Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others. It is full spring. Wash off the dust of daily life. Get out to the beach. Don't take a photograph. You make it. Make the nature your canvas. Enjoy the nature dear friends. During this wonderful time of the year with sunny months, make sure to get out and load on your vitamin D. Have a great Spring. Vitamin D - also known as the "sunshine vitamin" - is produced naturally in your skin through "direct" exposure to sunlight, and then converted into bio usable form in your liver and the kidneys. The amount of vitamin D3 that your skin produces depends on the time of day and season. During this wonderful time of the year with sunny months, make sure to get out and load on your vitamin D. Read more at: https://www.myketopal.com/post/why-do-you-need-vitamin-d

In this 2018 podcast, Robyn Openshaw is sharing why she loves her infrared sauna. Robyn has been studying saunas for 15+ years. In this special episode, she shares of the many ways a sauna can help you detoxify and reduce stress in your own life, help heal illness and build a better immune system and many other benefits. An infrared sauna session can quickly optimize your immune response by 40% and ease aches and pains and help you feel younger and more energetic. An infrared sauna is one of the best tools you can have in your personal arsenal for great health and healing. It’s also a great way to enjoy a little home spa and retreat from all the toxins we’re all exposed to in the world, physically and emotionally. Whether you want to sleep better, lose weight passively, decrease your disease risk – or simply have an easy way to feel good every day – a sauna is the answer. A 1% increase in body temperature results in a 40% increase in immunity, according to Nobuhiro Yoshimizu, MD, PhD. An infrared sauna may also help you live longer. In a large study out of Finland (a country that has more saunas than cars!), frequent sauna users, 4 to 7 times per week, were found to be 40% less likely to die from all causes. You will find infrared saunas in better equipped gyms in your local area. Ask if they have one and definitely use it. Should you ever consider making the probably best investment you'll ever make in a healing sanctuary in your home, and discover the extraordinary healing power of heat through an infrared sauna, you can join the Robyn Openshaw webinar. —->Link for the Webinar: https://greensmoothiegirl.com/favorite-things/tools/full-spectrum-sauna-benefits/far-infrared-saunas-webinar/

We are living in unusually insecure times. Life is a series of peaks and valleys. Lately, we are experiencing more valleys than peaks though. It’s the difficult times where we need a little more support and guidance. Electricity shortages may be a challenge during the hottest days of summer. Remember that about a century ago, we did not have all the modern conveniences of life, yet the people survived. Here is one simple, yet valuable trick which will help you preserve your perishable foods during the times of long power outages. Take a smaller clay pot and put it inside of a larger clay pot. Fill the space in between them with wet sand. Cover the top with a wet cloth. When the water evaporates, it pulls the heat out with it, making the inside cold. It's a natural, cheap, easy to use and even portable refrigerator. So, instead of perishable foods rotting after only three days, they can last up to three weeks using this method.

San Jacinto Valley is returning to small-town roots and values. Walnut trees by Washburn Ranch its third leafing in Valle Vista made a great come back, reviving a historic agriculture practice in the San Jacinto Valley. The new grove represents a return of old Hemet. Please consider visiting the Washburn Ranch Fruit Stand, off Highway 74 east in Valle Vista (Just east of Marshall Avenue en route to Idyllwild) to ask about their walnuts. The stand is open between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday. The young trees that looked like rows of mere sticks in the ground in the spring of 2013 on 190 acres by Soboba Street and Stetson Avenue intersection in Valle Vista, east of Hemet, are now robustly grown, visible to public like a demonstration grove. The other plantation is off Fairview Avenue, away from public view. It's not surprising that people who love the scenic beauty of the valley are cheering. Many longtime residents who used to play in walnut groves near their homes are excited about the crop of their youth. We health-conscious keto-ers are also very happy about this come back story. We applaud the Washburns for creatively adjusting the nutrients they apply to the soil for walnuts in order to diversify their citrus groves, instead of removing the groves for housing tracts. Now 8 years old, the Washburns' grove is producing great walnuts. Market conditions for the walnut growers are strong, prices are good and the trend is expected to continue. And much like us keto-ers, baby boomers in their 60s and 70s love eating healthful walnuts to retain youthfulness and brain power. There were many acres of groves on the east side of Hemet and in Valle Vista into the 1970s. Citrus then dominated the area which became arguably the most beautiful orange and grapefruit belt in Southern California. Walnuts once were a farmer's mainstay in the San Jacinto Valley, but market conditions and housing development ended the groves, though there are still a scattering of old walnut trees producing nuts by homes.. The late Mack McIntyre grew walnuts on his west Hemet farm that became the big Sierra Dawn Estates senior development in 1962. The site of the old Hemet High football stadium, which now is the campus of Jacob Wiens Elementary School, once was a walnut grove. Walnut trees are not harmed by the winter cold. And walnuts are economically feasible too. It costs about $500 per acre to use shaking and harvesting equipment to collect walnuts versus $3,500 per acre to harvest handpicked grapefruit and oranges. A lack of water supplies during the drought years is always a worry, though the walnut trees use about 20 percent less water per acre than the citrus.

