There are so many myths that surround Vitamin D. Is the sun really a good source? Dr. Cheryl Kam breaks down the myths from the facts about Vitamin D.

Hey so while avoiding viruses, the paradox is many of you have also stopped working on your immune systems by getting sunshine…

Here’s a little myth busting, to remind y’all again about this great big star in our planet that, y’know, sustains all life and all.

We can’t live without it and we can’t really biohack our way out of it.

❌ Myth:

You can get enough vitamin D by sitting in the sun for just a few minutes.

✔️ Truth:

To produce the recommended daily allowance—800 IU a day—would require the average human to spend up to one sunscreen-free hour in the sun every week.  Naked.

❌ Myth:

I live in a sunny climate, I am not D deficient.

✔️ Truth:

I see D deficiency ALL THE TIME in clinic.

It contributes to poor hair, brittle bones, fussy babies, poor pregnancy outcomes, lousy mood.

Some reports suggest that nearly half of the world population might not be getting adequate amounts of vitamin D.

❌ Myth:

Supplements are as effective as sun exposure.

✔️ Truth:

This is nonsense for ANY kind of supplement.

When you’re out in the sun you’re sweating, detoxing, breathing fresh air, looking around at greenery hopefully, and getting moving. When you take synthetic vitamin D you’re…not. Not even with natural sources of vitamin D like cod liver oil.

Vitamin D pills don’t give you the endorphins associated with actually going out and moving about.

With sun exposure you are also increasing Nitric Oxide (NO) production in the body, lowering blood pressure. NO also helps us prevent insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, obesity.

The sun on our eyes helps us with our circadian rhythm in ways synthetic vitamin D3 can’t. Not even if you’r smart enough to pair it with K2.

❌ Myth:

I’ll get skin cancer.

✔️ Truth:

Watch your moles and for goodness sake don’t burn.

Being D deficient increases your risk of ALL cancers. Go figure.

OK, the sun in Australia where the ozone has been the thinnest and the people have been the whitest, is a different ball game. (Transplanting north europeans into this Aboriginal island clearly didn’t suit the redheads)

Wear a hat and shield your face from photo ageing, but balance this out with bone ageing (I don’t mind a few more wrinkles but would be pretty pissed off if I got a hip fracture at 50yrs old)

SUMMARY

Vitamin D deficiency is serum Vitamin D below 30 ng/ml

If deficient, you will need 5000iu of oral D3 daily for 2 months, then maintain with 1000 iu/day

Newborns and children need 400-600iu daily in general.

Yes, fix it with synthetic vitamins, but remember how you became low in the first place and make the lifestyle change you need.

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