Surprising Perks of Vitamin D3 for Your Skin

There are all kinds of vitamins out there, but one of the most important ones for skin health is vitamin D3. There are a group of D vitamins, which are fat soluble steroids made by our own body with the help of the sun. Because the main source of vitamin D is not from food, people who are not exposed to sufficient amounts of sunlight may need vitamin D supplementation.

Even though Vitamin D is usually called a Vitamin, it is not really a dietary vitamin because it can be made in adequate amounts by most mammals, except cats and dogs. An organic compound can only be called Vitamin if it cannot be sufficiently made and must be obtained from diet.

There are 3 ways to get Vitamin D: food, sunlight and supplements.

According to the NIH, we may need up to 30 minutes of sunlight per day to get enough vitamin D. Those with naturally darker skin (non-Caucasians) and anyone wearing long sleeves needs more time than average for their skin to produce an adequate amount of D3. The same goes for the elderly and those who are obese (BMI over 30).

And no, you can’t blame vitamin D deficiency on living in Buffalo, Seattle, or Boston.

Despite the constant sunshine, In Saudi Arabia up to 37% of the population is deficient in vitamin D. Not because the sun doesn’t shine there (it does!), but because the people there live a similar lifestyle as us.

If it’s that bad in Saudi Arabia, you can only imagine how it is in your location where you have 4 seasons!

So even if you do have time to be in the sun, it is not a good idea to rely on that as your source for vitamin D. The American Academy of Dermatology’s official stance is that you should rely on vitamin D supplements and fortified foods instead of getting it from UV rays, which includes both natural sunlight and indoor tanning sources, which cause side effects of skin cancer and accelerated aging of your skin.

If you are not spending a lot of time getting sun exposure, you will need to take supplements in order to get enough Vitamin D. Some foods that contain Vitamin D3 are:

Salmon: 230 IU (IU = international unit=0.025 mg)
Tuna: 200 IU
Soy milk: 100IU
Orange juice: 100IU
Low fat milk: 98 IU
Cereals: 40 IU
Eggs: 25 IU
Swiss cheese: 12 IU

Recommended amount: People under 70 years of age should consume 600IU of Vitamin per day and people over 70 should have 800 IU of Vitamin D per day.

Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency In Adults may or may not be evident:

In case of severe deficiency, there might be severe pain and weakness.
Muscle weakness may cause difficulty in climbing stairs or getting up from the floor or a from low chair, or can lead to the person walking with a waddling pattern.
Bones can feel painful to moderate pressure.
Bone pain in the lower back, hips, pelvis, thighs and feet (from stress fractures).

There are many benefits to having adequate levels of vitamin D in one’s body, but I want to focus on the

Benefits For Skin.

Vitamin D Cream or supplements can effectively treat psoriasis.
Vitamin D repairs skin damage and prevents infections that might be caused due to skin injuries, and rejuvenates the skin.
Because of its strong anti-inflammatory properties, it is effective for treating burns, skin injuries, skin damage and stretch marks.
It contains antioxidants, which prevent skin damage and premature aging of skin.
It helps treat eczema.
It helps treat rosacea.

If you go for a vitamin D supplement, keep this in mind:

Cholecalciferol is the Most Active Form of Vitamin D3, so it provides superior absorption compared to regular Vitamin D3. When taken directly in this format it works more quickly and can be delivered in lower concentrations without worrying about not being metabolized
Vitamin D3 in softgels form is easy to swallow and convenient to take. Some research indicates that vitamin D3 in liquid softgel form is more highly bioavailable than powdered or tablet forms.*
Vitamin D3 has been found to be over 80% more effective than Vitamin D2 (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism).
If you take vitamin D3, I strongly RECOMMAND you take VITAMIN K2 with it. D3 only helps the absorption of calcium, so some go into arteries instead of bones. While K2 is a “traffic cop” vitamin which puts it in the right places always (bones). Vitamin D3 is the calcium side, K2 is the calcium directing side. Both combine to produce the best effect. You can search in Amazon “Natrogix Vitamin K2” and Add To Cart.
Vitamin D3 and K2 play key parts in calcium uptake and transport to bone tissue. A good number of studies have shown that: Vitamin K2 and Vitamin D3 have synergistic benifits. These studies indicate that this combination increases the accumulation of osteocalcin in bone cells, much more efficient than either of the two nutrients alone. Increased osteocalcin formation significantly increased bone mineral density.

Here’s a vitamin D3 supplement I recently tried and recommend.

Natrogix Vitamin D3 5000 IU

This comes in very small, easy to swallow gel capsules. The bottle contains 360 capsules, so a bottle lasts you almost a full year! It is MADE IN USA, manufactured from the FDA registered facility that follows GMP standards. Every batch of products has been tested by 3rd party Lab to ensure the best quality and potency. Plus, they have a 100% money-back guarantee in ONE year!

The ingredients include: Vitamin D3 5000 IU, NON-GMO Soybean oil, Gelatin, Vegetable Glycerin, Purified Water, Corn Oil. As a dietary supplement, take one (1) capsule daily. For best results, take with a meal or as directed by your healthcare professional.

I found the bottle easy to open. The label was easy to read. The capsule was easy to swallow and didn’t taste like anything, even if I coughed or burped later. I checked my vitamin D3 levels before and after using this for a month and my levels increased, and I had more energy.