The latest in the seemingly endless series of studies being released involving various effects of vitamin D as it pertains to general health, immune health, cellular health and disease prevention involves the role of vitamin D relative to pregnancy, prenatal health and the effects of inadequate levels of the nutrient in the mother during pregnancy and lactation on both the mother and baby. These studies have shown that the aforementioned inner-workings of vitamin D and pregnancy are both numerous and complex. One common theme with virtually all of the studies published over the past half-decade involving vitamin D is that the fat-soluble hormone known to society as a vitamin is that this nutrient is of critical importance to both the health of mother and baby during pregnancy, birth and post-birth infancy.

One study conducted by researchers at a South Korean medical school determined that the importance of “adequate” vitamin D intake is of particular importance to pregnant women in ensuring both maternal and fetal health, that inadequate levels of vitamin D3 are unusually common among women who are pregnant, and that this rampant inadequacy can be extremely detrimental to the immune health of both mother and baby. The research showed that vitamin D deficiency in expecting mothers can lead to an increased risk of  preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, and bacterial vaginosis, and an increased risk for C-section delivery.

“Adequate vitamin D intake is essential for maternal and fetal health during pregnancy, and epidemiological data indicate that many pregnant women have sub-optimal vitamin D levels. Notably, vitamin D deficiency correlates with preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, and bacterial vaginosis, and an increased risk for C-section delivery. Recent work emphasizes the importance of nonclassical roles of vitamin D in pregnancy and the placenta. The placenta produces and responds to vitamin D where vitamin D functions as a modulator of implantation, cytokine production and the immune response to infection.” [1]

 A 2011 study by the Hannover School of Medicine in Germany found recent evidence that vitamin D status influences female reproductive and pregnancy outcomes. According to that study:

“Human and animal data suggest that low vitamin D status is associated with impaired fertility, endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. Evidence from observational studies shows higher rates of preeclampsia, preterm birth, bacterial vaginosis and gestational diabetes in women with low vitamin D levels.” [2] 

Two recent studies; one by medical scientists from New Jersey and another by the University of Calgary showed a correlation between vitamin D and birth weight:

The first one these determined that intake of Vitamin D was associated with increased infant birth weight, and that the lack thereof may lead to lower-than-ideal birth weight of the infant. [3]

The latter arrived at virtually the same conclusion, with the main difference being that it also found that intake of milk (which contains vitamin D3) during pregnancy are each associated with infant birth weight, independently of other risk factors. [4]

An study by Australian researchers showed that a relationship may exist between vitamin D deficiency and impaired fertility in women, an increased risk of pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes mellitus. The researchers noted that insufficient evidence existed at the time of the study to definitively declare causality.

“Fertility may be impaired in mothers with low vitamin D. During pregnancy, maintaining vitamin D and calcium levels may decrease the risks of pre-eclampsia, while gestational diabetes mellitus appears to be more common in those with low vitamin D status.” [5]

Those of us who need not adhere to the scientific method, and are therefore free to speculate are fairly safe in assuming that based on the results of similar studies involving vitamin D deficiency and more than four dozen other illness and diseases, the chances that causality will eventually be established are highly probable.

While the complete extent of both sufficient and inadequate levels of vitamin D throughout pregnancy are not yet known and may not be for some time. There are quite a few diseases and illnesses, the likelihood of an individual being diagnosed with which relative to the individual’s vitamin D levels during pregnancy (for both mother and infant) have yet to be studied, studied again, peer reviewed and then studied one more time for good measure (standard procedure before researchers declare anything as scientific fact) are many, and the time and money needed to conduct such a massive amount of research is somewhat prohibitive as it pertains to the immediate answers most in Western society have become accustomed to and have come to expect.

What is indisputable regarding the effects of vitamin D deficiency and/or supplementation during pregnancy is that both the mother and her infant will be far less likely to experience low birth weight, pregnancy complications and the diagnosis of a number of diseases and/or illnesses during pregnancy, post-birth, infancy and possibly even into adulthood if the mother makes a point of supplementing with vitamin D3 at a level determined by her doctor and based on her individual blood-levels, diet and need than if she were to go the entire term of the pregnancy without ingesting vitamin D3 from supplements and/or other sources.

