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Getting your vitamin D (Mercola)

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From Dr Mercola

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  • Fall’s shorter days and lower sun angle reduce ultraviolet (UV) B exposure, making it harder to produce adequate vitamin D through sunlight alone
  • Check daily UV Index and consider your skin type (Fitzpatrick
  • phototype) to determine sun exposure needs; darker skin tones require
  • more time in sunlight
  • Consume vitamin D-rich foods like wild-caught Alaskan salmon, rainbow trout, herring, and fortified dairy products to supplement reduced sun exposure during fall and winter months
  • Take vitamin D3 supplements with healthy fats, aiming for 60 to 80 ng/mL in your blood; include magnesium and vitamin K2 to optimize absorption and metabolism
  • Reduce linoleic acid (LA) intake below 2% of calories and supplement with C15:0 to purge skin toxins, enabling safer sun exposure for vitamin D production in the long run

As most of you know, I am a passionate advocate of optimizing your vitamin D levels because of its many capabilities. In previous articles, I’ve discussed in detail how it helps boost immune function, manage blood sugar levels, and lower your risk of cancer.

The best way to produce vitamin D is through sensible sun exposure. However, with autumn now in full swing, the days are getting shorter. Thus, people who live in areas who don’t get enough sunlight won’t be able to produce the appropriate amount of vitamin D to support their health.

To spread awareness of this issue, I recently appeared on NTD News, offering viewers practical strategies to optimize their vitamin D levels during fall, as well as the upcoming winter. These points are also explored below.

Why Fall Makes Vitamin D Trickier to Optimize

Fall is a beloved season in the U.S., drawing many nature lovers to northern states and basking in the changing picturesque foliage.1 However, this presents certain health problems down the line:

•Changes in the Earth’s angle against the sun — Earth follows an elliptical orbit, which means that its distance between the sun varies throughout the year.2 Following this logic, the Earth’s axis and distance from sun during fall cause shorter days, a lower sunlight angle, and cooler temperatures. The result? Lower vitamin D levels.

•Factors affecting vitamin D production — Ultraviolet B (UVB), the type of sunlight that triggers vitamin D production on your skin, is affected by season, time of day, latitude, clouds, and your skin’s melanin concentration.

In many places during summer, incidental sun is enough to produce vitamin D, but not in late fall and winter. So, shifting your diet and taking supplements (as needed) are essential to maintaining optimal levels.3

How Much Sun Exposure Helps in Autumn?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach when optimizing your vitamin D in fall. Here are some guidelines, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):4

•Check the daily UV Index (UVI) — This is a forecast provided by the National Weather Service, providing information on the current UV radiation readings throughout the day. Here’s a tip — the highest numbers occur during solar noon.5

•Consider your Fitzpatrick phototype — It’s a guide that describes how certain skin colors react when exposed to sunlight. Thus, it can be used to help you determine how much time you need to be exposed during the day. Here’s a chart from DermNet to help you:6

Skin TypeTypical FeaturesTanning Ability
IPale white skin, blue/green eyes, blonde/red hairAlways burns, does not tan
IIFair skin, blue eyesBurns easily, tans poorly
IIIDarker white skinTans after initial burn
IVLight brown skinBurns minimally, tans easily
VBrown skinRarely burns, tans darkly easily
VIDark brown or black skinNever burns, always tans darkly

Framing the information above within the context of my NTD News segment, if you live in higher latitudes and/or have deeper skin tones, you’ll generally synthesize less D from the sun, especially during fall.

What’s a good sign your body has produced enough for the day? In a previous article, I noted that the limit is when your skin begins to turn slightly pink. If that doesn’t even happen to you during fall, then you’ll need to compensate the remaining through your diet.

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The Best Foods for Vitamin D in Fall

Continuing the point above, vitamin D is also found in various foods. The table below shows you well-known sources and how much you’ll get, depending on serving size:7

FoodServing SizeVitamin D Amount (IU)
Rainbow trout, freshwater3 ounces645
Salmon3 ounces383 to 570
Herring3 ounces182
Tilapia3 ounces127
Yogurt, plain8 ounces116
Kefir, plain1 cup100
Cheese, American1.5 ounces85
Mushrooms, raw1 cupBetween 0 to 1,110

Should You Take Vitamin D2 or D3, and How Much?

Aside from food, you can optimize your vitamin D levels through supplementation. However, there is some confusion between what is generally available to consumers — vitamin D2 and D3:

•Have yourself tested first — No matter which strategy you employ — sunlight exposure, food, and supplements — it’s always a good idea to have your vitamin D levels tested to know your baseline.

