You may have heard that Vitamin D is extremely important and that “you should take it”. You also may have that on your list of things to do which may or may not ever happen. This article is to inform you that if you are not taking a Vitamin D supplement right now, you are missing out on a ridiculous amount of health benefits which may change your life.
At JDS Hometraining & Holistic Nutrition, we like to talk about “bang for your buck” lifestyle changes. These are changes that are simple to execute but have major positive impact on your health. Assuring that you have proper Vitamin D levels is one of these simple yet extremely impactful additions to your life. I simply can not stress enough the importance of adequate Vitamin D levels.
The ideal method to optimize your Vitamin D levels is through sensible sun exposure. If you reside in the north east sufficient year round sun exposure is not an option. In this case you can use an oral supplement of Vitamin D3.
Reliable research shows that Vitamin D levels below 40 ng/ml are linked to increased risk of depression, cancers, Asthma, MS and other Neurological disorders and autoimmune diseases. Levels in the higher range (60-100 ng/ml) have been shown to provide greater preventative care against such diseases and disorders.
Furthermore, once optimal levels are reached, you will notice increased energy and mood stabilization.
When a new client comes to me for a wellness and nutritional program, the first thing I make sure of is that they are properly hydrating regularly (half your bodyweight in ounces of water per day) and their current Vitamin D levels are sufficient (I personally prescribe 70-100 ng/ml).
So how do you know how much to take?
I have many clients who come to me and say “My doctor told me i should take 1,000 iu per day.”
I always respond asking “Why 1,000 IU? (or whatever the arbitrary number may be).
Most people do not know why, nor were they given an explanation for this amount.
The truth is if you are Vitamin D deficient (Current blood levels below 40 ng/ml) then 1,000 IU per day will do nothing to raise your levels.
Grassrootshealth.net has a handy chart which shows you how much Vitamin D you will need as a supplement to go from your current levels to your desired levels.
So here is the protocol:
* Get your levels tested. Go to your doctor and ask him to test your Vitamin D or ask what your levels were on your last exam.
* Based on the grassrootshealth.net chart find how much ADDITIONAL vitamin D you will need per day based on your body weight (second chart) to reach the highest number shown (70 ng/ml).
* Order a high quality Vitamin D3 supplement in high enough doses for convenience (If you are to take 9,000 IU/ day then you can order 2000 IU pills). Solgar is a high quality brand for example but you can do your own research. Just don’t purchase store brand supplements as they are not monitored for quality.
* Also order vitamin K2 which is essential in helping your body absorb the vitamin D.
* Take the prescribed amount for 3-6 months and then retest with your doctor. Your levels should have increased, hopefully to the desired level.
For more information on this protocol or the health benefits of vitamin D, contact me and read the articles and watch the video below.
Best health!
http://www.grassrootshealth.net
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/26/maximizing-vitamin-d-exposure.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/11/17/vitamin-d-deficiency-asthma-multiple-sclerosis.aspx
Leave a Reply