Pregnant women (and anyone else buying vitamin D supplements) should make sure to check the label very closely to make sure the bottle contains vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and not D2 (ergocalciferol). Studies have shown the efficacy and absorption of the former to be vastly superior to those of the latter, with some experts going so far as to condemn vitamin D2 as a nutrient unfit for use as a dietary supplement in humans. For more information regarding the differences between vitamins D2 and D3, please refer to previous articles published on this website in which the topic is covered in-depth.

The bottom-line for pregnant women is that there’s no excuse for failing to take prenatal vitamins, and if there is any doubt over whether or not the prenatal vitamin a given mom-to-be is taking has sufficient vitamin D3, be sure to check with a doctor or nutritionist and ask whether or not it is necessary to take additional vitamin D supplements in order to ensure optimal health.

References

1. Vitamin D Effects on Pregnancy and the Placenta
   Shin JS, Choi MY, Longtine MS, Nelson DM
   Source: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CHA University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
   
2. Vitamin D – roles in women’s reproductive health?
   Grundmann M, von Versen-Höynck F.
   Source: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
   
3. Vitamin D intake during pregnancy: association with maternal characteristics and infant birth weight.
   Scholl TO, Chen X.
   Source: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-SOM, Stratford, New Jersey, USA.
   
4. Association of low intake of milk and vitamin D during pregnancy with decreased birth weight.
   Mannion CA, Gray-Donald K, Koski KG.
   Source: Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.
   
5. Vitamin D deficiency and pregnancy: from preconception to birth.
   Lewis S, Lucas RM, Halliday J, Ponsonby AL.
   Source: Public Health Genetics, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Yet Another Disease

A team of anti-aging experts from Adonia Organics recently released the results of a clinical trial conducted at the AMA Laboratories in New York which concluded that the process by which dark circles and bags form around the eyes of young, middle-aged and older adults is actually caused in part by a lack of sunlight (or a lack of vitamin D). Insufficient sun exposure can result in a paler skin tone, which in turn enhances the appearance of dark circles and bags in the area of the face just below the eyes.

Researchers found that the dark bags are exacerbated by fatigue – particularly during the winter months – that is attributed to deficient levels of vitamin D, which is created in the body when skin is directly exposed to sunlight. The decreased sun exposure throughout the winter months also contributes to reduced levels of neurotransmitter serotonin, which is one of the chemicals produced within the brain that helps the human body “feel good”.

According to Dr. Mark Binette, “Lacking in Vitamins D and K has a considerable negative effect on the appearance of dark circles and puffy eyes and can age a woman by 4.7 years putting over ten per cent on a woman’s age of 40.”

In all, the study found that more than twice as many women (82%) between ages 27 and 60 experience dark circles and puffy eyes in the winter, while only 38% reported the same symptoms during the summer months.

Dark circles underneath the eyes are typically the result of minor blood leakage just beneath the skin’s surface. This minuscule bleeding is typically the result of tiny capillaries bursting or becoming porous and leaking small amounts of blood. Once outside of the capillaries, the blood begins a process known as oxidation, which is what turns it that dark, blackish-blue color similar to the appearance of a bruise or minor contusion.

Since the skin under the eyes is already thin to begin with, during the winter months when skin becomes more transparent due to the typical decrease in sun exposure, fluid builds up inside the thin skin beneath the eyes, causing the dark circles and puffy-looking eyes.

The problem is not as widespread in the warmer months for two reasons: First, people spend more time outdoors wearing less clothes, which translates into increased direct exposure to sunlight. Additionally, people are less fatigued, and the darker complexion of the skin that typically accompanies warmer months as people are outdoors more and have more sunbathing opportunities makes what’s left of the dark circles and bags very difficult to notice when compared with the cooler months. The increased vitamin D absorption that goes hand-in-hand with sunbathing also helps to negate this effect, further removing the unnaturally dark areas underneath the eyes.

