June 24, 2024

Vitamin D3, Though Not Actually a Vitamin, Is Very Important


What do vitamin D3, cholesterol, and sulfur have to do with each other?

You probably know that they call vitamin D the “sunshine” vitamin. That’s because vitamin D3 must be “sulfated by the sun” to do its job correctly in our bodies. Vitamin D3 can only be “sulfated” if we expose our skin directly to sunlight. Getting sunshine on your skin is the only way to get the vitamin D3 that is essential to our health and well-being. This is the sulfated version that we get by being in the sun and exposing our skin at certain times of the year. Turns out that despite what the makers of sunscreen would have us believe, sunlight is not only not inherently dangerous, it is absolutely essential for good health.

Here is another amazing thing: Vitamin D3 is actually not a vitamin at all. What it is, is a form of cholesterol. Huh?

Vitamin D3, Sulfur, and Cholesterol… the Triumphant Trio!

Most people don’t know this, but before it becomes vitamin D3, vitamin D is actually a form of sulfated cholesterol that we get from sunlight on our skin. (Yes, cholesterol.) Actually, I don’t know anyone who knows this, I certainly didn’t.


But before we go there, let’s talk about what vitamin D isn’t. It’s not actually a vitamin. It is a group of fat-soluble (that means we need fats to use it) secosteroids (a sort of steroid – that alters the cell memory and is responsible for signaling) that are responsible for telling the intestines to absorb nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphate.

These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth, and muscles healthy.

(Did you know that every cell in the body must have cholesterol? That is correct. It is not cholesterol that is bad for us. In fact, it is essential to every living cell. It is only the oxidized (damaged) cholesterol from eating hydrogenated oils and too much sugar that is bad for us.)

So to review: Vitamin D3 is not a vitamin, but a secosteroid. More importantly, it comes from the sulfated cholesterol that we get when the sun shines on our skin. Why is that important? Because sulfated vitamin D3 can travel freely in the bloodstream and get to the cells that need it. Otherwise, as is the case with un-sulfated cholesterol, it has to hitch a ride with LDL cholesterol (the so-called “bad” cholesterol) for transport.

There is a caveat to this: Bad cholesterol – LDL cholesterol – comes in two forms: Pattern A and Pattern B. Pattern A LDL is actually not bad whereas Pattern B is. I have very high LDL cholesterol, but it is Pattern A…the good guy, not Pattern B, the bad guy.

Here’s what happens:

When the sun shines on the skin in the presence of the sulfur in the air, sulfated cholesterol forms first which then transforms itself into sulfated vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 sulfate is different from the man-made plant-based Vitamin D3 (that is not sulfated) and way different from the man-made un-sulfated Vitamin D2 sold by many manufacturers as a substitute for the real thing. (D2 is actually bad for you because it prevents us from absorbing the sulfated vitamin D3 that we need and that we get from sunlight.)
By the way, vitamin D-fortified milk has the un-sulfated D2 added to it. So don’t drink it. Join a cow-share and get raw milk as it actually has the sulfated D3. In fact, it turns out that besides breast milk and sunlight on the skin, it is the only way to get sulfated vitamin D3.

Bottom line, the man-made un-sulfated vitamin D3, that you find in all over-the-counter D vitamins may not be good for you. But, if this isn’t confusing enough, there is a marine-based Vitamin D3, which is un-sulfated, that is good for you. I am talking about fish oil. Fish oil also has the natural version of vitamin A that is so good for you. This works out well, as one should never supplement with over-the-counter vitamin A either. So fish oil supplements are incredibly good for us because they contain both vitamin A and a form of un-sulfated vitamin D3 that is good for us. (More later on fish oils.)


Benefits of Sulfated Vitamin D3 and How to Get It

But why is sulfur so important when it comes to Vitamin D3? Sulfur rebuilds cells and keeps them healthy. According to Dr. Stephanie Seneff, It’s sulfur that is especially important in the blood for keeping damaging microbes at bay, which is why it appears that sulfated vitamin D3 builds a stronger immune system. Her premise is that it may really be the sulfur that provides the immunity and not the vitamin D3. As mentioned above, you can get the sulfated Vitamin D3 from raw cow’s milk and cheese. Remember, it is pasteurization that removes the sulfur.

According to Dr. Seneff, after the sulfated Vitamin D3 that we get from sunlight on our skin does its magic, it converts back to pure Vitamin D3 in its unsulfated form and gets to work on bones and teeth. In other words, sunlight is good for the immune system as well as the skeleton system.



How Best to Get Your Vitamin D3

Unfortunately, the only foods with sulfated vitamin D3 are human breast milk and raw grass-fed cow’s milk. Remember pasteurization destroys sulfated D3. This helps to explain why the breast-fed baby is healthier than the bottle-fed baby and why raw milk has become so popular. It is also quite delicious. So find yourself a cow share, join it and enjoy the amazing raw 100% grass-fed milk, cheese, and butter.