When visiting a lab, ask for a 25-hydroxy vitamin D test. This measures the current vitamin D levels circulating within your body. In America, most guidelines set the sufficiency cutoff at 40 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), or 100 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) in Europe. However, I believe that isn’t enough — the real protective benefits of vitamin D occur when you reach a range between 60 and 80 ng/mL.

•Vitamin D2 versus D3 — As noted in my interview with NTD News, vitamin D2 comes from plants, while vitamin D3 comes from animals. If you’re going to pick one, I recommend vitamin D3, as it’s significantly more effective at raising blood vitamin D levels.

One more thing about vitamin D3 — it’s a fat-soluble nutrient. This means that in order to be fully absorbed, you need to take it with meals that include healthy fat, such as pasture-raised egg yolks, tallow, or grass fed butter.

•Supplement interactions — When taking vitamin D3 supplements, remember to increase your intake of magnesium and vitamin K2. These nutrients improve how your body processes vitamin D. For every 5,000 international units (IUs) of vitamin D you ingest, take around 180 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K2 in MK-7 form, as well as 400 milligrams (mg) of magnesium.

•Medications affecting vitamin D function — Check with your doctor if you’re taking medications such as statins and steroids. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, corticosteroid medications such as prednisone can impair vitamin D metabolism.8

•Rechecking interval — Have your blood tested every three to six months. This gives you enough time to see the effectiveness of your regimen at boosting vitamin D levels, and whether or not adjustments are needed.

Does Using Sunscreen in Fall Block Vitamin D Production?

Public messaging of sunlight exposure can be confusing. For example, dermatology organizations advise not seeking UV exposure for vitamin D because UV is a proven skin-cancer risk and even advise wearing sunscreen while outside.9 In short, they’re advocating that you avoid and fear sunlight.

•The link between sunlight and skin cancer — The fear of increased cancer risk perpetuated by dermatologists has some merit, but it’s important to understand the nuances. As I mentioned in the interview, making vitamin D through sunlight can increase your risk of squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma. But the good thing is that these are caught early and can be treated right away, making mortality risk very low.

Meanwhile, safe sun exposure lowers the risk of melanoma, which is the dangerous type of skin cancer you don’t want to get. Much of the reasons why melanoma risk increases is because many of us eat a diet high in linoleic acid (LA), which is perishable and becomes toxic when exposed to sunlight. It’s only that when you eliminate LA from your system that you can truly reap the benefits of sunlight safely — this process is explained below.

•Avoid excessive use of sunscreens — These products block vitamin D synthesis and even interfere with your endocrine health. In fact, a sunscreen with an SPF of just 30 blocks about 97.5% of UVB radiation, effectively shutting down your body’s ability to make vitamin D.

Rather, use sunscreen strategically, such as only applying it when you’re going to be out in the sun for prolonged periods of time. I recommend reading “Beyond Vitamin D Production — How Sensible Sun Exposure Supports Overall Health” for more information.

•Ditch vitamin D lamps — On a related note, devices that generate UV light, such as nail driers, can damage your DNA. In a previous article, I discussed published research showing how regular use of these products actually increase your risk of skin cancer.

A Simple Fall Checklist

Based on all the information I outlined above, monitoring and increasing your vitamin D levels can be burdensome. To help, here’s a handy checklist you can keep for reference. I recommend printing it out and hanging it somewhere visible:

•Daily base intake — The Office of Dietary Supplements recommends you aim for a daily intake of 600 to 800 IUs from all sources.10 However, this is a far too low a number.

As noted in my interview with NTD News, you can safely take 10,000 IUs a day without harming your health. That said, it’s important to check your levels, too. Vitamin D toxicity, while rare, is a real side effect.

•Shop smart — Keep fish such as wild-caught Alaskan salmon in your rotation. These are the safest choices as they’re generally low in mercury compared to farmed fish. Similarly, look for grass fed varieties of dairy products.

•Mind your medications — Consult with your doctor to rule out interactions on vitamin D synthesis if you’re currently taking medications for a disease.

•Develop your sun sense — Regularly review the UVI reports and be mindful of your Fitzpatrick phototype to make sure you don’t get sunburned.

•Test and retest — Take a 25-hydroxy vitamin D test and aim for a range between 60 to 80 ng/mL.

