vitamin d

The more I read about Vitamin D, the more convinced I am that it is far more important for our health. I can't help thinking that getting enough sunshine might be better than taking supplements. There might be something that sunshine does that goes beyond Vitamin D3 supplementation. Then again, a lot of the reports, including an MD I consulted with say that you cannot rely on sunshine for adequate vitamin D levels. Anyway, this is something to bear in mind.

Conventional wisdom says "apply lots of suntan lotion and avoid the sun". I'm beginning to see reports that a number of suntan lotion brands don't work. I'm also seeing reports that suntan lotion may contain substances that are actually harmful to the body. Furthermore, new research is showing that people may not be getting enough sunshine.

For sure, too much sun can cause skin cancer. There is also evidence indicating a rise in tanning parlor use with an increase in skin cancers.

Recent research is showing that this humble vitamin is not to be ignored. It is not only a vitamin but a hormone. Research is showing that it plays a very important role in a variety of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Inadequate blood levels of vitamin D have been linked to several health problems aside from rickets and type 1 diabetes, including other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, along with some rare but serious heart problems like cardiomyopathy.

Over the past couple of years, a tremendous amount of new research has come out extoling the benefits of Vitamin D. Previously thought to be a simple vitamin, research is now showing that it has tremendous ramifications on our health. It's long been known to help keep bones strong and prevent things like rickets. However, evidence is mounting that it is an essential nutrient for warding off cancer, tuberculosis, hypertension, diabetes, colds, flu etc.

This NBC news video gives a good summary of why we should all pay attention to Vitamin D.