tuesday eats: why i eat animal fat and sit in the sun
I have a vitamin D deficiency. So this is what I do:
* I sit in the sun most days – sometimes in the middle of the day – with no sunscreen on, no hat. No slipping or slopping.
* I eat full-fat saturated animal fats. Like cheese. And meat.
There, that got your attention!
A lot of you out there would also have a D deficiency. Which is not great. Because D is proving the most underrated nutrient in the world of nutrition - it helps to prevent osteoporosis, depression, prostate cancer and breast cancer, diabetes and obesity. I’ve been told my deficiency is contributing to my digestion problems, my thyroid issues, my calcium deficiency. Some are claiming it’s the biggest health challenge we’re facing.
Here’s the funny thing:
* Sunlight is the best (and really only) way to get Vit D. But we’ve been told to cover up and stay out of the sun for years. Ergo we’re deficient.
* We need full-fat food to synthesise Vit D once it’s in our system. But we’ve been told to stop eating such food for years. Ergo we’re deficient.
And it gets funnier (in the cruel ironic sense):
* We stay out of the sun to avoid skin cancer. But studies show we have a faaaaaar greater chance of dying from a Vitamin D deficiency-related cancer than of a sunburn-related skin cancer.
And just to confirm:
* Full sun on the face is best, for about 20 minutes
* No sunscreen – Even weak sunscreens (SPF8) block your body’s ability to generate vitamin D by 95%.
* Between 10 and 2 is really the only way to get enough of the stuff.
Yep, this is EXACTLY the opposite of what we’ve been told. The sensible middle-ground I take is to get the sun, without sunscreen, in the morning before 9am. And then try to be outdoors at some point in the day…for a bit. I have dark skin, so I don’t burn. But I ensure I never get to the point of my skin tingling or going red. I’ve spoken to a number of doctors who say the same: get sun, not too much, don’t get red.
If you want to read more, Tara Parker-Pope wrote for the NY Times recently about the hype surrounding vitamin D. Dr Mercola goes to town on the subject often.
But here’s some more stuff to take away:
* If it hurts to press firmly on your sternum, you may be suffering from chronic vitamin D deficiency now.
* Sunlight that generates vitamin D in your skin cannot penetrate glass. So you don’t generate vitamin D when sitting in your car or at home.
* You can’t get Vitamin D from your diet. Or, at least, not enough. You’d have to drink 10 tall glasses of vitamin D fortified milk each day just to get minimum levels.
* People with dark skin pigmentation may need 20 to 30 times as much exposure to sunlight as fair-skinned people to generate the same amount of vitamin D. This is why prostate cancer is epidemic among black men—it is a simple but widespread sunlight deficiency.
* It takes months of vitamin D supplementation and sunlight exposure to rebuild the body’s bones and nervous system.
* It is impossible to generate too much vitamin D in your body from sunlight exposure: your body will self-regulate and only generate what it needs
* Once vitamin D makes it into your body, cholesterol is needed to synthesise it and make it useful to your system. Cholesterol is transported in the blood plasma of all animals, which is why we should be eating some animal fats to get it. These are the good fats that our body needs to function effectively. They are essential for calcium to be incorporated into our bones, as well as to boost immune function, and to build a healthy nervous system and digestive tract.
* Mushrooms are the only vegan source of vitamin D (besides sunlight exposure)
Me, I eat high quality animal fats and I cook with organic coconut oil and organic butter daily. I don’t do low-fat!!! It’s pointless. And unhealthy.
I also take a supplement made from natural vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) which is human vitamin D.
What are your thoughts on all this? Will you be bucking the Slip Slop Slappers and getting sun? And ain’t it a relief to know that something as pleasurable as getting sun is actually good for us!!!
as someone who recently learned of a moderate HT issue, i’ve also got psoriasis, and so should be getting sunlight anyhow – interesting coorelation for me, as psoriasis is being linked to AI issues nowadays instead of hereditary issues like i was always told.
so, my psoriasis outbreaks may just be a symptom of my HT/AI issues! looks like i’m going to have to find some time to get out into the sun, even on the cold and blustery winter days! good thing my work has a roof – i can bundle up and sit outside with my face to the sun for 15-20 minutes at lunch without too much of a problem!
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November 26th, 2010 at 11:53 am
Hi Robyn, I have psorasis too, and have found that regular time in a tanning bed works wonders for me. I don’t have a chance to get outside during my work day, but I walk to and from the tram and get my vitamin D that way, but I was told it’s the UV light that helps psorasis.
Don’t freak out everyone – I use the lowest strenght bed and only for a couple of minutes a couple of times a week when I need to!