The Issue of Sunlight Exposure Without Fixing Your Diet

One important aspect I emphasized in my interview is linoleic acid (LA) becoming embedded in your skin. Purging it is crucial when it comes to optimizing vitamin D levels because sunlight exposure causes toxic metabolites to form, which will damage your cellular health. That said, it is paramount that you reduce your LA intake right away.

At the same time, I recommend increasing your intake of pentadecanoic acid, also known as C15:0. It is a rare, odd-chain saturated fat that displaces LA in your skin, allowing you to reap the benefits of regular sun exposure. For an in-depth explanation of how this process occurs, read “The Fast-Track Path to Clearing Vegetable Oils from Your Skin.” Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the benefits of C15:0, follow the protocol below:

1.Keep LA intake below 2% of your total daily calories — Remove all industrial vegetable oils from your diet, including soybean, corn, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, canola, and grapeseed oils from your diet. LA is common in ultraprocessed foods, condiments, restaurant meals, and packaged snacks.

LA also accumulates in the fat of grain-fed livestock, especially chicken and pork, often reaching concentrations similar to those found in vegetable oils sold in groceries. To minimize exposure, choose pasture-raised or grass fed meat whenever possible.

2.Take 2 grams of C15:0 daily, split between meals — Use a high-quality pentadecanoic acid powder or a certified butter or ghee concentrate rich in C15:0. Divide the total dose across meals to promote consistent uptake into your tissues.

3.Check your progress every three months — Use a red blood cell test or dried blood spot test to confirm that your C15:0 levels are at least 0.4% and that LA remains under 5% of your total fat levels. These benchmarks indicate successful cellular remodeling.

If your results stop improving, look for unrecognized sources of LA or review your dosing for possible inconsistencies.

4.Encourage fat turnover through healthy lifestyle changes — Boost the clearance of stored LA with intermittent fasting, high-intensity training, and regular heat exposure via sauna sessions or hot baths.

Limit vigorous exercise to 75 minutes or less per week, as longer bouts can hinder recovery and longevity. When fasting, avoid chronic or extreme restriction, which can suppress thyroid function and metabolism. Sporadic, short fasts are safer and more sustainable.

5.Build up sun tolerance gradually, especially in your first two summers — While LA remains high in your body fat, the skin is more prone to UV-induced oxidative stress. During this period, avoid midday sunlight (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and go out during early morning or late afternoon instead.

Once LA levels decline and cell membranes stabilize, your skin’s resilience improves, allowing you to increase midday exposure slowly without burning.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Optimizing Vitamin D Levels in Fall

Q: How much sun do I need for vitamin D in the fall?

A: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, since your vitamin D production depends on factors like your skin tone, latitude, and the daily UV Index. As a rule of thumb, check your local UVI forecast each day.

If you have pale or fair skin, you’ll only need a short time of direct sunlight exposure. Those with deeper skin tones may need to take longer for similar vitamin D output. However, during late fall or for those living in northern regions, UVB levels often drop too low to make enough vitamin D, meaning sunlight alone may not be sufficient.

Q: What’s the best time of day to make vitamin D in autumn?

A: The best window is around solar noon — roughly between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. — when the sun’s rays hit the Earth most directly. This is when UVB exposure is strongest, allowing your body to produce vitamin D more efficiently in less time.

In fall, the sun’s lower angle means UVB rays are weaker, so early morning or late afternoon exposure won’t trigger much vitamin D production. If you live in northern states, your skin may not generate any vitamin D during the later months of fall. In those cases, food and supplementation become helpful.

Q: Which foods are highest in vitamin D for fall meal planning?

A: When sunlight isn’t enough, you can boost your vitamin D by adding certain foods to your meals. Natural sources include fatty fish like wild-caught Alaskan salmon, rainbow trout, herring, and tilapia. Grass fed dairy products such as yogurt, kefir, and cheese also provide smaller amounts. For plant-based options, mushrooms exposed to sunlight or UV light are viable.

Q: Should I take vitamin D3 or D2 in fall?

A: If you’re planning to take a supplement, vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the superior choice. D3 is the form your body naturally makes from sunlight and is far more effective than D2 (ergocalciferol), which comes from plants. Since it’s a fat-soluble vitamin, take D3 with a meal that includes healthy fats, such as grass fed butter, pasture-raised egg yolks, or tallow, so it can be absorbed properly.

For every 5,000 IUs of vitamin D3, pair it with about 180 mcg of vitamin K2 (MK-7 form) and 400 mg of magnesium to enhance absorption and balance calcium metabolism. Lastly, always test your levels before supplementing, especially if you’re taking medications.

Q: When should I test my vitamin D levels in fall?

