Vitamin D3 Blog

Eggs are a Terrific Source of Vitamin D

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the branch of the U.S. government charged with food oversight, recently released a report claiming that eggs today have 64% more Vitamin D than in 2002, when the USDA last conducted such a study.  The report also stated that eggs in the year 2011 have 14% less cholesterol on average than did eggs sampled in 2002.

Scientists from the agency as well as egg industry representatives are speculating that this change is the result of widespread improvements in the quality of feed given to laying hens over the better part of the past decade.

The findings will undoubtedly enhance the nutritional profile of the incredible, edible egg.  However, it has long been known that eggs are a good source of Vitamin D, and D3 in particular.  In an article dated January of 2009 (over two years ago), nurse practitioner Pamela Egan wrote the following: “Vitamin D is found in many dietary sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil.”  She went on to discuss egg yolks in particular as a high-quality Vitamin D3 food source.

Vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol, is the natural form of the vitamin.  It is manufactured by the human body, and the process is fueled by sunlight hitting the skin, but can also be obtained through supplements as well as food sources.  D3 is far more bioavailable (absorbent/usable) than other forms of Vitamin D.

So, for those of you who make a conscious effort to eat healthy and nutritious foods, one of your best sources for Vitamin D just got a lot better.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has come under fire for a recent statement issued on behalf of the organization claiming that sun exposure is not necessary in order for a person to obtain sufficient amounts of vitamin d3 (cholecalciferol).

A group known as The Vitamin D Council blasted the dermatologists association in response to the statement, claiming the statement was an attempt to protect the Academy from potential liabilities stemming from previous campaigns to increase sunscreen use, which the Council claims resulted in mass-vitamin d deficiencies.

In response to the outpouring of criticism stemming from its earlier statement, the AAD released a revised statement in which the semantics appear to have been tinkered with but little actually changed substantively speaking.  Though the wording was slightly different, the group stood by its claim that people should obtain vitamin d through food and not via the sun. The reason, they claim, is that the costs in terms of damage to the skin outweigh the benefits brought about by the vitamin d3.

American Academy of Dermatology Website:  http://www.aad.org/index.html

The Vitamin D Council’s Website: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

Who Should Take Vitamin D Supplements, How Much and Why?

Vitamin D supplements, particularly those providing the more bio-available form known as Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol, can be of life-saving importance to a larger percentage of the population than most would probably assume. Of all the vitamin and mineral supplements out on the market, Vitamin D3 supplements may be the most under-consumed and most important among them.

According to a number of recent studies, between 50-80% of the American population isn’t getting enough Vitamin D. This number is believed to be even higher among African Americans. Part of the problem is that a disturbingly high number of people either aren’t aware of the importance of healthy levels of the nutrient or make the mistake of assuming they get enough by way of diet and/or sunlight.

Remedial Information about Vitamin D is Misleading

While most of us learned in school about the ever-important D vitamin is technically true (that Vitamin D is obtained via sunlight naturally), it is woefully incomplete information that has contributed to the crisis many health experts describe as a Vitamin D deficiency epidemic. We get Vitamin D from the sunshine. It is a “nonessential” vitamin (although that term is very misleading). What this effectively means is that our bodies can make it. Specifically, human skin manufactures it from sunshine, the liver breaks it down, and finally the kidney activates it into a form that is thousands of times more potent. This job provided by the kidney is lost very in the early stages of chronic kidney disease, and diminishes substantially often simply as a result of the aging process. What’s more, older people’s skin is not able to optimally manufacture the nutrient from sunlight.
So what does this all mean to the average American who likely had never so much as considered whether or not he or she was obtaining sufficient amounts of the nutrient?

Most of us also learned in school that inadequate Vitamin D levels can lead to rickets. But how many adults actually know someone with rickets? This is precisely the dilemma — rickets is not a disease people are used to seeing and thus, intricately familiar with.

