article. I found THIS article from Harvard that says:“Except during the summer months, the skin makes little if any vitamin D from the sun at latitudes above 37 degrees north ……”
There is a map there, and I found that North Carolina, where I live, falls below this line. However, I am not getting enough sunshine to produce adequate vitamin D during the winter when it is so cold outside I have to wear long sleeves, pants and a coat. This past weekend it did warm up enough for me to get outside to play tennis in a sleeveless shirt. When taking a walk or just sitting outside though, I am in long sleeves.
I’m immensely disappointed in the drawing of the family on the beach…with the scantily clad woman.
I am a Health Minister and I agree 100% with Carolyn about the almost naked female in the picture. Just because that’s how the majority of beach goers dress does not make it pleasing to God. Matthew chapter 7 and verses 13 and 14.
I agree with the comments against the photo. If we can’t get our “D” from the sun in a private setting we should take the “D” supplements and/or get a sun lamp. I am blessed with a place in my back yard that is private. I just don’t think the temple of the Holy Ghost (1Corinthians 6:19) should expose itself to the world.
Wow… I didn’t know that a Vitamin D Lamp even existed until I read this article. They are a bit pricey, so I will more than likely continue to take Vitamin D3-K2 to make sure I keep my numbers up. Thanks for the information.