A: It’s best to test early in the season (around late September or October) to establish your baseline and then retest every three to six months to track progress. Ask your health care provider for a 25-hydroxy vitamin D test for accurate results.

While many labs consider 40 ng/mL sufficient, optimal protection for immunity, metabolic health, and cancer prevention typically appear between 60 and 80 ng/mL. If your results are below this range, consider combining sun exposure with dietary and supplemental vitamin D3 throughout fall and winter.

– Sources and References

SOURCE

Image by Jessica Joh from Pixabay

Natural Health Care, News

Unlock the Power of 10 Key Nutrients for Optimal Health

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Check out our sister site truthwatchnz.is for other news

From mercola.com

Story at-a-glance

  • While I do not recommend relying on supplements for your daily nutrition, depending on your state of health, there may be instances where you need one or more supplements to address a nutritional deficiency or ailment
  • Ten of the most popular nutritional supplements include ashwagandha, berberine, B vitamins, including B12, collagen, creatine, omega-3, magnesium, vitamin D and NAD+ precursors such as niacinamide
  • Some nutritional deficiencies are so widespread, thanks to soil depletion and reliance on processed foods, that just about everyone can benefit from supplementation. This is the case for magnesium and B vitamins in particular

While I do not recommend relying on supplements for your daily nutrition, depending on your state of health, there may be instances where you need one or more supplements to address a nutritional deficiency or ailment.

Some nutritional deficiencies are so widespread, thanks to soil depletion and reliance on processed foods, that just about everyone can benefit from supplementation. In this article, I will review 10 of the most popular nutritional supplements that may be helpful for many.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb, meaning it helps your body adapt to stress by balancing your immune system, metabolism and hormonal systems. The root contains the highest concentration of active ingredients that modulate hormones, including thyroid hormone, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

Naturally occurring steroids called withanolides in ashwagandha also suppress pathways responsible for several inflammation-based illnesses such as arthritis, asthma, hypertension, osteoporosis and cancer.

Ashwagandha also supports sexual and reproductive health in both men and women. In men, it helps boost testosterone levels, and has been shown to improve semen quality in infertile men.

In women, ashwagandha’s ability to rebalance hormones (including thyroid hormone, estrogen and progesterone) has been shown to improve polycystic ovary syndrome and relieve menopausal symptoms.

Ashwagandha also has natural pain reliever (analgesic) and rejuvenating properties, and can promote general health when used regularly. While some adaptogens are stimulants in disguise, this is not the case with ashwagandha. It can give your morning exercise routine a boost, and when taken prior to bed it can help you get a good night’s sleep as well.

Berberine

Berberine — a yellow-colored alkaloid compound found in several different plants, including European barberry, goldenseal, goldthread, Oregon grape and tree turmeric — has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, antidiarrheal, antineoplastic, antidiabetic and immune-enhancing1 properties.

It has a long history of use in traditional medicine, including traditional Chinese medicine, and many integrative health practitioners swear by berberine as a general health supplement due to its ability to address such a wide variety of maladies.2

For example, it’s effective against a wide range of bacteria, protozoa and fungi, and is commonly used to treat gastrointestinal issues, including traveler’s diarrhea and that from food poisoning. Having similar mechanisms of action as the drug metformin, berberine can also be used as an oral hypoglycemic for Type 2 diabetics.3 Other ailments berberine has been shown to protect against and/or treat include:4

High blood pressureFatty liver disease
ObesityDigestive issues
Neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’sCancer
Anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Many of berberine’s health benefits5 have been linked to its ability to activate adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK).6 AMPK is an enzyme inside your body’s cells. It’s sometimes referred to as a “metabolic master switch” because it plays an important role in regulating metabolism.7

Low AMPK has been linked to insulin resistance, mitochondrial dysfunction, obesity, neurodegeneration and chronic inflammation — all of which lay the groundwork for a wide variety of serious chronic diseases.

According to many studies, berberine is well-tolerated.8 However, it can interfere with some medications, including oral chemotherapy, high blood pressure medications, blood thinners, cholesterol medications, immunosuppressive drugs, and pharmaceutical diabetes treatments.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid berberine. Other side effects can include constipation, diarrhea, low blood sugar, nausea and vomiting.

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Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is known as “the energy vitamin.” Your body requires it for a variety of functions, including energy production, blood formation, DNA synthesis and myelin formation.

It also plays an important role in neurological function, and deficiency can culminate in a range of mental health symptoms, from irritability and depression to dementia and even psychosis. For more details, see “Vitamin B12 to Help Combat Mental Illness.”

