Misconceptions about Vitamin D

• “I drink milk, so my vitamin D levels cannot be low.”
• “I eat healthily, I am healthy, so I cannot have low vitamin D.”
• “I take a multivitamin and a calcium supplement every day, so my vitamin D should be OK.”
• “I live in a sunny place, how can I be low in vitamin D.”
• “I am outdoors for at least 15 minutes a day. My vitamin D should be fine.”
• “I play tennis outdoors twice a week. My vitamin D will not be low?”
• “I do not want to take vitamin D because I read about vitamin D toxicity. It is scary...”

When I hear these comments, my advice is to have their vitamin D levels checked. More often than not, they are surprised to find out that theyhavelow vitamin D levels.

Why are so many of us deficient in vitamin D to the point of becoming seriously ill? Inadequate, healthy exposure to the sun and impairments in the chain of events that activate vitamin D!

Our ancestors

Human beings were outdoor beings in the distant past. They had healthy organs and metabolic pathways in the body. Our ancestors had abundant natural minerals in their diet, including magnesium, calcium, zinc, selenium–all needed for healthy functioning of our organs and cells. These elements are also required to convert vitamin D into its active form in the liver, kidneys, immune cells, brain and almost every other organ of the body.

Interestingly, in a healthy person whose vitamin D metabolism is working correctly, a whole-body exposure to the noon-sun for just 20-30 minutes, is sufficient to produce 10-20 thousand international units of vitamin D.

Unfortunately, we are not living that lifestyle any more. We are an indoor, industrialised, polluted, stressed society with our organs and cells working to just survive. No wonder those of us who do engage in outdoor activities are also low in vitamin D because it is not converted to its active form.