The Role of Vitamin D in Your Body
Depression is a side effect of vitamin D deficiency. If you live in a
hot, sunny climate, your body probably produces enough vitamin D to
meet its needs. Those of us who live in dark winter climates, however,
need to supplement with this vitamin to keep our body healthy and the
blues away. But vitamin D is good for a lot more than just depression.
There are approximately 30,000 genes in our
body, and vitamin D has been shown to influence over 2,000 of them.
That is one of the primary reasons why vitamin D deficiency influences
so many diseases - from cancer and autism to heart disease and
rheumatoid arthritis. Children as well as adults need vitamin D to
build strong bones and maintain a healthy immune system.
Vitamin D helps fight colds and flu as it
regulates the expression of genes that influences our immune system to
attack and destroy bacteria and viruses. It is rare for someone with
optimized vitamin D levels to come down with the flu.
The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention is
also becoming well known. Studies estimate that 30 percent of cancer
deaths could be prevented each year with higher levels of vitamin D.
Vitamin D has a protective effect against cancer in several ways,
including helping to: increase destruction of mutated cells (which, if
allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer); reduce the spread and
reproduction of cancer cells; and maintain healthy cell
differentiation (cancer cells often lack differentiation).
Researchers point out that increasing levels of
vitamin D3 can prevent diseases that claim many lives each year. Other
studies reveal that we can decrease our risk of cancer by more than
half simply by optimizing vitamin D levels with sun exposure.
Are You Deficient?
Studies show that end-of-winter Vitamin D levels in most people living
in the U.S. are low enough to be considered seriously deficient.
Before the health media started touting vitamin D, it was thought that
over 95 percent of U.S. senior citizens may be deficient, along with
85 percent of the American public. Vitamin D deficiency is still
epidemic in children and adults who have increased skin pigmentation
(such as those whose ancestors are from Africa, the Middle East, or
India) and in those who always wear sun protection (or high sunscreen
levels) or limit outdoor activities. African Americans and other
dark-skinned people and those living in northern latitudes make
significantly less vitamin D than other groups.
How to Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels
The ideal way to get vitamin D is by exposing your skin to appropriate
sunlight. Unfortunately for Alaskans, there simply isn't enough sun
exposure for over half of the year. However, even in sunny climates
many people are primarily indoors at work or in the home, and not out
in the sun nearly enough.
If this is so for you and your family, consider
taking a high-quality vitamin D supplement. The most important thing
to keep in mind is that you only want to supplement with natural
vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), which is human vitamin D. Stay away from
the synthetic and the highly inferior vitamin D2. This is typically
prescribed by well intentioned medical doctors who seek to take
advantage of a patient's prescription coverage. Unfortunately, this
form is far more expensive than the real vitamin D3, which is one of
the least expensive vitamins we have. More importantly, vitamin D2
does not work nearly as well as D3 and can actually block the real D3
from working properly.
If you take a multiple vitamin, take one that
lists vitamin D on the label. Additionally, make sure it is made from
concentrated foods, not reproduced in a chemical laboratory.
In the winter with no or very limited exposure
to sunshine, 4,000 - 5,000 units per day is appropriate for most
adults. If you are very heavy you may need to double that dose, and
for children the dose can be cut in half. Have a blood test done to
check your vitamin D levels. It's also wise to check with your natural
health provider for proper supplements and advice.
