Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because our bodies create this important vitamin when the skin is exposed to the sun. The deficiency of this vitamin is becoming more common in cities all over the world. This is because many people spend most of their time living and working indoors and avoid the sun or use sunscreen because of the fear of skin cancer or damaging their complexion. Smog and pollution in cities can also block the sun’s rays. In a random study of people from Indian metro cities we found that 50% had vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is very important for calcium absorption. It also helps boost immunity by fortifying the white blood cells, which defend against bacteria. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory properties. A link has been made between influenza and vitamin D deficiency in countries which experience long winters with low levels of sunlight (source). Depression, mental health problems and Seasonal Affective Disorder have also been linked to low vitamin D levels in patients (Source).
Other diseases which can be caused by a deficiency in Vitamin D include high blood pressure, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, excess fat accumulation around vital organs, different types of cancer, atherosclerosis (thickening of arteries), osteoporosis (deterioration of bone mass) and osteopenia (thinning of bones). There are two types of Vitamin D. Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2) is found in a few foods like fatty fish. In some countries, fruit juices, milk or cereals are often fortified with this vitamin. Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) is what is produced by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. It is difficult to get enough Vitamin D through food sources. This is why sunshine is the best option. The best way to get Vitamin D is from the sun. Spend 15 to 20 minutes a day in direct sunlight, 3 to 5 times a week. Do not wear sunscreen during this time as this will prevent your skin from absorbing the vitamin. Taking vitamin D supplements can cause hypervitaminosis D, which can be dangerous.
However, you can never get too much vitamin D from the sun. Do avoid sunburn by limiting exposure. If you are eating plenty of raw fruits and vegetables, the anti-oxidants in these will help prevent sunburn and also reduce the risk of skin and other cancers. Vitamin D is stored by the body. If you have enough stores you can get by on cloudy days without any problems. If you’re concerned that you may be Vitamin D deficient, and have symptoms like depression, chronic fatigue, weight loss and muscle ache get a test done to determine your level of Vitamin D. In places with long winters, or cloudy or smoggy weather, it’s very important to get Vitamin D levels checked. In case of deficiency, supplementation is required but even then levels should be checked to avoid over-dosage. A blood test can be done to check vitamin D3 levels. 15 to 50 ng/ml is the normal range. Less than 15 is too low. In this case, one should take supplements. Once the level reaches around 30+ sunlight will be the best source.
In India commercially available vitamin D3 is not vegan since it is usually made from lanolin fat from sheep’s wool. Vegan Vitamin D2 is made from vegan sources like yeast and mushrooms and has been available but there is some debate on the virtues of D2 over D3. Many say vitamin D3 is more easily used than vitamin D2. Luckily now some vegan Vitamin D3 is available in India. Please scroll down for information on this. Supplementation can be oral or by injection. If the values are very low, injections may be best.. Oral: Calcirol made by Cadila Pharma or Caldikind sachet by Mankind. It is Vitamin D3, 60,000 IU granules in 1gram sachets.1 sachet can be taken orally at an interval of 1 – 4 weeks as required. Injection: Injection Arachitol 6, 00,000 ( Six Lakh units)( per ml), Intra muscular ( IM), every fortnight for two months). It is made by Solvay company. It is also available in 3,00,000 IU. Rs. 87.00 for 6 vials. In India the following vegan Vitamin D3 supplements are available:
Note: Vitamin D levels take some time to build up after depletion. Level of 25-OH Vitamin D (total):I am a sun worshiper. I love the feel of the sun on my skin and I love how I feel after being in the sun. I believe that blocking the sun’s rays can be detrimental to your health and use of sunscreen can be harmful. Sunbathing and sun exposure is part of being healthy when practiced with some common sense. Stay Out of The Sun is the Conventional Advice Given Staying out of the sun is the advice given by many health care providers. Alternatively, another piece of advice is to use sunscreen (which is toxic) to protect your skin. Over the years, with the ever increasing statistics of skin cancer reported, people have gotten so afraid of the sun they are walking around pale as ghosts and no better for it — actually worse. The best way to get vitamin D is to expose your skin to sunshine. When cholesterol in the skin is irradiated with sunlight, the active form of vitamin D is made.
The UVB rays stimulate vitamin D production but also cause sunburn if overexposed. The UVA rays are the ones responsible for skin damage and aging. When you use sunscreen you are effectively blocking the production of vitamin D in the skin. Most dermatologists recommend broad spectrum sun screens that block against both types of rays. If you are using a UVB block, you are also blocking the production of vitamin D. Sunscreen Is Measured by SPF SPF is short for Sun Protection Factor. One would think that the higher the SPF, the more protection. While this is true, once you get over SPF 30, the difference in protection becomes insignificant. For instance, the SPF 15 blocks 94% of UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97% and SPF 45 blocks 98% of the rays. The higher SPF’s after 45 become fractionally better so there is no reason to spend extra money for something that is nominally higher. Of course, the issue with conventional sunscreens are the toxic chemicals in them. Oxybenzone is a potentially toxic substance and it is in most commercial sunscreen lotions.
