Vitamin D Deficiencies - How It Affects Your Health

Vitamin D Deficiencies and Health Problems

Studies over many decades have shown that vitamin D deciciencies are linked to 18 different cancers and a host of other health problems. This list includes:

*Cancers such as: Breast, Prostate, Colon, Ovarian, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

*Heart disease

*Diabetes

*Depression

*Osteoporosis

*Multiple Sclerosis

*Rheumatoid Arthritis

*Lupus

*Hearing Loss

*High Blood Pressure

*Psoriasis

*Rickets in children

*Babies deficient in vitamin D are twice as likely to develop Schizophrenia later in life.

If the above list of problems associated with Vitamin D deficiencies is not enough to make you sit up and take notice, research is now even tying your vitamin D levels with flu, colds and other types of seasonal infections. Vitamin D works in the body as a sort of antibiotic and antiviral mechanism. It increases the production of cathelicidin, a type of cell in the immune system which attacks invading pathogens. Since vitamin D is produced in the body by exposure to sunshine, research can now tie colds, flu and other respiratory problems to times of the year when sunlight is at its lowest.

A Study by Dr. John Cannell

Dr. John Cannell recently published a study showing the correlation between the influence of sunshine, vitamin D, and seasonal flu and colds. Some of his observations include:

*The onset of flu season usually occurs just after the winter solstice. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, which means less sunlight, resulting in less vitamin D production.

*The end of flu season occurs after the summer solstice, which is the season with the longest daylight hours. More daylight equals more vitamin D production.

*Elderly people are much more likely to die from heart failure during the winter than in the summer. (Winter means less sunlight, which equal less vitamin D production)

*People with dark skin are more likely to die from influenza than people with lighter skin. The more pigment in a person’s skin, the more difficult for the body to use sunlight to produce vitamin D.

*In Scandinavian countries, like Norway, where people consume large amounts of fish and cod liver oil, the elderly are less likely to die in the winter. (Cod liver oil is one of the best natural sources of vitamin D.)

*Researchers from Russia found that using full spectrum sun lamps reduced the incidence of colds and flu in factory workers and children. The lamps stimulated the production of vitamin D in an indoor environment.

Dr. Cannell suggests that doses as high as 5,000 IU of vitamin D a day for the first three days will knock the stuffing out of a cold or flu. Of course, getting the right amounts of vitamin D throughout the year might go a long way toward preventing those colds and flu in the first place. It only takes about 18 minutes of sunshine while wearing a bathing suit to get about 20,000 IU of vitamin D into the body.

Where Do We Get Vitamin D

There are actually two different forms of vitamin D, one is called D2, (ergocalciferol) and another called D3 (cholecalciferol). The kind discussed above that is produced in the skin from sunshine is D3. In addition, D3 is also found animal products like eggs and cold water fish such as salmon and sardines. The other one, D2 is found in plants such as nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables.

Factors Which Inhibit the Production of Vitamin D

Unfortunately, there are factors that can influence the amount of vita D intake we get from the sun. As mentioned earlier, the darker your skin the less vitamin D you will get from exposure to the sun. Researchers at the University of California did a study to test the effects of vitamin D and cathelicidin and their ability to fight the bacteria associated with tuberculosis (TB). (Remember, cathelicidin is an immune cell that attacks invading pathogens) It is understood that black people are more susceptible to TB than whites and are more vulnerable to the serious infections that go along with it. The researchers added TB bacteria to blood serum samples of both black and white individuals and compared the results. The blood serum from blacks produced 63 percent less cathelicidin than the blood serum of whites.

They then noticed that the vitamin D levels in the black individuals was far less than with the white individuals. When vitamin D was added to the blood serum from the blacks, the production of cathelicidin rose to the same levels as the white samples. People who have dark skin, especially those who live in northern climates like Canada and the upper U.S., should be especially vigilant about getting proper amounts of vitamin D. Supplements are a good option.

Another factor that influences the amount of vitamin D your skin produces from sunlight is by using sunscreen or sun block. A sunscreen with a SPF rating of 8 can lower your vitamin D intake by 95 percent.

A third factor that can affect vitamin D production from sunlight is from cholesterol lowering drugs. In your skin, the D3 that is produced uses cholesterol as its raw material and as a result the drugs used to lower cholesterol also indirectly lowers the production of vitamin D.

Vitamin D and Cancer

Colon Cancer: Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, reported in the March issue 2007 of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine that a daily dose of 2,000 IU of vitamin D, 10-15 minutes of sunshine and a healthy diet could reduce colorectal cancer by 66 percent. Http://www.vitamindcouncill.org/cancercolon.shtml

Breast Cancer: The same University of California researchers also stated that the same daily dose of 2,000 IU of vitamin D, sun and diet could reduce breast cancer by 50 percent. In another study, women with the lowest levels of vitamin D are five times more likely to develop breast cancer. ( Eur J Cancer 05;41(8):1164-1169 )http://www.phifoundation.org/sunlight.html

Prostate Cancer: Not enough vitamin D doubles your risk of prostate cancer. (Cancer Res o5;65(12):5470-5479 ) http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/cancerProstate.shtml

Every year in the U.S.A., it is estimated that somewhere between 50,000 to 63,000 individuals die prematurely from various cancers as a result of vitamin D deficiencies. Researchers estimate that if would cost the government about $1 billion to provide every person in the country with 1,000 IU of vitamin D on a daily basis. This would reduce cancer deaths by 30 to 50 percent and could benefit the economy by somewhere between $16 to $25 billion. In Canada the benefits would be 1/10th of that, so somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.6 to 2.5 billion.

Keep in mind that the above mentioned economic benefits are for cancer only. There is a long list of ailments tied to vitamin D deficiencies, so the economic benefits could be much higher. For instance, in 2004, the total economic burden on the U.S. economy from vitamin D deficiencies was estimated to be $40 to $55 billion. Again, in Canada it would be close to one tenth of that amount. All the same, don’t hold your breath waiting for governments to do something so proactive. They would face stiff opposition from drug companies who wouldn’t see any financial upside for themselves. A healthier public would mean lower drug sales and fewer profits.

To read another article by Sam9999 see Resveratrol, Live To Be 100 below.