Vitamin SUN!
Vitamin D is the general term given to a group of cholesterol-based hormones that maintain healthy levels of calcium, magnesium and phosphate balance in your blood and bones. Vitamin D is essential for strong bones, muscles and overall health. Vitamin D promotes optimal bone density and influences just about every cellular process in the body including DNA Replication.
Vitamin D is very important in regulating and supporting the function of the immune system and vital when fighting against bacterial and viral infections. New research released by Koivisto , Hanel and Carlberg, (2020) has shown low Vitamin D levels may be one of the potential reasons for increased vulnerability, especially in the elderly, to viral infections, such as the recent coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
According to the Falls and Injury Prevention Group, Neuroscience Research Australia, high doses of Vitamin D (approx. 1000UI) in elderly patients, decreases the risk of falls by up to 72%.
We can get many nutrients from the sun and as far as Vitamin D is concerned, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the best source of vitamin D for the rest of us. As little as 10 minutes per day of sun exposure either in the early morning (from sunrise to 9am) or in the early afternoon/evening (from 4:30pm to sunset) will allow you to produce the necessary levels of vitamin D. In fact, after regular sunrise nutrition, people under the age of 50 can produce and store approximately 6 months’ worth of vitamin D, so vitamin D stored in the body is available during the winter when production is minimal.
Daily exercise and eating a balance diet containing regular serves of fish (Salmon, sardines, mackerel), cod liver oil, eggs, soft cheeses, full fat yogurt and full fat un-homogenised milk, will also help keep your Vitamin D at a healthy level.
You may have an increased risk of low vitamin D if you:
Naturally have very dark skin – the pigment in skin (melanin) acts as a filter to UVB (ultraviolet B) radiation and reduces the amount of vitamin D that the body makes in the skin.
Have very little or no sun exposure – such as older adults – especially people who are frail, in medium-to-long-term residential or aged care, or housebound.
Wear covering clothing for religious and cultural reasons.
Deliberately avoid all sun exposure for cosmetic or health reasons.
Have been hospitalised or institutionalised for long periods.
Are in an occupation with little sun exposure – office workers, taxi drivers, factory workers or night-shift workers.
It is important for pregnant and breast-feeding women to remember babies get their initial store of vitamin D from their mothers and if you are low in Vitamin D then your breast milk will contain very little Vitamin D. If you have low vitamin D (or had low vitamin D during pregnancy) then your baby is also at risk of low vitamin D. It is very important to make sure you have adequate levels of vitamin D during your pregnancy and while breastfeeding your baby. You should get in touch with a pregnancy nutritionist for a proper plan that you can follow.
You can identify if you have low vitamin D by a simple blood test, your GP will be able to order this for you and it should be covered by Medicare.
Signs of Low Vitamin D levels include:
Weight gain
Constant Fatigue
General muscle pain and weakness
Joint pain
Muscle cramps
High blood pressure
Disturbed or Restless sleep
Poor concentration
Headaches
Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to play a role in many diseases. This includes:
Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
Osteoarthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis
High blood pressure
Up to 17 types of Cancer (including breast, prostate and colon)
Heart disease
Obesity
Hyperthyroidism
Diabetes
Multiple sclerosis
Gout
Infertility and PMS
Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Fibromyalgia
It is important to remember many people remain asymptomatic despite low levels of Vitamin D, so if you feel you are in the risk group, you should have a blood test every 6 months to check your levels.
If you find you have low vitamin D levels there are some very basic lifestyle changes you can make to increase your levels without the needs for supplements.
First try increasing your exposure to sunlight (as per paragraph 2 of this article), increase your consumption of vitamin D containing foods and try to get 30mins of moderate exercise 3 times a week, this can be as simple as a 30 minute early morning walk outside (you get your sun exposure and exercise at the same time).
If you feel supplements are important to make sure you are taking the right kind.
Supplemental vitamin D comes in two forms:
Ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) – is the form of vitamin D found in plants or fungus/yeast-derived products, and it was first produced in the early 1920s by exposing foods to ultraviolet light.
Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) – is the form of vitamin D found in animals. It is produced when your skin is exposed to the UVB rays of sunlight.
The two types differ in the following ways:
D3 is approximately 87 percent more potent in raising and maintaining vitamin D concentrations and produces 2 to 3 times greater storage of vitamin D than does D2.