Think You’re Getting Enough Vitamin D?  Think Again

Far too many Americans are of the mistaken belief that they are getting enough sunshine, and what they’re not getting in terms of sun is compensated for by diet. This is a big mistake, at least if the studies indicating that more than half the American population is deficient are correct. Paying a (probably already overdue) visit to the doctor and having one’s Vitamin D levels checked takes very little time and is a relatively inexpensive test. This test is the only way to know for sure if one is low in the nutrient and thus susceptible to the assortment of health ailments and illnesses associated with the condition.

More Milk isn’t the Answer

Milk is fortified with Vitamin D, and many who are cognizant of the importance of the vitamin assume that drinking milk will help stave off deficiency. Technically this isn’t completely inaccurate. There’s just one problem with that line of thinking though: it would take approximately 16 glasses of milk a day to provide the necessary amount of Vitamin D needed to stave of deficiency and deficiency-related illness. What’s more, the Vitamin D found in milk breaks down when exposed to light? Most major grocery chains store milk under fluorescent lights 24-7 until it sells. Even if the milk is stored in such a way as to protect the nutrients inside it, sixteen glasses is a lot of milk — even if you like milk.

Rickets we rarely encounter, sunshine we have aplenty, and we’ve survived this long without nutrient-rich milk, so what does it matter? The human body requires Vitamin D for many internal processes. It is a co-factor in myriad activities within the body. Most of us did not learn this in school as scientists only recently discovered just how critically important this nutrient is.

Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic

What you don’t know, can hurt you. Without enough Vitamin D, not only are we vulnerable to rickets, but more importantly processes begin in which the body essentially turns itself into bone. Genes get *up-regulated(1) in the absence of needed levels of Vitamin D, which lead to the building of bone matrix in soft tissue. That tissue includes blood vessels, the heart, liver, pancreas, the list goes on. Upon that matrix, minerals like calcium are laid down and turn it into bone. This obviously is not good for one’s health. As a matter of fact, this directly correlates with mortality rates — especially via heart disease.

The lower the Vitamin D levels, the higher the mortality rate! Vitamin D deficiency has now been linked to colon cancer, diabetes, hypertension, fibromyalgia, proximal muscle weakness, and many, many others. While the death certificate doesn’t typically list Vitamin D deficiency as the cause-of-death, an alarmingly high number of debilitating and potentially even fatal diseases and illnesses have been associated with deficiencies in Vitamin D levels. So which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Vitamin D deficiency is indeed an epidemic. In numerous studies, 50-80% of the American populations studied are deficient in this Vitamin. These numbers are believed to be even higher among African Americans. While rickets is not regarded as a serious health concern, more and more people are diagnosed with heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes everyday in every family. Can anything help to prevent this?

More Sunlight Not Necessarily the Answer

The sun has gotten a bad rap. We know it causes aging of our skin and skin cancer. This is true, and in the case of skin cancer potentially deadly, so getting more sunlight is not necessarily the answer. Worth noting is the fact that the darker one’s skin, the less Vitamin D that person is able to manufacture all other things being equal. This likely explains why African Americans are suffering and dying more than any other group from these very same diseases now linked with Vitamin D deficiency.

When one spends considerable time in the sun, what happens? Assuming the person used sunblock, that person will become tan. The darker the skin the less Vitamin D one is able to manufacture, so more sun exposure is not the answer due to it’s catch-22 nature. This is especially true for African Americans and other people with dark skin.

Time in the sun is not a good predictor of one’s Vitamin D level for the reasons stated above. The only way to know if a person is deficient (and about 80% of us are) is to have that person’s Vitamin D levels tested and evaluated. Drinking milk is not going to bring the levels up unless perhaps one maybe owns a cow or has a very large refrigerator to go along with an insatiable appetite. The bottom line is that for most adults, Vitamin D3 supplements are usually necessary to ensure healthy levels and promote good health. According to esteemed Nurse Practitioner and Health Columnist Pamela Egan, “the few patients I see who are not deficient usually have been taking vitamin supplements for years.”

