Tag Archives: Vitamin D

Getting your vitamin D (Mercola)

November 25, 2025 Pam Vernon Leave a comment

Story at-a-glance

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 Type	Typical Features	Tanning Ability
I	Pale white skin, blue/green eyes, blonde/red hair	Always burns, does not tan
II	Fair skin, blue eyes	Burns easily, tans poorly
III	Darker white skin	Tans after initial burn
IV	Light brown skin	Burns minimally, tans easily
V	Brown skin	Rarely burns, tans darkly easily
VI	Dark brown or black skin	Never 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

Food	Serving Size	Vitamin D Amount (IU)
Rainbow trout, freshwater	3 ounces	645
Salmon	3 ounces	383 to 570
Herring	3 ounces	182
Tilapia	3 ounces	127
Yogurt, plain	8 ounces	116
Kefir, plain	1 cup	100
Cheese, American	1.5 ounces	85
Mushrooms, raw	1 cup	Between 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

¹ USA Today, October 3, 2025
² National Weather Service, “The Seasons, the Equinox, and the Solstices”
^3, ^8, ¹⁰ Office of Dietary Supplements, “Vitamin D”
⁴ EPA, “Sun Safety Tips”
⁵ BBC, August 12, 2025
⁶ DermNet, “Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype”
⁷ DGA, “Food Sources of Vitamin D”
⁹ AAD, “Vitamin D”

SOURCE

Image by Jessica Joh from Pixabay

Natural Health Care, News

Unlock the Power of 10 Key Nutrients for Optimal Health

January 7, 2024 Pam Vernon Leave a comment

Check out our sister site truthwatchnz.is for other news

From mercola.com

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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 pressure	Fatty liver disease
Obesity	Digestive issues
Neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s	Cancer
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 review^43,⁴⁴ 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

¹ Supplements in Review, July 18, 2017
² Health. What Is Berberine?
^3, ⁴ Doctormurray.com Berberine
⁵ Self Hacked, Berberine Benefits
⁶ Diabetes 2006 Aug; 55(8): 2256-2264
⁷ Am J Physiol. 1999 Jul;277(1 Pt 1):E1-10
⁸ Frontiers in Pharmacology 2021; 12: 653887
⁹ PLoS ONE 5(9): e12244
¹⁰ Nature Metabolism 2023; 5: 1911-1930
¹¹ Moms Across America October 18, 2023
¹² Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry September 2022; 107: 109056
¹³ Haidut.me May 31, 2023
¹⁴ Nutrients June 2022; 14(11): 2219
¹⁵ Haidut.me May 11, 2023
¹⁶ Cell Reports April 20, 2023; 42(5): 112372
¹⁷ Phys.org April 27, 2023
¹⁸ Nature Cardiovascular Research February 13, 2023; 2: 174-191
¹⁹ Haidut.me March 3, 2023
²⁰ Nutrients 2023; 15(1): 174
²¹ Lifespan January 11, 2023
²² JAMA Ophthalmology 2022;140(1):11-18
²³ Haidut.me December 9, 2021
²⁴ Nature Aging 2022; 2: 105-114
²⁵ Haidut.me March 31, 2022
²⁶ Nature Metabolism 2022; 4: 711-723
²⁷ Haidut.me July 14, 2022
²⁸ Nat Metab March 2023; 5(3): 357-359
²⁹ Exp Mol Pathol April 2016; 100(2): 303-306
³⁰ NMN.com April 7, 2016
³¹ Metabolism December 2020; 295(52): 17986-17996
³² RayPeat.com Gelatin Stress and Longevity
³³ Journal of Physiology, 2006;573(2): 525-534
³⁴ International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2008;18(4): 389-398
³⁵ Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2007;4(6) Medical Safety of Creatine Supplementation para 2, 3
³⁶ Tactical Elite, Does Creatine Make You Bloated?
³⁷ Preventive Medicine July 2004; 39(1):212-20
³⁸ Austin Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 2014;2(10)
³⁹ Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, March 28, 2018
^40, ⁴² NIH.gov Magnesium Fact Sheet for Professionals
⁴¹ Open Heart 2018;5:e000668, Magnesium in human biology
⁴³ PR Newswire, January 31, 2013
⁴⁴ New Hope Network, January 31, 2013
⁴⁵ Open Heart November 7, 2017
⁴⁶ Dermato-Endocrinology 2017; 9(1) article e1300213
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⁴⁸ Healthline June 5, 2023
⁵⁰ GrassrootsHealth Magnesium and Vitamin K2 Combined Important for Vitamin D Levels