Since the study seems to suggest (although without stating it point-blank) that a highly-bioavailable (readily absorbably), high-quality vitamin D3 supplement (the form of the nutrient absorbed through sunlight and in supplement form the one that is more readily absorbed for use by the body – also known as cholecalciferol) may be able to help prevent the conditions that lead to dark circles, bags and puffy eyes so that come wintertime, one can look every bit as good as during the summer months without necessarily having to spend hours each week sunbathing in the cold.

The Vitamin D3 Blog recommends that anyone experiencing unnaturally dark, puffy eyes during the winter months talk with their doctor or healthcare provider about vitamin D3 supplementation and any other treatment options the doctor may suggest to help rejuvenate the youthful appearance of the eyes and the area just below them.

Video on Vitamin D3, Health, Immunity, the Sun and Skin Cancer:

 
I strongly encourage anyone who is hesitant to go outside and absorb some of nature’s vitamin D on a bright, warm and sunny day due to longstanding fears based upon rumors that sunbathing is a surefire recipe for skin cancer to actually spend two minutes watching the above video. The video features a medical doctor who is far better than this author at articulating the medical facts pertaining to the value of naturally-obtained vitamin D towards a person’s overall health. The doctor also discusses possible financial motives potentially underlying the mass-scare of the public over skin cancer followed by the major push for everyone who steps outdoors to wear a coat of sunscreen.

Vitamin D3: A Misnamed But Vital Element for Good Health

Guest Post By:  Holly Miller

Vitamin D is a pair of complex, essential nutrients that the human body uses to grow and develop healthily. Ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol are the two forms of D vitamins and are known as vitamins D2 and D3 respectively. Both of these nutrients must be incorporated in the diet to prevent harmful deficiencies.

An interesting fact is that “vitamin” is a misnomer for D3. Vitamins are important nutrient that are produced by plants. Vitamin D2 is found in fungus species and plants, so it fits the definition of vitamin. Vitamin D2 can be ingested naturally through vitamin-fortified foods such as cereal, juice and milk. Vitamin D3 is actually a hormone that is produced naturally within animals when the skin’s surface is exposed to sunlight. Indeed, the human body produces vitamin D3, but most people do not synthesize healthy levels of the nutrient.

Because of the preoccupation with the harmful effects of too much sun, most people do not get enough of it. Similarly, foods rich in vitamin D3, including egg yolks, sardines, fortified whole milk, mackerel and beef liver are unpopular or demonized by popular diet plans. As a result of the reluctance of consumers, supplementing vitamin D3 is suggested for many adults; however, it is unwise to rush to the vitamin shelf in the drug store and grab the first bottle marked “D.” A generic vitamin D tablet is likely to contain high levels of vitamin D2. While D2 is healthy in small amounts, large quantities of the vitamin can be toxic to the body. In contrast, there is no risk of toxicity with vitamin D3. Foods are uncommonly enriched with vitamin D3, but it can be found on sale in pill or liquid form.

Vitamin D3 helps the body absorb calcium and works to control the immune system. A lack of sufficient vitamin D3 can leave your body more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases and cancer. Obesity, kidney stones, fibromyalgia, type two diabetes, psoriasis and chronic fatigue syndrome are all linked to vitamin D3 deficiency. Mental conditions may rise from a lack of vitamin D3, as well. Those with insufficient levels of vitamin D3 have suffered from mood swings, depression and even Alzheimer’s disease.

Vitamin D3 cannot be produced by exposure to fake ultra violet (UV) light, such as that found in tanning beds. Natural, nourishing sunlight is the only source of vitamin D3 synthesis in the human body. Consumers can save money on expensive supplements and avoid eating foods they may not enjoy by soaking in the sun’s free UV lamplight. Morning sun is the safest for the body. Head outside for at least 20 minutes each day and expose a minimum of 40 percent of your body to the sun for maximum D3 synthesis. During cold months, pill or liquid supplements may be necessary for many adults.

Guest Post by Holly Miller, a writer for CouponCroc.co.uk, the best resource for savings on health supplements, vitamins, and everything you need to stay healthy.
Editor’s Note:  The Vitamin D3 Blog would like to offer its most sincere thanks to Holly for this wonderful post!