Good luck with your psorasis and your HT Robyn, I hope you get it sorted out soon.
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January 20th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Robyn – Psoriasis is an auto-immune disease AND it’s also hereditary. For instance, it’s linked to arthritis, another AI disease. Sunlight does help psoriasis, as does not traumatizing it by (eg) scratching, rubbing. (Stress also makes psoriasis worse.) Watch out if you use Vit D creams to control your psoriasis. They seem to work great, but long-term, they make your skin thin. Good news: all the research that’s going into HIV/AIDS will have trickle down benefits for other AI diseases, such as psoriasis! kr ps: I’ve had psoriasis (and some great dermatologists) for over 40 yrs. k
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I’ve been dealing with a vitamin D deficiency for the last 12 months.
I turned 40 a few years back but it felt like 80. Getting out of bed each day was a chore (ie; extreme tiredness, fatigue, lethargy, etc). I went and had my blood tested for 8 different items but everything was fine (except they didn’t think of testing vitamin D).
After 6 months of mis-diagnosis my doctor suggested checking my vitamin D levels. They were 41 when 75 is optimum and under 50 bad. I started 1 tablet of vitamin D each day and within a week felt much better – my energy levels jumped 100% and I felt more normal. The cause of my deficiency was 3 years of night-shift work. Sometimes I would see no sunshine for weeks on end – I’d just sleep all day and work all night.
The insidious part about a vitamin D deficiency is the large number of problems it produces however the worst are anxiety and depression. Many people feel their low mood and constant fatigue is about “just getting old” or that “life is shit” when really it’s a vitamin D deficiency.
In my case the fatigue was such that I couldn’t work for 3 months (not a single day) and then only at 50% capacity for the next 6 months. Today I’m back at 100% but it took 12 months.
My girlfriend recently attended a medical convention and spoke in depth with a specialist who suggested taking 10 times the dosage for 3 weeks (ie; 10 tablets per day instead of 1 tablet). I spoke with my Doctor who was fine with that change and I’ve only have just finished that course. However it was even better than I expected and I would strongly recommend talking with your Doctor about it.
The reason being was I found after 6 months of taking 1 tablet per day my levels had only risen from 41 to 63 and the last 2 tests (3 months apart) were still stuck on 63. So I figured this “short course mega-dose” suggested by the specialist was worth trying. I’m due for my next blood test in early January so hope it’s boosted higher.
Oh, and it’s really a hormone not a vitamin (well, not after it goes through your kidneys). I think people underestimate the issue because they think “I’m very low on vitamins, I should eat more fruit”. Yet if they realised “my hormone levels are very low” it would grab their attention more serieously. I think in society – from a language perspective – we give much less weight to the word “vitamin” and alot more weight to the word “hormone”. I think this doesn’t help and causes people to assume low vitamin levels are no big deal.
Another point the specialist made was that sunlight produces vitamin D at 100,000 times the volume/rate that 1 daily tablet produces. Soo the sun is your best treatment however I’d suggest doing both – daily vitamin D tablets and 10 minutes of sunshine (no sunscreen). The latest research says we only need “10 minutes of your hands and face, before 10am or after 3pm with no sunsreen” (ie; a small amount of sun, on a small amount of your body, unrestricted by sunscreen creams).
In addition, spend just a few minutes without wearing sunglasses. The UV light from the sun hits the retina at the back of your eye which resets your sleep cycle/circadian rhythms. This signals your brain to regulate hormone levels (including vitamin D production). You need sunlight reaching your eyes daily to trigger the brain that it’s bed time or wake up time. Alot like your body temperature rising slightly before you wake and cooling a little when you sleep (hence why having a cool bedroom helps promote sleep).
So my summary tips would be:
1. Get your levels checked – it’s just a simple 5 minute blood test at your Doctor.
2. Get 10 minutes of sun on your hands and face before 10am or after 3pm – no sunscreen, no sunglasses.
3. Take vitamin D tablets (links below for the tablets I use).
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December 2nd, 2010 at 10:09 pm
hi Paul,
That was a really interesting post. I often want to go without sunglasses if it’s not too glary, and I wondered whether it might indirectly help the Vit D production. I also might try the mega dose for a few weeks, as I have been Vit D Deficient too with the level at about 45. I take capsules, one a day at present. I was surprised when I was tested and was deficient. i thought i got a decent amount of sun per week. Clearly not.
JulZi
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Wow…this actually blows my mind! Thanks Sarah, this is fascinating information which needs to be brought out into the public domain. I had NO IDEA!
