 Vitamin D is really a big deal! It actually gets converted inside the body to a hormone called calcitriol. The link between vitamin D and bones has been well established in healthcare and taking Cod Liver Oil is not new to any senior. However, what might be new to you is all the cutting edge research about what else Vitamin D does in your body. Did you know without vitamin D your cells do not communicate correctly? We have a symbiotic relationship with the sun and cannot live without the sun! When your skin is exposed to the sun, the cells produce vitamin D and then sends what was manufactured to the liver. If you supplement with vitamin D, the supplement will also get sent to the liver. Your liver has the God-given job to literally change the vitamin D into a substance called 25(OH)D. The next thing your body does is send the 25(OH)D all over the body where many different cells including kidney cells activate the Vitamin D. The amount of this liver miracle substance called 25(OH)D is what I want to know as your healthcare provider. We cannot know how much you produced from the sun and we cannot really measure if the supplement is working and we can't tell if cells/tissue all over the body are "activating" vitamin D post liver conversion. However, what we can measure is the substance the liver converted into 25(OH)D from the sun, food, or supplements. We can measure the level of 25(OH)D in your blood and you need to know what that number is! If your Vitamin D level is too low you may get into trouble physically or mentally. Measuring Vitamin D is called PREVENTION! 25(OH)D is what manages the calcium in the blood so you could say your heart needs the levels to be perfect!
The problem is everytime I ask one of my patients "what was your last vitamin D level"..... they tell me..... I don't know. You MUST KNOW your vitamin D level. It doesn't matter if you are a student, just had a baby, working dad or super fit runner! If the vitamin D level is not at the proper level you will have to supplement, spend more time outside in the very early hours, and keep retesting until you are at safe levels. You must have it screened frequently until it is Perfect! Remember, sunscreen blocks the absorption of Vitamin D, so be sure to get out early in the morning. Also, you should realize there is a very large chemistry reaction happening in the liver and many people have damaged liver cells so it needs to be monitored. Supplements can be very poor quality and may be harming the liver instead of helping so again, monitoring if the supplement is working is critical. One option to be in the sun without sunscreen blocking the vitamin D absorption is to use Liquid Sun Screen. Click Here and use Code 5662 to purchase. Here is a Walk-in LAB resource to get your Vitamin D level tested anywhere in the country. Just put in your zip code & go get it measured for $59 cash price. No doctor needed or prescription. Click Here
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