Among the nation’s leading experts in the subject of clinical nutrition and in particular vitamin D benefits is a primary care Nurse Practitioner from Louisiana named Pamela Egan. It was Nurse Practitioner Egan who was the very first media figure in the entire country and indeed the world to distinguish between the two different forms of vitamin D that are commonly sold as supplements. The two are D2 and D3, respectively.

NP Egan, who is a world-renowned health columnist, was writing about the hands-down superiority of D3 relative to D2 a full four years before the terms D2 or D3 were even mentioned by a writer other than Pamela Egan in an actual print or broadcast media publication.

Mrs. Egan’s original article on the topic of vitamin D3 and the potential health ramifications that coincide with being deficient in the nutrient is still among the very first articles to appear in search results when someone queries the term “vitamin d3″ (with or without quotation marks). There is a reason for this. Even though several years have passed since the article was originally published, there are few if any health professionals in the United States and the world who have a better or more fundamental understanding of the subject and the intricacies involved with how it all works.

For example, a medical doctor named Susan Hill published an article about vitamin D in late May of this year (2011) for the Wheaton Franciscan Medical Group. Dr. Hill obviously hadn’t inconvenienced herself with research before writing the article, rehashing the standard lines that seem to appear in every news story about the topic.

Dr. Hill listed four benefits of vitamin D: calcium absorption, bone strength, muscle strength and balance. Interestingly enough, while she didn’t find it necessary to include a sentence or two about the other 32 or so diseases that have been found to occur in dramatically increased proportions in the presence of a vitamin D deficiency, she did make a point of citing decades-old information that has been inaccurate for at least five or six years now.

She incorrectly stated that research had not conclusively established a link between healthy vitamin D levels and a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease (see note at bottom of post). She also incorrectly stated that there is a lack of scientific evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to winter depression.

Last but not least, she engaged in a bit of unnecessary fear mongering by asserting that people who reside in areas with sunny climates and who also supplement with vitamin D are at risk of getting “too much” of the nutrient, a real condition known as vitamin D toxicity. While technically, this statement is not 100% inaccurate, she should have pointed out that in order for this to occur, a person would have to be either hypersensitive to the vitamin; take far more vitamin D supplements than directed by a physician or the instructions on the bottle; or ingest a contaminated supplement containing several times more of the active ingredient than is listed on the label.

While the above makes up all of the factually inaccurate statements made by Dr. Susan Hill in her May article for the Wheaton Group, she did make one onerous omission that in light of the factual inaccuracies, should come as no surprise to those qualified to write on the subject. Throughout the entire article, she failed to make any mention of the fact that there are two different forms of vitamin D that are sold as supplements in the United States, and that only one of those forms offers any meaningful health benefits to the human body.

For anyone not already familiar with the two forms of vitamin D, they are D2 (also known as ergocalciferol) and D3 (also known as cholecalciferol), respectively. Vitamin D3 is the form of the nutrient absorbed through sunlight and processed for use by the body. D2 is a synthetic chemical made largely of plant materials. The two forms of vitamin D were absolutely not created equal.

D2 is technically a form of vitamin D, but offers very little in terms of benefits to the human body due to the fact that it is lacking in bioavailability, or usability by the human body. D3 on the other hand is extremely bioavailable, and the body benefits substantially from both exposure of the skin to sunlight as well as from vitamin D3 supplements.

While the remainder of this article is largely a matter of opinion (note that it is being disclaimed as such), this author highly recommends that consumers who decide to buy vitamin D supplements not only go with D3 over D2, but also that they go with a very high-quality brand of D3. Vitamins, like anything else, are subject to the standards and quality control measures in place at the time and place of manufacture, and some brands are made to a higher standard than some others. How big a difference it makes is anybody’s guess, but this author gets the highest quality available for purchase when he buys D3 supplements.

The Facts About Vitamin D3, Cancer and Heart Disease:  “A study that appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conclusively established the preventive benefits of Vitamin D3 with regard to various forms of cancer, heart disease and numerous others ailments.”  Source: http://www.ajcn.org/content/79/3/362.abstract

Vitamin D3 supplementation is highly recommended, according to the Endocrine Society in its guidelines published online in the June edition of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The recommendations apply to suggested daily intake and tolerable upper-limit levels, in particular for those most at risk of developing Vitamin D Deficiency.

