We cannot meet our vegan vitamin D needs with occasional summer sunThe natural source of vegan vitamin D is sunlight. Vitamin D is not really a vitamin at all, but a prohormone that we make from the action of sunlight on our skin. We later convert it to an active hormone. Our species evolved in equatorial Africa. Our ancestors wore little or no clothing. Early humans got plenty of sun and they produced lots of vitamin D.Today our lives are different. We spend most of our time inside our home, car, and workplace. Dermatologists warn us to use sunscreen every time we go out in the sun. They say that if we don't, we will develop skin cancer. But sunscreen blocks the rays that enable us to make vitamin D. And scientists say a majority of people are now vitamin D deficient. Low vitamin D levels are epidemic
For many years, doctors have known that vitamin D deficiency causes the bone disease called rickets. Children who never went out in the sun were at risk for rickets. However, many recent studies show that vitamin D is important for other reasons. And the blood levels that are enough to protect us from rickets still leave us vulnerable to other diseases. Lower levels of vitamin D increase our risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, chronic pain, and more than 100 other conditions. Adequate vitamin D reduces the risk of major cancers by 60%. (No, that is not a typo.) Vitamin D helps us destroy viruses. Sub-optimal levels of vitamin D during the winter make us more susceptible to cold and flu viruses. How much vitamin D do we need?
A group of thirty vitamin D researchers agrees that for optimum health, we should maintain a level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (calcidiol) of at least 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/L). Between 50 and 70 ng/ml is best (125 - 175 nmol/L). If you have your blood tested, be sure to test for 25(OH)D. Do not test for 1,25(OH)2 D, as it will not give you an accurate result. The rays that produce the healthy, free, vegan vitamin D are the ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. They are most prevalent at noon (1:00 pm daylight savings time). To maximize vitamin D production:
To help prevent getting wrinkles on your face, you can wear a hat or cover your face with a scarf. The rest of your body can soak up the vegan vitamin D. Some people need extra
vitamin D
If you are overweight or obese, you probably have low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is stored in body fat. The more body fat you have, the more vitamin D you store. This leaves less vitamin D available in the bloodstream for your body to use. Until you reach your ideal weight, you will need more sun than a normal weight person. But the good news is that vitamin D probably helps to control weight. Obesity rates are lower in regions near the equator where sun is plentiful and vitamin D levels are high. And in lab experiments, activated vitamin D inhibits the production of fat and fat cells. Isn't it great that the best source of vegan vitamin D can help with weight loss too? The elderly need more vitamin D than others, because we do not convert UVB to vitamin D as efficiently as we age. People of color, especially blacks, need much more sun (or supplements) than whites to produce adequate levels of vitamin D. The pigment in colored skin blocks many of the UVB rays. Black skin evolved near the equator where sun was plentiful. Blacks who choose to live in cold regions are often vitamin D deficient. This may explain many health problems. Vitamin D winter
Caucasians who live below 34 degrees north latitude (Los Angeles) or above 34 degrees south latitude (Adelaide), can get enough UVB from the sun all year long. In colder regions, there is a "vitamin D winter" for a few months (or longer) when the sun is at the wrong angle to stimulate D production. During the winter, vegans have a few choices:
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplements are made from the lanolin in sheep's wool, or sometimes from fish oil. Non-vegans can get vitamin D3 from cod liver oil and from other fatty fish. Cow's milk and margarine are usually fortified with vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is the form that our bodies make. It is natural, safe, and effective, but it is not vegan. What about skin cancer?
Many people fear that sunbathing unprotected will cause skin cancer. The risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is very low in people who eat a low fat diet with a high intake of phytonutrients. As a healthy vegan, your diet should be rich in colorful fruits and vegetables. You can also reduce your risk of NMSC by getting adequate omega 3 fats in your diet. Melanoma, the deadly form of skin cancer, is not linked with small amounts of unprotected sun exposure. It is linked with sunburn and with sunscreen use! Suntan lotion that blocks UVB still lets UVA through to the deeper layers of the skin. You might not burn on the surface of the skin, but the UVA rays are still causing damage that can lead to melanoma. High vitamin D levels are linked with lower rates of melanoma and of serious internal cancers. You can dramatically lower your risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, and many other cancers by keeping your vitamin D levels high. If all of these claims about vitamin D are hard for you to believe, we suggest you read "Vitamin D3 and Solar Power for Optimum Health" by Marc Sorenson, EdD. It is an excellent summary of the current research, with 37 pages of references from the medical literature.
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