Glassed-In World Ignores Vitamin D Deficiency, Even Olympic Athletes got Kicked in the Face

In 2012 the Olympics descended upon London like the Normans of 1066. Top athletes had to submit to a blood test, or blood "panel" to qualify. We gained public knowledge about their basic vitamin levels for the first time in history. The result, not surprisingly, is that the athletes have the right levels, if not optimal levels, of just about everything measured.

The one exception is (really hard guess here), um, vitamin D. Of course you know it would have to be vitamin D by the title of this Article. The one vitamin that is not recommended to be dosed high enough by most agencies happens also not to be very bio-available in supplement form . We can eat delicious dairy daily, but we must have ample sunlight to make use of it.

The sunlight, specifically UVB radiation, is difficult for your body to produce. You know, that bad evil UVB radiation that can kill us all with melanoma. That nasty UVB radiation we have been conditioned to hate because it makes us look old and ugly. Guess what, we also need it to thrive. Thanks to all automotive and building-grade windows being made of 100% UVB-blocking glass, producing vitamin D the natural way is becoming ever more difficult in modern society.

It is meant to protect from melanoma, but a curable skin cancer may be a preferred wake-up-call if you are genetically predisposed to cancer in the first place. Avoid UVB exposure and you have better odds not to get melanoma, you could live to be 90. Avoid sunlight and you still get old and die, but you may appear a spry 80 when you die at 87 anyway.

Sure, there is some truth to the "Dorian Gray" effect of avoiding exposure, but c'mon, at 90 you won't be turning heads anyway. OK, back to the people who were turning heads in London in 2012...

A trainer of Olympic athletes concurs, and even adds another common one- iron deficiencies. Iron is usually taken care of since atheletes already know you need your iron levels up for your blood to transport oxygen to those hard-working muscles. Some research indicates that chronic inflammation may increase a hormone, or set of hormones, that block the absorption of Iron.

Vitamin D is actually the second area of interest for this trainer. Since vitamin D is believed to be a kind of anti-inflammatory it may help the iron issue. It also doesn't hurt that it will boost immunity and strengthen bones. Olympic marathoner Deena Kastor broke her foot at the 2008 Beijing Games. She later learned that she only had half the recommended vitamin D blood levels (normal is thought to be 35 to 55 nano grams per milliliter). This trainer told us that 80 percent of the athletes she evaluated were low in vitamin D. This includes many who are training for hours outdoors every day. Gotta cut back on the sunblock and/or supplement to bring D levels up.

Vitamin D regulates mood, and is often found to be deficient in those who are suffering from depression. The irrational negative thoughts of depression can be seen even in the Olympians, who doubt themselves even as they win a gold medal. Vitamin D also helps with bone strength, disease resistance, and prevention of cancer. In other words, D, especially D3 which is more bio-available, is essential for health.

Normally humans make it ourselves as we are outside most of the day every day killing dinosaurs and discovering potato plants. The problem is now, we unintentionally and unfortunately whisk our time away behind UV-blocking glass 90% of the day, every single day. In every automobile, for example, almost 100% of essential UV radiation is blocked when you have your windows up. Our bodies suffer from the lack of sunlight, just like a plant. The wilting is most often seen in mental illness before it appears as a physical symptom such as bone loss, illness and even cancer.

Knowledge is half the battle. Bone up on supplements and get yourself outside in the sunlight. Your mood will improve first, and your general health will follow.