The recommendations are the product of a task force comprised of several experts in the field of clinical nutrition headed up by Michael F. Holick, M.D., Ph.D., from the Boston University School of Medicine, for the purpose of establishing guidelines for clinicians for the prevention, evaluation, treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency. The guidelines place an particular focus on at-risk patients.

The research found widespread Vitamin D Deficiency in all age groups studies, hence the widespread nature of the recommendation.

Prior to being published, the recommendations were peer-reviewed by the Endocrine Society’s Clinical Guidelines Subcommittee, Clinical Affairs Core Committee and various other co-sponsors of the research. Members of the organization also reviewed the material once it had been put up on the web, providing feedback where appropriate.

Vitamin D Deficiency has been associated with dozens of illnesses, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, rickets, ADHD, Parkinson’s disease, depression and many others. Vitamin D supplements can help to prevent Vitamin D Deficiency by maintaining healthy blood-levels of the nutrient.

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the form of the vitamin absorbed through the sun. It is superior to the synthetic Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol). We highly recommend that anyone shopping for a Vitamin D supplement check the label in order to ensure it is D3 and not D2.

Guest Post by David M.

Prostate cancer is one of the leading killers of men.  According to the National Cancer Institute, the disease is diagnosed in almost 200,000 men each year and kills almost 40,000 men each year.  A recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues, led by Dr. Edward Giovannucci has found that vitamin D can prolong the life and even help fight cancer.

The study has shown that men with the expression of vitamin D receptors at high levels tend to have less severe prostate cancer.  The nutrient has been shown to decrease proliferation and boost apoptosis. The study showed that patients who had high levels of vitamin D in their tumor tissue had lower levels of prostate specific antigen at diagnosis.  This leads to the thought that higher levels of the sunshine vitamin render the cancer less aggressive.

Doctors think it can lower death rates among cancer patients by attaching to cancerous cells and stopping the cell division process.  Then it will find other cells in the body and attach to them thus slowly rebuilding the prostate.  It has been found that when Vitamin D is put into a culture sample with cancer cells, the the cancer cells will stop growing and begin a return to normal, though more study is needed to actually witness this phenomenon in the human body.

The study consisted of 841 men already having being diagnosed with prostate cancer.  They were divided into two cohorts, the Physicians’ Health Study, and the Health professionals Follow-up Study.  The results revealed a link between vitamin D and prostate cancer progression.  Also that if healthy men would take a daily dose of the nutrient, it would actually help to prevent the disease.

Most Doctors say that between 1,000 and 2,000 IU of vitamin D a day is needed to reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 50%.  Although it is still a good idea to supplement with a good multivitamin to give nutrients to help process the vitamin D.  The nutrients should consist of magnesium, zinc, vitamin k2, boron, and small amounts of vitamin A.

Prostate cancer is a leading killer of men, and the best thing for men to do is try to reduce the risk being afflicted as much as possible. Early detection and prevention are the most basic tools in the arsenal against prostate cancer and in due time more secrets about the disease will be uncovered, but until then the best thing for men is to be prepared and preventative.  This includes a good diet, regular exercise, and a daily supplement of vitamin D.

A new study conducted by a network of scientists called EuroSIDA found that vitamin D deficiency is extremely common among HIV patients, and that the deficiency is associated with the progression of the disease.  While not the first study to show that patients infected with HIV tend to be deficient in vitamin D at a rate well above that of the normal population, the research by the EuroSIDA cooperative went above and beyond existing research in the establishment of a direct relationship between low levels of the nutrient and the overall mortality rate as well as the progression of the disease that can lead to AIDS.

Once they had firmly established that vitamin D deficiency was in fact prevalent in patients infected with the HIV virus, the scientists took aim at the relationship between the nutritional insufficiency and the progression of the disease.  Five years after the initial testing was conducted on the patients and baseline readings established, follow-up interviews and tests revealed a very distinct pattern.

Patients were broken down into three groups according to their vitamin D levels.  Of the group who registered the lowest blood-levels of vitamin D, 10% of the patients had developed AIDS.   Of the middle group, 6% of the individuals had developed AIDS, as compared to only 5% in the group whose blood-levels of vitamin D were the highest.

