In his book, “The Curative Value of Light: Sunlight and Sun Lamp in Health and Disease”, written in 1932, Edgar Mayer recounts how we once looked upon the sun as a “Supreme Being”, one of the gods of the heavens and ruler of the earth. He shares fascinating examples throughout history where physicians recognized the “magical” value of the sun in the treatment of disease. Hippocrates (The father of Medicine) practiced on the Island of Cos – his own temple was on a slope facing south at an altitude of 300 feet above sea level – in order to capture maximum sunlight and the freshest air. Throughout all recorded history, there are stories of the magnificence of the sun and its relationship to all living things. Now, through exhaustive research and peer-reviewed studies, we have the knowledge and understanding that this revered “magic healing” from the sun is largely due to the Vitamin D (specifically D3, or cholecalciferol) that is synthesized by our skin from exposure to its ultraviolet rays.
And among it’s many potential benefits, there is exciting new information (and some not so new) revealing that Vitamin D (recently given the superstar name “The Sunshine Vitamin”) may also help with weight management.
Knowing that there is no one “magic pill” for weight control, it goes without saying that diet and lifestyle are huge – and essential – factors in any weight management regime. But vitamin D, it seems, can be a great ally for weight control. A recent study at the University of Minnesota concluded that Vitamin D, in addition to a low calorie diet, contributed to better weight control than just a reduced calorie diet alone. Another study found that, because Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium, they can together have an effect on how fat is stored in the body. Vitamin D has also been shown to have specific receptors that tell the body when to burn fat – or store it. It can actually “rev up” your fat-melting process. To quote the highly respected and best-selling author Dr. Mercola: “Vitamin D has been shown to play a critical role in increasing the metabolic energy of fat cells – thereby allowing faster weight control and better toxic waste elimination.” Other studies have shown that when the body is lacking in calcium, which can be related to a vitamin D deficiency, it is a set-up for the body to increase the production of a fatty acid enzyme which relates to how we turn our calories into fat. Adding to this, we all know that stress can be one of our biggest enemies in weight management, and not only because it can lead to so-called “emotional eating” - it seems that the stress hormone, cortisol, (our “fight or flight hormone”) can disrupt the absorption of Vitamin D in our bodies. I know we’ve heard it before, but learning to manage stress will always have a huge impact on our health and weight management goals.
Numerous Doctors and Health Sites state that Vitamin D is “critical” for our good health and for disease prevention. On his website, Dr. Mercola states that “every cell in our bodies needs vitamin D to function properly”. Even so, a 2007 study in the “Archives of Internal Medicine” reports that 75-80% of Americans are Vitamin D deficient. This is due to in part to our physical locations, our respective exposure to the sun, our use of sunscreen – but other factors include skin pigmentation and inadequate diets. The only sunrays that enable us to make Vitamin D are UVB rays – and because of physics and wavelengths, the UVB rays can only penetrate the atmosphere when the sun is above an angle of about 35-50 degrees. (The best way to know if you are vitamin D deficient is to get your blood tested by your healthcare professional). Vitamin D has an affect on our DNA by way of “receptors” (or VDR’s) that actually bind to specific genes – in fact, as many as 3,000 genes have been identified as being influenced by this amazing vitamin.
Vitamin D has an impressive list of ways in which it may promote our overall health and weight management. On-going studies have shown that Vitamin D may:
- Turn the body into fat burning mode instead of fat storage
- Protect against muscle weaknesses
- Help in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus – which in turn helps with our fat-burning process
- Assist in controlling high blood pressure by regulating our heartbeat
- Help create stronger bones and teeth – helping prevent osteoporosis and rickets
- Increase Energy Levels
- Protect against some cancers
- Boost our natural immune system
- Reduc inflammation and joint stiffness
- Assists thyroid function
- Lift mood levels – by way of boosting brain serotonin levels
And – best of all-
- It has an effect on the “leptin hormone” which tells your body IT IS FULL.
Our ancestors, who few would argue had a much closer and devoted relationship to Nature, suspected that there was something magical behind the Sun. Only now are we beginning to understand why. And all this knowledge has taught us that including Vitamin D into our lives is essential to our continued well-being.