Low B12 also increases inflammation and oxidative stress by raising homocysteine. High homocysteine, in turn, is associated with cardiovascular disease and decreased immune response. Vitamins B6, B9 (folate) and B12 break down homocysteine.9

Recent research10 suggests B12 may also be a key player in cellular regeneration, speeding up tissue repair. More specifically, the study found that vitamin B12 is a limiting factor for tissue repair. In other words, to optimize tissue regeneration, you need sufficient amounts of B12 in your system.

The two ways you become deficient are through a lack of vitamin B12 in your diet, or through your inability to absorb it from the food you eat. Vitamin B12 is present in natural form only in animal sources of food, which is one of the reasons I advise against a no-animal-food, vegan diet.

B12-rich foods include beef and beef liver (grass-fed beef is highly preferable to the grain-fed variety), lamb, snapper, venison, salmon, shrimp, scallops, organic pastured poultry and eggs.

Warning signs of B12 deficiency include brain fog, memory lapses, mood swings, apathy, fatigue, muscle weakness and tingling in the extremities. Unfortunately, B12 deficiency may not present itself for several years, so by the time you notice symptoms, you may be quite deficient.

When it comes to supplementation, your best alternatives include injectable B12 and sublingual drops or spray. Most oral supplements tend to be ineffective, as vitamin B12 is poorly absorbed.

You also want to make sure you’re taking methylcobalamin, not cyanocobalamin (which is the most commonly found B12). When taken sublingually (either by tablet or spray), it goes straight into your bloodstream.

If you take it as an oral supplement, you have to rely on a glycoprotein produced in your stomach called intrinsic factor, which binds to the B12 and shuttles it into the intestine to the end of the small intestine where it’s absorbed. As you get older, you lose the ability to produce intrinsic factor, making you more likely to suffer from B12 deficiency.

Other B Vitamins

The other B vitamins are also important, and if you eat a lot of processed food, you’re virtually guaranteed to be deficient in several of them. Case in point: in mid-October 2023, Moms Across America (MAA) tested 10 fast food brands for B vitamins,11 and none of them contained either B9 or B12. Levels of B3 (niacin) were also abysmal.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of niacin is 14 mg per day for women and 16 mg for men. To meet that RDA, a woman would need to consume 333 servings of Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches (at a serving size of 210 grams) and a man would need to eat 380 servings.

Chipotle’s carnitas bowl with everything, which had the highest amount of B3, still requires you to eat eight servings if you’re a woman and nine servings if you’re a man, to meet your RDA of niacin. Personally, I believe a B complex is a good option for most people, as you really need all the B vitamins, not just one or two.

Niacinamide

I also recommend taking 50 mg of niacinamide (aka nicotinamide, a form of niacin or vitamin B3) two to three times a day, as it plays a vital role in producing energy in your mitochondria.

Without it, your mitochondria simply cannot make energy efficiently. Niacinamide is also a precursor to NAD+, which is also tightly correlated with total ATP production. NAD+ also acts as fuel for longevity proteins called sirtuins.

Because of its effects on energy production and NAD+, niacinamide can be useful in the prevention and/or treatment of a long list of chronic conditions, including obesity,12,13 insulin resistance and diabetes,14 neurodegeneration15 and neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s and ischemic stroke,16,17 heart failure,18,19 leaky gut,20,21 glaucoma,22,23 declining testosterone levels,24,25 cancer,26,27 kidney disease,28 alcoholic- and nonalcoholic liver disease,29,30 and even COVID-19.31

Your NAD levels dramatically decline with age. It’s also used up by DNA repair enzymes and enzymes involved in inflammation and immunity, such that chronic inflammation, or acute illness in old age, can rapidly result in depletion. For more details, see “The Crucial Role of NAD+ in Optimal Health.”

Collagen

Collagen is the most common and abundant of your body’s proteins. One of its primary purposes is to provide structural scaffolding for your various tissues to allow them to stretch while still maintaining tissue integrity.

As a compound of essential amino acids, there’s only one way to get collagen. Your body can’t produce it, so you must obtain it through your diet. Historically, traditional diets provided ample collagen in the form of broth made from boiled chicken feet or beef bones. These are by far your best alternatives.

If you decide to use a collagen supplement, make sure your collagen supplement is certified “100% Organic” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to minimize the risk of contaminants associated with concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

Moreover, collagen supplements can be either unhydrolyzed (undenatured) or hydrolyzed (denatured). The processing that most collagen supplements undergo to become hydrolyzed can also result in questionable byproducts that are best avoided.