Daylight saving time (DST), also known as summer time, is the practice of advancing clocks forward during so that darkness falls at a later clock time. The implementation of DST in California happened on March 13th, setting the clocks forward by one hour. It is common knowledge that getting at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night is crucial for our physical and mental health. Among other mental, physical and environmental issues which may cause sleep deficiency, the DST change may also effect your circadian rhythm. If you or someone you know does not get adequate sleep, has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, you may consider to try some of the tips we are listing below to help improve your circadian clock. Your body's internal biological clock that controls your 24-hour sleep cycle regulates your sleep cycle (circadian rhythm). Circadian rhythm is controlled by the hypothalamus part of the brain which responds to light and dark signals your eyes perceive light (SCN; suprachiasmatic nucleus). Ways to Restore Your Circadian Rhythm Many different factors may impact your sleep. Try various changes to your routine as we suggest below on order to strengthen your circadian rhythm. Your circadian cycle will work the best when you maintain consistent bedtime every day including weekends. Fall asleep at a regular time every night, and wake up around the same time every morning. Avoid staying up late to do work, be on your phone, or watch TV. Your body becomes naturally sleepy when the sun goes down and the daylight fades. Your SCN will trigger your body's natural melatonin, which will make you feel sleepy. Melatonin is normally made by the pineal gland in the brain, but it’s also available as a supplement. It can promote relaxation, so people with jet lag or insomnia often use it as a sleep aid. In order to avoid upsetting your internal clock, do not expose yourself to any blue light-emitting device (TV, energy-saving bulbs, laptops, and cell phones, etc. all delay melatonin release) immediately before bed or throughout the night. Keep all devices outside your bedroom. Keep your bedroom dark throughout the night. If your bedroom is exposed to street light, seal out the unnatural light with blinds as much as possible. You'll still want natural light in the morning, so you don't have to use blackout shades. Turn off all the lights in the house to ensure that your bedroom is as dark as possible before turning in for the night. If you have to keep some light in your bedroom at night, invest in some LED amber lights for your bedside lamps. Keep your bedroom quiet throughout the night. Even as you sleep, your brain will continue to process the sounds around you. If you live in a noisy neighborhood, or have a partner who snores, you may want to invest in white noise (fans, AC, humidifiers, air purifiers, white noise machine), or earplugs. Keep your bedroom cool (60-67 degrees) throughout the night. Studies show that these temperatures will help keep your body cool and comfortable so that you can fall asleep easily. Your circadian rhythm functions the best when you expose your body to bright natural light early in the morning as soon as you wake up. Get out into direct sunlight and enjoy your morning coffee outside to get your healthy dose of vitamin D. Bright morning light signals your body to raise your body temperature and cortisol levels, thus increases your energy in the morning. Although the morning sun can be blinding, avoid wearing sunglasses in the morning to allow the natural morning light to wake you up and prepare you for a productive day. Studies show that one of the best ways to get better sleep is to get some movement or exercise during the day. This is because regular exercise will help you reduce the time it takes for you to fall asleep. Yet, you should not exercise at night because the exercise may wake you up. Aim to work out in the morning or mid to early afternoon. Reduce your stress and anxiety before bed by using such relaxation techniques as yoga, stretching, meditation, deep breathing, reading or drinking caffeine-free sleep tea. If you toss and turn in your bed and can't seem to fall asleep, get out of the bed and do some stretching or deep breathing techniques. Digestion and metabolism also play a role in wakefulness and sleepiness. When you eat, and to some extent, what you eat, can help you reset your sleep clock. Research suggest that intermittent fasting for 16 hours or more can help reset your circadian rhythm. Eat an early dinner (around 4 p.m.), and then avoid food entirely until the following morning 8 a.m. breakfast. Once your sleep is back on track, stick to regular breakfast and dinner times to achieve consistent