One day, two funny things happened after I walked off the basketball court at the health club, after completing my 7 minute warm up routine before my workout, running up and down doing layup drills, practicing sweet moves, you know.
One young brother, had to be "20-ish" asked me was I an NBA player (I'm over 6 foot tall). I told him no, but didn't have the heart to tell him I was 50. Why ruin his perception of me? Seconds later, a lovely lady walks up (can never tell if they are being friendly or hitting on me), she says "You had a little 'SWAG' out there on the basketball court".
Didn't have the heart to tell her my "Swag" is fake, I'm a bookworm/egghead trying to hide behind my athletic side, as most eggheads do growing up to fit in. Anyhoo, I told her I'm sure my youthful "Swag" as she called it came from Vitamin D . As always, I'm trying not to conversate too technical and geeky to a pretty girl, but she kept asking more questions. Who am I to deny a pretty girl what she wants?
I explained to her how in some scientific circles, Vitamin D is now recognized as a nutrient that assists in increased Testosterone levels, as well as contributing to prostate health, and overall male vitality, especially as years go on and on.
She responded "Hmmmmm, 'Swag' and brains too". A little humbled, I gave her a "boyish" smile……..that wasn't fake 🙂
Ladies first!!! I wanted to get my "Girl Talk (Women's Wellness)" section of the blog up and running, and now is the time for my "Men's Health" section.
I wanted to follow up on a recent article I wrote on Vitamin D and how CRITICALLY important it is to all aspects of our health and wellness, especially as the years keep churning by.
I am no where near a doctor or scientist, just a logical thinker and perhaps above average researcher, and I am thoroughly convinced that vitamin D levels are linked to Testosterone production in men, which is in turn [probably] linked to prostate health, including prostate cancer prevention.
I'm not the type of blogger to link to numerous scientific studies, because any of us on the we can go out and find them. It seems like the modern medical establishment is a little "Stone Aged" so far as putting it's effort into thoroughly looking into these possible natural solutions to ailments such as prostate cancer, impotence, low testosterone and all the rest.
So while the medical industry goes back and forth, competing for consumer dollars and sustaining their own agendas, I have to dig into what's best for my own well being, because arguably, doctors can only tell you the results of what you have done to yourself, so far as your own health research, eating habits, and wellness habits are concerned.
Vitamin D can be obtained from the sun, however in northerly climates, especially in the wintertime, getting enough Vitamin D from the sun is not practical. For African Americans, with darker skin, adequate Vitamin D from the sun is nearly impossible, with darker skin acting absorbing less vitamin D from the sun as compared to lighter skin.
It seem obvious to me that issues such as this are part of the puzzle to why African American men are disproportionately vulnerable to prostate cancer than other groups of men in the same climate, same lifestyle, same diet, and so on. It literally kills me how the Scientific and Medical establishments are [with some exceptions] missing this obvious point.
Vitamin D contributes to increased testosterone production. Even those men and women who think very little about this subject would have to see all the TV commercials for a condition, I guess they have dubbed it "Low T", for "Low Testosterone". And who hasn't seen the sexual dysfunction commercials for Viagra, Cialis and all the rest.
I'm gonna write a detailed article on those drugs soon, but personally, I don't think I will ever need Viagra or any of the other man-made drugs, I think they are unsafe, and by no means address fundamental issues of why men lose their male vitality and virility as time progresses.
In the mean time I'll just say "Trust me, those man made medicines like Viagra ain't necessary"…….
In a related story, I was having a first dinner with a lady up here in Seattle we were talking about…….well uh….let's just say we were talking, and she said of herself "I'm 45 years old, and I'm in my prime. Why is it that women's sex drive often goes up over 40 but a man's goes down? God couldn't have meant it to be like that could he?"
All I can say brothers, is you don't want to be on the receiving end of that line of questioning (or worse still, over 40 and in a marriage or relationship) and be clueless how the dynamics of male vitality really works, and clueless to how God puts the answers out here in Mother Nature.
Fortunately, as pertains to Vitamin D and testosterone production, there "seems" to be a gradual increase in mainstream acceptance of this fact in the scientific and medical communities. A simple Google on "Vitamin D Testosterone Production" will give you days if not weeks work of reading on this subject matter.
Once again, I'm not a doctor, but it seems obvious that testosterone has to be somehow linked to the male prostate, and its obvious that men lose testosterone as they get older, men get prostate problems as they get older, would not a decrease in testosterone have to be at least loosely correlated to prostate problems in men?