SOURCE

Image by 5033181 from Pixabay

Food

15 Foods High in Vitamin D for Immunity & Wellness

January 4, 2022 Pam Vernon Leave a comment

Eggs being one of them… the surprise for me was … eel! Highest single source apparently …EWR

Get familiar with this list of foods highest in Vitamin D so you know what your best options are for supplementing your diet. Vitamin D is an important vitamin to stay topped up on, and getting enough sunshine gets you started, but you’ll still want to make sure you’re rounding that off with a balanced diet rich in Vitamin D foods.

https://healthwholeness.com/vitamin-d/vitamin-d-foods/

Corona virus, News

Some points of concern to consider with NZ’s CV response to date

May 26, 2021 Pam Vernon Leave a comment

From NZ Lawyer, Sue Grey @ fb

Here are some of my concerns about the C-V response.
I’ve used information from diverse sources to try to create a jigsaw puzzle which connects as many pieces as possible. I fully agree that some parts are not yet clear. It is a work in progress to try to make sense of a serious and confusing situation.

The starting points for me are:

1) The PCR test is unreliable

2) so called “Covid” deaths are deaths within 28 days of a positive PCR test. Many of these deaths are WITH Covid, not FROM Covid

3) the death rate in most countries last year was similar to the death rate every other year- and median age of Covid deaths is in the eighties- similar to median age of all deaths

4) since deaths started to be reported as Covid, there have been few deaths reported as flu or pneumonia

5) the Covid response is responsible for considerably more harm in NZ and many other countries than “Covid” -the mental health effects are particularly devastating

6) with or without vaccines, we are ultimately all dependent on our immune systems. The focus must be on how we can enhance our overall immunity and well being

7) the research showing the importance of Vit D is compelling yet largely ignored by our government

8) Research showing the effectiveness of Ivermectin on Covid outcomes and reports from doctors who use it, is compelling

9) The clinical (Safety) trials for the Pfizer Vax won’t be complete until April 2023. So far they have looked only at 2 months exposure

10) The safety data sheet and Risk Management Plan for the Pfizer VX identify serious and important safety concerns and gaps in safety testing

11) The risks in NZ from the Pfizer Vax are considerably greater for most people than the risks from covid..recent analysis shows 1/4000 are having anaphylactic type reactions possibly due to the polyethylene glycol on the lipid nanoparticles

12) The S (spike) protein causes an array of blood clotting and other disorders- whether it’s generated from an mRNA Vax, from the AZ VX, from covid or an injection of S

13) There is serious under reporting of Vax injuries in NZ and internationally. The NZ CARM database is secret and reports from it are delayed and selective

14) Pfizer has demanded confidentiality and a full indemnity from the government. If they don’t trust their product, why should we?

15) The first duty of medicine is “Do no harm”. The second is requiring Informed Consent to any treatment, which demands discussion about risks, benefits, uncertainties and alternatives.

The current government dogma fails at every level.
Only with open transparent sharing of information can we rebuild trust.

Photo: Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay

Corona virus, Covid Vaccine Deaths, Covid Vaccine reaction

Other CV VX headlines (Health Impact News)

May 8, 2021 Pam Vernon 1 Comment

Health Impact News:

The Union of the Military with Big Tech and Big Pharma is Now the Goal for Medical Tyranny

A “new” proposal by the Biden administration to create a health-focused federal agency modeled after DARPA is not what it appears to be. Promoted as a way to “end cancer,” this resuscitated “health DARPA” conceals a dangerous agenda.

