Harness summer days for maximum health

Now that summer is here, there’s something you can do that will benefit your health from head to toe. And it only takes a few minutes every day.

You probably think I’m talking about some new exercise routine or fresh fruit smoothie. And while those may be great ideas, here’s one that is even better.

This miracle health elixir comes with the compliments of the sun… good old vitamin D!

But even if you think you know all about this sunshine vitamin, you probably haven’t scratched the surface of how vital D is for all aspects of your health, from keeping your bones strong to preventing diabetes.

And adding to those premium perks, two new studies have just come out linking low or average, vitamin D levels to a significantly increased risk for both lung disease and breast cancer.

Before you step outside this morning to get your dose of D, however, here’s what you need to know to make sure that you’re getting enough to stay in tip-top shape.

The inflammation buster

As the lyrics from that old song go, “the best things in life are free.” And sunshine is certainly top on the list, being that it’s the easiest and most effective way to enable your body to make vitamin D (more on that in a minute).

You just can’t buy anything better!

And as you’ve read right here in the eAlert, there has been plenty of research that’s found how being deficient in D can damage practically every aspect of your health.

To that long list of studies, we can now add new ones from Johns Hopkins and Creighton University in Nebraska.

First, Johns Hopkins researchers discovered that a lung disorder called ILD (interstitial lung disease) is much more likely to strike those with low levels of vitamin D.

ILD is an umbrella term that covers around 100 different chronic lung ailments that damage the air sacs, making it hard to breathe. While these diseases can be triggered by exposure to toxic substances, an autoimmune disease, or even certain drugs, they all have one thing in common: inflammation.

And that’s where vitamin D can come to the rescue!

Hopkins study leader Dr. Erin Michos said that D has known “anti-inflammatory properties and helps regulate the immune system,” which goes “awry” with ILD. In fact, Dr. Michos believes so much in the power of vitamin D when it comes to the health of your lungs that she suggests adding a D deficiency to the list of ILD risk factors – right up there with smoking!

Meanwhile, researchers at Creighton University gathered data from over 5,000 women, including details on their vitamin D levels.

They found that when blood levels of D were at 60 ng/ml or higher (the hormone is measured in nanograms per milliliter), the risk of developing breast cancer was a whopping 80 percent less than for women with levels 20 ng/ml or lower.

The higher the amount of vitamin D found in the blood, they noted, the “lower the risk of breast cancer.”

And that brings up a very important point: The recommendations you’ll find for what’s considered to be an optimal level of D are all over the place, from a dangerous low of 12.5 ng/ml to a slightly more acceptable 30 ng/ml.

Even the Johns Hopkins researchers considered 30 ng/ml to be “optimal.”

HSI panel member Dr. Allan Spreen believes that ideal blood levels are between 50 and 70 ng/ml, which is right in the ballpark with what the Creighton researchers discovered to be protective against breast cancer.

So, how can we do our best to get to those optimal levels?

While sunshine is abundant on most days during the summer, we inadvertently do our utmost to sabotage its benefits by slathering on sunscreen before we so much as take in the paper or get the mail!

For the best of what nature has to offer, however, you need to get at least 10 minutes of sun exposure a day before you cover up or apply any sunscreen.

You can also up your D through diet by including wild-caught fatty fish (such as tuna, mackerel and salmon) and foods such as egg yolks and mushrooms.

Of course, vitamin D supplements are cheap and easily available as well. Dr. Spreen says that you can take up to 5,000 IU of D3 daily – which is especially important during the winter.

Why not get into the habit of taking a short walk every morning and giving your skin the benefits (yes, benefits!) of the sun. By doing that, you’ll also get some exercise to boot – a double win for your health!

“New study shows higher vitamin D levels could lower risk for breast cancer” Creighton University, Jun 15, 2018, newswise.com