Vitamin D Information
Vitamin D is actually a hormone produced in the skin with sun exposure. It can be taken by mouth and is cheap, available in any pharmacy and should be added to every person’s diet. As the human species evolved and migrated away from the African Continent, pigment in the skin paled to compensate for the reduced sun intensity. Unfortunately since the industrial Revolution, people have been spending less time outdoors and much less in the last century. To make matters worse, people have been urged to avoid sun exposure as a way to reduce skin cancers. These factors have contributed to widespread Vitamin D deficiency in North America. Studies have shown ¾ of Americans are Vitamin D deficient and 35% profoundly deficient. The problem is worse in blacks, with as many as 2/3 profoundly deficient.
A hundred years ago Vitamin D was found to cure childhood rickets and it is still recommended babies get 400 units per day. Vitamin D is added to commercial milk, but you’d have to consume 50 glasses a day to get enough of this vital nutrient. Before antibiotics Tuberculosis was cured by putting patients in a Sanitarian for a year, basically for rest and sun exposure. Vitamin D made the difference and no one knew why until recently.
Recent Evidence on Vitamin D
A flood of information on the benefits of Vitamin D has emerged in recent years and more recent data attest to it’s almost “miracle” status. There are now seventeen cancers where Vitamin D reduces likelihood of cancer as much as 50%. Such cancers included breast, lung and prostate; three of the most common cancers. Childhood Vitamin D supplements reduced the chance of Multiple Sclerosis by up to 75%. Vitamin D is protective for the Cardiovascular System and deficiency is considered a risk factor in heart failure and stroke.
Vitamin D greatly boosts the Immune System. It improves the function of the white blood cells, increasing resistance to both viral and bacterial infections; It significantly improves the body’s response to severe infection. Vitamin D also reduces your chance of developing Diabetes.
We would not have an epidemic of Osteoporosis and very expensive medications for it if those affected have taken Vitamin D since their youth. Vitamin D greatly increased bone health. It has a number of positive influences on Brain Health and function. It likely plays a role in Seasonal Affective Disorders and Depression,. There is research ongoing looking at the link between Vitamin D deficiency and childhood diseases such as Autism.
Guidelines for Optimum Vitamin D Levels
Vitamin D can be measured in the blood, and it is best to take a constant dose daily for 6 months before levels are checked. It is stored in fat and takes a while to build up your levels. There are various suggestions of what optimal levels are; The Vitamin D Council recommends 125-200nM/L (the units our local lab uses). A reasonable healthy level would be 75-100 nM/L.
1. Take 2000-3000 units of Vitamin D daily, with your main meal (fat helps absorption)
2. If you are in the sun, you do not need to take Vitamin D that day. Being in the sun means 20-30 minutes without sun block and with as much skin exposed as possible.
You should get your 20-30 minutes of sun exposure before putting on sun block. This will provide your body with up to 10,000 of natural Vitamin D.; Even SPF 15 will cut 95% of the Vitamin D made in the skin. You should put on sun block if you feel any tingling in the skin or begin to see any redness (of course, as your skin adapts to the sun, as the summer goes on, you can easily go 30 minutes before redness). Sun damage that leads to skin cancer is caused by sunburn, not controlled sun exposure without burning.
3. Do your own research and learn the data. Vitamin D Council (vitamindcouncil.org/) is an excellent place to start. Get supplements for your children; 400 units for babies to toddlers, 1000 units a day for children until their teens, then 2000-3000 units for adults.
Dr. Allan Patrick
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