I link to my full article below on what vitamin D is all about and why vitamin D is so important, the ESPN headline version of it all is that many men of all races in the USA are Vitamin D deficient, scientists are now recommending 10,000 IU per day of vitamin D, where people often take in via food, twenty times less in a day, often less than 500IU per day.
I think a Great Vitamin D3 supplement that I am now using to get my 10,000 IU per day is Garden of Life Vitamin Code Vitamin D3, and all vegetarian, plant based source of Vitamin D3.
A non-vegan alternative is a company that makes a Salmon Oil based vitamin D supplement. The company, Vital Choice Seafoods, is an EXTREMELY high quality and socially consciousness company (to the point where they don't even line their canned fish with BPA), their salmon is very low in mercury, and that Vitamin D link is here.
….as a quick note, I am in the minority it seems that Vitamin D supplements and pills can cause me some sleep issues at night. However, this is not necessarily not a Vitamin D issue, at it happens with other herbs I take like Tongkat, and also with Magnesiom Supplements. My good friend says he loves Garden of Life Vitamin D, so it must be a "body type" issue.
It seems like Wild Caught Salmon is a better choice for me, in that when I was eating Salmon every day, my score was 46.5. However with Vitamin D supplements, my score was 41 (up from 31 when I got on the supplements). I'm back on salmon, will get my Vitamin D tested again soon. But those supplements aren't my thing, they left me "out of sorts". I still recommend them if they work with your body type.
UPDATE 8/20/2014 — As I learn more about Vitamin D, I learning that optimum level are being disputed and may vary from person to person. My latest Vitamin D test was 36, with no supplements, just salmon and sunlight, and I am very comfortable with that from wht I now understand. One researcher put a very good paper which says the lowest risk of disease is from Vitamin D levels of 20-35, read more here.
UPDATE 3/1/2014 – And I will always promote Vitamin D, as it is the most important nutrient any man should be taking. But in pill form, both Vitamin D doesn't "Feel Right" with my system. It keep me up at night, and gives me mild headaches, and get me a little too "wired". My best friend and fellow health nut, takes Vitamin D pills and loves them, so this has to be a chemistry thing with me. THE GOOD NEWS, is I got my morning erections back after a "bad reaction" that "might" have been caused by taking Tongkat right after Vitamin D, after I went started only raw foods (including some great superfoods like Black Sesame Seeds, Gac, Argan Oil, and Red Maca), foods plus Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon (Which is VERY high in vitamin D). So I kinda lucked out and found a very potent natural solution, I'll be writing more about this in March 2014…stay tuned)
….as a quick note, it is IMPERATIVE that you consume sufficient amounts of magnesium. Vitamin D will deplete the body if magnesium along with Vitamin D. It gets more detailed, but do a little homework. These vitamins are not isolated, they work in conjunction with each other, we just need go stay balanced with them. Read more on Magnesium and Vitamin D at this link.
A good magnesium supplement I have used Jigsaw Magnesium w/SRT. It's alleviates the problems of magnesium supplements causing loose stools
IMPORTANT NOTE: For me, I shifted to magnesium rich foods and after my recent Vitamin D and Magnesium blood test, my magnesium levels were the same as before vitamin D supplementation (at a magnesium level of 2.2), all while supplementing with 10,000 IU of vitamin D per day. Magnesium rich foods I consumed everyday include dates, basil, figs, pumpkin seeds, coconut water, and several others. So, I think I won't need magnesium supplements in the future.
So there it is gentleman, it's all an abstract area no doubt, henceforth me writing an intentionally abstract article with no links to scientific studies and such. Anyone wanting to seem more info on this matter can easily find it, I think we have to start depending on our instincts and logic a little more.
The medical and scientific communities are not here to help us so far as what we need to do to take care of ourselves every day. We have to dig in an find that information for ourselves. Nonetheless, I am convinced, for myself, Optimum Vitamin D levels is probably one of the top two or three decisions I will ever make for my health.
My full article breaking down vitamin D is linked to below, but I challenge men to take at least 30 minutes out of you lives to take a look into this matter. Every man is responsible for his own health.
me and my "Swag" (age 50, 2012) pictured below……..
~stay healthy~
6 Responses
Doug,
Thanks for the article. There are a number of chemicals out there that can reduce testosterone levels so make sure to avoid xenoestrogens. Depending on where you live, it can be tough to get the proper sun exposure and Vitamin D!
It definitely works. I wish I were more sexually “active” to really monitor it (if I may say that for the sake of science), but my best friend who is married got me hooked up to this and he claims he is a “new man”. He said he wakes up “ready to go” with his wife like back in his twenties. For me I know I have been dancing around more than normal. I took flax out of my diet because supposedly it raises estrogen levels. So far as Vitamin D, I might recommend taking your time and finding the right dosage. Jumping to 10,000 IU per day seemed to be a bit too much for me, it kinda mess up my sleep patterns.
