Last year Amchara were provided with a lot of interesting information and statistics about vitamin D by Dr Nyjon Eccles of Harley Street, a leading and respected UK Integrated Medical Physician who has built an excellent reputation for his practices in Complimentary Medicine.
He says that around 80% of his patients are deficient in vitamin D, and this staggering statistic urged us to a do a bit of research and put together this article to make our readers aware of the importance of vitamin D in our diets.
In the article recently written by Dr Eccles, he refers to a recent review of medical literature which interestingly shows that almost all cells and tissues in the human body have vitamin D receptors, showing that vitamin D plays an important role in many of our body’s functions and systems. Yet most of us are deficient in vitamin D, and in this article we look at what this means, what vitamin D is and does, and how you can get adequate vitamin D in your body.
What Is Vitamin D?
According to Dr Eccles’s article, vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that comes in two main forms: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). UVB rays from natural sunlight help to increase the levels of D3 in the body, and a Caucasian person’s body creates 20,000 IU of vitamin D by sunbathing for 20 minutes. Caucasians whose skin has less melanin (pigment) in it synthesises vitamin D six times more quickly than darker skinned people.
Dr Eccles says that vitamin D is not a vitamin at all it acts as a steroid hormone and it is created in the human body from cholesterol. The vitamin D3 is carried to the liver and kidneys where a special enzyme converts it to an active form. This special enzyme is also found in other parts of the body including the brain, skin, colon and more, proof that the body needs vitamin D throughout to do all of its jobs properly. Vitamin D only lasts in the liver for 3 weeks, meaning that it needs to be replenished frequently.
The Role Of Vitamin D In The Body
Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for the body and it plays a vital role in many functions of the body. It is effective in helping to prevent prostate cancer, breast cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity and depression. Vitamin D also helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphate from the foods that we eat. This shows why vitamin D is so important in its role for bone health.
People who have inadequate levels of vitamin D in the body have been shown in many studies to be more closely linked to obesity, and the results of the studies show that those who are overweight seem to be less able to convert vitamin D to the active form, meaning that the vitamin D isn’t doing its job properly in the body.
There is also a strong link between vitamin D deficiency and cancer according to various studies, says Dr Eccles. Studies in both animals and humans have shown that having enough vitamin D in the body helps the body to prevent and fight cancer more effectively. Vitamin D stops the growth of new blood vessels and has anti-inflammatory effects, and it activates special genes in the body that kill off bad cells, all of which help the body with fighting and preventing cancer.
Another interesting fact to note is that as we get older, our skin is less able to convert sunlight into vitamin D, meaning deficiency is more likely as we age.
How Do I Get Vitamin D?
Interestingly, vitamin D is created naturally by the body when your skin is exposed to sunlight. According to an article from Natural News, it is almost impossible to get the vitamin D that your body needs for all its functions from your diet and so it is essential that you get lots of sunlight to allow your body to generate the vitamin D that it needs. The light from the sun that you need can’t penetrate glass, and so you won’t get enough by being in the home or the car you have to actually get out and about and have the sun’s rays penetrating your skin directly to be able to benefit from it. The further away from the equator you live, the more sunlight exposure you need to allow your body to generate adequate levels of vitamin D.
Dr Eccles also says that certain foods are rich in vitamin D, including fatty fish like salmon and tuna, eggs, meat and mushrooms. There are also now many foods available on the shelves that are fortified with vitamin D due to the high numbers of people who are deficient. He also stresses however that no food source of vitamin D is anywhere near as good for getting adequate vitamin D levels as the levels created by the body from getting enough natural sunlight exposure.
Want To Know More Or Seek Advice?
If you’d like more information or would like to seek advice or treatment, you can visit Dr Eccles at The Chiron Clinic on Harley Street in London.
Dr Eccles and his team offer a range of beneficial services for your health, including natural cancer support, radiation-free breast cancer screening, and a range of Well Man and Well Woman services to help you stay in tip-top healthy condition.
At Amchara Detox Retreat, we also offer a range of retreats where you can detox your body, learn about natural nutrition and alternative medicines, practice yoga, learn about the importance of a healthy diet and raw foods and more.
