Category: Educational

Because vitamin D is an important nutrient for the proper function of the immune system, it should be monitored and optimized on a regular basis, especially for people with any kind of autoimmune issue.  Vitamin D is also one of the nutrients to heal leaky gut.[reference]

The best way to get vitamin D is direct mid-day sunlight on bare skin — such as at times when your shadow is shorter than you are.  But make sure you don’t get burned, because that can cause skin cancer.  In order for skin to generate vitamin B, the UVB rays of the sun needs to hit the skin.  It can also go through light clothing.  But it can not go through glass.

You don’t want to get sun through glass, because you don’t have any benefits from the UVB rays generating vitamin D.  But you do get UVA rays being able to penetrate glass and even giving you a tan.  However, UVA rays are not beneficial in generating vitamin D, and may even be detrimental by destroying vitamin D.  That is why Dr. Mercola says to avoid getting tan through the window. [reference]

Certainly it would be fine to sit by the window and may in fact be beneficial in that light from sun can strengthen the circadian rhythm and fight seasonal affected depression.   But you shouldn’t be in a position for such a long duration where you are feeling heat from the sun through the window to the point where you are starting to get a tan.

When you are outside in nature without the separation of glass (as nature intends for our body to be), the UVA and UVB rays are in balanced and you get the optimal vitamin D you need without overdosing.  The UVB generates the vitamin D.  While the UVA destroys it and tans your skin if you get too much.  Tanning darkens your skin naturally so that a natural feedback to slow down the vitamin D production when it doesn’t need it.  People with dark skins will need to be out in the sun longer to generate the same amount of vitamin D.

Depending on where you live, there are certain months of the year where you get no vitamin D from the sun at all.  The UVB rays can only generate vitamin D when the sun is greater than 50 degrees above the horizon.   Otherwise, the UVB will bounce off the atmosphere.

To determine when the sun is above this angle, look at the “altitude” column on this site.

Cod Liver Oil

So in winter, many people may need to supplement with vitamin D.  While cod liver oil had been recommended by many as a source of vitamin D, new update from Dr. Mercola suggests that cod liver oil may cause an unfavorable vitamin D to vitamin A ratio because it contains too little D and too much A. Depending on the particular cod liver oil, it may have excessive vitamin A and not enough vitamin D.

In terms of vitamin A, it is better to take beta-carotene and let you own body make the amount of vitamin A it needs from that, rather than taking vitamin A — which can become toxic in excess.

However, WestonAPrice.org “have pointed out that concerns about vitamin A toxicity are exaggerated” and suggests using Fermented Cod Liver Oil and list Green Pastures Cod Liver Oil as a possible brand to look at.  However, Chris Kresser found some update on that, and recommends Extra Virgin Cod Liver Oil from Rosita Real instead.

Sally Fallon writes defending cod liver oil.

If you are going to take cod liver oil, get one with as low vitamin A and as high vitamin D as possible.  Dr. Mercola says Carlson has the best ratio.

Do not confuse cod liver oil or Omega 3 fish oil.  The latter being mainly for omega-3 DHA/EPA supplementation and does not contain vitamin A or D.

Or you can get some vitamin D from salmon.  But it is difficult to eat enough salmon to get the amount of vitamin D one needs.  Plus there is the danger of mercury in salmon when over-consumed.

Personally, I do feel that cod liver oil and salmon alone is not a sufficient source of vitamin D, so now I take vitamin D tablets during those winter months.  It is also preferred to take vitamin K2 when taking vitamin D.

Whenever supplementing with vitamin D, you should retest your levels.  Because if blood levels get up to greater than 100 ng/ml, it is getting to toxic levels.  Optimal levels of vitamin D is 50-70 ng/ml of 25 Hydroxy D test (according to Dr. Mercola)

To learn more about Vitamin D watch this webinar by Dr. David Anderson who says that people need not be afraid of the sun …

https://youtu.be/GhuAwyJcpWM

While most people have a hard time losing weight, there are people that have a hard time gaining weight or have a problem with “unhealthy weight lost”.  Why would a person lose too much weight or can not gain weight if underweight?

While I’m not a medical professional, and there are different causes for different individuals. Some medical reasons for this may be…

• Hyperthyroid autoimmune condition.  Thyroid producing too much thyroid hormone increasing metabolic rate too much.
• Pancreas not producing enough insulin.  Type 1 diabetes (also autoimmune) is such as case.   There is also LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults).  Zinc and vitamin B6 is needed to make insulin — may want to supplement if deficient.
• Parasites or chronic infections

Note that while some individuals gain weight as they age and become elderly.  Other sets of individual lose weight can become frail as they age (possibly due to natural loss of muscle mass as we age).    WebMD says …

“Physically inactive people can lose as much as 3% to 5% of their muscle mass each decade after age 30. Even if you are active, you’ll still have some muscle loss.”