How Much Should I take?

The recommended dosages for Vitamin D are 400 units a day if you are under 50 years old, 600 units a day for those 51-70, and 800 units a day for those over 71. When one is deficient, it is very difficult to replete levels with over the counter doses of Vitamin D. A prescription-strength dose is often required, and can be beneficial with a weekly dose.

Nurse Practitioner Egan offered the following piece of advice for readers of this blog: “Talk to your doctor, get a level measured, and supplement your deficiency with enough D to maintain adequate levels. Let’s all live a long and happy life!”

Vitamin D3 Supplements can be found here, or by clicking the links appearing in the box below.

* 1. Up-Regulation - the process where postsynaptic receptors increase in number or become more sensitive when presynaptic neurons are not releasing enough neurotransmitter to carry the impulse (mcgraw-hill.com).

* Alternate Definition of Up-Regulation - an increase in the number and density of a particular neuronal receptor, generally in response to an altered amount of neurotransmitters present in the surrounding environment (macalester.edu).

Pamela Egan, FNP-C, CDE, is a board-certified Nurse Practitioner, certified diabetes educator, health columnist and anti-aging diplomat. She is an expert on vitamin d3 and illnesses associated with deficiencies of this vital nutrient. Her website is www.pamelaegan.com.

Vitamin D3 Deficiency Can Be Prevented Through Sunlight, Food Sources

Vitamin D is found in many dietary sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk, and cod liver oil. The sun also contributes significantly to the daily production of Vitamin D3, which is also known as Cholecalciferol.

Trying to incorporate more Vitamin D3 through your diet can easily be done. Cholecalciferol is created through exposure of your skin to the sun, but due to many being wary of overexposure to the sunshine, some can have deficiencies. Through 15 to 20 minutes of sun exposure daily, the body creates 10,000 to 15,000 IUs of Vitamin D3.

Vitamin D3 Deficiency can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, depression and psoriasis. Luckily, there are a few other sources of Vitamin D3 including some foods that can supply sufficient quantities of the nutrient for those who cannot sunbathe for whatever reason. If you are staying out of the sun, consider the following foods to keep your body healthy:

Cod Liver Oil

1. According to drweil.com, Dr Weil states the National Institutes of Health finds cod liver oil can provide up to 1,300 IU of Vitamin D per tablespoon, which is more than the 1,000 IU daily recommendation. They also find cod liver oil to be a good source of Vitamin A. Fish oil supplements are available in liquid capsules and in oil form. Taking cod liver oil daily can help your body get the Vitamin D3 it needs.

Fortified Foods

2. Pamela Egan, FNP-C, CDE, suggests eating fortified foods such as milk and cereal to make up for Vitamin D3 Deficiency. By checking labels on fortified milks and cereals, one can select items that will provide sufficient amounts of this critical nutrient to help stave off deficiency. By starting the day with a bowl of fortified milk and cereal, your body can get a full day’s serving of D3.

Egg Yolks

3. Another great source of Cholecalciferol is egg yolks. Making an omelet or scrambling a couple eggs can give you almost a full daily serving. Studies conducted by the Agricultural Research Centre of Finland published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry find feeding chickens a feed high in Vitamin D produces eggs that are sevenfold higher in Vitamin D3 than normal eggs. In the future, one egg might solve the complex and extremely serious health problem that is Vitamin D3 deficiency.

Related Posts:
- Vitamin D Deficiency and Disease
- Vitamin D3 Supplements: When are they Necessary?
- Vitamin D Deficiency, HIV and AIDS

Cholecalciferol (aka: Vitamin D3)

Pam Egan, FNP-C, CDE, is a board-certified adult and family nurse practitioner, a certified diabetes educator, certified specialist in anti-aging medicine, and also a health columnist. Mrs. Egan has written extensively on the subject of Vitamin D3 and the wealth of both short and long-term health benefits associated with this incredible vitamin.

Vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol, is by far and without question the most bio-available form of Vitamin D.