16-Year-Old Wisconsin Girl DEAD Following 2 Doses of the Experimental Pfizer COVID Injections

The 16-year-old Wisconsin girl that was listed in the last week’s data dump by the CDC into the VAERS database who died shortly after receiving the second dose of the experimental Pfizer mRNA injection has been identified as Kamrynn Soleil Thomas, of Waunakee, Wisconsin.

Her death was reported to the CDC Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System twice.

“Hemodynamic collapse at home. Persistent cardiac arrest requiring ECMO. Event believed secondary to pulmonary embolism. Death by neurologic criteria.”

The next target for these Pfizer injections are children, as Pfizer has applied for emergency use authorization with both the FDA in the U.S., and the EMA in Europe, to inject 12 to 15 year olds with their experimental COVID mRNA shots.

FiercePharma has reported that Canada has just approved the Pfizer shot for 12 to 15 year olds.

Tragedy Continues to Strike Families with Loved Ones Dying After being Injected with Experimental COVID Shots

COVID Natural Remedies BANNED as DOJ and FTC Seek to Silence Doctors Promoting Vitamin D, C, Zinc, etc.

When people in Europe started dying from fatal blood clots shortly after receiving experimental COVID injections last month (March, 2021), some countries began criminal investigations over the deaths, including Italy which launched a manslaughter investigation after several people died following the injections.

Here in the U.S., as of this week, the CDC is stating that they have received 3,486 reports of people dying following the experimental COVID injections.

So what is the U.S. Government’s response to all these deaths being reported? Are they investigating them to see if the pharmaceutical companies are acting criminally?

No, last week the Department of Justice announced that they were going to start enforcing a new bill signed into law back in December by then President Donald Trump, which makes it illegal for anyone to promote non-pharmaceutical products as treatments for COVID-19.

The law is called the “COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act.”

The name is mislabeled, however, as it does not protect consumers from dangerous products that can harm or kill them, such as the experimental COVID “vaccines,” but it protects the pharmaceutical industry instead, by eliminating free speech for non-pharmaceutical remedies for COVID-19.

This law really should be named the “COVID-19 Pharmaceutical Protection Act.”

And the first victim to suffer under this new law is a St. Louis chiropractor who was recommending Vitamin D and zinc supplements to his clients, and is now charged as a criminal.

Such is the state of “law” today in the U.S., where the federal criminal justice system, as well as Congress, protects criminals, the Big Pharma corporations with rap sheets longer than any Mexican drug cartel operators, and attacks law-abiding citizens for practicing their Constitutional rights, such as Freedom of Speech on alternative health remedies, which are clearly a threat to Big Pharma.

Otherwise, why would they be spending so much time and resources to go after alternative care practitioners, who are harming nobody, but instead are “guilty” of healing or preventing disease independent of Big Pharma drugs?

Nobody is dying from Vitamin C, Vitamin D, zinc supplements, or other natural remedies, and yet if one promotes these remedies, they are now treated as criminals.

Medical Doctor and Director of Diagnostics Laboratory Presents Cures for COVID and Exposes Dangers of COVID “Vaccines”

Dr. Ryan Cole is the CEO and Medical Director of Cole Diagnostics, one of the largest independent labs in the State of Idaho. Dr. Cole is a Mayo Clinic trained Board Certified Pathologist.

He is Board Certified in anatomic and clinical pathology. He has expertise in immunology and virology and also has subspecialty expertise in skin pathology.

He has seen over 350,000 patients in his career, and has done over 100,000 Covid tests in the past year.

He recently was invited to speak at the “Capitol Clarity” event in Idaho, apparently sponsored by the Lt. Governor’s office, where he discussed successful outpatient treatments for COVID, and to offer his views on the new COVID “vaccines.”

Dr. Cole begins by showing statistics that prove Idaho is no longer in a “pandemic,” but an “endemic.” He states that the highest risk factors for contracting COVID are advanced age, obesity, and low Vitamin D levels.

