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SUNLIGHT AND VITAMIN D

By Dr. Jerry Lee Hoover N.D.
       VITAMIN D IS CALLED THE SUNSHINE VITAMIN BECAUSE YOUR BODY NEEDS THE SUN TO MAKE it.

  Vitamin D is really not a Vitamin, it is a steroid hormone and plays a role in the production or biological activity of select hormones which has a lot of different functions in the body.  When your skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays it makes vitamin D from the cholesterol that is found in the skin cells of your body.  This process is quite complicated and involves many different organs in the body for vitamin D synthesis to occur.       In the U.S. 42% of the population is Vitamin D deficient, more than half of all American children are vitamin D Deficient and 75% of all pregnant women are deficient.  Worldwide it is estimated that vitamin D deficiency affects one billion people.  two reasons why so many are deficient is because they have been taught that the sun is harmful and to avoid it, which is not true.  All plant, animal and Human life depends upon the sun.  The second reason is that in many parts of the earth during certain times of the year there is very little sunshine ,the northern states and Alaska are two examples.   

Some symptoms of vitamin d deficiency are bone and muscle pain, fractures of the hips, pelvis and legs, being tired , being sick often, depression, hair loss, slow wound healing, etc.      We must have Vitamin D for our bodies to be healthy, as It is involved in regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the body so one can have strong bones and teeth.  Vitamin D also strengthens the immune system so that the body can fight off many diseases.  Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to play a role in almost every major disease.  Seventeen varieties of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis,   infertility,  parkinson’s disease, ALZHEIMER,  chronic fatigue,  etc.  Lets look at just one of the diseases, depression and see why Vitamin D is needed.  vitamin d exposure increases levels of serotonin, which makes one happy, if you are not receiving enough sunshine  your serotonin levels will be low and it will affect you emotionally and mentally. Sunlight is the most common and efficient way to get your vitamin D.  One has to limit the amount of sun exposure to their body, which is different for different individuals.  Blond haired light skinned persons cannot be exposed to as much sun as a dark skinned person.  In fact dark skinned persons have more Vitamin D deficiency than lighter skinned persons. because they need more exposure to the sun.  persons who are overweight also need more vitamin d .

There are many factors affecting  the skin’s ability to produce Vitamin D such as the time of day when exposed to the sun, the season, latitude, cloud cover, Being in an area with high air pollution, etc.  Also sunshine coming through a window glass will not make Vitamin D, as the glass filters out some of the important sun rays.  Another  big factor is sun screen or sun blockers added to the skin, as they also block out the beneficial rays of the sun that make Vitamin D. 

There is no simple rule of how much sun one needs everyday, as it depends upon so many factors as I have already mentioned.  One good thing is that you cannot overdose on Vitamin D when it comes from the sun, be sure to avoid getting sunburned.  You can though, overdose on Vitamin D when it comes from supplementation as it is not natural, explain why below.     There are four ways to get your Vitamin D, which is a fat soluble vitamin.  through the sunshine which is the very best natural way,  through  some very limited specific foods that contain vitamin d, such as fish, liver, egg yolk and butter, which provides natural Vitamin D.  through FORTIFIED Vitamin d foods, which have had vitamin d added to them such as milk, cereals, etc. and Through Vitamin d supplementation, Neither of these two are  a natural vitamin d and are not as EFFECTIVE  as the real Vitamin D made by the body from the sun.  This supplemental vitamin D is made from yeast or other plant matter and many experts say it is not well absorbed or utilized in the body.


There are no side effects of getting to much Vitamin D directly from the sunshine or from food that naturally contains Vitamin D. There are side effects  from excessive vitamin D when eating food that has had artificial Vitamin D added or when taking excessive vitamin D from supplements.  Here is a partial list of some of theses side effects: Kidney damage, heart attack, brittle bones,dehydration, lung damage, high calcium levels in the blood stream, etc.     

IF YOU THINK YOU ARE DEFICIENT IN VITamin D YOUR DOCTOR CAN DIAGNOSE A VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY BY PERFORMING A SIMPLE BLOOD TEST.   Blood levels of 40-50 ng/ml are in the normal range.  Blood level below 20 ng/ml shows a serious vitamin d deficiency.

in Conclusion       

Don’t be afraid of the sunshine for it plays a very important role in keeping healthy, Just remember to be careful to avoid getting sunburned.  The sunshine also does many other factors beside making Vitamin D,  Here is a partial list of how important The sunshine is, it lowers ones blood sugar which cause diabetes, it lowers blood pressure which could lead to a heart attack or stroke, it reduces the amount of cholesterol in the body, it increases your body’s white blood cell count which strengthens the body’s immune system against many diseases.   Sunshine is one of God’s greatest medicines and He gives it free to all mankind.  I hope this article has encouraged you to spend more time outside in the fresh air and sunshine if your one of those who in the past AVOIDED the sun when possible.

About The Author  Dr.  Jerry Lee Hoover N.D. is retired and lives in Granada Nicaragua.  His FREE BOOK NATURAL MEDICINE, which has been translated into 5 different languages and has 47 chapters on just about every topic, high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, etc. The English & Spanish version can be down loaded free from his web site.   

 A Natural Cure for Cancer :: Cancer Natural Cure – Dr. Jerry Lee Hoover  His second book Natural Ways To Prevent Cancer was published 5 years ago and can be purchased through Amazon Kindle His latest book Radiation From Cell Phones, WiFi,  can also be purchased through Amazon Kindle.

A Natural Cure for Cancer :: Cancer Natural Cure – Dr. Jerry Lee Hoover

Cancer is a uniquely western problem. One out of three Americans die of cancer, it used to be one out of four.