It has been known for many years of the mood altering effects that a lack of Vitamin D causes in people, many of us are familiar with the ‘Winter Blues” and some suffer more severely with long-term seasonal disorders or depression. However as the data on this vitamin mounts, more and more research projects are linking the lack of this simple vitamin to many of today’s life threatening ailments.
Many or our most prevalent diseases like Cancer, Heart Disease or Diabetes are all showing up in greater numbers, in people with low levels of Vitamin D. Recent studies of Breast Cancer indicate that the risk could be as much as EIGHT times more for an aggressive form of the disease, in women whose Vitamin D levels are low. Bone density problems are also much more severe in women with low levels of Vitamin D, prompting many doctors to now recommend Vitamin D supplements for menopausal women.
A study published last year by the University of Tennessee show that a whopping 87% of the American population are Vitamin D deficient. Here in Canada and other more northerly countries you can probably assume (unless you are taking supplements), that you are deficient in this vital vitamin, for most of the year.
While many health agencies are slowly getting on board with the MANY benefits of Vitamin D, they are still underselling the amounts needed to maintain health, let alone fight disease.
Given that we know of many diseases (please see list below) that sufficient Vitamin D helps to prevent or even heal and given that you now know you are probably not getting enough.
How much should you take and what sort of Vitamin D?
(Oh yes there are different types and not all will help you, in fact some are a pure waste of money).
Clearly the best type is from safe, daily exposure to the sun and if you live along equatorial belts, this would be ideal but for the rest of us, we need to supplement.
The Vitamin D that your own body produces is called D3 or Choleciferol and unless it states that on the label, dont bother! Most good health food stores will stock a good quality D3, just make sure you check the labels.
D3 is the only form of Vitamin D that will help you if you are serious about your health.
The dose recommended by health authorities is 400 iu’s for a normal person and 800 iu’s for the elderly or the sick… HOWEVER, this is generally regarded by most experts as being way too low and would no more help protect your bones than a couple of minutes in the sun. 30 minutes of sun block free, exposure to the sun and your skin would produce around 10,000 – 50,000 iu’s of Vitamin D and this is considered by most experts to be a good daily guild for sun worship; so you can see how silly the recommend dose of 400 iu’s looks.
As I have had breast cancer in the past, if I do not get outside during the day, I take between 2000-4000 iu’s a day depending on the season. I know however of people who take up to 8000 iu’s daily with no ill effect.
Below I have listed a few of the conditions/diseases in which low levels of Vitamin D3 plays a role; you will see that few of us are immune from the harmful effects of Vitamin D deficiency.
The upside however, is that this really is so easy, cheap and safe to correct!
See you on the bright side.
Coach Lin
For Your Information:
Breast Cancer:- Women with Vitamin D blood serum level less than 50 nmol/ml are EIGHT times more likely to develop an aggressive form of breast cancer.
Bone Density is weaker in women with low levels of Vitamin D
Colon Cancer risk is cut by 40% if Vitamin D levels are High.
Heart Disease, Stroke and Cognitive Decline all are twice as likely if levels are low.
And a whopping 91% of Diabetics have low levels of Vitamin D in their blood, in fact the less vitamin D the more blood sugar problems increase.
