Vitamin D - supplementing in the winter months

Did you know that our best source of Vitamin D is from the sun?  However, at latitudes above 35º (South Bend is 41º), in the winter months the sun is always at a low angle and Vitamin D production in your skin won't occur, regardless of the time of day you decide to sunbathe.

My friend Susan who is a nurse practitioner is very concerned about the low levels of Vitamin D that most people have.  She says she tests all of her patients and recommends supplements, since getting Vitamin D from the sun is not feasible in the winter, and the foods that are the highest in Vitamin D are not prevalent in our Midwest diets.  She writes: "Considering that 50% of Floridians and Hawaiians are Vitamin D deficient, I don't think [the sun will work for us] way up here in Indiana . . . I test all of my patients' Vitamin D levels.  I've never found anyone with a Vitamin D level above 32 unless they were supplementing.  My opinion is that if I could just get everyone's Vitamin D levels to the optimal range it would do more for disease prevention than anything else I could possible do."

Here is a chart she provided.    Disease Prevention with Vitamin D   Get out the sardines, pop some supplements, wash it all down with some raw milk from cows pastured outdoors on grass -- and GET HEALTHIER!

Well, I'm off to the kitchen to take my daily dose, washed down with some homemade kefir.  :)