Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost makes me high
-John Denver, 1971
Embrace the Immunity Boosting Benefits of the Sun
Vitamin D is truly an amazing substance.
But what if we told you that 42% of the global population were deficient? What if it was because advanced SPF sunscreens were reducing Vitamin D production by 95% or more?
Ladies and gentleman, all of that is true.
Human beings desperately need sun exposure for the following health benefits provided by Vitamin D.
- Maintain Muscular strength
- Prevent Cardio vascular disease
- Boost immune response
- prevent over 17 different forms of cancer
- cure and prevent Rickets
- Increases the length of telomeres which are associated with longer life spans
- maintain normal blood pressure
- reduces the age associated risk of hypertension
Vitamin D is produced when ultraviolet light reacts with the 7-hydrocholesterol in the skin. It’s self regulating meaning you can’t experience toxicity from too much Vitamin D produced by sunlight.
The lighter your skin color the more Vitamin D is produced.
Using an SPF15 sunblock lotion or higher reduces the production of Vitamin D by 99%!!!!!
If you’re truly paying attention, these facts assume people living in Cold and Dark weather climes are at a disadvantage from their Southern Hemisphere warmer weather peer groups. It’s absolutely true.
Here is a list of people normally deficient and most at risk:
- People who over apply sunscreen
- Dark Complected folks(including African Americans/Blacks) Darker people actually require 5-10x more Sunlight exposure than whites to produce the same amount of Vitamin D!
- Obese-Vitamin D becomes held up in fat cells and used for metabolic needs.
- People living at higher latitudes with longer winters equaling less sunlight
- Pregnant Mothers and sometimes as high as 81% of their children born to them
- Nursing home patients and shut ins
- Alcoholics-excess alcohol intake increases enzymes in the kidney’s that prematurely degrade the active form of Vitamin D in the blood
What to do? It’s simple.
Make it a rule to get some sun exposure 3-4x a week even if it’s from Ultra Violet Radiation from Tanning Beds. There are many “High Intensity” tanning beds which filter out bad UV radiation that will give you the same Vitamin D production as Natural sun exposure.
If you live in warm weather climates, make a conscience effort to get between 15-30 minutes of sun exposure 4-5x per week between the hours of 10AM to 3PM. And you don’t have to be sunbathing. Just being outside in the light is enough.
That amount of sun exposure will release anywhere from 8000 to 30,000 units of Vitamin D into the bloodstream and give you all the amazing restorative benefits of Vitamin D needed for a powerful immune system and long life.
MIHWCS
5 responses so far ↓
1 Guest // Oct 16, 2009 at 11:03 am
Why not just recommend people take Vitamin D supplements, like DDrops? Do you have any studies to backup your claims that sitting in “tanning booth” 3-4x a week isn’t MORE harmful than being deficient in vitamin D?
2 jayckbb // Oct 16, 2009 at 11:52 am
Hello! Thanks for your reply. We should have clarified our position more clearly. Vitamin D Supplements are not proven to truly work and are far less effective than being exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D2 which is the supplemental form of Vitamin D is far less effective than D3 formed from sun exposure. You can also get some Vitamin D from oily fish like mackerel, salmon and herring. Cod liver oil also supplies a good amount. The commentary about Tanning Beds was really only for people who live in climates or geographies where there is limited to no sun in their natural environment. Most people around the globe can spend 10-30 minutes per day outside a couple of days per week and produce all of the Vitamin D they would ever need. We don’t recommend lengthy sessions in a tanning booth for anyone. 8-10 minutes in a High Intensity Bed a couple of times per week will provide the Vitamin D production necessary to give the many benefits it provides to anyone who can’t get the sun exposure from their natural environment.
3 Guest // Oct 16, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Can you please cite the research you’re referring to indicating that vitamin D supplements are “proven” to not truly work?
I find it hard to believe supplement advice without research to back it up.
4 jayckbb // Oct 16, 2009 at 10:13 pm
I appreciate your reply again. There are numerous studies you can dig through on Medline about the lack of efficacy from Vitamin D supplements. D3 is the supplemental form found to give benefits to folks. Bottom line, nothing eaten or swallowed will provide the same benefits as exposure to the Suns rays. Here is a good article with a step by step plan on ensuring enough Vitamin D in your diet. http://bit.ly/3N0yrp At this point further research is needed on the supplemental forms of Vitamin D to determine if supplementation can truly replace the effects of the sun rays.
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