Vitamin D From The Sun

Today we are just over 100 days away from the next Natural Vitamin D3 from the sun in Iowa.

Today, Sunday the 21st of December is the Winter Solstace of 2014 in North America.  The sun is the lowest on the horizon.  That means sunlight today has to travel through the greatest amount of earth’s atmosphere to get to us.

Today, the earth’s atmosphere completely protects us from Sunburn and Skin Cancer by blocking the sun’s UV rays.  This is good.

Today, the earth’s atmosphere completely protects us from Vitamin D3 by blocking the sun’s UV rays.  This is not so good.

Our next Natural Vitamin D opportunity will come at mid-day (a little after 1 PM in Waterloo, Iowa) in early April.  Until then you need to get your Vitamin D from foods or supplements.  Vitamin D3 tablets, capsules, gel caps or drops all can work.  So can tablespoons of Cod Liver Oil or several pounds of Mushrooms daily.

Test for your 25-hydroxy Vitamin D level to determine if you are getting enough.  Almost everyone is too low at 20 ng/ml and almost everyone has enough above 40 ng/ml.  I aim for between 40 and 80 for optimal bone health for myself and for my patients.

It is Winter.  Do you know where your Vitamin D is coming from?

Take Control of your health by finding out.

Jay Ginther, MD

Categorised in: Bone Health, Nutrition