That means that HIV patients who are deficient in vitamin D are twice as likely to develop AIDS as are patients with sufficient levels of the nutrient.  Not surprisingly, in addition to being more susceptible to developing AIDS, HIV patients who are vitamin D deficient are also nearly twice as likely to die, according to the same study.

Mortality rates were highest among those with the lowest levels of vitamin D.  Interestingly enough, the ratio for the mortality rates was very similar to the ratio of AIDS.  In order from lowest levels of vitamin D to highest, the mortality rates were 11%, 7% and 6%, respectively.

“These results provide strong evidence that vitamin D deficiency is an important cofactor in HIV disease progression, even in the setting of widespread, efficient cART [combination antiretroviral therapy]. Whether the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and events is casual must now be addressed,” concluded the study, which appeared in the online edition of AIDS.

HIV-infected patients can take measures to prevent and/or reverse vitamin D deficiency. First, a distinction between the different forms of vitamin D must be made. There are two main forms of the nutrient that are sold as supplements: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is superior form, so HIV patients must set out acquire it and not waste time with D2.

Vitamin D3 can be obtained in three ways: through sunlight, food and supplements. Since food and sunlight fall under the “lifestyle” category, we can effectively dismiss these methods of ingestion, as the HIV patients are already deficient, and rather than expect them to completely change their diet and lifestyle, the safe alternative is to focus exclusively on supplements, as they are the only viable long-term solution. HIV-infected patients should obtain a high-quality, high-potency vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplement. 5,000 IU is a dosage amount that is common among high-potency vitamin D3 supplements. While not an amount officially endorsed by a government or health organization, it is the amount this author would recommend HIV patients start on until they’ve had time to have their blood-levels of vitamin D tested to determine their exact nutritional needs.

According to Eurocoord.net, “EuroSIDA is a prospective observational cohort study of more than 16,000 adult patients under care and follow-up in a network of 103 hospitals in 33 European countries plus Israel and Argentina.

SOURCE:  Viard J-P et al. Vitamin D and clinical disease progression in HIV infection: results from the EuroSIDA study. AIDS 25, online edition: doi: 10.1097/QAD.0b013e328347f6f7, 2011

Related Posts:

- Vitamin D Deficiency and Disease
- Vitamin D3 Supplements: When are they Necessary?
- Vitamin D3 Deficiency

Who Should Take Vitamin D Supplements, How Much and Why?

Vitamin D supplements, particularly those providing the more bio-available form known as Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol, can be of life-saving importance to a larger percentage of the population than most would probably assume. Of all the vitamin and mineral supplements out on the market, Vitamin D3 supplements may be the most under-consumed and most important among them.

According to a number of recent studies, between 50-80% of the American population isn’t getting enough Vitamin D. This number is believed to be even higher among African Americans. Part of the problem is that a disturbingly high number of people either aren’t aware of the importance of healthy levels of the nutrient or make the mistake of assuming they get enough by way of diet and/or sunlight.

Remedial Information about Vitamin D is Misleading

While most of us learned in school about the ever-important D vitamin is technically true (that Vitamin D is obtained via sunlight naturally), it is woefully incomplete information that has contributed to the crisis many health experts describe as a Vitamin D deficiency epidemic. We get Vitamin D from the sunshine. It is a “nonessential” vitamin (although that term is very misleading). What this effectively means is that our bodies can make it. Specifically, human skin manufactures it from sunshine, the liver breaks it down, and finally the kidney activates it into a form that is thousands of times more potent. This job provided by the kidney is lost very in the early stages of chronic kidney disease, and diminishes substantially often simply as a result of the aging process. What’s more, older people’s skin is not able to optimally manufacture the nutrient from sunlight.
So what does this all mean to the average American who likely had never so much as considered whether or not he or she was obtaining sufficient amounts of the nutrient?

Most of us also learned in school that inadequate Vitamin D levels can lead to rickets. But how many adults actually know someone with rickets? This is precisely the dilemma — rickets is not a disease people are used to seeing and thus, intricately familiar with.

