Follow Up Q & A on Vitamin D

Here are some common questions regarding Vitamin D from this post.

Question:  What are food sources that contain Vitamin D?
Answer:  Dairy products, eggs, fish oil (Especially Cod Liver Oil) and salt water fish[1].  Be aware of foods that are "Fortified With Vitamin D" as they are often high in poor quality carbohydrates[2].

Question:  Do you really have to supplement with Vitamin D or can you get enough from food and/or sunlight?
Answer:  The first step is to get tested and see where your levels are at.  The vast majority of people have to use a supplement because they are extremely low (Usually under 35 ng/dL).  As far as sunlight there have been studies done on people living in warm weather cities like Phoenix and the majority of people tested had really low levels.  It is important to note that sunscreen of SPF-8 will block the sun rays enough to prevent Vitamin D production.  Tanning beds with UVB Bulbs can help with Vitamin D production, however they may cause other health issues[2]

Question:  Isn't it dangerous to take high dosages of Vitamin D because it is a Fat Soluble Vitamin?
Answer:  That is old news.  Vitamin D is one of the most if not the most researched vitamins the last three years.  It is actually considered more of a pro-hormone than a vitamin.  There have only been two reported cases of toxicity world wide[3].  However, even though toxicity cases are rare it is still wise to get your levels tested and supplement accordingly.

Question:  Is Vitamin D sold in the Life Cafe and can you get a discount on it?
Answer:  Yes, it is sold in the cafe and you can get a 10% discount on that and any other supplements made by Life Time Fitness, Douglas Labs, Thorne Research, Nutra-Dyne and DaVinci by giving the cafe staff my name when you purchase the products.