Resistance Training

One of the best things a skinny person can do to maintain health as they age is to maintain muscle mass.

If these and all other possible medical reason have been ruled out and you are perfectly healthy and not able to gain weight, consider the following to help maintain muscle mass…

• May need more calories.  Some people overestimate what they eat and the number of calories they need.  Use this calculator to see how much calories you need per day.  And track your calories consumption with cronometer.com
• May need more carbs if you are not having problem with blood sugar.   If you are very thin and have trouble with high blood sugar, look into Type 1 diabetes or LADA or other issues.   Did you start losing weight when going on a gluten-free, or low-carb diet?   Aa gluten-free diet will tend to be automatically lower in carbs.  Try adding rice as a non-gluten carb.
• Weight training and exercise with short but high intensity, rather than long and light intensity.   Use progressive overloading style of exercise. The former helps build muscle if you give some rest days in between.  Whereas the latter burns calories.  Although the amount of calories burn is not that much.  And you still need light movement throughout the day instead of sitting all the time.

Zinc and B6

The New Optimum Nutrition Bible writes …

“Energy nutrient include vitamin B6 and zinc, which help insulin work”

And we need insulin to gain weight.  Zinc and magnesium are two minerals that are most deficient in people.

There are certain group of individuals with condition of pyroluria that require higher amounts of B6 and zinc — there are questionnaire and lab tests for this.  If you have poor dream recall, you may be deficient in either or both B6 and Zinc (read here for best form of these supplements).

Paleo Diet

Some thin people lose too much weight on the Paleo diet and want to gain weight.  Here is Chris Kresser’s answer…

Weight lose can be a concern if you are underweight.  He discusses some reasons why some people are underweight …

• Fast metabolism
• Gut issues, malabsorption, gluten sensitivity, celiac
• SIBO (the bacteria get the food first)
• Low stomach acid (not able to break down protein)
• Leaky gut
• Adrenal fatigue
• Autoimmune diseases (such as type 1 diabetes, MS)
• Sub-clinical hyperthyroidism
• chronic infections

And some things to try…

• Eat more calories and from all three macronutrients (not low-carb or not low-fat)
• Increase starch and with each meal
• Add fat (like coconut oil)
• Smoothies (easier to drink more calories than eat them). One smoothie might be 600 calories.
• Lift weights (heavier weights with less reps)
• Dairy if you are not sensitive to it
• White rice

Reference:

LiftBigEatBig

Skinny’s Person Guide to Gaining Weight

Documentary: Why are Thin People Not Fat

Food sensitivity is caused when undigested food proteins passes through the leaky gut into the bloodstream, triggering the immune system to attack the particles.

Low stomach acid and lack of digestive enzymes can cause one not to break down food properly, exacerbating the situation.

That is when digestive enzymes can help. Because so many people are deficient in zinc, what may also be helpful is zinc supplementation.

Patrick Holford writes in New Optimum Nutrition Bible…

“supplementation with digestive enzymes reduces symptoms associated with food allergy and intolerance.  Zinc supplementation can also be helpful as deficiency is extremely common among allergy sufferers.  Zinc is not only needed for protein digestion, but also essential for the production of hydrocholoric acid in the stomach.”

NourishedHealth.com writes that many celiacs are low in zinc and that  …

” zinc appears to be essential in preserving and healing intestinal mucosa and halting celiac disease progression. It is also essential for healthy skin and skin cell regeneration, essential with dermatitis herpetiformis.”

Study found that children with food allergies have lower blood levels of zinc and selenium.

While I agree that Vitamin A will not be on the top of the list for healing leaky gut.  There are many other higher priority items on the list to heal leaky gut.

Nevertheless, I want to note this what Patrick Holford wrote on in his book New Optimum Nutrition Bible …

“Vitamin A is also crucial for the health of any mucosus membrane including the gut wall.”

That makes sense because Vitamin A is known to be good for the skin.  And your gut lining is like your internal skin.  Just like your skin, it is a barrier between the outside world and you.

A good source of food vitamin A is liver.   Or you can supplement with cod liver oil or other supplement forms.  But be careful.  Vitamin A can be toxic in high doses.  It is not likely to overdose if you are eating a reasonable size portion of liver.  But it is possible to overdose with supplements.

A safer way is to take beta carotene, which is water soluable and can be more easily eliminated by the body.  Then your body will be able to make its own amount of vitamin A from beta carotene as needed.