Shining Light On Vitamin D
Spending time in the sunshine doesn’t only feel good — it's also an easy way for your body to access the UVB rays needed to produce Vitamin D naturally! Unfortunately, over 30% of the Canadian population is Vitamin D deficient. It is arguably one of the most important vitamins for your well-being. Vitamin D plays a key role in over 3,000 gene expressions, helps regulate the health of your skin, bones, strength, and immunity. It’s vital to make sure you are meeting your daily requirements!
What is Vitamin D2 and D3?
There are two types of vitamin D: D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). D2 is made naturally by plants, and D3 is the form your body produces when it's exposed to the UBV rays in sunlight, although some foods can also contain a small amount of Vitamin D.
Once it has been manufactured in your skin or absorbed from food, it travels to the liver and kidneys where it is turned into its active form, calcitriol
Benefits of Vitamin D Include:
-Improved immunity
-Protect against osteoporosis
-Strengthen muscles
-Reduce inflammation
-Mood/depression
-Reduce the risk of colon cancer
Layered clothing, daily use of sunscreens, increased time spent indoors, less available light in the fall and winter contribute to deficiency. Luckily there are many ways to avoid this by supplementation!
Fun Fact: There are multiple types of rays the sun emits - this includes UBV and UVA; glass filters out UVB rays and only allows UVA rays through it. UVA rays can penetrate deep into the skin which can contribute to premature ageing!
Supplementing Vitamin D
Vitamin D supplements come in a variety of options to suit each member of the family; I recommend the Health First Vitamin D3 500 Gel Caps!
Every small soft gel contains 1000 IU of Vitamin D3, and come with a base of olive oil. A bonus is that you can rest easy knowing Health First packaging is manufactured using only 100% recyclable materials to help keep our landfills clean!
Have trouble swallowing pills? No problem! Health First also offers Vitamin D3 in drops as well as tablets!
As of recently, Health Canada has expanded the Vitamin D3 single dose limit to 2500 IU! Jamieson and Natural Factors have released new, higher dose products to reflect the change. Natural Factors are in softgel form with a base of organic flaxseed oil and the Jamieson variety are in tablets.
You can find both the Jamieson and Natural Factors Vitamin D3 2500IU at any of our Amaranth locations!
In conclusion, Vitamin D may benefit many conditions and can be an important part of your health regimen. While it is often called the 'sunshine vitamin' - many people will have a hard time getting the amount of Vitamin D they need from the sun alone. Be sure to ask your healthcare practitioner to perform a simple blood test to determine your Vitamin D levels and if this is the right supplement for you!
Written by Kyra Schlotter, Amaranth Wellness Advisor
Sources:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04536298
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-624-x/2013001/article/11727-eng.htm
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3356951/
https://www.skincancer.org/blog/surprising-danger-planes-trains-automobiles/