He also explains that coronaviruses have historically always followed a 6-9 month life cycle. He gives previous examples such as SARS-1, MERS, etc.

One very interesting statistic that he pointed out is that in the U.S. the average annual age of death is 78.6 years old, and the average age of death during COVID has also been 78.6 years old.

Dr. Cole is very adamant that proper levels of Vitamin D are essential to fight coronaviruses. He states:

“There is no such thing as ‘flu and cold season,’ only low Vitamin D season.”

Dr. Cole then goes on to explain that by law, the government cannot use experimental vaccines on the population if there are already effective treatments.

So all of the current experimental COVID “vaccines,” which Dr. Cole himself admits do NOT meet the legal definition of a “vaccine” to begin with, are all illegal because there are therapies, such as Vitamin D, that are effective in treating COVID patients, as well as older already FDA-approved drugs like Ivermectin.

He points out that the NIH (the National Institute of Health), which is a U.S. government agency involved with approving drugs, holds patents on the Moderna experimental COVID “vaccine,” which is like asking the fox to guard the hen house.

This is also the agency that Anthony Fauci works for, and has been employed there for over 30 years and is one the highest paid politicians in the U.S., making more money than even the President of the United States.

PHOTO: pixabay.com

Corona virus, Health

The importance of Vitamin D for improving your immune function

March 27, 2021 Pam Vernon Leave a comment

C-o-v-1-9 V@cc Reacts and News New Zealand

I highly recommend this public Facebook page. It is well moderated, encourages informed discussion, is well balanced & focuses also on improving your health. EWR

“VACCINATE….VACCINATE….VACCINATE….IS THERE NOTHING WE CAN DO TO STRENGTHEN OUR INNATE IMMUNITY?

Every day I spend 15 minutes with “full body sun exposure” in peak sunshine hours?

Why would I do something so “crazy”?

Why not sunblock and shade hugging?

Remember I said only 15 minutes….and why? Because this summer (more than ever before) I have consciously worked to build up my vitamin D levels, ready for the long winter months ahead.
Why now more than ever?
Because study after study after study after study (you get the picture) illustrates that one of the self protective steps we can take, to boost our natural protection and resilience against Covid 19, is to elevate our vitamin D levels.
New Zealanders are chronically vitamin D deficient…largely because of our Sun Smart messaging of sunblock, hats and shade hugging.

While the benefits of this may be skin cancer reduction…the price we pay is a nation hovering on the brink of endemic Vitamin D deficiency.

Which New Zealanders are MOST vitamin D deficient?
Elderly, frail, and living in care (they rarely get outside)….and those with naturally dark skin (Maori, Pacifica etc).
To care for myself I will also be supplementing my diet with vitamin D throughout the winter months…but more on that in a post to come.

Sharing below, the insights from Dr James Chestnut ….Gross Negligence, Malpractice, and Preventable Death and Suffering – Where is the public health recommendation for sufficient Vitamin D intake?
There is unequivocal evidence regarding the importance of Vit D for immune function in general and, specifically, with respect to immunity against COVID-19 and influenza. As I have pointed out many times, physiological and biochemical research evidence is clear that Vit D is required by the white blood cells of the innate immune system to epigenetically upregulate the production of AMPs or antimicrobial proteins, and by the T-cells of the humoral immune system, especially the Treg or T-regulatory cells, to control inflammation and thus prevent Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) – the leading cause of death associated with both COVID-19 and Influenza. For months, in fact years, I have been lecturing, and writing research reviews, newsletters, and articles, about the peer-reviewed evidence regarding the importance of Vitamin D (and proper synergistic amounts of Vitamin A), and Omega-3 fatty acids, for both immune health and the prevention of, and risk reduction from, respiratory illnesses caused by influenza, Corona, and Rhino viruses, and severe complications from these respiratory illnesses such as ARDS caused by excess inflammation. I have also lectured and written extensively for two decades about the importance of these essential nutrients for the prevention of, and risk reduction and healing from, the most common chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, digestive problems, and emotional anxiety and depression. Keep in mind, these are the comorbidities that also lead to higher hospitalization and death rates from COVID-19 – and FLU. The research illustrating the fact that deficiencies in these essential nutrients are significant factors in the underlying causes of both acute respiratory and chronic systemic illnesses (immune system dysfunction, chronic inflammation, high blood sugar/insulin resistance, gut dysbiosis and inflammation, and depression and anxiety – to name a few) is unequivocal and undeniable.