My personal preference is to use a less denatured (unhydrolyzed) organic collagen supplement, as it has a more balanced amino acid profile. That said, I still believe the natural approach is best. Making homemade bone broth using bones and connective tissue from grass fed, organically raised animals isn’t very complicated and will produce the best results. Another alternative is to take glycine, as nearly one-third of the amino acids in collagen is glycine.

Glycine helps reduce inflammation and oxidative damage, as it inhibits the consumption of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). NADPH is used as a reductive reservoir of electrons to recharge antioxidants once they become oxidized.

Glycine also has cell-protective, and antistress effects,32 and has been shown to extend lifespan in animal studies and mitigate chronic disease and disability, thereby increasing healthspan. You need at least 12 grams of glycine daily for optimal collagen turnover, plus another 3 grams per day to form glutathione. So, a therapeutic dose of glycine would be around 15 grams, unless you’re also getting collagen from food or a supplement.

Creatine

Creatine is commonly used by athletes to improve performance, as it’s immediately used by your body to convert ADP to ATP and supply energy muscles need for contraction.

Creatine also helps provide energy to your brain and may improve cognitive performance. It also appears to have protective effects in cases of mild traumatic brain injury. Of the roughly 20 different formulations of creatine on the market, creatine monohydrate is the one that has been studied most frequently and therefore has the strongest evidence of health benefits.

Creatine appears to work by increasing proteins that create muscle fibers33 and raising insulin-like growth factor,34 a hormone that increases muscle mass. Data also suggest that creatine may help lower blood sugar levels.

It is important to choose creatine from a reputable manufacturer. Clinical trials that have lasted up to five years have reported no adverse effects in healthy individuals.35 However, it is important to stay within the recommended dose.

Some people find that creatine makes them feel bloated.36 Some people are sensitive to using creatine and feel bloated if they don’t drink enough water with the supplement. However, most of the time it goes away in just a few hours. Factors that affect bloating include how much water you drink, the intensity of your workout and your diet.

Keep in mind that it’s not guaranteed that you will build muscle from using creatine. Consider creating specific goals for using the supplement so you are not disappointed. If you’re a vegan or a vegetarian, you might consider using creatine to help protect brain health.

Omega-3

Omega-3 fats are essential for healthy cell membrane function, and higher omega-3 levels have been consistently linked to better health and longer life spans. The omega-3 fats EPA and DHA protect health and promotes longevity by:

Thinning your blood, which discourages inappropriate clotting that can lead to a stroke or heart attack
Lowering serum triglyceride levels
Helping to lower blood pressure, in part by improving the health of the lining of your blood vessels so that they can relax better
Anti-inflammatory effects — For example, provided you have enough EPA and DHA in your membranes, when an inflammatory insult occurs, metabolites of the EPA and DHA — resolvins and protectins — will be synthesized. As their names imply, these metabolites help protect against and resolve inflammation. If you do not have sufficient omega-3, the inflammatory response persists longer and can become chronic
Helping the mitochondrial membrane process energy — Improving the fluidity and flexibility of the mitochondrial membrane allows enzymes and the other proteins embedded in the membrane to operate more smoothly
Adding structural stability to mitochondrial membranes — When loaded with omega-3, the membrane allows these agents to move freely, allowing everything to work as it should

While most use fish oil to increase their omega-3 level, this isn’t the best choice, as most are synthetic ethyl esters, which are very different from the triglyceride and phospholipid forms of omega-3 found in sea food.

Ideally, you’d want to get most of your omega-3 from cold-water fatty fish like wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel, for example. If you opt for a supplement, krill oil, which delivers omega-3 primarily in the phospholipid form, makes it a superior choice to fish oil.

As for dosing, research37 has shown that an omega-3 index greater than 8% is associated with the lowest risk of death from heart disease while an index below 4% places you at the highest risk of heart disease-related mortality.

I recommend taking a maximum of 1 gram of omega-3 per day. Higher amounts could be risky, in my view, because EPA and DHA are both polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) and, like linoleic acid (LA), are susceptible to oxidation and the production of dangerous aldehyde metabolites.

Magnesium

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant element in your body38 and one of the seven essential minerals we cannot live without.39 It’s involved in hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body,40 and deficiency can contribute to significant health problems.41

It is necessary for the healthy functioning of most cells, and especially your heart and muscles.42 Low levels can impede both cellular metabolic function and mitochondrial function.

