Life Enhancing Vitamin Found at the Beach!
Introduction from Nancy Nason Guss: As many of you know, my books are designed to help families make meaningful connections to God and each other through spending meaningful time together in nature. This is not only good for the mind and the soul, it is good for the body, and I can prove it! Dr. Jennifer Bickerton specializes in wellness systems, including nutritional supplements, and she has kindly agreed to write this week’s message. If you are interested in more information, her sources are below, and you can reach her at www.JenBickerton.com. Thank you, Jen, for this sensational summer message!
Life Enhancing Vitamin Found at the Beach!
The beach is my happy place! I go almost every weekend. It’s where I go to think, to be with myself and nature. Many people find the beach a place where they experience peace, joy, and healthy benefits. Why is that? Is it the rhythmic, hypnotic motion of the water, the sound of children laughing, the momentary escape from a to-do list? Actually, it’s more than that.
There are numerous benefits from taking a reprieve from everyday life to enjoy the day, but 4 attributes directly relate to our physical health: sunshine, fresh air, salt water, and running barefoot on the sand. The number one health benefit of a day at the beach though, is soaking up the penetrating rays for making Vitamin D.
According to the National Institute of Health factsheet, the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) needed for an infant is 400 iu and required for children up to age 13, is 600 iu. However, the Vitamin D Council suggests 1000 iu for children. There are 2 ways to make sure a child gets enough vitamin D, by exposing bare skin to sunlight (UV B rays), or by taking a vitamin D supplement. A small amount of vitamin D can be derived from diet. It is found in fatty fish, beef liver, egg yolks, and mushrooms. Unfortunately, these are not foods that children readily eat.
The best way to get vitamin D in appropriate levels is by exposing bare skin to UV B rays from the sun regularly. The more skin exposed, the more vitamin D is made. That is why heading to the beach is not only a fun way to obtain this necessary vitamin, but also an efficient way. When wearing a bathing suit or shorts and a tank top, a sufficient amount of bare skin will be exposed.
Different people make different levels of vitamin D based on their skin color and the sun’s intensity at different times of the year in different parts of the world. Although, the rule of thumb for how long it takes to make enough vitamin D, is about half the time it takes for your skin to start to burn. No need to burn or even tan, a body can naturally make 10,000 to 25,000 iu of vitamin D in about 15 minutes for a fair skinned person.
Since vitamin D is not supplied in sufficient quantities through the diet, and if a child is not able to get enough regular sun exposure, or their sunscreen prevents the UV B rays for the first 15 minutes of sun exposure, then there is the option of taking a dietary supplement. Some vitamin D supplements are made specifically for children, and some can be found with the beneficial vitamin K2, which works in synchronicity with Vitamin D for healthy bones and an optimal immune system.
See you at the beach this summer!
Jen Bickerton DC, MS has a passion for sharing information to help people change their lives. A lot of her topics focus on dietary supplements for stress, energy, and performance in daily living. Dr. Bickerton's experience includes coordinating education seminars for a dietary supplement company nationally, vitamin retail management, multi-state sales rep, and a nutrition-based chiropractic practice. She has degrees in Biology and Supply Chain Management, a Doctorate in Chiropractic, and a Master of Science in Regulatory Affairs of Food Industries. She is offering a workshop for helping people drive change in their lives called Conquer Your Reality. For more information please visit www.JenBickerton.com.
References:
https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/how-do-i-get-the-vitamin-d-my-body-needs/
https://www.ucsd.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=29085
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/Kids-and-Vitamin-D-Deficiency.aspx
https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/does-vitamin-d-status-improve-immune-system-function-among-children/