I love spending my lunch break sitting in sun…I come back to the office with a clear mind, a warmed soul and a happiness “top up”. I also have olive skin and generally only wear sunscreen on my face at the beach (I don’t want my ageing accelerated!) I’m guessing there is a time limit for soaking up the sun without sunscreen? Sunburn seems to be a visible sign that our skin has had too much fun in the sun…
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What a timely post. I was only thinking of some of these issues last night after seeing the “skin cells in trauma” advertisement.
Another interesting thing about cholesterol is that our brains needit to function…
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November 23rd, 2010 at 8:04 pm
Yeah, I feel much calmer when I eat fat things. I have a very fast metabolism, and I get real scatty and ‘airy’ very quickly. But oily, fatty foods seem to ‘oil’ my brain and nerves as well, and I am sure than scientifically, they actually do.
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this is GREAT news! recently i’ve been obsessed with whole goat milk yogurt. and i seriously could not live without cheese.
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Try to find liquid vitamin D. Far better than the caps.
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Wow. Just… wow.
Nice work there Sarah, I knew we were going overboard in the Sun Smart campaigns – to be honest, I have found it is just another way that marketing companies like to sell us things. Scare tactics involving cancer = BIG sales of fake tan, sunscreen, etc, especially to women, and especially in magazines.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s recent low bone density scare has hopefully made people think twice about the dangers of vitamin deficiency. Previously she was the postergirl for porcelain skin and macrobiotic diets, I am hoping people will see what a ridiculous (and BORING) way to live this is!
I am a heavily tattooed person (you wouldn’t know it to look at me in my corporate office wear though!) and usually wear sunscreen to avoid fading as well as the CANCER message that is drilled into our heads. And ok, Im paranoid about wrinkles. However this summer I will definitely be avoiding the slip, slop slap at least a few times!
Interestingly enough, I am very similar to you in skin colouring Sarah (I have Greek heritage) and I never used to burn. I could frolick on the beach all day and feel fine. Now however, after many years of religiously wearing sunscreen, I can burn from just a few minutes of sun exposure. Whereas my English boyfriend, who gets a moderate amount of sunlight, rarely burns. I wonder if the constant sun avoidance weakens our skin somehow? I wouldn’t be surprised in my case.
One point that bears mentioning as well, is to take into account where you live. Ten minutes of robust Perth sunshine would do wonders for anyone, but somewhere like Tasmania will have significantly less, therefore you should increase your exposure accordingly.
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WHere are you getting this info from? You should list the sources of studies or at least link to stuff.
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March 6th, 2012 at 11:12 pm
Everything Sarah has stated in the article is absolutely correct.
The best place to look at the studies is here:
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
Here are are few startling facts about vitamin d and cancer:
Top 10 facts about vitamin D and cancer
Many studies have found solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) vitamin D associated with reduced risk of breast, colon, and rectal cancer.
A randomized controlled trial with 1100 IU/day vitamin D3 plus 1450 mg/day calcium found a 77% reduction in all-cancer incidence.
Geographical studies have found reduced risk in mortality rates for 15-20 types of cancer in regions of higher solar UVB doses.
Observational studies found risk of breast, colon, and rectal cancer falls as vitamin D blood levels rise to over 40 ng/mL (100 nmol/L).
Mechanisms have been proposed to explain how vitamin D acts to reduce the risk of cancer from starting, growing, and spreading.
Those who develop nonmelanoma skin cancer may have produced enough vitamin D to reduce their risk of internal cancers.
Those with higher vitamin D blood levels at time of cancer diagnosis had nearly twice the survival rate of those with the lowest levels.
African-Americans have an increased risk of cancer in part due to lower vitamin D blood levels because of darker skin.
Higher UVB exposure early in life has been found associated with reduced risk of breast and prostate cancer.
Those diagnosed with breast, colon and prostate cancer in summer in Norway had higher survival rates than those diagnosed in winter.
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Hi Sarah,
Wow, well done for bringing public attention to such a big issue that we’re all facing these days, and an issue that so many people aren’t even aware of!
This is something that I only learnt about over the last 18 months after seeing a naturopath who changed (and saved) my life. Like you, I suffer from hashimotos, the thyroid disease; hormonal and fertility issues; and just general problems with health (think no energy, aching muscles and daily headaches and migraines). I saw numerous doctors who basically told me I was imagining it, and it was only a naturopath who ended up helping and teaching me. I was absolutely headed down a path of no children (or unhealthy children at best, if by a miracle I was able to have them) and Cancer. I have no doubt that the naturopath saved my life. It is so scary to think how many parents out there love their children but are actually setting them up for a life of sickness, by not understanding the importance of organic, unprocessed food, sunlight, iodine, coping with stress…the list goes on!
