I Head into the VD Clinic and Who Should I See...

Well if you headed in there in 1927 you’d have seen German swimmers sitting under sunlamps to gain an edge in the pool.

If you were there in 2009 then you might have read a newspaper headline stating that VD may allow US Olympians to dominate in 2012.

Now hopefully you realize that when I say the VD clinic I’m certainly not referring to venereal diseases but rather Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone not a vitamin in the truest sense but in athletes it can prevent stress fractures, improve reaction time, strength, speed, endurance. For regular folk it can aid in fat loss, bone health, heart health as well as possibly life extension.

I’m not really a betting man but if I was, I’d bet on you being deficient in Vitamin D.

Its primary source is from direct sunlight but can also be found in foods such as seafood, eggs and mushrooms but with food tampering by the big wigs before we even get to purchase the finished product, this  can leave many items deficient of their natural content. This leaves direct sunlight as your best choice and besides, it feels nice and fuzzy too.

In 1 study there was a 26% higher mortality rate in those with low Vitamin D levels and according to the Vitamin D Council, a deficiency is a major factor in at least 17 different types of cancer.

So what if you like feeling like shit but just wanna look good on the outside?

Well, we have got you covered again because another study showed that adding Vitamin D to a reduced calorie diet may lead to faster fat loss, with a liking for chewing up abdominal fat too!!

I could go on for decades with its benefits but let’s get to the how’s and when’s of Vitamin D.

As mentioned above direct sunlight is the easiest, cheapest and bestest way to get your Vitamin D. Head out for a walk in the sun between 10am and 3pm for 10 – 20 minutes without sunscreen. If you're heading out for longer than go 15 minutes without it, then pop it on for the remainder of your outing.

If you live and / or work in a location that doesn’t provide a lot of sunlight then supplementation is encouraged at a dosage of 1000 – 4000 IU’s per day. Aim for the higher end if you have a history of playing Farmville all day and ordering takeout for dinner and the lower end if you’re a generally outdoorsy type of cat.

As good as Vitamin D is, you can actually get too much of it but not through direct sunlight, only through over supplementation, so match your dosage with the amount of sunlight you receive.

Look for something in a D3 gelcap form. If you’re really interested in where you stand in the Vitamin D hierarchy then head to your GP and ask for a test where your aim is to hit blood levels of 50 – 80 ng/mL. A great time for this is at the start of autumn and winter when sunshine falls away pretty quickly.

D-lightful!!