Vitamin D: More Important Than You Think

 

Vitamin D deficiency has long been identified as a major factor in immune system related illnesses. These immune system related illnesses range from seasonal cold and flu, to heart disease, to cancer, to atopic and autoimmune disorders. Clinical journals, as well as the mainstream media, have been reporting evidence that today’s modern humans are severely deficient in Vitamin D and that this deficiency is a major contributing factor to illness and lack of health and vitality.

What does vitamin D do and why is it so important for wellness and prevention? Recent research has shown that Vitamin D plays an important role in controlling the inflammatory response initiated by specialized immune cells called macrophages. A deficiency of vitamin D means deficient control of inflammation. In the skin, vitamin D also activates the immune system against antigens.

The evidence that vitamin D deficiency is related to seasonal respiratory illnesses such as cold and flu, and that vitamin D sufficiency can both prevent and help to recover from these illnesses, is extremely convincing. The role of vitamin D deficiency in other serious illnesses is also being reported. Evidence even suggests that vitamin D is involved in the current childhood triple-threat epidemic of autism, asthma, and autoimmune diabetes. Not only that, but improving calcium and vitamin D nutritional status substantially reduces all-cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant properties, and low Vitamin D levels are associated with a higher prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Disease

There are literally thousands of peer-reviewed scientific articles establishing vitamin D deficiency as a significant causal factor in serious illnesses. At this point we can confidently state that having sufficient levels of vitamin D is essential for both wellness and prevention.

What are the sources of vitamin D, and how do we get sufficient amounts? The answer is SUNLIGHT. In order to get the daily requirement of vitamin D from sunlight you would need to have direct summer month sun exposure on your arms and legs for a minimum of 10-15 minutes per day. This is why vitamin D deficiency is so common in non-tropical climates (like Victoria!), especially in the winter months. So, if you are not getting a minimum of 15 minutes per day of direct summer sunlight on bare arms and legs (without sunscreen), then you need another source of vitamin D. What are the other available sources of vitamin D you ask? Great question!

The simple fact is that humans were never meant to get their vitamin D from food. Genetically humans are designed to get vitamin D from sunlight. However, this is simply not a realistic option for most humans living and working indoors or who live in areas where sunlight levels change with the seasons. Cod liver oil is probably the best known and widely recognized as the best source of dietary vitamin D for humans.

FACT: Vitamin D is essential for wellness and prevention for people of all ages. From birth
onward humans require sufficient vitamin D for health and vitality and for protection against
vitamin D deficiency related illnesses.
FACT: Unless you are getting your required amount of sunlight every day you will almost
certainly be deficient in vitamin D.
FACT: Research is clear that the vast majority of people living in industrialized society are
deficient in Vitamin D.
FACT: You cannot get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your diet. Humans are genetically
designed to get vitamin D from sun exposure, not our diets.
FACT: Vitamin D deficiency can have severe consequences and is linked to very serious illness
in people of all ages. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to seasonal colds and flu, cancer, heart
disease, asthma, allergies, autism, autoimmune diabetes, and a plethora of other serious
illnesses.

Talk to your Doctor about your Vitamin D needs, and try to come up with a plan that works for you!

Today’s Workout:

Buy-in: Erg pace warm-up:  1 min each at 24, 26, 28, and 30 strokes per minute on the erg

WOD:  “A3 – Adam’s Amazing Abs”

This workout is named for our friend Adam, who not only is a great guy and incredibly fit, but also has some of those plastic “Haloween Costume” abs the ladies seem to enjoy so much.  It’s a wonderful concoction of rowing, burpees, and kte… just what we need to cure the Thursday blues ;).  Enjoy!

For time:

• 1000m row
• then 3 rounds of: 10 burpees, 20 knees to elbows
• 1000m row

Your time is what it takes to complete the whole sequence (i.e. the first row, the 3 round couplet, and the second row).

Zone 2 – scale to 750m, scale knees to elbows as needed

Zone 1 – scale as needed

Cash-out: Follow the leader stretch