I think it’s great that you’re using your voice to bring to light these issues, as unfortunately it isn’t something that gets nearly enough mainstream press and attention.
I look forward to reading more!
Thanks,
Kellie
P.S. I get a good dose of sunshine regularly by going outside and playing with my two dogs. Fun and good for the body!
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I need help to find an efficient amount of Vitamin D whilst living in The Netherlands!
When the sun is out (by some miracle) I am always inside at Uni…and when it starts to go down at 4pm I never see it!
Looks like I will need to start eating a lot of mushrooms…
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November 25th, 2010 at 7:58 pm
Hi Madeline, I’m facing the same problem, live in Belgium. Just got my blood test results back and my vitamin D is only 23, when the minimum is supposed to be 50. It’s winter so we’re not really going to see a lot of sun in the coming months. My doctor prescribed me liquid Vit D and I’ll see how quickly it works for me, I’ll be talking about it more on my blog, if you’re interested http://www.featheredlove.com …Love, Jules
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I find so much of what you say on this blog to be really spot-on for me. I was born with a hole in my heart which was only diagnosed and repaired four years ago- all through my teens and twenties I suffered from severe depression and ill-health, and I experimented a lot with foods because doctors continually told me there was nothing wrong with me.
Finally, at the ripe old age of 36, I know exactly what works for me, and it is pretty weird when compared to standard dietry practise. I too eat everything full-fat, I eat butter and cheese (in moderation), I eat lamb with fat (avoid beef, can’t digest it), chicken, duck, oily fish, a lot of eggs. I eat enormous quantities of fruit and veg, raw and cooked. I don’t eat grains almost at all – although were I served them at a dinner party, I would eat them. I didn’t eat grains of any description for almost 2 years when living overseas, just because they weren’t good quality. I was super energetic, super happy, super fit, and had none of my recurring dental problems. Came home, started in on the pasta and bread – 3 months later I was bloated, unhappy, moody, my skin was awful, I’d gained weight, my periods had gone out of whack, my teeth ached and I had the most terrible and continuous gas. Nailed the problem (with help from this blog), ditched the grains, feel great again.
I drink red wine and coffee fairly often, I eat chocolate and jelly snakes, I am perfectly fit, happy, good weight, energetic, and I enjoy the sun as well (although I am a redhead so I burn pretty quick). Go with what works for you.
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Interestingly, in New Zealand now because so many people have been testing for Vitamin D levels, they have run out of the quick way to test levels, at the labs – I don’t know exactly what it is they use, but it’s out of stock and will apparently take months to be restocked. It takes something like ten times the amount of time to test by hand, so they are refusing to do Vit D tests unless for extreme or urgent cases. My doctor spoke with me that it’s difficult to know how much sun we need, that it’s a real bone of contention, and a developing area to find out exactly *how* much sun we need … because no one really knows. So for me, someone who suffers from incredible fatigue, and hasn’t been well for months, yet hasn’t shown up any auto-immune disease, but has shown very low Vit D levels, can probably not get this tested unless it’s shown as urgent, which supposedly, it’s not. All of this information comes from a few haphazard sources, so I could be wrong, but I certainly think it’s interesting!
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Oh, and also, butter is a REAL food! None of that processed margarine for me, thanks.
My kinesiologist says it’s important to have a teaspoon a day to help maintain mood levels too, something about tryptophan (sp?) I believe …
X
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November 24th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
My kinesiologist says that margerine is one molecule away from being molecularly identical to plastic. Urgh!
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November 24th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
Mia, I really hope that you don’t take your kinesiologist seriously because they are obviously not a chemist.
But, either way, you don’t need butter OR margarine (and there are plant sources of tryptophan, too, Rachel — and they’re a lot healthier).
Rachel and Mia, please see dietitians for dietary advice, not kinesiologists. I’m sure yours are both well-meaning and probably good in their fields of expertise, but kinesiologists are not dietitians.
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November 24th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Actually I do take my kinesiologist seriously, because my sister is studying to be one, and I have seen the YEARS of study (including modules on nutrition) that go into it. It is a government acredited course and is very strictly monitored for content in the same way universities and other private educations institutions are.
No, they are not dieticians. Which is why I prefer to gain advice from a whole range of sources, kinesiology being only one – all fields of study have their own bias!
And the comment about butter was a quote from Dr Charles Krebs who is quite fascinating, if you care to investigate him.
March 6th, 2012 at 11:25 pm
Mia,
butter is better and an important part of a healthy diet. Why?
Because:
Vitamins: Butter is a rich source of easily absorbed vitamin A, needed for a wide range of functions, from maintaining good vision to keeping the endocrine system in top shape.
