Solar vitamin D

Nourishment/19 January 2021

Vitamin D is considered one of the most popular topics among doctors, nutritionists, among people who are not indifferent to their health.

Vitamin D is not just a vitamin, but a hormone of steroidal structure, which is formed when our skin is exposed to ultraviolet radiation. This triggers the synthesis of vitamin D from cholesterol.
Receptors for vitamin D are present in every organ and cell of our body and this shows that its vital functions are very important.

In today’s article, I want to tell you the following:

how to get the maximum amount of vitamin D from the environment?
should I supplement with vitamin D?
how to maximize the absorption of vitamin D from food and nutraceuticals that you can supplement with?

Vitamin D is indeed formed under the influence of ultraviolet radiation on our skin, but you need to know the nuances and figure out if "holding your palms under the sun" is enough, as recommended by some bloggers, doctors and experts. In my opinion - no, it all depends on the area where you live.

The fact is that the angle of incidence of the sun’s rays on your skin matters depending on what longitude and latitude you live in. If your longitude and latitude are not close to the equator, you can’t expect proper vitamin D formation in your skin. You can be exposed to sunlight all you want, but you won’t get anything but fraught skin burns.

People who go on vacation to sunny countries often complain that their vitamin D levels do not increase. This directly depends on the area where you vacationed, as well as the time of sun exposure. And here, too, you can face a problem, because the active formation of vitamin D occurs from 11 to 15-16. We are accustomed to tanning and arrive in the sun still not in such an active time of sun exposure and thus a person does not get enough vitamin D. We are also used to tanning using sunscreen, which is quite right. But when we apply these creams on the skin, the formation of vitamin D does not take place.

In order to get the maximum amount of vitamin D from the environment, you must not use sunscreen, weighing the pros and cons!!!! because the effects of UV exposure, especially aggressive UV exposure, in terms of developing skin cancer and melanoma are very devastating. Take into account the time of sunbathing and where you sunbathe: the closer to the equator, the more likely you are to get enough vitamin D.

If you have low levels of vitamin D on a test. By the way, when you take the test, do not determine the total level of vitamin D, but its metabolite 25 OH D3. The amount of 25 OH D3 characterizes the reserves of vitamin D in your body and it is not an active hormone, it is only later, under the influence of some enzymes, should be converted into active hormone-like substances metabolite vitamin D.

If the level of 25 OH D3 is less than 20 - a person is in a deep deficiency of vitamin D and it is absolutely necessary for him to additionally date this vitamin in the form of capsules or tablets.

To maximize the absorption of vitamin D some conditions must be observed.
Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so to maximize its absorption you need to consume it after eating fatty foods.
Also, you should know how well your gallbladder works, because it is thanks to a sufficient amount of bile that maximum absorption of fat-soluble substances takes place.
In case your gallbladder is not working well or is missing altogether due to surgery, pay attention to the form of vitamin D you are using.

Vitamin D comes in:

fat-soluble
water-soluble (surrounded by water-soluble micelles), making gallbladder function less important
in the form of drops or tablets that dissolve under the tongue. These forms of vitamin D can be used if the GI tract is not in order and/or the gallbladder is not working
liposomal, which has maximum absorption for the body

It is not enough to just drink vitamin D. Be sure to pay attention to the condition of your body, first of all create favorable conditions for the absorption of all macro- and micro-nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Take order, monitor the condition of the gallbladder and choose the most digestible form of vitamin D.

The dosage of vitamin D must be considered individually and necessarily by analysis. Therefore, I recommend that you have vitamin D tested, have your vitamin D levels determined and ask your physician for dosage adjustment.

Two micronutrients are required for the absorption of vitamin D: vitamin K and magnesium. Especially after the age of 45, I recommend taking vitamin D exclusively in combination with vitamin K.
Vitamin K prevents calcium deposition in the walls of blood vessels and kidneys, and after 45, age-related osteopenia begins - the loss of calcium from the bones, which vitamin D can redirect to places where calcium is not desired. Vitamin D + vitamin K will work to prevent this condition.
Also Vitamin D is very well absorbed when paired with Magnesium. Magnesium is an important trace element, essential for people who are permanently stressed living in metropolitan areas. In the presence of magnesium, vitamin D is maximally absorbed.