circadian rhythm. Eat dinner at least three hours before bed. Plan at least 12 hours between breakfast and dinner. Skip your early breakfast in the following morning or delay your breakfast as much as you can. Stop caffeine consumption after lunch. Limit you alcohol intake as it may impact on the quality of your sleep and your ability to fall and stay asleep. Eat COMFORT KETO gourmet meals. You need energy from food while you’re awake, not at night when you’re sleeping. Mid morning is the optimal time to power-up on your biggest meal. If you are not leading a ketogenic lifestyle, definitely cut back on carbs in the late afternoon and evening, or else you’ll unintentionally signal to your body that you plan to be awake for a while. Long naps might also cause grogginess, which is the result of waking up from deep sleep. If you need to nap in the afternoon, aim for a nap before 3:00 PM that is less than 30 minutes so you don't disrupt your nighttime sleep. Invest in a suitable mattress for your sleeping position, weight, and body shape. Lastly, if you are experiencing temporary sleep setbacks due to travel to a country with drastically different time zones or adjusting from night shift work to day shift or vice versa, you may want to try staying up for one whole night and the following day until your next regular bedtime. This will help regulate your circadian rhythm. How Long Does it Take to Fix Your Circadian Rhythm? The length of time it takes for you to fix your circadian rhythm depends on how well you apply the above listed techniques. It may take anywhere between one day to two weeks to adjust. You may want to consult your medical doctor, if you are still experiencing sleep problems after trying to reset your biological clock with the above listed techniques. Sleep well friends. Team Chef Janine Here are a few more blog posts you can read: https://www.myketopal.com/post/when-and-how-many-pistachios-should-you-eat-to-promote-sleep https://www.myketopal.com/post/learn-how-to-improve-your-sleep-health-and-be-more-productive-in-your-time-awake https://www.myketopal.com/post/comfort-keto-prepared-meals-provides-a-little-tlc-your-mind-needs https://www.myketopal.com/post/reduce-stress-and-keep-blood-pressure-down

Turmeric and black pepper are both well known to have several health benefits. Combined, however, the health-promoting properties of these two ingredients are amplified exponentially. Turmeric and black pepper work synergistically to fight inflammation, support digestion, reduce pain, and even help with weight loss. Piperine in black pepper boosts curcumin absorption in turmeric by up to 2,000%, unlocking powerful health benefits when consumed together. 🔥 Why This Combo Works Most of the powerful health benefits of turmeric comes from its component "curcumin." Likewise, most of the powerful health benefits of black pepper comes from its alkaloid component "piperine." 🧪 Curcumin (in turmeric) is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound. 🌶 Piperine (in black pepper) enhances curcumin’s absorption by up to 2,000%. Together, they form a bioavailable powerhouse that supports whole-body wellness. On its own, curcumin is poorly absorbed by the body. However, research studies clearly demonstrate that when paired with piperine, curcumin's bio-availability increases significantly, boosting its absorption by 2,000 percent. This pairing allows your body to benefit most efficiently from curcumin. The health benefits range from decreased inflammation to better digestion and beyond. 💪 Key Health Benefits of Turmeric + Black Pepper ⚖️ Weight Loss Support Curcumin may block fat cell growth (Biofactors study). Piperine + curcumin increased fat loss in animal study. 🔥 Reduces Inflammation Curcumin is among the most effective natural anti-inflammatories (Oncogene study). Piperine reduces inflammation markers (Korean study on arthritis). 🛡 Cancer-Fighting Potential Studies suggest that curcumin blocks cancer cell growth without harming healthy cells. Piperine may kill cancer cells and prevent tumor development (test-tube studies). 🌿 Digestive Health Boost Studies suggest that curcumin helps with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. Studies have shown that piperine stimulates digestive enzymes and improves nutrient absorption. 🩹 Natural Pain Relief Effective for arthritis-related pain and fatigue. Piperine reduced pain in rats within 2 hours (Asian Pacific Journal study). Study out of India found that turmeric helped post-op patients manage pain and energy levels. ✅ Final Thought If you're struggling with joint pain, poor digestion, or chronic inflammation, adding turmeric and black pepper to your daily routine might be a simple yet powerful solution.

