The important function of vitamin D is to facilitate the absorption of calcium for the well-being of our bones.
Imagine watching one of Sir David Attenborough’s amazing documentaries that showcases the amazing wonder of the natural world alongside the vibrant glow of the creatures that inhabit it, only this time the cameras focus is on sunlight and vitamin D production.
With Attenborough’s gift for producing amazingly intimate images, he would probably have placed a micro-camera on our skin, witnessing the evolution of the cholesterol molecule that resides on our body’s surface into a precursor to vitamin D as a result of intense sunlight. His ability to achieve the most amazing views up close allows us to observe its journey to the liver, where it undergoes further improvement until it travels to the kidneys and other parts of our body, and completes the final stage of its accumulation into hormones capable of maintaining the vital activities of life around our entire body.
The important function of vitamin D is to facilitate the absorption of calcium for the well-being of our bones. Evidence of the extent of its effects, vitamin D also has a strong effect on our immune system by significantly increasing its fire power, as well as its ability to resist us, a characteristic of autoimmune diseases, reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, have a positive effect on the work of the heart, improve our mood and cognitive function, help prevent a number of cancers and even allow us to live longer. In other words, calling it a vitamin does this powerful protein a huge disservice.
In addition to the production of vitamin D, the power of the sun to produce a beneficial substance called nitric oxide, which lowers our blood pressure. The sun’s rays also provide a protective shield against the covid virus and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The problem is that we have become indoor creatures illuminated only by artificial light and the harmful rays of our smartphones and computers. We are hungry for the health-promoting benefits of solar luminescence to change this practice, which we think is unlikely to happen soon.
To get a stable amount of vitamin D daily, Michael Holick, an American expert on its abilities, suggests that we should expose a reasonable amount of our upper body and that our skin should turn pink to know that we have remained in the sun for a sufficient time. Unless you’re a dedicated beachgoer, this recommendation may seem overwhelming. For those who like their health tips presented in small, scientific chunks, a free app called dminder lets you calculate how much vitamin D you can get from your skin in the sun every day in a certain amount of time. Because we are consumed by the overwhelming fear of our sun-induced cancer, our desire to cover up means that most of us ignore this program or sage Holik’s advice to get the vitamin D levels that will take care of us.
In addition to being exposed to sunlight, vitamin D is found in fish that have skin, but not shellfish or crustaceans. Small amounts are also found in eggs, milk and meat. But it’s impossible to rely on our diet to provide us with the amount of vitamin D that meets our needs anywhere. To mimic nature’s wisdom, taking vitamin D supplements would be the way forward for many of us, but this is an initiative that is unlikely to see the light of day, as most of us are not happy about the need to start doing this, and health authorities, although they may be aware of any public needs, are promoting it.
How much vitamin D we should be consuming is debatable. Local health experts recommend that we should keep our vitamin D levels at 70 nmol/l. To achieve this, we need to take 1000-4000 IU per day. Other experts say that this amount of vitamin D may be enough to take care of our bones, but if we intend to have more of its Herculean power to boost our immune systems, turbocharge our hearts, our brains, and possibly prevent a number of cancers, then we need to get our vitamin D levels up to 120 nmol/L, which may require a lot.
Either way, it’s a shame that what was once one of nature’s and the sun’s most powerful contributions to our well-being now only fits in a capsule.
This article is in Journal of Wellness Issue 222