Butter also contains all the other fat-soluble vitamins (D, E and K2), which are often lacking in the modern industrial diet.
Minerals: Butter is rich in important trace minerals, including manganese, chromium, zinc, copper and selenium (a powerful antioxidant). Butter provides more selenium per gram than wheat germ or herring. Butter is also an excellent source of iodine.
Fatty Acids: Butter provides appreciable amounts of short- and medium-chain fatty acids, which support immune function, boost metabolism and have anti-microbial properties; that is, they fight against pathogenic microorganisms in the intestinal tract.
Butter also provides the perfect balance of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Arachidonic acid in butter is important for brain function and prostaglandin balance.
CLA: When butter comes from cows eating green grass, it contains high levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a compound that gives excellent protection against cancer and also helps the body build muscle rather than store fat.
Glyclyclycospingolipids: These are a special category of fatty acids that protect against gastro-intestinal infections, especially in the very young and the elderly. Children given reduced fat milks have higher rates of diarrhea than those who drink whole milk.
Cholesterol: Despite all of the misinformation you may have heard, cholesterol is needed to maintain intestinal health and for brain and nervous system development in the young.
WULZEN FACTOR: A A hormone-like substance that prevents arthritis and joint stiffness, ensuring that calcium in the body is put into the bones rather than the joints and other tissues. The Wulzen factor is present only in raw butter and cream; it is destroyed by pasteurization.
Margarine and spreads, on the other hand offer:
TRANS FATS: These unnatural fats in margarine, shortenings and spreads are formed during the process of partial hydrogenation, which turns liquid vegetable oil into a solid fat. Trans fats contribute to heart disease, cancer, bone problems, hormonal imbalance and skin diseases; infertility, difficulties in pregnancy and problems with lactation;
and low birth weight, growth problems and learning disabilities in children. Recently a US government panel of scientists determined that man-made trans fats are unsafe at any level. (Small amounts of natural trans fats occur in butter and other animal fats but these are not harmful.)
FREE RADICALS: Free radicals and other toxic breakdown products are the result of high temperature industrial processing of vegetable oils. They contribute to numerous health problems, including cancer and heart disease.
SYNTHETIC VITAMINS: Synthetic vitamin A and other vitamins are added to margarine and spreads. These often have an opposite (and detrimental) effect compared to the natural vitamins in butter.
EMULSIFIERS and PRESERVATIVES: Numerous additives of questionable safety are added to margarines and spreads. Most vegetable shortening is stabilized with preservatives like BHT.
HEXANE and OTHER SOLVENTS: Used in the extraction process, these industrial chemicals are highly carcinogenic.
BLEACH: The natural color of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is grey so manufacturers bleach it to make it white. Yellow coloring is then added to margarine and spreads.
ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS: These help mask the terrible
taste and odor of partially hydrogenated oils, and provide a fake butter taste.
Your choice!
March 7th, 2012 at 12:26 am
Oh and I forgot these last three:
MONO- and DI-GLYCERIDES: These contain trans fats that manufacturers do not have to list on the label. They are used in high amounts in so-called “low-trans” spreads.
SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE: This highly processed powder is added to “low-trans” spreads to give them body. It can contribute to thyroid dysfunction, digestive disorders and many other health problems.
STEROLS: Often added to spreads to give them cholesterol-lowering qualities, these estrogen compounds can cause endocrine problems; in animals these sterols contribute to sexual inversion.
Hi Sarah.
Great blog. But who takes the photos? Maybe you could provide a link to their website/flickr page etc. Just for the recognition.
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I just want to clarify… Sarah is completely right – yes we really need Vitamin D, yes sitting in the sun for 20 minutes is the perfect way to get it… but please, people, 20 minutes is the maximum. It does not mean that you can sunbake for hours, unprotected… it does not mean you should go for walks without sunscreen. You will burn. As somebody whose uncle was just diagnosed with terminal cancer – a tumour the size of an orange in his stomach, which has spread to his lymph nodes, all the result of a melanoma in his leg 17 years ago- I know that the Slip, Slop, Slap campaign is not overkill, it is pertinent.
It is my belief that the proliferation of Vitamin D deficiencies is not a result of people wearing too much sunscreen or wearing hats. It is because people do not spend enough time outdoors, in the sunlight. The truth is, all we need to get enough Vit D is, as Sarah says, about 20 minutes of sunlight a day, if that ( it depends on the UV index) – and only 15% of our bodies need to be exposed (according to the Cancer Council website). So take long walks, leave the office on your break, eat your lunch in the sun on the trampoline… but wear sunscreen on most of your body. Leave your forearms, decolletage, hands or face exposed but rotate what you protect and don’t protect so that you don’t cause lasting damage.