Roughly 10,000 cancer cells are generated by the body every single day. One of the most common factors contributing to the ability for these cancer stem cells to proliferate and invade new tissue is D3 deficiency. There are a variety of influences that have resulted in vitamin D being one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in our society today, which has only fueled the growth of cancer as the nemesis of our time. Researchers propose that supplementing 20,000 IU of D3 daily may be a potent and safe therapy to limit systemic inflammation and inhibit the development of cancer. GcMAF is a powerful immune supporting protein that demands a steady supply of D3. GcMAF activity is essential to a healthy immune system and can also assist in the destruction of tumors entirely. In fact, healthy vitamin D levels are one of the most important nutrients that benefit a baby during a woman’s pregnancy. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with autoimmune problems and considering that cancer is a multifactorial disease, optimal vitamin D levels are not worth compromise during neonatal development. Throughout fetal development, D3 supplementation supports: Reduced inflammatory secretions by natural killer cells Anatomical growth and development of fetus Neuroprotection (protection of the central nervous system) Neurogenesis (generation of new brain cells) Neuroplasticity (cognitive function and emotional pathways) The research on vitamin D and our immune system is incredible. Vitamin D may be one of the most important nutrients for reducing cancer cell formation. Discover more in this article by Dr. Jocker here: https://drjockers.com/vitamin-d-stops-cancer-stem-cells/

Magical wonders always happen in nature. And without a doubt, great food tastes even better on top of a mountain! The good people at Higher Grounds Coffee House (aka Idyllwild Coffee Roasters) understand this. Idyllwild sits like a beacon on our horizon. We are fortunate to have a mountain for more than just a pretty photo, Idyllwild is our playground. Spend a moment, a day or two exploring and relaxing upon the slopes of Idyllwild where you'll find breathtaking views, a natural wonderland of majestic trees, and now delicious Comfort Keto goodies. Life does not get any better! We are overly excited to announce that starting next week, March 15, 2022, three of Chef Janine's most popular culinary creations are making their debut at Higher Grounds Coffee House: Our most popular Keto Berry Power Bowl and two delicious low-carb Wrap Sandwiches, one with chicken and one with tofu (vegetarian). After your enjoyable hike along the scenic trails of Idyllwild or your stroll through the specialty stores at the center of this lovely mountain town on a sunny day, you need to rest and feed your body. Incorporate a stop at the Higher Grounds Coffee House to complete your delightful day's sightseeing plans. Now imagine yourself there. Step inside the Higher Grounds Coffee House after an invigorating hike in the cool mountain air. There is no noise from the city, no traffic to frustrate you; just the oneness with the organic world around you. Time upon the mountain slows down and you can reset your balance. Magical wonders happen in nature. On a warm spring day, most of the customers will be hanging outside on the deck, soaking up the commanding mountain view and the sunshine. And now, you also get to savor our delicious food while enjoying yourself on the patio of Higher Grounds with a great cup of in-house roasted organic coffee. This is your backyard, your destination for fresh air, fun and memories. Time to start making new ones. See you soon in the Higher Grounds Coffee House... Higher Grounds Coffee House 54245 N. Circle Drive, Idyllwild, CA 92549 (951) 659-1379 www.idyllwildcoffeeroasters.com Please visit our website to check out current week's menu (our menu changes every week). https://www.myketopal.com/comfort-keto-meals Read more: https://www.comfortketo.com/post/eating-healthy-get-out-and-soak-in-vitamin-d-and-get-exercise