Interesting post. I have been taking Vitamin D and Omega 3 supplied by The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Havard Medical School, since 10/20/2012 . Candidates are men aged 50 and over and women aged 55 and over who have not previously had a heart attack, stroke or cancer. I can only take these two supplements for 5 years, and cannot take them within other supplements. Of couse, I could be taking the placebo. My last CMP was cholesterol on 12/8/2012 was 140/91/44/13/67Total/LDL/HDL/VLDL/TRG.
I never understood the need for Viagra, Cialis, or other enhancements that some men are using. At 54 yrs and 8 months, and married 24 years, I am not a candidate – not even close. I don't desire to end up like Chris Rock's character in "I think I love my wife" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEdpZNYuf2Y
It's refreshing to see people starting to take care of their health. The benefits, especially building the cardio are naturally essential to the "benefits" you described. And I have enjoyed those "benefits" since 1984 (29 years ago) – when I first became a vegetarian (optional – my choice1984-1999). By the way, those the lack of virility myths have been long destroyed. There wasn't much discussion about this correlation until the last 5 years. Some of us have been experiencing these results with a little quiet snickering . So now that you've mentioned it : Yes – Cardio exercise is essential (I prefer the jump rope, but have been jogging lately), plenty of water, green vegetables, and you won't ever need Viagra, Cialis, or any enhancements. In fact Dr Terry Mason mentioned that if men are having problem in that area, they are usually having issues with their cardio vascular system
I have changed to a primarily a raw diet since 3/1/2013. I juice Carrots, Brocolli, and Celery, but I EAT (not blend, my choice) the other vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and water. No cooking. No processing. I have skipped 5 days for social events, but the energy (in all activities) is OVER THE TOP (no pun intended).
Glad you found a sideline gig (at Nike) that helps to finance your ultimate dreams. Enjoy the benefits.
AWB
I think I love my wife is one of my personal classics. And yes the Viagra scene was hilarious. But moreso the whole underlying issue with the unseen plight of men. Overall Very good comment. I think about making this comment of yours full article. Maybe call it something like “Confessions of a Vegetarian” or something like that. I just need to find the the right pictures. You know I have to “Artistically Craft” my articles. Stay healthy brotha.
Hi Doug,
Great article. You said you take 10,000 iu of vitamin D per day. Is that a typo? The supplement I take recommends 1000 iu per day. I also take 500 mg of magnesium. I'm a white male, 50 years old, 6'1" tall and weigh 215 pounds. Like you, I've never had any ED issues. What amounts of vitamin D and Magnesium do you take?
Thanks – Dave
Hi Dave,
I made a couple of updates in the article that said…..
UPDATE 3/1/2014 – And I will always promote Vitamin D, as it is the most important nutrient any man should be taking. But in pill form, both Vitamin D doesn’t “Feel Right” with my system. It keep me up at night, and gives me mild headaches, and get me a little too “wired”. My best friend and fellow health nut, takes Vitamin D pills and loves them, so this has to be a chemistry thing with me. THE GOOD NEWS, is I got my morning erections back after a “bad reaction” that “might” have been caused by taking Tongkat right after Vitamin D, after I went started only raw foods (including some great superfoods like Black Sesame Seeds, Gac, Argan Oil, and Red Maca), foods plus Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon (Which is VERY high in vitamin D). So I kinda lucked out and found a very potent natural solution, I’ll be writing more about this in March 2014…stay tuned)
Also……
IMPORTANT NOTE: For me, I shifted to magnesium rich foods and after my recent Vitamin D and Magnesium blood test, my magnesium levels were the same as before vitamin D supplementation (at a magnesium level of 2.2), all while supplementing with 10,000 IU of vitamin D per day. Magnesium rich foods I consumed everyday include dates, basil, figs, pumpkin seeds, coconut water, and several others. So, I think I won’t need magnesium supplements in the future.
Furthermore, the more I got into this subject, there is a growing school of though that very high levels of V-D are not necessary. One researcher said the culture/tribe that had the highest average levels of Vitamim D levels in the world were the Massai Tribe in Kenya, averaging about 45. Interesting that the Massai are very dark skinned Africans, though as cattle herders, they are out in the sun all day. My Vitamin D levels before supplements was in the 40’s, once again, amazingly high for an African American in the USA, and I have concluded supplementing is not necessary for me, especially since those pills makes me feel horrible.
Doug Wallace