Vitamin D3 is more effective at raising and maintaining the vitamin D blood test (again, D2 binds less tightly to the vitamin D receptors in the body; therefore, D2 does not circulate as long in the body, which means it has a shorter half-life).
Regardless of which form you use, your body must convert it into a more active form, and vitamin D3 is converted 500 percent faster than vitamin D2.
Vitamin D3 may be less toxic than D2 because higher concentrations of D2 circulate in the blood when consumed (compared to vitamin D3). It does not bind as well to the receptors in the human tissues compared to vitamin D3.
Vitamin D2 also has a shorter shelf life, and its metabolites bind poorly with proteins, further hampering its effectiveness. It can be affected by outside influences temperature, humidity, and storage. This is perhaps why the amount of vitamin D2 in certain fortified food products have been significantly lower than that advertised on the label in numerous instances.
As the above has shown it is very important that if you decide to take Vitamin D supplements that you ensure you are taking a Vitamin D3 supplement.
The recommended Vitamin D daily intake is 800 IU/day. I highly recommend sunlight, exercise and diet should be addressed before supplements are considered.
Top foods containing Vitamin D:
1. Salmon and trout
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) advise 100gms of farmed Atlantic salmon contains 526 IU of vitamin D, or 66% of the Daily Value (DV). 100gms of cooked rainbow trout provides 155IU per 100gms or 39% of the DV.
In comparison, wild-caught salmon contains 988 IU of vitamin D per 100gms, or 124% of the DV. Other studies have even found levels of up to 1,300 IU per 100gms in wild caught. It is very clear wild caught or farmed makes a big difference to the nutritional content of fish, so keep this in mind when doing your next shop.
2. Herring and sardines
Herring is a fish eaten around the world. It can be served raw, canned, smoked, or pickled.
Fresh Atlantic herring provides 216 IU per 100gms, which is 27% of the DV.
Canned sardines are a good source of vitamin D as well 193 IU of vitamin D per 100gms, or 24% of the DV.
3. Cod liver oil
Cod liver oil is one of the most popular supplements on the market and if you don't like eating fish, this can be a quick and easy way to obtaining certain nutrients which are hard to obtain from other sources.
One teaspoon or 5mls of cod liver oil contains 448 IU of Vitamin D, this is 56% of the DV.
Cod liver oil is likewise a fantastic source of vitamin A, with 150% of the DV in one teaspoon.
It is important to note: vitamin A can be toxic in high amounts, so do not take more than a teaspoon a day of cod liver oil.
4. Canned tuna
Canned tuna has great flavour and is easy to store, it is usually cheaper to buy than fresh fish and has good nutritional value.
Canned tuna contains up to 268 IU of vitamin D per 100gms, which is 34% of the DV.
5. Egg yolks
Eggs are one of the highest natural sources of vitamin D. The average serve of eggs (2 x 60g eggs) provide 82% of the DV.
Whole eggs are a nutrition powerhouse and while protein is contained in the whites, the fat, vitamins, and minerals are all found in the yolks.
Vitamin D levels in egg yolk depend on sun exposure, when given the same feed, pasture-raised chickens that roam outside in the sunlight produce eggs with levels 3–4 times higher than those kept in cages. Just another great reason to avoid eggs from caged chickens and buy only free range, pasture feed cooks!
Once you have eaten your eggs, don’t throw the shells away - Read what you can do with your egg shells here: http://www.homegrown.org.au/new-blog/2018/4/13/eggciting-egg-shells
6. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are the only good plant source of vitamin D. Mushrooms synthesize this vitamin when exposed to UV light. It must be noted: Mushrooms produce vitamin D2, whereas animals produce vitamin D3.
Nonetheless, wild mushrooms are excellent sources of vitamin D2. In fact, some varieties pack up to 2,300 IU per 100gms, nearly three times the DV.
It is important to note: commercially grown mushrooms are often grown in the dark and contain very little D2. However, some are treated with ultraviolet (UV light). Check what you are purchasing if using mushrooms as a Vit D source.
If you want to grow your own mushrooms at home check out this Growing Mushroom Blog: http://www.homegrown.org.au/new-blog/2018/8/10/reusing-coffee-grounds-growing-mushrooms