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I’ve been thinking about the whole get your body into the sun without protection for a few weeks now and once winter passes in my part of the world I will definitely try to get more of it. It also has to do with the way you eat, if you eat right for your body, your body will be able to protect itself from the sun.
Vit D is a tricky one, I have to wait for my blood test results to get back to see if I’m deficient in any essential vitamins or minerals. So as long as I don’t know for sure I won’t be supplementing…But I think what people are only now realizing is that you need enough of this vitamin to work together with that vitamin, being deficient in one is not just about that single one…everything needs to be in balance…
I’m on a high raw diet and I mostly eat vegan, only non-vegan thing I eat are soft-boiled eggs. I don’t eat any meat, because it’s extremely hard to find organic meat where I live and if I do eat it I feel tired afterwards.
I do use a lot of oils in my diet, olive, coconut, avocado, Udo’s choice Ultimate oil and flax. And I eat coconut, avocados and olives on a regular base.
But once the sun returns I’ll be using Invisible Zinc products if I am using protection…
Love, Jules
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Interesting read!
I live near Julie, so I too have the problem with not living in a very sun friendly country (at least not during the winter). I’m very white skinned so I’ll definitely try to spend a lot more time in the sun this summer. I Always feel kind of depressed during the winter, I love to rainy days and sitting inside watching a movie or just working on a new project. But I feel so much more happy and satisfied when I’ve been outside in the sun.
-Brun
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Thanks for your post Sarah. I was diagnosed as Vit D deficient around June this year. I had no D in my body. I was in constant pain, lethargic, exhausted from doing anything such as going up a flight of stairs would feel like i was going to pass out/collapse. Every day i felt like i was having a nervous breakdown, but for no reason. As someone who spends a LOT of time in the sun, my Dr. is still at a loss as to why i was deficient (thyroid/parathyroid fine and im not celiac). It has taken 6 months of 4 tablets a day for me not to have bone pain (still have the occasional sore sternum). My most recent bloodtest put my D at 53, it is a slow process! At 25, I have developed soft bones and this is not ideal! If you have any other links to resources i would be very interested, trying to gather as much info as i can.
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You don’t need to sit all day on the sun. After 20-30 minutes production of vitamin D in your skin rapidly decreases.
For example if this data are valid
http://www.vitaminddeficiencyguide.com/vitamin-d-overdose/
becuase of that you cant overdose with vitamin d generated through your skin.
I solved my deficiency exactly as author said, half an hour daily on the sun and taking food fortified with Vitamin D. Problem is that lot of diery products here in Italy is not fortified with vitamin d, yet luckily we have lot of sun.
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Thank you Sarah! I have very low Vit D levels and have for some time now. It has resulted in all sorts of health problems for me in the past (all good now – I do similar things to you). As such I have been trying to preach “safe sun” to anyone who would listen. I’m very pale and burn very easily so I have to be careful, but as with everything in life it’s about moderation people.
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“”Once vitamin D makes it into your body, cholesterol is needed to synthesise it and make it useful to your system. Cholesterol is transported in the blood plasma of all animals, which is why we should be eating some animal fats to get it.”
There is absolutely no need to eat cholesterol. Our bodies make it and most people have too high of cholesterol. Mine is still a little over 150, so it’s even a bit high as a vegan (below 150 is ideal for the prevention of heart disease and that’s where my doc wants me). Ask a doctor how many times they’ve seen someone with too low cholesterol. It’s really not something you have to worry about. (On a side note, a lot of the eat cholesterol because it’s healthy misinformation is coming originally from the Weston A. Price Foundation, so watch out for that. They are a pro animal-ag group and the source of much nonsense.)
Also, mushrooms generally don’t have much vitamin D unless they are treated with UV light, so if you are looking to get vitamin D from mushrooms, make sure you are getting the right ones.
Vitamin D3 actually comes from the grease from sheep’s wool (except for the rare vegan D3 made from rye). It’s pretty nasty stuff. Vitamin D2 is not only vegan, it works as well as D2 if you are taking it regularly and not irregular megadoses (which is not a good idea anyhow). It’s actually made of yeast so, no, mushrooms aren’t the only source of vegan D2.
If you are relying on the sun, do know that you cannot get enough sun in much of the globe year around because of the angle of the sun. I forget the exact cut off, but I think it’s around Atlanta, Georgia in the northern hemisphere. If you still don’t want to take supplements, you can get a UV lamp made for the purpose, but I recommend the supplements. Also, you need to be exposing your arms and legs some, not just your face. So, if it’s chilly and you’re covering up, don’t count on getting enough. Again, take the supplement.
