Test Yourself for “D”efficiency

Test Yourself For "D"efficiency

Quick Test: Find Out In 10 seconds If You Are "D"efficient

With your thumb, press on your sternum (breastbone). Is it tender or painful? Now, press on the tibia (shin bone) of both your legs. Are they sore or tender? If the answer is "yes" to both of these tests then there’s a 93 percent chance you’re deficient in Vitamin D. This is one of the most prevalent deficiencies in our culture.

What Is Vitamin D And What Does It Do For Us?

Vitamin D is both a hormone and a vitamin (vital amine). It’s a hormone because it’s created by the body when sunlight hits the skin. It also acts as a vitamin when it binds with calcium for proper absorption in the human body. Without enough Vitamin D, the body cannot absorb calcium or even mobilize essential fatty acids, such as Omega-3. It’s absolutely essential to have enough Vitamin D, yet many people don’t.

Signs Of Deficiency

The test above is one way of checking for low levels of Vitamin D. That’s because calcium is delivered to an area of the bones that is like a gelatin matrix. It’s this gelatin matrix that hardens into sturdy bone. But calcium can only be absorbed into this matrix when it is accompanied with enough Vitamin D. If there’s a Vitamin D deficiency, this matrix will revert back to gelatin near the surface of the bone, resulting in tenderness and bone pain.

This kind of bone pain can not only be seen in cases of osteomalacia (softening of the bones), but also in fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and even the pain associated with chronic depression.

Vitamin D deficiency can result in obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and psoriasis. Eventually, Vitamin D deficiency may lead to osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, especially breast, prostate and colon.

Reasons For Deficiency

The primary reasons why people become deficient in Vitamin D are cultural or environmental. For instance, in cultures where women are totally clothed, including veils, people are almost universally deficient in Vitamin D, as are submariners who spend extended time submerged. Neither group gets much direct sunlight. For North Americans, the primary reason for Vitamin D deficiency also includes a lack of exposure to sunlight and insufficient consumption of cold-water fish, such as wild salmon, mackerel and sardines. These are good food sources of Vitamin D as well as calcium and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Many foods have been supplemented with Vitamin D, but this has not resulted in an overall increase in Vitamin D levels. This is likely because some food and supplement manufacturers rely on an inexpensive form of synthetic Vitamin D called "ergocalciferol" – a form of Vitamin D-2. Food sources of Vitamin D and supplements such as TriVita’s Bone Builder and VitaCal-Mag D use Vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol), which is the same form that your body makes from sunshine.

What To Do?

If your bones are tender or if you have a low blood level of Vitamin D, the solution may be as simple as increasing your exposure to sunlight (see Is the Sun our Enemy? in the "Learn More" section of this report). Spend 20 minutes daily in the sun with 40 percent of your skin surface exposed. Morning sun is best, evening sun is acceptable, but in any case, never allow your skin to burn.

When Supplementing With Vitamin D, Always Choose D-3

It is also good to remember that this is a "fat soluble" vitamin. That means that you can store the nutrient for many days. I will often suggest two capsules of TriVita’s Bone Builder or two tablets of VitaCal-Mag D to be taken at every meal. I suggest reducing the recommended dosage to one capsule or tablet per meal after six months if the tenderness has disappeared from the sternum and shin bones. It is good to get a blood test for appropriate blood levels of Vitamin D and use this as a factor to help you structure a supplement program.

Recommended Intake:

You can also include Vitamin D-rich foods in your diet:

Eventually, health comes down to healthy habits practiced every day. Every day we should nourish our body and nurture our spirit for sustained health.

Learn More…

• Is the Sun Our Enemy?
  Sunlight (in moderation) is actually crucial for life.

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Please note that Weekly Wellness Report topics will be chosen at the discretion of Brazos Minshew and based on general relevance.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.