The TP53 gene (located on chromosome 17) is the most common gene mutation found in cancer cells. Mutated TP53 gene is found in over 50% of cancers. This tumor-suppressor gene that has been coined "the guardian of the genome," codes for a protein that inhibits the development and growth of tumors. When inactivated, TP53 can also play a role in the persistence, growth, and spread of a cancer that develops. How the TP53 Gene May Be Damaged (Inactivated) The TP53 gene may be damaged (mutated) by cancer-causing substances in the environment (carcinogens) such as tobacco smoke, ultraviolet light, and the chemical aristolochic acid (with bladder cancer). Often times, however, the toxin leading to the mutation is unknown. What Happens If the TP53 Gene Is Inactivated? If the TP53 gene is inactivated, it no longer codes for the proteins that lead to the functions that inhibit the development and growth of tumors. Thus, when another form of DNA damage occurs in another region of the genome, the damage is not repaired and may result in the development of cancer. Can the TP53 Gene Be Reactivated? Due to the great importance TP53 mutations play in cancer, researchers have been looking for ways to reactivate the gene. Though the science is very complex, it is advancing, and small molecules known as MDMX inhibitors are now being evaluated in clinical trials for people with blood-related cancers. You can read about Natural products targeting the p53-MDM2 pathway and mutant p53 If you are interested in learning more about the functions of TP53, how it works to stop cancer from forming, how is may be damaged, and therapies that may help to reactivate its effect, please visit this very valuable site: https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-p53-gene-its-role-in-cancer-2249349

Food manufacturers use confusing marketing terms to hide the true amount of sugar in their foods, and this is something you need to be aware of. You may ask yourself, why are the food manufacturers load their products with so much sugar. The answer is simple: Taste and palatability. When the food manufacturers removed all naturally occurring good fats from their products, they had to replace them with sugar so that they are palatable and sell-able to consumers. It is that simple! Same sugar, different names Meanwhile, you may have noticed that many food ingredients ending in "-ose" are sugars. These scientific sounding names often appear on ingredient labels and complicate it for the consumer to recognize just how many different forms of sugar may be present in a particular processed food product. In a nutshell... Glucose is the body's primary fuel source and the simplest sugar used by the body's cells for energy. Fructose is the naturally occurring sugar found in fruit. It tastes sweeter than glucose and is commonly used in processed foods and sweetened beverages. Sucrose is ordinary table sugar. It consists of equal parts glucose and fructose and derives much of its sweetness from its fructose content. Dextrose is chemically identical to glucose and is commonly used as a sweetener in processed foods. Maltose, also known as malt sugar, consists of two glucose molecules joined together. It is found in foods containing barley and malt. Lactose, often called milk sugar, consists of glucose and galactose. It occurs naturally in milk and dairy products. Galactose has the same chemical formula as glucose but a slightly different molecular structure. It is found primarily in dairy foods and is released when lactose is broken down during digestion. This list contains common examples, but there are many more. If you do not recognize these names on ingredient labels, you may be consuming far more sugar than you realize. Sugar does not always appear as "sugar" on ingredient labels. It may be listed under different names within the same ingredient list. Being aware of this is important when making food choices at the grocery store. As a general rule, the safest approach is to stay away from industrially produced foods with long ingredient lists filled with unfamiliar and difficult-to-pronounce ingredients. If you are interested in knowing more about sugar, please check out the articles we published on this topic. • What Is a Carbohydrate? • Glucose: The Body's Preferred Fuel • Fructose: The Sugar That Behaves Differently • High Fructose Corn Syrup Explained • Lactose: The Sugar Found in Milk • Comparing Common Sweeteners