According to EWG’s 2012 findings, 56 percent of sunscreens contain this harmful chemical. It acts as a sunscreen by absorbing ultraviolet light. However, oxybenzone is also believed to cause hormone disruptions and cell damage that can trigger cancer. We are advised to slather our bodies with sunscreens that have toxic chemicals that are easily absorbed through the skin. Both the American Academy of Dermatology and the US Food and Drug Administration regard oxybenzone as safe. It’s been approved by the FDA since 1978, and is approved for use on children over the age of six months. As you know, this doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe for long term usage. The Environmental Working Group has a database of all the studies with retinyl palmitate and they classify this chemical as high concern for developmental and reproductive toxicity. While retinyl palmitate is a type of vitamin A, Government-funded studies have found that this particular type of vitamin A may increase risk of skin cancer when used on sun-exposed skin.
However, these reports have been in mice and evidence has been inconclusive for humans. For a good homemade sunscreen recipe made with zinc oxide click here to Mommypotamus. Melanin is a substance that gives the natural color to skin and hair, the iris of the eye, as well as feathers and scales. In humans, those with darker skin have higher amounts of melanin. Melanin provides a natural protection against the harmful effects of the ultraviolet rays of the sun. However, it does not provide complete protection from the sun so even individuals with darker skin tones are still at risk from the sun’s damaging rays. Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin which serves a number of functions in the body and these cells are found in all people. Coloration of hair and skin is determined not by how many melanocytes someone has, but how active these cells are. Melanocytes reside in the skin and also in the brain, inner ear, heart, and eye, as well as other locations in the body.
They usually are located below the surface. These cells produce melanin in response to environmental cues, including stimulation by ultraviolet radiation as well as certain chemicals. The melanin travels out of the melanocytes and up to the surface of the tissue where the cells are found. Over time, it breaks down and needs to be replaced with fresh supplies of melanin produced by the layer of underlying melanocytes. It’s important to get some sun exposure every day if you can. Of course if you live in places that are cold most of the time this will limit you. However, if you live in a warm climate, or at least during the warm months, you can try to get sun exposure in a sensible way to build up a tan. The most important thing is to avoid sun burn because this has been associated with skin cancer. Sunburn can occur without your knowing it because it can take a few hours for it to blossum. So be very careful when you are out in the sun. My goal is to get a bit of sun exposure each day for just a few minutes without any sunscreen or block, in order to start to build up a tan.
After a few days of just 15 – 20 minutes, I will start to tan. I have more of a Mediterranean type skin so I will tan. Those of you who have more delicate skin and lighter coloring will need to expose yourself for maybe 5 minutes a day until you can start to build some color, because you are at higher risk of sunburn compared with people with darker-colored skin. I also use a wide brim hat to block sun from my face as I do not want any sun on my face. I would rather not get the wrinkles from sun exposure on the skin of my face as that skin is much more delicate then the skin on my body. If you need to block the sun, use hats and light weight shirts, and find some shade. After I get a good tan and I want to stay in the sun for a longer period of time I will then apply a sunscreen without the toxic chemicals. These may not work as well, so I will also be more vigilant at these times. I also seek out shade, and if I go to the beach I bring a beach umbrella. Vitamin D is protective against certain types of cancer including melanoma.
This study published in the European Journal of Cancer found that melanoma patients who exposed themselves to sunlight had a better survival rate than patients who did not. They found that intermittent sun exposure was inversely associated with the risk of death in melanoma.Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer yet sun exposure seemed to help. Here are over 800 References Showing Vitamin D’s Effectiveness for Cancer Importance of Vitamin D for Overall Health Healthy vitamin D levels are needed for optimal cardiovascular health, immune system health and blood sugar regulation as well as bone, teeth and skin health and so many other benefits. Importance of Vitamin D to Bone and Teeth Health In the liver vitamin D is converted to calcidiol. Part of the calcidiol is converted by the kidneys to calcitriol, the biologically active form of vitamin D (D3). Calcitriol circulates as a hormone in the blood, regulating the concentration of calcium and phosphate in the bloodstream and promoting the healthy growth and remodeling of bone.
There is a fine balance between vitamin A and vitamin D — they keep each other in check so that one does not get too much of one and not the other. Of course, we can get get vitamins A and D from foods rich in these fat soluble vitamins such as liver and egg yolks. However, the sun is still the best way to get vitamin D. Alternatively, the best supplement for vitamins A and D is cod liver oil. The best suppliers for cod liver oil are here. Oxidative stress is associated with physiological aging and several age-related diseases. One measure of oxidative stress is by observing telomere length, because telomere shortening is a biomarker of cellular aging. A telomere is a region of repetitive nucleotide sequences at each end of a chromosome. It actually protects the information at the ends of the chromosomes and is replenished by the enzyme, telomerase reverse transcriptase. When the telomeres are shortened, information is lost. This indicates accelerated aging. This study found that oxidative stress shortens telomeres.
A new study published in Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research in April 2013, found that vitamin D protects the endothelial cells (the cells that line the blood vessels) from oxidative stress. This is just another study in the cannon of studies that finds vitamin D protective from the many diseases of inflammation. This study published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2012 found increased telomerase activity with vitamin D supplementation in obese African Americans. In other words, the vitamin D helped keep the telomeres long and more protective. I don’t know about you, but I am trying to keep my telomeres long so that I age gracefully. As usual, my advice is just the opposite of conventional medicine. I say, sit in the sun and get a tan (with common sense as outlined above) and at the same time you will be getting a nice dose of vitamin D that will increase telomerase activity, decrease oxidative stress and keep you young. I know the title of this post suggests that I do not use sunscreen at all — however, not everyone can do that without getting a sunburn.