Years ago, based on the research evidence, I created Innate Choice OmegA+D Sufficiency, a combination of cod liver oil (Omega-3, Vit D, and Vit A) and Omega-3 fish oil (Omega-3 fatty acids), with added extra Vit D, in order to supply sufficient amounts of these essential nutrients as well as the proper synergistic combination of these essential nutrients. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic I also created an Evidence-Based COVID-19 and FLU Prevention and Risk Reduction Protocol that was based on the best available evidence. Please go to www.innatechoice.com for more information.In what can only be considered a carte blanche endorsement and validation of this Evidence-Based COVID-19 and Flu Prevention and Risk Reduction Protocol, is the recent December 2020 open letter signed by over 100 top scientists, doctors, and leading health authorities, and sent to all governments, public health officials, doctors, and healthcare workers calling for universal supplementation with Vitamin D to reduce COVID-19 infections and related deaths. Here is the link to this open letter http://innatechoice.com/…/Dec_2020_COVID-19_Vitamin_D.pdf

PLEASE ensure you and your loved ones are getting sufficient intake of these essential nutrients. There simply is not a more evidence-based, more cost-effective way to improve your immune function and protect yourself from COVID-19 and FLU. (To follow Dr James Chestnut on Face Book…. https://www.facebook.com/drjameschestnut

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

Corona virus, Health

New Study Found 80% of COVID-19 Patients Were Vitamin D Deficient

December 19, 2020 Pam Vernon Leave a comment

healthline.com

A new study that looked at 216 people with COVID-19 found that 80 percent didn’t have adequate levels of vitamin D in their blood.
The study also found that people who had both COVID-19 and lower vitamin D levels also had a higher number of inflammatory markers such as ferritin and D-dimer, which have been linked to poor COVID-19 outcomes.
A different study found that COVID-19 patients who had adequate vitamin D levels had a 51.5 percent lower risk of dying from the disease and a significant reduced risk for complications.
Medical experts theorize that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels may help lower risk or aid recovery from severe COVID-19 for some people, though more testing is needed.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/new-study-found-80-percent-of-covid-19-patients-were-vitamin-d-deficient?fbclid=IwAR27b6pD0VnqyEdqqqxen2u384_kWGfaNfFks1MOCiC59lTF5nMsauc7wXE

Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

Corona virus, Food, Health, Ministry of Health NZ, News, Vaccines

Have you noticed in fighting the ‘pandemic’ your govt never mentions fresh air, sunlight, organic food, exercise or vitamins?

September 23, 2020 Pam Vernon Leave a comment

I figured this glaringly obvious fact needs to be highlighted. You can easily be arrested these days for doing healthy things like walking on the beach as was the young woman pictured below in Victoria, or shopping at your local fruit and veg market.

But then what would you expect from a world that has discarded the true sources of health our parents and grandparents ascribed to … for what? For Big Pharma & profits for corporations. And when was that & why? Read here. In keeping with that I’ve read that MDs receive very scant coverage in medical school about the fuel we put in our bodies. Food and nutrition. And yet nobody would argue if you put water into the gas tank of your car, it’s not going to be going anywhere.

And so, in NZ if you’re quarantined, you get scant sunlight, you’ll eat the SAD slop (Standard American & every-other-country Diet) devoid of all nutrition, you’ll be irradiated by wifi and denied meaningful human interaction. All conducive to bad health. (Not to mention the lack of oxygen from mask wearing but that topic or point of view backed by many health professionals incidentally is taboo). Adern’s truth is the only truth.