Why is Vitamin D3 so important?

Vitamin D is essential for healthy-looking skin and strong bones. In addition, Vitamin D3 has been found to stimulate the immune system, providing your body with a powerful boost to help stave off illness.

If an individual has chronically low Vitamin D3 intake from food and/or sunlight, the deficiency can lead to numerous health ailments including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Obesity, Diabetes, Cancer, Fibromyalgia, neuro-degenerative diseases, osteoporosis, and clinical depression. Scientists and researchers are now discovering that the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke may increase in people with a prolongued Vitamin D3 deficiency.

D3 can be obtained from a variety of foods, however perhaps the best way to ingest/absorb the nutrient is through sunlight making direct contact with skin. A handful of top health and nutrition experts have even recommended sunbathing in the nude for ten to fifteen minutes daily as a means of ingesting/manyfacturing sufficient amounts of this critically important vitamin in its most potent and bioavailable form.

In addition to foods and sunlight, perhaps the easiest way to ingest sufficient amounts of D3 is via supplementation. A number of high-quality Vitamin D3 Supplements exist to help one ingest enough of the nutrient on a regular basis, including when weather prohibits one from sunbathing.

Included are some links at the bottom of this post to some additional educational resources about Vitamin D3, authored by Nurse Practitioner Egan.

Pamela Egan’s Articles about Vitamin D3:

• Vitamin D3
• Vitamin D3 may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol
• Experts Call for Increased Dose of Vitamin D3
• What is Vitamin D3?
• Vitamin D3 Sources
• Side Effects of Vitamin D3 (D3 Toxicity)

Vitamin D3 Sources: Food and Sunlight

With the world suddenly alerted to the health crisis that is vitamin d deficiency epidemic, the subject of what natural sources contain vitamin d has become quite the hot topic.

First, let us clarify that not all vitamin d is the same. There are two main types of vitamin d3: Ergocalciferol (vitamin d2); and Cholecalciferol (vitamin d3). Cholecalciferol is the superior form of the nutrient. It is the naturally-occurring form of the vitamin, as opposed to D2, which is largely synthetic and found in most vitamin supplements. That said, the remainder of this article will focus on vitamin d3, as it is the one offering the major health benefits due to its superior bioavailability.

There are two primary vitamin d3 sources not including supplements.

Sources of Vitamin D3:

1. Sunlight – Exposing one’s skin to direct sunlight is the most effective and efficient way of obtaining vitamin d3. Exposure to UV rays from direct sunlight triggers vitamin d3 production in the skin. Artificial lighting is not sufficient to initiate vitamin d synthesis in the skin. Some health experts have even gone so far as to recommend sunbathing in the nude as a means of obtaining healthy amounts of d3.
2. Foods – Food generally has very little to offer in terms if vitamin d3 when compared with sunlight. However there are a few foods that provide small-to-moderate amounts of the nutrient:
• Fish: Not including Cod Liver Oil, since we’re not counting supplements, fish containing vitamin d3 include Herring, Salmon, Mackerel, Tuna, Sardines and Eel.
• Milk and Fortified Foods: Milk supplies small amounts of vitamin d, as do fortified cereals and soy products.
• Eggs: Eggs provide roughly 20 iu (International Units) of vitamin d3 per egg. The nutrient is concentrated in the egg yolk, so one need not eat the entire egg if only seeking to obtain the food-based nutrient.
• Beef Liver: Beef liver can provide trace amounts of vitamin d3.
• Mushrooms: Mushrooms can provide some amount of vitamin d, however, typically mushrooms offer vitamin d2 (ergocalciferol) as opposed to the more valuable cholecalciferol.

A blood test to determine calcidiol (25-hydroxy-vitamin D) levels is a common method used to determine whether one’s vitamin d levels are within healthy range, or if a vitamin d3 deficiency is present. For those who are deficient and averse to taking oral supplements, the above-listed foods along with plenty of sunlight can help correct the problem and restore your immune system to full capacity.