Vitamin D: The Unsung Superhero

Superhero’s are awesome, right? You get to wear a disguise and fight against evil! Sometimes a superhero goes unnoticed. The superpowers go unnoticed and they fly under the radar. This is the unfortunate case for vitamin D. It’s time for vitamin D to shine.

 Supplements are promoted based on their benefits. The benefits can be a bit overdone and you see ads like “EXPLOSIVE MUSCLE GAINS” or “Gain 15 pounds in 7 days”. These are great if that happens to everyone. Unfortunately, the small print always states that results are not typical.

What if a supplement offered the benefits of; increased natural testosterone, stronger immune system, improved joint health, and strengthened insulin secretion. This would normally send off red flags like crazy. People would be blowing up the forums with the word “bunk” all over.

This product is actually far from bunk and is known as vitamin D. That’s right, it does exist and the benefits are scientifically proven. Vitamin D can be provided through food, natural rays from the sun, and supplementation.

Vitamin D via sunlight is the easiest way to increase levels, however the risk of skin cancer increases. This is due to prolonged exposure to the sun’s Ultraviolet (UV) rays. The other issue is with melanin. Melanin has higher levels in darker skin and can actually decrease vitamin D absorption. There are some foods that naturally contain vitamin D. However, these tend to contain less than stellar amounts of vitamin D per serving. Supplements are a simple choice. They are offered with average doses from 400 IU to 1000 IU.

The suggested dose for vitamin D is 200 IU’s per the RDA. This is a low amount that experts are recommending be raised to at least 1000 IU’s per day. Dosing per day has shown great benefits at up to 5000 IU’s per day.

Vitamin D deficiencies are believed to occur in over 75% of the US population. This is a very serious issue, especially in athletes when looking at deficiency related issues.

These issues include:

- depression
- heart disease
- pregnancy problems
- birth defects
- skin (and other) cancers
- multiple sclerosis 

(Note: These are just a few of the main issues related to vitamin D deficiencies.)

Vitamin D’s benefits continue to be uncovered. This vitamin should no longer be overlooked by the masses. Head to the store and get yourself on the track towards better health. It’s time to let this superhero come out of the shadows and shine!