Finally, please take anything Mercola says with a grain of salt. He is a quack and often spreads pseudoscience nonsense like homeopathy. However, he is right that vitamin D deficiency is something to take seriously.
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March 6th, 2012 at 11:38 pm
d2 is toxic meg. Feel free to take it. Coupled with your unfounded anti-Weston A. Price rant and your labelling Mercola a “quack”, I have to wonder if you aren’t a big pharma supporter. Ad hominem attacks are usually a dead give away. They are also not in the spirit of this blog.
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Just read your fascinating blog posting with a vested interest. I’m sitting in sun-starved England waiting for hospital admission on 1st December for a so-called radical prostatectomy having recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Given your comments concerning black skins, I can’t help but wonder about the potentially parallel effect of our frequently cloudy climate filtering out any beneficial effect of the sun. Now I’m retired, I run away to the south of France as much as I can but I had 52 years of northern European cloud to contend with prior to that.
Food for thought!
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November 24th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
All the best John x
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I wholeheartedly agree with this post–ever since stumbling upon Mark’s Daily Apple (dotcom) a few years back, I’ve come to realize a lot of what we’ve been conventionally taught to believe about diet and nutrition is simply not correct. As winter approaches, I’m considering vitamin D supplementation, so this couldn’t have come at a better time!
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Hi Sarah, thanks for bringing this up, at the last checkup at the doctors I found out that my vitamin D was down slightly. Did a bit of research and found out what you have recommended. A bit more sunshine and tweaking the diet slightly and problem well on the way to getting fixed
I have very fair skin and work in an office and didnt realise it was a problem until those blood tests a few months ago, at least I have an explanation for why i used to get into funks every winter, literally not enough sun! 
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vitamin D, is actually a hormone, and regulates some genes too.
BTW, anyone know where to find unpastuerised butter in AU? TIA.
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November 24th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
You can’t – it is illegal to sell un-pasteurised milk products for consumption last time I checked, although I open to correction if anyone has more updated knowledge?
You can get unpasteurised milk but this is sold as bath milk, and gets around the law by not technically being intended for consumption. You can buy this at health food stores.
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October 16th, 2012 at 5:36 pm
Hi Ezmew,
(very late reply to your questions, but trawling through early posts) If you’re in Victoria there is a local farmers market in the SE suburbs which sells unpasteurised butter. As stated by Mia, it says it’s not for consumption, only for cosmetic purposes as by law cannot sell for consumption. Stall also sells unpasteurised milk and cream.
contact me if you want the details.
Judy
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P.S.
I HIGHLY recommend this video for all those interested in human nutrition (and even if you aren’t):
http://www.vegsource.com/news/2010/11/the-starch-solution-every-successful-culture-was-plant-based.html
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I found this scientific paper on vitamin D and Australia which explains in a more detailed way the issues of vitamin D deficiency in this country. It can be a little bit heavy going with the jargon, but their recommendations are easily understood! The main one is this…
Exposure of hands, face and arms to 5–15
minutes of sunlight 4–6 times a week is recommended,
with the greatest frequency for those
who are older and have dark skin. If this is not possible
then a vitamin D supplement of at least 400
IU per day is recommended. Note: deliberate
exposure to sunlight between 10 am and 3 pm in
the summer months is not advised
If you’d like to read the paper in full, this is the link…
http://www.osteoporosis.org.au/files/research/vitamind_nowson_2004.pdf
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November 26th, 2010 at 11:49 am
What excellent advice – great research Nikki!
I think it’s important to let people know that there are scientific studies backing up what Sarah has said in her post – just as (I’m sure) there are scientific studies backing up the view that we should all be covered up, all the time, and minimise expose to sunlight as much as possible. As with anything and everything, surely a sensible middle ground is the best way?
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Thanks for promoting greater awareness about the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency in our sunblessed country. As a clinician I’m shocked by the amount of people who are D deficient, even the ones who are slack at “slip, slop, slapping” and (in one recent case) work outside 6 days a week as a personal trainer. I suspect there is more to this than just “vitamin in”, that there are a lot more factors interfering with our absorption and utilization than just sunblock. Of course if your bowel or liver aren’t working properly, or you take certain drugs it can explain a deficiency.
As for the animal fat connection, despite the “full fat phobia” in many omnivores, I’m not seeing a huge correlation between vegans/fat phobics and D deficiency versus the fat loving carnivores. Though totally agree that the fat content in dairy plays a role in getting calcium into the bones. I suggest to those who eat butter and milk but are nervous of the fats that it’s better to dilute the milk 50:50 with water and mix equal quantities of warm water and butter in a food processor to make spreadable butter, than eat margarine or drink ‘lite’ milk. (Versus low/no fat dairy that takes out all that useful buttermilk and adds in a heap more lactose).
