Published on October 28, 2015
October 28, 2015
WHY is there so much vitamin D deficiency??
We had a news table at a large pharmacy recently where we had information about vitamin D, and of course, testing.
The most commonly heard things were:
- I don’t need any supplements. I get it all from my foods.
- I already take vitamin D. When asked “How much?” the response was either “It’s in my multi.” or “2000 IU/day.” (not generally enough)
- When asked “How much time do you spend in the sun?”, the responses were almost unanimous “I avoid the sun and, when necessary to be in it, I wear sunscreen.”
We are creating a deficiency by misunderstanding and, lack of knowledge. Key Fact: Our bodies’ vitamin D production was programmed to be primarily through the skin, from sunshine. There are two major reasons for this deficiency epidemic:
- We are inside (as a result of industrialization).
- We have gotten a scare message about sunshine and cancer. Yes, excessive sun exposure leads to an increase in squamous and basal cell carcinomas (that can generally be cut or burned off the skin easily). The safety message should be “Don’t burn!!!” and “Protect your face.”
A key to resolving the deficiency is to initiate a new standard of measurement for the question “How much do I need?” This measurement has to take into account everything from skin type to age to the availability and distribution of both UVA and UVB in the locale. This standard should ultimately be agreed upon by the various public health agencies. We’re not there yet! Stay tuned for more developments and certainly, share your information with us.
Please review the information in this newsletter and from our paper on Sunlight and Vitamin D and the many recordings we have put together for your use.