On the health topic listen to NZ’s PM announcing the latest updates on the CV battle in the video below. Nary a mention of the above. Plenty of mention though of vaccines. It takes up a large portion of her delivery. When a (safe) vaccine becomes available it’ll be back to normal. NZ’s all in with the GAVI (think Bill Gates) scheme. Not mandatory we’ve been told but there are more faces to mandatory than meets the eye as we’ve learned in recent days. No jab no pay, no jab no work, no jab no travel, no jab no return to normal. All possible scenarios. Even though the coming vaccine is being rushed through and Big Pharma has guaranteed immunity from any culpability around potential injuries. No culpability? Go figure New Zealanders. Will you still be lining up to protect yourself with a vaccine that’s scarcely been tested? They’ve by-passed the usual animal testing and humans are the guinea pigs … with a severe reaction already. EWR

Click on the link below the image to hear PM Adern speak.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=2814184468862630&ref=notif&notif_id=1600650047792452&notif_t=live_video

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Health, Medical Industry, Natural Health Care, News, Pharmaceutical Industry

Top 5 reasons the USA Medical Industrial Complex does NOT want you to understand the importance of Vitamin D!

December 2, 2017 Pam Vernon Leave a comment

Vitamin D makes many conventional drugs and treatments obsolete. Very few people know this or find proper organic Vitamin D levels their body wants and needs. You CAN actually increase your life span with Vitamin D.

Plenty of people who eat organic food their whole lives live well past 100 years young, and they still have their minds and bodies fully functional, not ridden with cancer or Alzheimer’s – which are both preventable diseases.

Letting the truth reach the masses is the goal here. Some people are actually afraid of supplementing because certain MDs will scare them off of nutrition as medicine. This is sickening and ridiculous, but AMA enforced for nearly 100 years now.

READ MORE (at the link, follow the arrows)

https://www.naturalnews.com/14-Top-5-Reasons-the-USA-Medical-Industrial-Complex-Importance-of-Vitamin-D.html

Food, Health, News, Nutrition

5 Health Benefits of Mushrooms You May not be Aware Of

July 30, 2017 Pam Vernon 1 Comment

Eating (& enjoying) more mushrooms of late has led me to take a look at their nutritional value. Their Vitamin D content as well as absorption of is fascinating. Plus other benefits as outlined in these two excellent articles.

Nutritional value and health benefits

From medicalnewstoday.com

Mushrooms are classified as vegetables in the food world, but they are not technically plants. They belong to the fungi kingdom. Although they are not vegetables, mushrooms provide several important nutrients.

The key to getting enough vitamins and minerals in the diet is to eat a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables. In many cases, a food that lacks color also lacks necessary nutrients, but edible mushrooms, which are commonly white, prove quite the contrary.

This feature is part of a collection of Medical News Today articles on the health benefits of popular foods. It provides a nutritional breakdown of mushrooms and an in-depth look at their possible health benefits, how to incorporate more mushrooms into your diet and any potential health risks associated with their consumption.

From besthealthmag.ca

5 Health Benefits of Mushrooms

Increase your vitamin D

Yes, vitamin D! Mushrooms are the only fruit or vegetable source of this critical vitamin. Like humans, mushrooms produce vitamin D when in sunlight. Exposing them to high levels of ultraviolet B just before going to market converts more of the plant sterol ergosterol into the so-called sunshine vitamin. In the U.S., portobellos fortified with vitamin D are already being sold, with a three-ounce (85-gram) serving providing about 400 IU of vitamin D (Osteoporosis Canada recommends that adults under 50 get 400 to 1,000 IU daily). William Stevens, CEO of the trade organization Mushrooms Canada, says, “A couple of Canadian producers are already testing this procedure.” He adds that “high D” or “sunshine” mushrooms should be in stores here in about six months or so.

(at the ‘READ MORE’ link click red double arrows to right like so … << … 2 … >> … sometimes these articles with a ton of ads and arrows everywhere I find get confusing … )