By Daniel Brouse
Vitamin D Essentials
Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.[1] Vitamin D is both a nutrient we eat and a hormone our bodies make. The active form of vitamin D tempers the damaging inflammatory response of some white blood cells, while it also boosts immune cells’ production of microbe-fighting proteins.[2] Studies have linked Vitamin D and the immune system to autoimmune diseases, some cancers, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, schizophrenia, type 2 diabetes, and COVID.[3]
Vitamin D insufficiency affects almost 50% of the population worldwide.[4]
Sunlight is required for ultraviolet-B (UVB)-induced vitamin D production in the skin. During exposure to sunlight 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin absorbs UV B radiation and is converted to previtamin D3 which in turn isomerizes into vitamin D3. Previtamin D3 and vitamin D3 also absorb UV B radiation and are converted into a variety of photoproducts some of which have unique biologic properties.[5} One of the photoproducts is transformed by UVB to corresponding, biologically active, secosteroids. New secosteroids are excellent candidates for therapy of fibrosing, inflammatory or hyperproliferative disorders including cancers and psoriasis (and COVID-19.)[5b]
How You Photosynthesize (And Why a Vitamin D Supplement Is Not the Same)
Immune Factories
Vitamin D is mostly produced in the skin in response to sunlight and is also absorbed from food eaten (about 10% of vitamin D is absorbed this way.)[6] The amount of Vitamin D you absorb through ingestion is probably not even adequate to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. Even if it were adequate, it is not the synthesis of Vitamin D necessary for your immune factories. The creation of Vitamin D is only part of the synthesis creation. For instance, if you get COVID and it’s attacking your lungs, your skin, blood, circulatory system, lungs, respiratory system, and neurological system start a series of chemical reactions. These immune factories do a whole bunch of processes, assembly, creation, and attacks at the location needed. This is of particular importance when fighting COVID, and just as importantly, COVID’s long haulers syndrome. The creation of antibodies, memory T cells, naive T cells, and cytotoxic T cells at the location needed is dependent on the creation of Vitamin D. Synthesized Vitamin D is crucial for fighting the COVID infection. Long haulers syndrome involves another part of your immune factories. Synthesized Vitamin D is essential in correcting the depletion of NAD+. Your immune factories need Vitamin D, but more importantly, they need the other by-products produced when synthesizing Vitamin D (including production of microbe-fighting proteins, the hormone variety of D, previtamin D3, cholecalciferol, a variety of photoproducts with unique biologic properties including secosteroids, and photolyzed lymisterol and tachysterol.)
The Dangers of Vitamin D
Ingesting Vitamin D is not enough. Since Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, the body has no easy way of getting rid of excess Vitamin D and consuming Vitamin D may result in overdosing. Even worse, the body will not reap the full benefits from the Vitamin D that is not synthesized by the body. Which brings us to the larger DANGER of Vitamin D — sunlight
Exposure of the skin to sunlight is essential to create active Vitamin D (which includes the hormone variety of D, previtamin D3, cholecalciferol, a variety of photoproducts with unique biologic properties, and the ability to regulate calcium and phosphate metabolism.) The skin is responsible for producing vitamin D. During exposure to sunlight, ultraviolet radiation penetrates into the epidermis and photolyzes provitamin D3 to previtamin D3. Previtamin D3 can either isomerize to vitamin D3 or be photolyzed to lymisterol and tachysterol.[7]
Exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation can cause premature aging of the skin and signs of sun damage such as wrinkles, leathery skin, liver spots, actinic keratosis, and solar elastosis. UV rays can also cause eye problems. Most skin cancers are a result of exposure to the UV rays in sunlight. Both basal cell and squamous cell cancers (the most common types of skin cancer) tend to be found on sun-exposed parts of the body, and their occurrence is typically related to lifetime sun exposure.[8]
The Vitamin D Dilemma: How to Synthesis D Without Killing Yourself
As a general rule of thumb, you want to minimize the skin’s exposure to sunlight because UV radiation can kill you. On the other hand, not synthesizing Vitamin D by exposing your skin to sunlight can kill you. What to do? The answer is unique to every individual.
