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Published on July 22, 2024

The incredible impact vitamin D has made on this participant’s health and the health of his family

Key Points

  • Over the years, we have received many stories describing how vitamin D has changed the health and lives, especially of those who corrected their deficiency; today we share a story from a new participant whose vitamin D journey began several years ago, prompted by his mother’s breast cancer diagnosis
  • Michael’s vitamin D level is currently 86 ng/ml; he will be testing his level again after relying on sunshine exposure for his vitamin D through the summer months
  • Are you already sharing your story or that of a loved one with others? Take your inspiration for sharing about vitamin D a step further by donating or submitting to create a Vitamin D Tribute Page to help raise funds for vitamin D education and awareness through GrassrootsHealth

 

GrassrootsHealth has been sharing practical and reliable information about vitamin D for over 15 years while running the world’s largest public health intervention study on vitamin D. Over those years, we have received many stories from individuals of all ages describing how vitamin D has changed their health and lives.

Mike is a new participant of the GrassrootsHealth Vitamin D*action project; however, his vitamin D journey began several years ago, prompted by his mother’s breast cancer diagnosis. As an outgoing health enthusiast and educator, he is excited to share his story with his followers, those of GrassrootsHealth… and beyond.

Please read and share Mike’s story below and consider sharing your own to be featured on our Participant Stories & Testimonials page.

Participant Interview

Name: Michael Angel Loayza Jr.
Website: www.mikeloayza.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/lowwisezahstudios
Instagram: @thejackedpoet

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a filmmaker, writer, and actor, local to New Jersey, who loves to entertain and create purposeful content; that is content that operates at a deeper level of consciousness, spiritual, if you will but with no dogmatism attached. Besides screenplays, I love writing books, leading me to publish 20 of them ranging in poetry, philosophy, academic and narrative fiction. I’m completely self-taught and I feel that in my experience, many educational systems lack to crafting the individual student’s unique and innate needs; not to mention most academic institutions are heavily limiting to the intellect due to biased forms of teaching based upon whoever grants them financial funds. Take lobbying out of education and politics and you may just slowly heal the world – I just solved a massive problem in one sentence. Writing is that powerful. At the end of the day, in all expressive forms of art that flow through me, I just want to spread peace, love and kindness.

How long have you been a GrassrootsHealth participant and/or how has GrassrootsHealth played a role in your health journey?

I learned about GrassrootsHealth quite some time ago from Dr. Mercola. I truly believe in what they’re doing for society and world health. I’m so grateful to be a part of their groundbreaking research and be an advocate for their life-enhancing cause.

How has vitamin D impacted your health?

Incredibly. No one can deny the power of the sun and a well-balanced diet that is synonymous with nature. I feel that without having my levels at an adequate amount, I would not feel the same, my immune system would not be robust, and mentally, I would not be healthy either. There is a reason why the sunshine vitamin creates happiness and places that do not have access to the sun year around have higher rates of depression, amongst other mental illnesses. Plants need sun to thrive as do we. The ocean contains salt as do our tears. Plants even produce melatonin just like us! Vitamin D lights the fire of all these cellular responses – this is profound to me.

How did you first become aware of/interested in vitamin D?

My mother’s experience with breast cancer over a decade ago opened us up to a holistic lifestyle. She was VITAMIN D DEFICIENT upon her diagnosis (20 ng/ml or so). I feel that this is so essential to convey to people. The risk of a majority of illnesses, cancer included, is increased due to low vitamin D levels. Unbiased science and heroic scientists have proven this again and again. Cold and Flu season is the simplest example of a logical explanation to lower Vitamin D levels weakening the immune system; the sun goes away for a while, D levels get low, the immune system then lacks the cellular and hormonal effects of this FREE sunshine vitamin; this is why I supplement during the fall and winter, being that I’m in New Jersey and we don’t get sun year-round.

My mom is now the healthiest she’s ever been and is legit in the best shape of her life. She is the most vibrant mail carrier and a realtor that you’ll ever meet. My mom spends a lot of time walking and outside in the sun. Her D levels back in March I believe was 60 ng/ml – her Integrative Doctor and herself hope to get it into the 80’s.

How much vitamin D do you take? How do you get it (sun or supplements)?

During the fall and winter, I take 10,000 IU along with Magnesium, B6, K, and Zinc – this is in one convenient supplement. It is Dr. Berg’s – I have no affiliation, but it works because my levels were robust upon testing mid-spring. I am excited to test my levels after the summer to see how they are without taking a supplement, but with ample midday sun exposure.

What is your vitamin D level now and what is your target level? For how long have you maintained this level?

I’m currently at 86 ng/ml – I feel good in the 80’s and I’ve learned by many other health advocates and holistic doctors that I admire that they’re able to reach this number without supplementation. So, logically, being that we’re naturally meant to be outside for hours, hunting, gathering, farming, etc., that this is the most optimal level.

Why do you choose to keep your level this high? Are you concerned about toxicity? Why or why not?