Think You’re Getting Enough Vitamin D?  Think Again

Far too many Americans are of the mistaken belief that they are getting enough sunshine, and what they’re not getting in terms of sun is compensated for by diet. This is a big mistake, at least if the studies indicating that more than half the American population is deficient are correct. Paying a (probably already overdue) visit to the doctor and having one’s Vitamin D levels checked takes very little time and is a relatively inexpensive test. This test is the only way to know for sure if one is low in the nutrient and thus susceptible to the assortment of health ailments and illnesses associated with the condition.

More Milk isn’t the Answer

Milk is fortified with Vitamin D, and many who are cognizant of the importance of the vitamin assume that drinking milk will help stave off deficiency. Technically this isn’t completely inaccurate. There’s just one problem with that line of thinking though: it would take approximately 16 glasses of milk a day to provide the necessary amount of Vitamin D needed to stave of deficiency and deficiency-related illness. What’s more, the Vitamin D found in milk breaks down when exposed to light? Most major grocery chains store milk under fluorescent lights 24-7 until it sells. Even if the milk is stored in such a way as to protect the nutrients inside it, sixteen glasses is a lot of milk — even if you like milk.

Rickets we rarely encounter, sunshine we have aplenty, and we’ve survived this long without nutrient-rich milk, so what does it matter? The human body requires Vitamin D for many internal processes. It is a co-factor in myriad activities within the body. Most of us did not learn this in school as scientists only recently discovered just how critically important this nutrient is.

Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic

What you don’t know, can hurt you. Without enough Vitamin D, not only are we vulnerable to rickets, but more importantly processes begin in which the body essentially turns itself into bone. Genes get *up-regulated(1) in the absence of needed levels of Vitamin D, which lead to the building of bone matrix in soft tissue. That tissue includes blood vessels, the heart, liver, pancreas, the list goes on. Upon that matrix, minerals like calcium are laid down and turn it into bone. This obviously is not good for one’s health. As a matter of fact, this directly correlates with mortality rates — especially via heart disease.

The lower the Vitamin D levels, the higher the mortality rate! Vitamin D deficiency has now been linked to colon cancer, diabetes, hypertension, fibromyalgia, proximal muscle weakness, and many, many others. While the death certificate doesn’t typically list Vitamin D deficiency as the cause-of-death, an alarmingly high number of debilitating and potentially even fatal diseases and illnesses have been associated with deficiencies in Vitamin D levels. So which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Vitamin D deficiency is indeed an epidemic. In numerous studies, 50-80% of the American populations studied are deficient in this Vitamin. These numbers are believed to be even higher among African Americans. While rickets is not regarded as a serious health concern, more and more people are diagnosed with heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes everyday in every family. Can anything help to prevent this?

More Sunlight Not Necessarily the Answer

The sun has gotten a bad rap. We know it causes aging of our skin and skin cancer. This is true, and in the case of skin cancer potentially deadly, so getting more sunlight is not necessarily the answer. Worth noting is the fact that the darker one’s skin, the less Vitamin D that person is able to manufacture all other things being equal. This likely explains why African Americans are suffering and dying more than any other group from these very same diseases now linked with Vitamin D deficiency.

When one spends considerable time in the sun, what happens? Assuming the person used sunblock, that person will become tan. The darker the skin the less Vitamin D one is able to manufacture, so more sun exposure is not the answer due to it’s catch-22 nature. This is especially true for African Americans and other people with dark skin.

Time in the sun is not a good predictor of one’s Vitamin D level for the reasons stated above. The only way to know if a person is deficient (and about 80% of us are) is to have that person’s Vitamin D levels tested and evaluated. Drinking milk is not going to bring the levels up unless perhaps one maybe owns a cow or has a very large refrigerator to go along with an insatiable appetite. The bottom line is that for most adults, Vitamin D3 supplements are usually necessary to ensure healthy levels and promote good health. According to esteemed Nurse Practitioner and Health Columnist Pamela Egan, “the few patients I see who are not deficient usually have been taking vitamin supplements for years.”

How Much Should I take?

The recommended dosages for Vitamin D are 400 units a day if you are under 50 years old, 600 units a day for those 51-70, and 800 units a day for those over 71. When one is deficient, it is very difficult to replete levels with over the counter doses of Vitamin D. A prescription-strength dose is often required, and can be beneficial with a weekly dose.