Vitamin D insufficiency has reached epidemic proportions and has been linked to low bone mineral density, increased risk of fracture, and obesity in adults. Vitamin D has always been known to improve bone strength, among several other health benefits. Obesity is defined as an excess amount of body fat and represents a significant health problem worldwide. High prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in obese subjects is a well-documented finding, most likely due to volumetric dilution into the greater volumes of fat, serum, liver, and muscle. Research suggests that Vitamin D influences the structure and function of fat cells and may even influence how much body fat is stored and released to be burned as energy. Another recent study reveals that individuals with higher levels of belly fat and larger waistlines are more likely to have lower vitamin D levels. Although there is still ongoing research, recent studies show that taking extra vitamin D may help to reduce body fat. In the below video, the emerging research and implications in the prevention of obesity and its related diseases like diabetes and heart disease are being discussed. 0:00 Intro 00:26 Vitamin D is sequestered in fat tissue. 00:30 Vitamin D influences your metabolism, 00:58 Vitamin D insufficiency causes a dysregulation within your fat cells, 01:30 vitamin D cutaneous synthesis. 02:25 Vitamin D in adipose (fat) tissue affects, 02:40 When you are overweight and obese, your fat cells become necrotic, and they can die. 03:22 The active form of vitamin D 04:30 Vitamin D exerts significant effects on the formation of fat cells (adipogenesis). 05:00 Sufficient levels active metabolites of vitamin D suppress the accelerated adipogenesis, shown in animal and cellular models. 06:00 Vitamin D2 VS vitamin D3 07:00 Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) is acquired from your food or sun exposure. Food sources are fatty fish, dairy, ruminants, the flesh/skin of vertebrae animals, egg yolks and dietary supplements. 08:10 Vitamin D5, sitocalciferol, is derived from an Ayurvedic herb called Rauwolfia serpentina. 09:05 Your liver is responsible for hydroxylating pre-vitamin D into the somewhat active form, calcidiol. This is what is measured in your blood, 25-hydroxy vitamin D. 09:20 Either your fat cells or your kidney further hydroxylates it into 125-dihydroxy vitamin D, calcitriol, is the active form. 09:55 The conversion from 25-hydroxy vitamin D to the 125 dihydroxy vitamin D is down regulated In fat cells, particularly in overweight people. 12:09 Vitamin D activates the vitamin D receptor. Generally, vitamins are cofactors. Vitamin D receptor is found in your fat tissue, kidney, muscle, and bone. When it is activated, it effects your immune system, calcium homeostasis and binding and many inflammatory pathways. 12:55 The vitamin D receptor impacts lipolysis, the release of lipids from your fat cells for energy. 13:18 Your fat tissues store between 35 and 75% of your total body levels of vitamin D. 13:46 People who have diabetes or insulin resistance or are obese, there is less fat cell turnover, which releases vitamin D that was stored in fat cells. So less vitamin D is released to the rest of the body. 14:00 Vitamin d deficiency is 35 to 40% higher in overweight or obese people, or diabetics. 14:30 Vitamin D impacts many functions within the fat cell, including the upregulation of fat cell creation. 15:08 Lipid accumulation decreases with increasing calcitriol (125-dihydroxy vitamin D) dosages. 15:40 Fat cell inflammation is mediated by leptin. 16:40 Chronic activation of immune system cells can trigger inflammation in obesity related pathogenesis in which insulin resistance is involved. 17:03 Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) transcription factor triggers inflammatory cascades within your cells. Vitamin D can inhibit this NF-kappa B activation. 17:30 Overweight or obese individuals have a higher prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency. 18:00 Dosing of supplemental vitamin D should be based upon body fat and health status. 18:23 Vitamin D impacts calcium metabolism. The balance of calcium affects apoptosis, pre-programmed cell death. 19:35 Serum vitamin D levels 20:00 Exercise helps to promote fat cell health and metabolism. It can mobilize fat cell lipids. Flux of fat cells is healthy. Fasting also promotes a healthy churn of your fat tissue. 22:00 With supplemental vitamin D, there are reductions in fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1C, and increases in triglycerides, improving metabolic health. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Vitamin D - also known as the "sunshine vitamin" - is produced naturally in your skin through "direct" exposure to sunlight, and then converted into bio usable form in your liver and the kidneys. The amount of vitamin D3 that your skin produces depends on the time of day and season. Both factors change how much UV light hits your skin. Yet, many other factors affect the amount of vitamin D your skin can produce, including your skin color (pigmentation), age, clothing, use of high factor sunscreens, and where you live. In the winter months, it is surely advisable to take vitamin D supplements. A word of caution though – too much sun exposure can be damaging due to the risk of developing skin cancer. Spend only a small amount of time in the sun without sunscreen, either early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and the rest of the time be sure to cover up and avoid sunburn. Between April and September, 10-15 minutes daily sunlight exposure for lighter skin types and 25-35 minutes daily sunlight exposure for darker skin types provides sufficient year-round vitamin D. How Is Vitamin D Produced In The Skin? Ultraviolet radiation of the sun rays penetrate into the epidermis (the outermost of the three layers that make up the skin, the inner layers are the dermis and hypodermis) and photolyzes provitaminD3 to previtaminD3. PrevitaminD3 can either isomerize to vitamin D3 or be photolyzed to lymisterol and tachysterol. ProvitaminD3 (7-Dehydrocholesterol) is a side product from the cholesterol and found in abundant quantities in the epidermis. ProvitaminD3 has a skin barrier function, increases skin resistance against environmental aggressors and supports the skin's natural recovery. Why do you need to take vitamin D3 supplements regularly at advanced age? Because as you age, your epidermis gets thinner (holds less cholesterol). Consequently, your skin has less ProvitaminD3 which is required for conversion into Vitamin D3. Furthermore, elderly people are less likely to access the outdoors and may be more at risk of deficiency. Studies suggest that some forms of Vitamin D supplements are more easily absorbed by the body. Certain groups are considered to be at higher risk for developing Vitamin D deficiencies. People who aren't often outdoors, such as those who are frail or housebound People who have darker skin, such as those of south Asian, African or African-Caribbean backgrounds People who stay out of the sun or cover up when outside Why Do You Need Vitamin D? Vitamin D is a fat-soluble compound that includes the family of vitamins D-1, D-2, and D-3. It is extremely important for strong bones and teeth, as it helps us absorb the calcium you eat and it also controls the amount of calcium in your blood. At low vitamin D levels your body won’t absorb the calcium you eat. If your levels are severely low, you may be at risk of developing weaker bones (osteomalacia). Furthermore, the excessive amounts of un-absorbed calcium floating in your blood may with time cause calcification at your joints and development of kidney and gal stones. Severe deficiency in children may result in their legs becoming curved (rickets). Unfortunately, there aren't any visual signs of vitamin D deficiency. Low levels of vitamin D are common in the US. It is advisable that you get a blood test through your health service provider. Blodd test vitamin D levels classification: Under 25 nmol/L – Deficient 25 - 50 nmol/L – Insufficient 50-75 nmol/L – Sufficient Over 75 nmol/L – Optimal Vitamin D And The Immune System The immune system defends the body from foreign, invading organisms, promoting protective immunity while maintaining tolerance to self. The implications of vitamin D deficiency on the immune system have become clearer in recent years. As the vitamin D receptor is expressed on immune cells (B cells, T cells and antigen presenting cells) and these immunologic cells are all are capable of synthesizing the active vitamin D metabolite, vitamin D has the capability of acting in an autocrine manner in a local immunologic milieu. Immune cells (B cells, T cells, monocytes, DCs) from multiple autoimmune diseases appear to respond to the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D. Read more. Foods That Contain Vitamin D Foods that naturally contain vitamin D include oily fish such as mackerel, sardines, and salmon. There are smaller amounts found in eggs and some red meats. Natural vitamin D content of some foods: Mackerel (grilled, 5 oz) – 11.9µg vitamin D Salmon (grilled, 5 oz) – 19µg vitamin D Sardines (grilled, 5 oz) – 7µg vitamin D Eggs (poached, 2) – 2.9µg vitamin D