From what I understand, based on information from the health pioneers that I follow, in Florida and in the tropics, people are able to keep their levels in the 80’s just from being in the sun. I eat a wholesome diet and also take magnesium and vitamin k2, to work synergistically with Vitamin D, so I don’t feel toxicity is a problem at the dose that I take. Also, upon reading many studies about vitamin D toxicity, they seem to not have any conclusive data showing any toxicity with doses of 10,000 IU per day of vitamin D (similar to mine) especially when combined with K and Magnesium. In wholefoods nothing consists of just vitamin D – Raw milk for instance consists of D and K2 together. Nature knows how to manufacture the best multivitamin. I even know of holistic doctors treating immune diseases with 100,000 IUs of D and they’ve had very positive results with modulating serious illnesses within the body.

What was your vitamin D level when you first tested it?

86 ng/ml but I’ll be sure to test again mid-summer and see. I stopped supplementing late March.

What other supplements do you take and/or dietary changes have you made to support your vitamin D status and overall health? Why?

When only getting it from the sun in Spring and Summer, I take Magnesium and K2 to work with natural Vitamin D from the sun, and also Astaxanthin to protect from radiation. Sometimes I take methylated B vitamins and NAC for glutathione production and upper respiratory and cellular health. I take cod liver oil for the active form of Vitamins A and D.

How else do you supplement your vitamin D level and/or your health when the summer sun is not available to you?

I live a very healthy lifestyle, so my levels should always be adequate. I do know that by not having the strength of the sun in the Fall and Winter that, psychologically and chemically, its deficit does play into the health of the body and mind. This year, my mom and I used near-infrared light therapy and this helps but it is nothing like the natural sun – though its melatonin stimulation is rather amazing. The simple test is the incredible relaxation that near-infrared light induces, similar to that received from the sun.

Note: Michael will be testing his vitamin D level again after relying on sunshine exposure for his vitamin D through the summer months.  We will follow up with him to see where his level is at!

Thank you Michael for sharing your story with GrassrootsHealth!

Join D*action and Measure Your D Level Today!

Dedicate A Donation or a Vitamin D Tribute Page to Your Story or that of a Loved One

Do you have a story about how vitamin D and/or GrassrootsHealth affected your health or the health of a loved one – a story that has already inspired you to spread the word about vitamin D and its importance to others around you?

Take your inspiration for sharing about vitamin D a step further by donating or submitting to create a Vitamin D Tribute Page to help raise funds for vitamin D education and awareness through GrassrootsHealth!

Please consider making a donation today to further vitamin D research, education, and action – getting the right information about vitamin D into the hands of everyone.

Donate Here

Email [email protected] if you are interested in building a dedicated Vitamin D Tribute Page

An example of a donation made in memory of a loved one can be seen here, where one’s passion for vitamin D inspired an educational series about the importance of vitamin D during pregnancy, especially for African American women. Our Vitamin D Tribute Pages will offer a space for additional personalized fundraising, and will be created as a page that you can use to help raise funds for GrassrootsHealth with a focus on your particular cause.

We are forever grateful for those who have found inspiration in the mission and activities of GrassrootsHealth and have taken additional steps in showing their own gratitude and support!  Make your contribution today to support our collaborative mission of putting an end to vitamin D deficiency and its health consequences.

Help Increase Awareness by Sharing Your Story Too

We believe many of you have stories to share about how vitamin D impacted your health, and we ask that you share them with us so that we can forward them on. Your story could motivate others to consider learning more about vitamin D for their own health and lead them to take the right steps towards making a world of difference in their health and their life. It is a simple solution – you can help build the awareness!

Do you have a story you would like to share?

Share it Here

Email [email protected] if you are interested in a detailed participant interview!

Make Sure You Are Getting Enough Vitamin D and Other Important Nutrients – Test At Home!

Having and maintaining healthy vitamin D levels and other nutrient levels can help improve your health now and for your future. Choose which additional nutrients to measure, such as your omega-3s and essential minerals including magnesium and zinc, by creating your custom home test kit today. Take steps to improve the status of each of these measurements to benefit your overall health. With measurement you can then determine how much is needed and steps to achieve your goals.  You can also track your own intakes, symptoms and results to see what works best for YOU.

Enroll in D*action and Test Your Levels Today!

How Can You Use this Information for YOUR Health?

Having and maintaining healthy vitamin D and other nutrient levels can help improve your health now and for your future. Measuring is the only way to make sure you are getting enough!

STEP 1 Order your at-home blood spot test kit to measure vitamin D and other nutrients of concern to you, such as omega-3s, magnesium, essential and toxic elements (zinc, copper, selenium, lead, cadmium, mercury); include hsCRP as a marker of inflammation or HbA1c for blood sugar health

STEP 2 Answer the online questionnaire as part of the GrassrootsHealth study

STEP 3 Using our educational materials and tools (such as our dose calculators), assess your results to determine if you are in your desired target range or if actions should be taken to get there

STEP 4 After 3-6 months of implementing your changes, re-test to see if you have achieved your target level(s)

Enroll in D*action and Build Your Custom Test Kit!