Vitamin D and you

It has been some time since we have seen a case of rickets, so we’re doing a damn good job in making sure we are not vitamin D deficient, or are we?

First a little background and what Vitamin D is. Vitamin D is a group of fat soluble prohormones called secosteroids. So vitamin D is really a steroid hormone that the body uses to make *calcitrol (1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol)*, the active form of vitamin D that our bodies use.

As Dr. Mauro DiPasquale states, “Research has shown that vitamin D is crucial for many functions of the body, and is crucial for many internal cellular processes, insulin production, the immune system, depression, heart disease, pregnancy problems, birth defects, skin and other cancers, and other diseases, including inflammation in the body from various sources, including aging.”

We are moving back to a culture of vitamin D deficiency. It is believed that 3 in every 4 adolescents are vitamin D deficient. How do we know if we are? First of all, it’s important to get your 25(OH)D blood level measured to see just where you are as far as your long-term vitamin D intake. Once you have the initial measurement and make any changes that need to be made as far as daily vitamin D intake, you should have your 25(OH)D level checked as needed until you’re above 50 ng/mL, and then once it’s relatively stabilized, get it done at least once a year just to make sure you’re not developing a deficiency. Dr. Mauro DiPasquale suggests you “get your 25(OH)D blood level measured to see just where you are as far as your long-term vitamin D intake is concerned. Once you have done this, you should have your 25(OH)D level checked as needed until you’re above 50 ng/mL, and then once it’s relatively stabilized, get it done at least once a year just to make sure you’re not developing a deficiency.”

Regardless of time in the sun and the foods you eat, you should be taking 1000ui to 2000ui a day of Vitamin D if your levels are low. You need to take more, ideally, as cholecalciferol or vitamin D3, is the easiest, cheapest, and safest way to make sure you're covered.

Testosterone and sleep.

So you hit the gym day in and day out. You’re taking vitamins and getting your protein, with the hopes of adding muscle mass to your frame and hoping at the same time that your testosterone levels are high enough to help push this growth. You’re doing everything right, but wait you’re up all night playing video games and surfing the net. Could this LOWER your testosterone levels? I hate to tell you this, but YES.

We all know that high intensity workouts lead to high testosterone levels, but could sleep play a larger roll in testosterone production?

One problem most men face is that their testosterone production levels decline with age and another problem is that we don’t sleep as long as we get older. As children, we sleep 8-10 hrs a day; then that becomes 6-7 as we grow older. One study from China showed that the testosterone levels of men who sleep 4-6 hours a night are much lower than those of men who get more sleep. Testosterone levels were higher in men who sleep 8 or more hours a night. Not only does this effect show on total testosterone but on Free testosterone levels as well.

So, it is very important that you do get your 8 hours a night for optimal testosterone production along with recuperation from the day’s stress and work.