9 reasons you are deficient in Vitamin D.
Over 1 billion people worldwide are deficient in Vitamin D, which can lead to a variety
of different health problems.
Low levels of Vitamin D in the blood can cause depression, frequent respiratory infections
like cold and flu, lower back pain, bone pain, high blood pressure and a weak immune system.
Your body makes Vitamin D when your skin comes into contact with UVB rays from sunshine.
Today I'm going to highlight the main 9 main reasons that people are deficient in Vitamin
D, and how you can fix this.
1.
Northern Hemisphere If you live in the higher latitudes, the amount
of UVB rays from the sun reaching the Earth's surface goes down in the winter, because of
the low angle of the sun.
This is why people catch a cold more often during the winter, have more aches and pains
or suffer with low mood (SAD).
2.
Indoors Too Often Spending too much time indoors, living in
cities with large buildings that block out the sun, air pollution or clothing that covers
legs and arms all limits UVB exposure.
This doesn’t give your skin a chance to synthesize Vitamin D from the sunlight.
3.
Skin Color The darker your skin, the more melanin it
contains.
This substance reduces the amount of Vitamin D your skin can make.
Dark-skinned people need more sunlight exposure than light-skinned people in order to generate
the same amount of Vitamin D.
This is probably because their skin is adapted to brighter areas of the world such as Africa
and the southern hemisphere.
4.
Your Weight The more subcutaneous fat that you have in
your body, the less you are going to absorb Vitamin D. Those with obesity for example
usually show low Vitamin D levels after a blood test.
5.
Your Age Compared to younger people, older people have
lower levels of the substance in the skin that converts UVB light into Vitamin D.
This is why older people tend to have more health problems, a weaker immune system and
more bone pain, because Vitamin D is intimately involved with these bodily processes.
6.
Gut Health If you have digestive problems such as acid
reflux, celiac disease, pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis or indigestion then
you may have problems absorbing Vitamin D. The Vitamin D you take in a supplement or
from food is digested in the small intestine.
If there is damage here, it may not be properly absorbed.
7.
Liver & Kidneys The Vitamin D precursor made by your skin
is activated through the liver and kidneys.
You also need a healthy liver and gallbladder to produce bile, a substance that breaks down
fat soluble nutrients like Vitamin D from your food.
Some types of liver disease and reduce absorption of Vitamin D, as well as kidney disease.
8.
Sunscreen Although getting too much sun can burn your
skin, using sunscreen constantly can actually reduce your skins ability to make Vitamin
D. High factor sunscreen may block out some of the UVB light that you need.
9.
Pathogens Most of the cells of your body have vitamin
D receptors, and they use Vitamin D to protect themselves and make them immune to infections.
Some harmful pathogens and viruses interfere with the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) such as
TB, Lyme, HIV, EBV and others.
This is a strategy that the pathogen uses to infect and take over your body.
As you can see there are many reasons why you may not be absorbing enough Vitamin D
in your body, and this contributes to over 50% of people worldwide being deficient in
this nutrient.
If you are concerned with low levels of Vitamin D then ask your doctor for a blood test.
The most accurate test is called the 25-hydroxy Vitamin D blood test.
How To Increase Your Absorption of Vitamin D
There are 5 steps that you can take to increase your Vitamin D levels, in order to boost your
immune system and reduce inflammation in your body.
1.
Take a daily supplement of 20,000 IU's Vitamin D3 and 200mcg Vitamin K2 (MK7).
The best supplements come in small pearl capsules with a little oil to improve their absorption.
Vitamin K2 works with D3 in the body to mobilise calcium.
2.
Take long walks in nature and expose your skin to the sun for at least 30 minutes per
day.
Long walks also help to balance stress hormones like cortisol, which in turn can help raise
Vitamin D.
3.
Cut back on refined foods especially grains like cereal, biscuits, pastries, waffles and
other flour based foods.
These foods along with sugar and alcohol can deplete your Vitamin D reserves, and make
it harder to store in the body.
Eat lots of salad, avocados and leafy green vegetables instead.
These contain magnesium which helps your body to make Vitamin D.
4.
Take purified bile salts after each meal also known as Ox Bile tablets.
These help your gallbladder and liver to produce bile, so that you can absorb more Vitamin
D from supplements or foods like oily fish and eggs.
5.
Eat more sea food, such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring and shellfish like prawns,
muscles, oysters, clams and cockles.
These will provide small amounts of Vitamin D for you to absorb, and also contain minerals
like Zinc and Boron which improve your body's ability to make Vitamin D from sunshine.
Cod Liver oil is also a good source of Vitamin D.
By following these key steps your Vitamin D levels will begin to rise over time and
you may notice changes in your body.
Vitamin D helps to lower inflammation, especially in your lungs and respiratory system, helping
you to breathe and exchange oxygen better.
Having more Vitamin D in the body also reduces aches and pains, especially lower back pain.
It also plays a role in regulating your blood pressure, strengthening your immune system
against viruses, supporting healthy bones and improving your mood and mental state.
If you wish to learn more about Vitamin D, and other key nutrients in more detail, please
see our other videos.
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I wish you great health, wealth and happiness.