Vitamin D

The Low-Down on Vitamin D
Dr. Katrina Wilhelm
Naturopathic Physician
katrina.wilhelm@clubsports.com

The Basics:

When UV light hits the skin, cholesterol starts its conversion to vitamin D – often called hormone D by naturopathic physicians because of its hormone-like action in the body. Vitamin D regulates the immune system and is used to treat rickets, osteomalacia (a specific kind of bone demineralization), osteoporosis, cancer, and psoriasis (a skin rash).

Vitamin D couples with calcium very strongly, so it should always be taken with meals, foods high in calcium, and calcium supplements.

Sunshine exposure for 20 minutes of the face and arms (no SPF skin lotion) will produce about 200 IU of Vitamin D per day. Moderate sunburns can produce 10,000 IU of Vitamin D per day. Excess production will be stored as the inactive form for winter. In the Northwest, we rarely have the sun high enough in the sky to produce Vitamin D.

Supplementation is with the active form, so there is no storing over for the winter. And, it is very important to know that because this is a newer topic in medical research, there are many different opinions on how to do it. Clinically, we see a steady rise in the body’s Vitamin D levels with lower supplementation doses.

Get a Doctor on Board:

It is imperative that a physician order a blood level of Vitamin D to determine a baseline level and manage supplementation. An individual should not supplement for more than 4 months without a blood level assessment.

Foods Concentrating Vitamin D:

These are listed from most concentrated to least concentrated.*
Sardines, Cod Liver Oil, Mackerel, Herring, Tuna, Salmon, Shrimp, Halibut
Morel, Shitake, and Chanterelle mushrooms
Pork, Egg Yolks, Lamb, Beef


Toxicity Symptoms May Include:

Headaches, weakness, nausea and vomiting, constipation, frequent urination, thirst, diarrhea, and calcification of soft tissues such as kidneys, lungs, and the tympanic membrane in the ear.

Healthy Snack Ideas

Hello everyone. Most of us know the importance of eating frequent meals, which include snacks. I wanted to share some healthy snack ideas to help to aid in optimizing your fuel options. Enjoy!!

• Dipping apples in yogurt, hummus, peanut butter, nut butters, low-fat cheese
• String cheese
• Nuts and seeds
• Whole grain cereals
• Mini pizza's on whole wheat English muffin- add vegetables
• Rice cakes with vegetables, fruit, peanut butter
• Boiled eggs with crackers
• Low-fat milk or soy
• Drinkable yogurt (watch for sugar and artificial ingredients)
• Hummus filled celery
• Fruit bars
• Frozen grapes or other fruit
• Peanut butter and jelly (100% fruit spreads)
• Whole wheat toast with scrambled egg
• Greek style yogurt with fruit

Remember you are in control of what you eat!!! The force is with you!

source: Leslie Brenton, Registered Dietitian