Vitamin D Council - excellent reference

[Guest guest]

Hello,

The Vitamin D Council (http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/) is also an excellent resource. It's run by MDs and is very well-researched. I get their monthly newsletter (free; subscribe on the left side of the home page), and they don't spam or sell their list.

D3 can also be listed on the label as cholecalciferol. Always get D3.

Vitamin D deficiency has links to many conditions - MS, other autoimmunes, and autism, among others. We see a higher MS rate in the northern latitudes, for example. But that doesn't mean these issues don't exist elsewhere - sunscreen use can create a deficiency. The question is how to wend your way what is wise re skin cancer, and what is wise re Vitamin D.

My methodology: while Seattle is generally a moderate temperature in the summer, the sun is high in the sky and the UV index goes up in the summer - sun rises at 4:30 and sets around 9:30pm and ...it really doesn't rain here *all* the time. I use sunscreen on my face, neck, shoulders and chest, but generally let the arms and legs get as much natural Vitamin D as I can. That helps. In the winter, no sunscreen unless I'm out skiing or snow hiking on a sunny day (snow reflects the sun, and those sunburns are nasty). I take between 3,000-5,000 IUs a day, vetted through my doc.

While there are varying views of what a minimum daily dose is, the Vitamin D Council and Mercola stay pretty up on the issues. Many of the studies that are cited by others are limited in length, population or both, so the minimum daily dose is still lower than the Council and Mercola believe to be accurate. Discuss with your doc.

HTH,Karla