According to one scientific review43,44 that included studies dating as far back as 1937, low magnesium may actually be the greatest predictor of heart disease. Research published in 201745 shows even subclinical magnesium deficiency can compromise cardiovascular health. My favorite form of magnesium is L-threonate, as it appears to make its way into your brain the best.

Vitamin D

Last but not least, vitamin D. Ideally, you would get most of your vitamin D from sensible sun exposure. Depending on where you live, this may not be possible however, so oral supplementation may be necessary for at least part of the year.

The ideal dose for most adults of normal weight is 6,000 IUs a day; 7,000 IUs if you’re overweight; and 8,000 IUs a day if you’re obese. At those dosages, most people can reach a minimum blood level of 40 ng/mL (100 nmol/L),46 which is the lower cutoff for sufficiency. Other research suggests you may need as much as 9,122 IUs per day to reach 40 ng/mL.47

Most definitely, the conventional claim that you only need a few hundred IUs per day — which is still touted by medical professionals in media48 — is completely inaccurate and is based on a statistical error49 that for some reason has never been officially corrected.

Your best bet is to get your vitamin D level tested twice a year. Based on the evaluation of healthy populations that get plenty of natural sun exposure, the optimal range for general health appears to be somewhere between 60 and 80 ng/mL (150 to 200 nmol/L).

Taking oral vitamin D together with vitamin K2 and magnesium is also recommended, as you need 244% more oral vitamin D if you’re not also taking magnesium and vitamin K2.50 In other words, if you take all three in combination, you need far less oral vitamin D in order to achieve a healthy vitamin D level.

– Sources and References

SOURCE

Image by 5033181 from Pixabay

Gardening, News

GARDENING: THE IMPORTANCE OF CALCIUM IN YOUR SOIL (Wally Richards)

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Calcium (garden lime) is a very basic mineral that is often overlooked by gardeners.

Kiwi gardeners in the past would dig over their vegetable garden at the beginning of winter after the last crops had been harvested.

The soil would be turned to the depth of one and a half to two spade depths, bringing the subsoil to the surface and then left in unbroken as mounds for frosts to work on.

Over these clods of soil a good coating of garden lime would be applied making it look like it had snowed after application.

The idea was to bring up from the subsoil minerals to the surface. Weeds would be buried underneath to compost down and the soil would be exposed to the elements as the lime would be washed in.

In spring these clods would break up with a light touch of the hoe turning the garden into a lovely fine tilth of healthy soil. Potatoes, brassicas and other vegetables would be

planted to not only feed the family as they were harvested but also to store and preserve surpluses for the coming winter.

Life was hard but very rewarding; it was a different world.

The principals of liming our vegetable gardens has not changed even if this practice is too often neglected these days.

I was talking to a keen gardener on the phone this week who explained to me that he was gardening naturally (without the use of chemicals) and he had felt that the results were not as good as he would have liked.

So last season he gave the garden a good dose of gypsum (calcium & sulphur) and the improvement of the crops was really noticeable. Even his dad (an old, very experienced gardener) remarked that he had finally got things right.

Getting things right can be as simple as giving your gardens a good dose of a fast acting lime.

I say fast acting because not all limes are equal in the time frame that they can be of benefit to the soil.

Some garden limes come from lime stone that can take up to 10 years to become soluble and useful in the soil.

That is like putting your money in the bank and having to wait 10 years to get any interest.

On the other hand soft limes start working for you immediately on application.

Lime sweetens the soil as we say which means it lifts the pH to be more alkaline.

NZ soils over time become more and more acidic because of our rain fall, these days likely even quicker because of pollution.

All our beneficial friends in the soil require calcium to thrive, as one source explained it; calcium is like the coal that feeds the furnace, calcium feeds the soil life making for great gardening.

Acidic soil becomes anaerobic and breeds the microbes you do not want, called pathogens or diseases.

The soil has the same principals as our own bodies, if we become acidic inside we can become sick and diseases such as cancers can thrive. If we keep our internal body alkaline then we will be much better off.

Soil pathogens can be suppressed by using Terracin followed by applications of Mycorrcin.

There maybe minerals in the soil that plants need but cant take up because of the lack of calcium.

In plants calcium is part of cell walls and membranes; it controls movement in and out of cells, reacts with waste products and neutralizes toxic materials.

Calcium activates many enzyme systems, it improves microbial activity and it enhances uptake of other nutrients.

It is essential for cell division as well as increasing cell density, and improves texture (crunch) of crops.

Calcium is critical for balancing excess nitrogen as well as disease suppression.

Having the correct amount of calcium in the soil will require less nitrogen.