Obtaining the Optimal Amount of Sunshine
Sun induced vitamin D synthesis is greatly influenced by season, time of day, the weather, latitude, altitude, air pollution, skin pigmentation, sunscreen use, passing through glass and plastic, and aging.
You should never expose your eyes directly to the sun. People with blue eyes are at the greatest risk of permanent eye damage through exposure to UV radiation.
You should expose your skin based on the above factors. As an example, I am light skinned and live in Pennsylvania. On a clear summer day, I attempt five 3-minute exposures between 8-10 AM (for a total of 15 minutes.) I keep my head, face and ears protected. While keeping in motion doing an activity that takes me in and out of the shade, such as gardening, I try to remember to expose the inside of my wrists and forearms. Many afternoons (after 3PM) I will swim in a semi-shaded area. These controlled exposures are dependent on many factors most importantly air quality. There are countless uncontrolled exposures. A hat, sunglasses, sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 50, and a loss fitting long sleeve shirt are recommended. Your exposure plan should be well thought out in consultation with your doctor.
Vitamin D in the Big Picture
Nnicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) depletion is of particular concern when it comes to COVID-19 and the resulting syndromes.[9] Synthesized Vitamin D and the bi-products of creating and metabolizing Vitamin D are part of a larger chemical equation. NAD+ depletion can be caused by COVID. NAD+ is essential for a functioning immune system. Lack of NAD+ in recovered COVID patients results in “long haulers syndrome“. Ade’s protocol to replenish NAD includes Vitamins C, B3, D, Quercetin, Zinc, and Selenium.[10] Each of these ingredients need to be considered both individually and combined. Taking mega-doses of any can be ineffective and deadly. A well thought out plan in consultation with medical professionals is prudent.
“Important not to forget that low NAD+ inhibits vitamin D activation. When you dig down deep enough it’s amazing how often you end up at NAD+,” added Robert Miller, co-author of COVID-19: NAD+ deficiency. “The three main steps in vitamin D metabolism, 25-hydroxylation, 1α-hydroxylation, and 24-hydroxylation are all performed by cytochrome P450 mixed-function oxidases (CYPs). These enzymes are located either in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) (e.g., CYP2R1) or in the mitochondria (e.g., CYP27A1, CYP27B1, and CYP24A1). The electron donor for the ER enzymes is the reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent P450 reductase. Decreased intracellular NAD+ availability, leads to decreased NADPH availability.”[11]
We do not know Vitamin D’s role in the production of NAD+. We do know that the bi-products of photosynthesized Vitamin D are crucial to the immune system’s ability to fight infections. The photosynthesis of Vitamin D produces the Vitamin D you need, but more important is the timing of the unique photoproducts that are also created in the photosynthesis process — interferons. The interferons (IFNs) are the result of unique proteins made in the photosynthesis process that work with NAD+ to boost immune cells’ ability to fight microbes. The synergistic effects of IFNs and Vitamin D are part of the nonspecific immune system.
Vitamin D, Sunlight, the Season, and People of Color
Your Immune System and Photosynthesized Vitamin D
Interferons Interfere With Disease
1. Vitamins and minerals – Vitamin D NHS
2. Vitamin D Harvard / The Nutrition Source
3. Relationships between hyperinsulinaemia, magnesium, vitamin D, thrombosis and COVID-19 British Cardiovascular Society
4. Vitamin D deficiency Holick MF / N Engl J Med. 2007;357:266–81
5. Sunlight and Vitamin D NIH
5b. Novel vitamin D photoproducts and their precursors in the skin NIH
6. Vitamin D Society For Endocrinology
7. Skin as the site of vitamin D synthesis NIH
8. Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation American Cancer Society
9. COVID-19: NAD+ deficiency may predispose the aged, obese and type2 diabetics to mortality through its effect on SIRT1 activity Science Direct
10. COVID-19: NAD+ deficiency may predispose the aged, obese and type2 diabetics to mortality through its effect on SIRT1 activity Ade Wentzel, R.Miller, G.A.Richards
11. Vitamin D Metabolism, Mechanism of Action, and Clinical Applications Science Direct