If you are still low in calcium, and especially if you do not get much direct sun, or if you just want to hedge your bets, supplement with a good vitamin K2. The K2 is another fat-soluble vitamin that works well with D3 to help the body absorb and transport calcium.

I no longer supplement with D3. Instead, I belong to a cow-share where I can get all of the unpasteurized dairy I want. Of course, I also get sunshine at every opportunity in order to get the sulfated cholesterol and vitamin D3.

I also supplement with fermented Cod Liver oil and Green Lipped Mussel oil, and personally rely upon one or the other for getting my vitamin A and D3. According to Dr. Westin A. Price, the benefits of consuming fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K have been firmly established, and the best way to get them is fermented Cod Liver oil.


It naturally contains Vitamins A and un-sulfated D in the right combination to maximize absorption. That said, the Green Lipped Mussel is the same thing only sourced differently and in my opinion offers some other benefits. So I hedge my bets and use both. I eat wild-caught fish at least twice a week.


He goes on to say about 10 percent of our genes are directly influenced by vitamin D, which in turn impacts a wide variety of health issues, from preventing the common cold and flu to inhibiting at least sixteen different types of cancer. There’s even evidence linking vitamin D to the process of brain detoxification of heavy metals such as mercury.


Widespread vitamin D deficiency has also been strongly linked to the childhood epidemics of autism, asthma, and diabetes, both type 1 and 2. Finally, vitamin A has also been shown to be essential in supporting the immune system, and to be a precursor to hormones that regulate the expression of our genes.


The thing is that they work in tandem. For example, there is evidence that without vitamin D, which we get as a bi-product of cholesterol sulfate, vitamin A can be ineffective or even toxic. But if you’re deficient in vitamin A, vitamin D cannot function properly either. Clearly, we need both in the right proportions. Fermented Cod Liver and Green Lipped Mussel (GLM) oils both do that.

Unlike D3 supplements, which isolate one component, fish oils offer us a delicate balance of beneficial co-factors, enzymes, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and micronutrients. My take (and what I take myself) is that in addition to the sulfated D3 from the sun, fermented cod liver oil and GLM oil are a must.

If you supplement with vitamin D3, I recommend that you take a liposomal version that also contains vitamin K, which should always be in the form of menaquinone 7, not 4, as 4 is the synthetic version of K. In other words, take D3 + K2.



What to Do to Get More Cholesterol Sulfate and Vitamin D3 Sulfate

Light Therapy

  • Get out in the sun when UVB light is strongest. Stay out only until the skin gets pink. Tanning isn’t the goal.

  • Get the DMinder app to determine the best time of day in your part of the world for the production of vitamin D3 sulfate. It is a fabulous app.

  • Avoid too much tanning as it depletes vitamin D3 with the production of melanin.

  • Avoid burning as it ages the skin and increases the risk of cancer.

Dietary Recommendations
  • Choose a diet that will support both sulfate synthesis and sulfate transport. For synthesis, eat foods rich in sulfur such as 100% grass-fed meat, eggs, wild-caught seafood, 100% grass-fed milk, and milk products, especially raw if possible (unless you're sensitive to dairy). Also include garlic, onions, and cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, watercress, bok choy, broccoli, or Brussel sprouts.
  • Vitamin A from butter is more easily absorbed by the body than from any other dietary source. Vitamin A is a “catalyst” that helps the body absorb other minerals. The best butter is 100% grass-fed raw butter, which you can make yourself from raw cream. It has the perfect 1:1 ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fat, which is ideal.
  • Eat foods that contain “sulfate transporters.” These include polyphenols and flavonoids like buckwheat, ginger, extra virgin coconut oil, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and foods high in resveratrol and curcumin. Foods high in vitamin C such as yellow peppers, guavas, kale, kiwi, berries, citrus, tomatoes, peas, and papaya are also beneficial.
  • Do not supplement with vitamin C. Use Camu Camu instead, which contains 682 mg of vitamin C per teaspoon!
  • To increase HDL, eat foods high in omega 3s such as olives, olive oil, low-mercury fish, and Sacha Inchi oil.
  • Eat raw garlic (two cloves a day) to increase blood flow in arteries.
  • Use hemp seed florets as a substitute for cereal or rice.
  • Eat raw and/or whole foods often and avoid processed foods, as processing removes the sulfur, and whole foods add valuable nutrients.
  • Of course, eat organic to avoid glyphosate, which disrupts sulfur transport and synthesis.
  • Reduce sugar intake. Aim for less than 10 added grams/day. I personally aim for 6 or less.
  • Eliminate table salt altogether if possible. Use pink Himalayan sea salt.
Supplements
  • Fermented cod liver oil (covers A and D3)
  • Green Lipped Mussel oil which is loaded with Omega 3’s, anti-inflammatories, pain reducers, zinc, iron, selenium, and chondroitin
  • Liposomal K2 (in the form of Menaquinone 7)
  • Vitamin E with mixed tocopherols
  • Vitamin C from Kakadu Plum, or Camu Camu (Don’t use US vitamin C as it is likely made from GMO corn)
  • Berberine – 600 to 1000 mg.
  • Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg.

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