Nurse Practitioner Egan offered the following piece of advice for readers of this blog: “Talk to your doctor, get a level measured, and supplement your deficiency with enough D to maintain adequate levels. Let’s all live a long and happy life!”

Vitamin D3 Supplements can be found here, or by clicking the links appearing in the box below.

* 1. Up-Regulation - the process where postsynaptic receptors increase in number or become more sensitive when presynaptic neurons are not releasing enough neurotransmitter to carry the impulse (mcgraw-hill.com).

* Alternate Definition of Up-Regulation - an increase in the number and density of a particular neuronal receptor, generally in response to an altered amount of neurotransmitters present in the surrounding environment (macalester.edu).

Pamela Egan, FNP-C, CDE, is a board-certified Nurse Practitioner, certified diabetes educator, health columnist and anti-aging diplomat. She is an expert on vitamin d3 and illnesses associated with deficiencies of this vital nutrient. Her website is www.pamelaegan.com.

Research shows it is possible to drastically reduce the risk of Seasonal Flu and Swine Flu by supplementing regularly with Vitamin D3.

There has been a fear of a pandemic flu outbreak for the past several years. My own parish received 20,000 body bags last year in preparation for the flu pandemic. Research presented by John Cannell, MD of the Vitamin D Council showed that Vitamin D3 is protective against seasonal flu. Further research performed by Norris Glick, MD and Ellie Campbell, DO, showed that Vitamin D3 helps prevent H1N1 Flu. Further, Dr. John Cannell showed that Vitamin D3 deficiency activates the influenza virus (the Flu).

Currently, the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance for Vitamin D3 is 400 iu/day. This dose was recommended to prevent rickets, which works well, but does nothing to give the far more important protection from cancer, heart disease and infections. Approximately 70% children in the US and 75% teens and adults have a Vitamin D3 deficiency. We now have overwhelming evidence that therapeutic levels of this miracle vitamin, not only boost our immune system, but protects us from cancer, including breast cancer and even H1N1 Swine Flu. Blood levels of D3 (OH-25) should be at least above 50, optimally 80. Most children and adults can be maintained on vitamin D3 5000iu – 10,000iu/day. At the first sign of flu or respiratory illness, take 50,000iu D3/day x 5 days.

This article was written exclusively for VitaminD3Blog.com by Nurse Practitioner Pam Egan, FNP-C, CDE.

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Vitamin D3 is manufactured by the body when human skin is exposed to direct sunlight. It can also be obtained through certain foods, as well as supplements. The main difference is in D3′s superior bio-availability, which lends to better absorption of the nutrient and enhanced health benefits directly associated with absorption factor and the fact that Vitamin D3 is a more naturally occurring form of the nutrient.

According to Nurse Practitioner Pam Egan, Vitamin D3 is “not to be confused with inactive Vitamin D2.”

Two Major Types of Vitamin D

Although there are a total of five different forms of Vitamin D, only two are commonly used in supplements.

1. Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2) - A synthetic form of Vitamin D. This is the form found in most nutritional supplements. D2 is substantially less bioavailable than D3.
2. Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) – The naturally occurring form of the D Vitamin. This is the same Vitamin D manufactured by the human body when skin makes contact with direct sunlight. Cholecalciferol is five-times (or 500%) more bioavailable than Ergocalciferol, which means that D3 is converted into a usable form by the body at a rate five times faster than is the case with D2.

Another drawback with Vitamin D2 is that it has a much shorter shelflife than does D3, and its metabolites do not bind well with proteins, rendering it that much less effective than the alternative.

Many recent studies have suggested that Vitamin D2 should no longer be classified as a nutrient appropriate for supplementation and/or fortification in foods. Despite this, it continues to be the most common form of Vitamin D available in supplement form on the market today.

In conclusion, based on all of that documented above, it is clear that Vitamin D3 is a far superior form of Vitamin D than is D2, and anyone who takes their health seriously should strongly consider double-checking to make sure they’re getting the good stuff (Cholecalciferol) as opposed to the inferior Ergocalciferol when shopping for Vitamin D supplements.