February 8, 2016
During this time of less sunlight and cold weather, most of us are not getting enough vitamin D from the sun. In fact, by February our Vitamin D levels are said to be at their lowest. What are the consequences and what should we about this?
Deficiency and Benefits of Vitamin D
Research shows the health benefits of Vitamin D, while at the same time, deficiency in this very important vitamin is reported to be growing. Doctors are now prescribing vitamin D, but this man-made source is not the best. In fact most Vitamin D supplements that clients have brought in, muscle-test weak.
Vitamin D influences nearly 3,000 of our 24,000 genes. One example of an important gene that vitamin D up-regulates is our ability to fight chronic inflammation and infections. It has been known to be very effective against colds and flus, producing over 200 anti-microbial peptides, the most important which is cathelicidin, a naturally-occurring broad-spectrum antibiotic.
There is mounting research of the far-reaching benefits of Vitamin D. According to Orthomolecular Medicine, Jan 2013, there were 33,800 medical papers with Vitamin D in the title or abstract. Research has shown that vitamin D can improve:
- Pregnancy outcomes
- Type 1 and 2 diabetes
- Heart disease and stroke
- Autism, Alzheimer’s, and other brain dysfunction
- Bacterial and viral infections
- Depression and pain in diabetics
- Crohn’s disease
There is also growing number of studies showing that vitamin D has tremendous protective effects against a variety of cancers, including pancreatic, lung, ovarian, breast, prostate, and skin cancers.
Vitamin D Sources
The best sources always comes from nature, first being sunshine. In cold climates, such as South Dakota, it is difficult to obtain the necessary vitamin D in the winter months. This is why our Norwegian and Scandinavian ancestors took Cod Liver oil, an ancient sacred food taken for health and longevity.
Yet, not all Cod Liver oil is the same. There are only three ways of extracting oil from fish liver: heat, chemical, and fermentation. Of course, the heat destroys nutrients, and the chemical method is not good, so the only RIGHT way to get cod liver oil is by fermentation.
Fermenting the livers of fish to extract the oil is an old-world practice that may go back as far as Biblical times. The 1850s was the beginning of the industrial food revolution, and the first time cod liver oil manufacturing changed from it’s historical sacred roots to an industrialized food. The fermenting process became inconvenient and not profitable. Non-odorous and clear cod liver oil was preferred.
Today, a company called Green Pasture’s has turned back the clock and restored this sacred food to their roots. The owner, David Wetzel, even went to Norway and other Scandinavian countries to visit the big Fish Oil companies to find any that produced cod liver oil by fermentation. Finding none, he started Green Pasture, and began producing Fermented Cod Liver Oil according to traditional methods that brought results.
Building immunity is just one of many benefits of regularly taking Fermented Cod Liver Oil (FCLO). Other positive affects reported are: alleviating or lessening the effects of acid reflex, acne, autism, depression, rheumatism, scrofula*, and tooth problems. It has also been reported that using FCLO can restore natural hair color, and it has been attributed to better pet health.
If you have not been taking FCLO during the winter months, you should immediately start taking some to build your immunity and replenish the fallen levels of Vitamin D.
We’re here to help you!
Amy Willis, Your Local Herbalist