Do Not Fear the Sun! It is a Necessity to Life.
Now is the time to get the Vitamin D that your body has been missing all year! Stay hydrated though.
Vitamin D deficiency is a massive health concern in the United States. Approximately 22% - 24% of the US population meets the clinical definition of being deficient in Vitamin D according to national data from the CDC. This number drastically increases to 40 - 65% of the population, when considering the rest of the population that are not necessarily in the “deficient” state, but are below the optimal range for peak health. Yikes! As Charlestonians, should not be part of these statistics. Our sun is shining most of the year.
From my hands this Summer so far, I can tell that nervous systems are greatly appreciating the increased natural dosages of Vitamin D. The way people have gone from tension to ease without changing anything other than getting more sun is apparent to me and some of you have already heard me say it!
Why is Vitamin D Unique & Important
Vitamin D is unique because it functions more like a hormone than a traditional vitamin. It impacts your nervous system, skeletal system, and immune system, making it SUPER important to your whole body health. Here are some of the most important roles of Vitamin D for the body:
1. Bone Health & Calcium Absorption: The primary job of vitamin D is to regulate calcium and phosphorus absorption. Without enough vitamin D, your body can only absorb 10–15% of the calcium you eat, which can weaken bones over time.
2. Neuromuscular Function: This is why I believe that Vitamin D has improved some of your tensions this summer without changing anything besides getting to the beach more. Vitamin D plays a key role in muscular contraction, tissue remodeling, and maintaining structural alignment. DING DING DING! You hold your adjustments.
3. Immune System Support: Vitamin D modulates your immune response, helping your body defend against pathogens while preventing overactive inflammation. This is why “Flu Season” happens in the the winter months. People aren’t making the extra effort to get outside, absorb the sun, and as vitamin D levels decrease, so does immune strength.
The Best Way to Get Vitamin D
The SUN!! I personally love the sun. The sun often gets a bad rep because of what we are taught about the causes of skin cancer, however, do not fret! Regular OVER-exposure of the sun can damage deeper tissue, but regular, REGULAR-exposure to the sun is healthy and quite necessary. It truly depends on your skin type. For most people 10 - 30 minutes of midday sun exposure 3 times a week is enough, so a few short walks a week, taking your laptop outside, and/or just spending your days off outside will do it.
You can also get Vitamin D from diet and supplements, however it is incredibly difficult to get all that you need just from diet alone, AND, it can trick your body into not producing it naturally. Small amounts are found in fatty fish (salmon, mackerel) and beef liver. If you aren’t getting enough natural sun throughout the week, a high-quality Vitamin D3 supplement is an option. I recommend CellCore’s D3 K2. Let me know if you would like some and I will send you the link to order.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that unlike water-soluble vitamins (like Vitamin C) which flush out in urine, excess vitamin D is absorbed into fat tissues and the liver. It can be stored there for weeks or months, drawing on those reserves during winter when sun exposure drops. Because it accumulates in tissue, it has a longer window of safety before a deficiency develops, but it also means that taking extremely high doses of supplements over time can carry a risk of toxicity. If you are getting regular sun exposure, such as during the summer months, you most likely do not need to take as much Vitamin D supplement as you would during the winter.
So, whether you’re in Charleston, SC or elsewhere, enjoy the rest of your summer, get your sunshine, hydrate, and come in for a spinal alignment. We can’t wait to see you! Thanks for reading.
-Dr. Sarah Kalani Wharton.