Monster Week and On Vitamin D

I still cannot believe we are a mere 26 days away from the big show.

Ahh! This week is the final big one until taper time, and after resting/yogaing yesterday, I ran a strong 8 miles with ~4 at marathon pace this morning. It felt a little harder than I would have liked, but IT band is feeling good and that’s the most important thing right now.

I’ve got lots of miles ahead of me this week – still hoping to crack 60 – and I could not be more excited about it

More on Vitamins*
I hope you guys liked my post a few weeks ago on Vitamin A! I have a test next week, and this past weekend was all about studying Vitamin D and calcium regulation.

I’ve written before about calcium and how important it is to get enough (stress fractures = no bueno, am I right?), but vitamin D is crucial in helping your body absorb calcium.

What it does
Vitamin D is actually a hormone! The active form in the body is not only crucial for calcium absorption, but in regulating levels of calcium and phosphorus in the body.

While this is its main function, vitamin D also plays a role in cell growth, immune function, reduction of inflammation, to name a few.

Where you get it
Vitamin D is found in very few foods, and most people get in from products that are fortified, like milk. Here are the foods that do contain a bit of D:

• Cod liver oil (yummm)
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Milk (fortified)
• Yogurt (fortified)
• Egg yolk
• Cereal (fortified)

How much you need
Recently, the Institutes of Medicine changed their recommendation on how much Vitamin D people should get from their diets on a daily basis. They looked at a ton of studies and decided that a higher level was safe and necessary for healthy people.

Ages 1-70: 600 International Units (IU)

Umm, ok. Do I get enough?
You may not. Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a report based on new data that found one-third of Americans did not have adequate levels of Vitamin D. That’s A LOT of people!

Since it’s found is so few foods, sunlight plays an important role in the total amount of Vitamin D you have in your body.

About 10-15 minutes of sun a few times per week is enough for your body to make a sufficient amount of vitamin D, but like I said earlier, a lot of things play a role in this.

One recent study found that people with darker skin colors and those that live in colder, northern areas (think Northern U.S. or Canada), didn’t have sufficient Vitamin D levels.

One thing I remember is that when Deena Kastor broke her foot during the Beijing Olympics (I think around mile three or so. Imagine how much that sucks), it was because she did not have adequate Vitamin D levels.

I almost cried for her when this happened

She got plenty of calcium, but her body wasn’t able to absorb it because of the lack of Vitamin D. Deena has a history of skin cancer, so even though she runs outside all the time, she always wears lots of sunblock and/or running clothes that block UV rays. So her body was completely dependent on her diet for Vitamin D, which I’m assuming wasn’t enough.

The bottom line
Vitamin D just as important as calcium! The best way to make sure you get enough Vitamin D is to get some sun, include Vitamin D-rich foods in your diet or talk to your doctor about supplements. I make sure my daily calcium supplement contains Vitamin D to help with absorption.

If you think your diet is lacking in Vitamin D-rich foods and you don’t get enough sunlight, talk to your doctor about getting a blood test to check out your levels.

Question: Do you think you get enough Vitamin D? What Vitamin D-rich foods do you eat?

*Note: This post is based on my learnings from my graduate nutrition class on vitamins and minerals and/or reputable research. I’m not an expert/RD yet, but I will be soon