There’s a useful article in Jama from 2005 about Vitamin D deficiency that gives actual sun exposure times in different Australasian cities, at different times of the year. It’s quite eye opening just how long we need in the sun in Melbourne during winter, fully exposing arms and legs – a very, very long morning tea break taken away from the concrete canyons in the CBD!
The Vitamin D Council is also a useful link regarding new research. http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/ They tend to regard D2 as ineffective at best, toxic at worse. This leads us back to the vegan issue. From what I’ve read, there have been studies under way exposing mushrooms to UV light to increase D2 content. But despite lots of publicity in recent years about the commencement of such studies, I haven’t read any final outcomes. I suspect that means they haven’t got the results they were hoping for.
I tend to prescribe a large dose of Vitamin D3 (4-5,000 iu/day) and people are amazed at two unexpected positive side-effects in the first couple of weeks. Many clients report they are sleeping better and they feel happier. (BTW I’ve written more about Vit D on my website if you want to search for it). It’s one heck of a happy hormone
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March 6th, 2012 at 11:43 pm
If the body is magnesium deficient, no amount of sun exposure will be enough to synthesize adequate amounts of vitamin D. The two work in concert.
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hi Sarah,
I already knew about the sun thing and love soaking up the sun… even more than I should/need.
I’m wondering – how much vitamin D3 supplement do you take? I take it as well but have never got much of an answer on how much is appropriate. I take 1000 IU of Vit D3 daily plus my multivitamin has another 600 of Vitamin D (not “D3″, different?) in it. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
TJ
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Hi Sarah,
What’s your honest take on dairy? There’s so much conflicting research out there that I’m not sure what to think anymore. I love (love!!) rich, creamy yogurt and goat cheese, but these are the only dairy products I eat and I only do so occasionally. The other animal products I eat are eggs and fish, and coconut oil for saturated fat.
Is my consumption of coconut oil, eggs, and fish enough saturated fat to assist with vitamin D absorption? I go back and forth between dairy fan and dairy foe. I really can’t decide.
Thanks so much!!
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But what about problems associated with elevated cholesterol levels – I thought we were supposed to reduce animal fat intake! It just gets SOOOOOOOOOO confusing!
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March 7th, 2012 at 12:15 am
The amount of saturated animal fat you eat has no negative bearing on your cholesterol levels. Vegetable oils, on the other hand, do as they are highly inflammatory.
What does effect your cholesterol level is the amount of carbohydrates you eat and, consequently its effect on your insulin levels, and the amount of inflammation in your body.
I, for instance, had dangerously high cholesterol levels in my mid thirties, when I ate rice cakes, low-fat and soy foods and used ‘healthy’ vegetable oils etc. With a family history of heart disease, things did not look good.
Now, fast approaching 50, my cholesterol is perfect. Chol/HDL ratio of 3.2 (the reference range is < 4.5. No medication used!
How did it happen? I changed my diet:
I now do not touch vegetable oils, anything low fat, anything with soy products. Instead, I eat copious amounts of good quality butter (see butter comment above about all its manifold health benefits). I cook with butter, duck fat, lard, dripping. I eat very few starches. My diet is predominantly protein and vegetables. I eat liver once a week. I have always avoided processed foods, so that has never been an issue.
An extra benefit of my diet is that I have beautiful, soft, wrinkle free skin though I use only an inexpensive natural soap – no 'anti-ageing' or 'beauty' products. People who don't know my age estimate it to be mid-thirties. Vegetable oils are highly oxidative and cause rapid acceleration of ageing and wrinkling. As do 'anti-ageing' products, especially those containing vitamin A or retinol. Skin ages 700% (no, that's not a typo!) faster when exposed to sunlight if it has a vitamin A or retinol containing formula applied to it. I get my fat soluble, skin beautifying vitamin A in my diet and it is more easily absorbed and utilized from butter than any other source.
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[...] Getting sun, without sunscreen, is actually good. Better than good actually. Recent studies reveal that people who spend more time outdoors without getting sunburnt, actually decrease their risk of developing melanoma. The benefits of Vitamin D exposure (which can only be reaped without sunscreen) actually protect against many types of cancer; including breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, ovarian, bladder, gallbladder, gastric, pancreatic, prostate, rectal, and renal cancers, as well as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Indeed, more people die of Vitamin D deficiency-based cancers than from melanoma. I’ve written about it previously here. [...]