Vitamin D-- Not a VITAMIN?

Supplementation: I find it helpful to take a daily multivitamin esp for women. You may need extra supplements as well, depending on your body. I take extra iron because I've been anemic in the past & I eat no red meat. I also take an extra 1,000 mgs vit C because of how hard I train, as well as L glutamine for muscle recovery/building. As we enter winter, it's vital that you get enough vit D! I just took an online AFAA course specifically on this supplement & I want to share some of the highlights:

1. Vit D is a hormone, not a vitamin- this means it impacts your bodily processes much more!
2. Your body makes vit D from sunshine, only. 15-20 min mid day sun in June makes enough. However, it depends on where you live, how you're getting sun (car windows block out the rays you need), skin pigment (darker the skin, more sun you need-- yay for me!), age (the older we get, the less we make!), obesity (fat is a sink for vit D), excessive use of sunblock, breastfeeding (nursing moms need 7,000 U a day), infants often get no sun bc we keep them covered, more modestly dressed cultures also may not get enough sun ;)
3. When we make enough vit D, our bodies make a protein called cathelicidin, which is a natural antibiotic, which may explain why we get more illnesses in winter (not just germs from indoors but lack of sunshine from indoors).
4. The only way to get enough vit D in winter is supplementation. Even in nutrition, almost impossible to get enough. There is a blood test (about $100, 25(OH) test to determine your levels. Mood is another good indicator (sad people prob are not getting sufficient vit D).
5. It's hard to get toxic levels of vit D.
6. Vit D has been linked to preventing cancer; decreasing risk of heart disease, ms, depression, autism, & high blood pressure. Vit D can not only prevent high blood pressure but also treat it.
7. low vit D levels are linked to several risk factors for teens, incl high blood pressure, high blood sugar, & metabolic syndrome.

Hope you found those facts as interesting as I did ;) Stay happy, stay healthy!