    |
"Vitamin D - The One Time Where Getting A 'D' Is A Good Thing!"
It is known as the 'sunshine' vitamin as it is naturally produced in the skin in response to exposure to sunlight. It is considered to be a fat-soluble vitamin also found in food. Strictly speaking, because your body can manufacture it, it is not thought to be a vitamin, but is considered to be a steroid hormone. Google News reports on a story from the website iol.co.za that men deficient in 'D' are more likely to have a heart attack. Vitamin D may play a role in preventing many major diseases, such as Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Cancer, and Multiple Sclerosis. Without proper levels of this vitamin, bone and muscle weakness will occur, along with pain. In infants, a deficiency may cause Rickets, where the skull becomes soft, bones grow abnormally, and babies are slow to sit and crawl. From birth, babies that are breast-fed should be given supplementation of this vitamin, as breast milk contains very little of it. Connection To High Blood Pressure The Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta examined the connection between systolic blood pressure and Vitamin D. Systolic blood pressure is the top number of your blood pressure reading. The study population, which did not have high blood pressure, was 47 percent male, 61 percent white, and 39 percent black. They participated in a 6-year National Health and Examination Survey done from 1988 to 1994. At survey's end, researchers found 61 percent of whites and 92 percent of blacks had a deficiency of this vitamin. They also found whites with sufficient levels of this vitamin had a 20 percent lower rise in age-associated systolic blood pressure then those that did not. This relationship between blood pressure and Vitamin D was not present in blacks. The Connection To Multiple Sclerosis For many years researchers have felt there was a connection between Multiple Sclerosis and this vitamin. Population studies have shown you are less likely to develop MS if you grew up in an area closer to the equator. This is because individuals in southern-most locations receive more of it as a result of the increased intensity of UV rays produced by the sun. Vitamin D controls cytokines, the chemical messengers that activate certain types of white blood cells (WBCs). These WBCs, known as T-Cells and B-Cells, destroy the protective outer covering of nerve cells called Myelin. Myelin is essential for the normal transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles. The WBCs randomly destroy this protective covering in multiple locations. The body attempts to repair the damage by creating scar tissue. The term sclerosis refers to this scar tissue that is created. Researchers studied 79 pairs of twins with the same genetic risk of developing MS. Each twin was asked how much time they spent outdoors as a child compared to their sibling. They found the twin that spent less time outdoors was more likely to develop MS. Depending on the activity, the twin that spent more time outdoors was 57 percent less likely to develop the disease. Scientists feel more research in this area is needed. The Cancer Connection The Canadian Cancer Society now recommends all adults take this vitamin to minimize their risk of developing Cancer. According to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, individuals with higher blood levels of it are at reduced risk for developing Colon Cancer. Google News reports how important vitamins and anti-Cancer nutrition are. According to a press release from the web site Alternatives to Beat Cancer they state: In one study, plasma levels of Vitamin D of 179 men who were diagnosed with colon cancer were compared against another group of 356 men who did not. The researchers then merged their results with another study - the Nurses' Health Study. Merging the two studies created a larger study group which additionally included results from women. Increased blood plasma levels of this vitamin were linked to a reduced risk of developing Colon Cancer in both studies. Connection To Other Illnesses Autism One researcher has proposed a theory that reduced levels of Vitamin D during fetal development and childhood is related to the onset of Autism. The evidence is circumstantial, but Autism levels have skyrocketed since the medical profession advised the public to limit their exposure to direct sunlight in the 1980s. Preeclampsia Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences have linked low Vitamin D levels in mothers to a condition called Preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a serious condition in pregnant women that can lead to the death of her unborn child. Data of 1198 women who were enrolled in the Pregnancy Exposures and Preeclampsia Prevention Study between 1997 and 2001, was analyzed. 55 cases of Preeclampsia and 220 controls were selected from this group for further study. Blood samples were taken 22 weeks into the pregnancy and again just before delivery. Newborn umbilical cord samples were also tested for Vitamin D levels. The researchers found low levels of this vitamin early in pregnancy were associated with a five-fold increase in the likelihood of developing Preeclampsia. Food Sources of Vitamin D Dairy products, including:
Dosage Children under the age of one should receive 1000 IUs (International Units) daily from either their formula, exposure to the sun, or from supplements. Children between 1 and 4 years of age should receive 1500 IUs daily from either their formula, exposure to the sun, or from supplements. Children between 4 and 10 years of age should receive 2000 IUs daily, unless they get significant exposure to the sun. Adults up to age 50, 200 IUs daily Adults age 51 to 70, 400 IUs daily Adults older than 70, 600 IUs daily Some researchers recommended dosages as high as 1000 IUs daily. Please discuss with your physician what is best for you. Pregnant and nursing women should stick with the RDA for this vitamin unless otherwise advised by their physician. Cautions Those individuals with Kidney Stones should take lower levels of Vitamin D, as it increases calcium absorption. Vomiting and muscle weakness is associated with high levels of this vitamin. It may cause elevated calcium levels (Hypercalcaemia). Individuals taking Digoxin or any cardiac glycoside should use caution when taking levels higher then the RDA. Subscribe to the Home Remedies Blog by clicking on this link:  Return From Vitamin D to Home Page
|
Vitamin D is best known for its effects on how calcium is metabolized. Proper levels of this vitamin are needed to maintain mineral bone density and blood calcium levels.