The calcium will loosen the soil and make more nitrogen available.

Lack of sufficient calcium will result in the following plant disorders;

Necrosis at the tips and margins of young leaves, bulb and fruit abnormalities, (such as blossom end rot in tomatoes), deformation of affected leaves, highly branched, short, brown root systems, severe, stunted growth, and general chlorosis.

It must be remembered that these problems are caused by an inadequate supply of calcium to the affected tissues.

These deficiencies can even occur when the soil appears to have an adequate presence of calcium.

A  gardening product is now available called Wallys Calcium And Health which comprises of a fast acting calcium along with important elements for your health and the health of your plants.

Calcium & Health contains fast attacking lime, magnesium, selenium, boron, sulphur, potash and phosphate in a balanced ratio for your gardens.

Using this new product on your food crops is going to help ensure you obtain these essential elements in your diet.

A number of gardeners are concerned about their bodies not obtaining elements such as selenium from the vegetables and fruit they grow.

By applying Calcium & Health to your gardens will help increase the goodness and nutritional values of your home grown diet.

Used at 60 grams per square M (scoop provided is 60 grams) or as I like to do is place a small amount into the planting hole of seedlings.

Avoid using the 60 grams around acid loving plants as it does increase the pH but about 20 grams will be of benefit without interfering with the pH to affect the plants.

I also recommend you using gypsum and dolomite in your gardens as well; these later two can be used around acid loving plants as they are pH neutral.

The important aspect to remember is that calcium is vitally important to the health of your plants and soil.

Every plant needs calcium to grow. Once fixed, calcium is not mobile in the plant.

It is an important constituent of cell walls and can only be supplied in the xylem sap.

Therefore, if the plant runs out of a supply of calcium, it cannot re-mobilize calcium from older tissues.

If transpiration is reduced for any reason, the calcium supply to growing tissues will rapidly become inadequate.

Without adequate amounts of calcium, plants experience a variety of problems as our gardening friend found out at the beginning of this article.

Phone 0800 466464
Garden Pages and News at www.gardenews.co.nz
Shar Pei pages at  www.sharpei.co.nz
Mail Order products at www.0800466464.co.nz

Photo: Goumbik @ pixabay.com

Health

Top 7 Benefits of Magnesium

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From thealternativedaily.com

Magnesium is intimately involved in over 600 reactions in the body including the metabolism of food, the transmission of nerve impulses, the synthesis of fatty acids and proteins, muscle movements, gene maintenance and protein formation.

Unfortunately, studies note that about 50 percent of the people in the United States and Europe get far less than the recommended amount of magnesium. It is important to know that magnesium levels in soil are lower than they used to be. Plus, the use of chemicals such as fluoride and chlorine in water make magnesium less available. In addition, daily use of sugar and caffeine also deplete magnesium supplies within the body. In addition, if you live a high-stress life, it is likely that you are magnesium deficient.

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Top 7 Benefits of Magnesium

Photo: thealternativedaily.com

cancer, Health, Natural Health Care, News

Magnesium deficiency linked to increased risk of pancreatic cancer

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(NaturalHealth365) Every day, 145 Americans receive the devastating news that they have pancreatic cancer. Aggressive and fast-growing, pancreatic cancer may avoid detection until it is advanced – and it carries a notoriously poor prognosis for survival.

Current research is focused around finding an effective method of prevention – and it turns out that a common, non-toxic and inexpensive mineral may be the key.

WARNING: Magnesium deficiency is widespread

Magnesium is a naturally-occurring mineral and electrolyte that is essential for over 300 different  cellular reactions and metabolic processes. It also works in concert with calcium to build bones, and helps to detoxify heavy metals in the body. Although it is not classified as an antioxidant, magnesium has potent antioxidant effects, including the ability to reduce disease-causing oxidative stress and inflammation.

Unsurprisingly, low levels of this indispensable mineral can leave you susceptible to serious illnesses. Magnesium deficiency is widespread, with some natural health experts estimating that it exists in up to 80 percent of the U.S. population.

In a review by the International Society for the Development of Research on Magnesium, researchers found that magnesium deficiency can lead to the initiation, growth and spread of cancer – and also interfere with cancer treatment.  Some research suggests that low magnesium causes an undesirable increase in the permeability of cells – which makes it easier for cancer to invade.

The good news: maintaining optimal levels of magnesium provides an impressive amount of protection against life-threatening diseases, including pancreatic cancer.

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http://www.naturalhealth365.com/magnesium-deficiency-cancer-2285.html