Vitamin D receptors have been found in almost every type of human cell; from your brain to your bones, so its power to optimize your health is exceptional. This does not mean that Vitamin D cures anything, only that you will be healthier with adequate levels in your body.
- Researchers looked at more than 6,000 carefully selected American kids representative of the average American child. 9 percent had Vitamin D levels less than 15 ng/mL and 70 percent at less than 30 ng/mL.Vitamin D Newsletter May 2009 CDC September 4, 2009
- A 2007 study found that subjects with vitamin D deficiency had significantly more days of absence from work due to respiratory infection than did control subjects.
- In a 2009 vitamin D study, deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) confirmed a strong, positive correlation between newborns’ and mothers’ vitamin D levels. Over 87 percent of all newborns and over 67 percent of all mothers had vitamin D levels lower than 20 ng/ml, which is a severe deficiency state.
- Newborns with vitamin D deficiency appear to have an increased risk of developing ALRI, and since the child’s vitamin D level strongly correlates with its mother’s, the researchers recommend that all mothers optimize their vitamin D levels during pregnancy.
- A similar Indian study published in 2004 also reported that vitamin D deficiency in infants significantly raised their odds ratio for having severe ALRI.
- Another 2009 report in the journal Pediatric Research stated that infants and children appear more susceptible to viral rather than bacterial infections when deficient in vitamin D.
- People with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu. Vitamin D creates over 200 antimicrobial peptides in your body that serve as natural broad-spectrum antibiotics. When vitamin D levels fall, you also reduce your natural capacity to ward off colds, influenza and other respiratory infections.
- Trends in Endocrinology Metabolism, in 2005 reported: High-dose vitamin D early in life protects against type 1 diabetes. … Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy probably increases the incidence of autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, in genetically predisposed individuals”.
Age | Dosage |
Below 5 | 35 units per pound per day |
Age 5 – 10 | 2500 units |
Age 18 – 30 | 5000 units |
Pregnant Women | 5000 units |
WARNING:
There is no way to know if the above recommendations are correct. The ONLY way to know is to test your blood. You might need 4-5 times the amount recommended above. Ideally your blood level of 25 OH D (Vitamin D) should be 60ng/ml.
DO YOU WANT TO FEEL BETTER? READ THIS!
Research shows Vitamin D deficiency has become epidemic, more so in areas with cloudy climates. Many conditions are related to this deficiency. These include osteoporosis, cancer, depression, schizophrenia, rickets, diabetes, joint and muscle pains that are often diagnosed as fibromyalgia, psoriasis, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD); and most recently the Flu!
The Virology Journal 2008, issue 5:29, in an article by 16 experts stated that flu might well be a dormant disease that becomes active when vitamin D levels drop. Vitamin D levels drop when there is a lack of sunshine. This accounts for the seasonal nature of the flu, and that flu is less common nearer the equator.
Garland CF, et al. The Role of Vitamin D in Cancer Prevention. Am J Public Health, 2006 Feb;96(2):252-61: The evidence suggests that efforts to improve vitamin D status, for example by vitamin D supplementation, could reduce cancer incidence and mortality at low cost, with few or no adverse effects.”
Mathieu C, Badenhoop K. Vitamin D and type 1 diabetes mellitus: state of the art. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2005 Aug;16(6):261-6: High-dose vitamin D supplementation early in life protects against type 1 diabetes. … Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy probably increases the incidence of autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes, in genetically predisposed individuals”.
The current recommended intake for vitamin D is as low as 200 i.u. daily. But, scientific evidence is emerging, confirming that this is FAR below optimal levels. The study in the Virology Journal recommends 5000 i.u./day, or more, for many people.
Another study of 138 subjects, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition June 2008; 87(6):1952-1958 (Free Full-Text Report) suggested a daily dose of 3800 i.u. for those with adequate blood vitamin D levels, and 5000 i.u. each day for those who are vitamin D deficient.
Contraindications to vitamin D use include: Hyperparathyroidism, tuberculosis, lymphoma, or sarcoidosis. An overdose of oral vitamin D can cause: Vomiting, constipation, weight loss, kidney failure, calcification of the arteries.
For this reason it is recommended that anyone who takes more than 5000 i.u./day regularly of vitamin D should have a blood test to evaluate their level of deficiency. The correct test for vitamin D is 25(OH)D, also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Other vitamin D tests are not useful.
If you want to know what your vitamin D level is I can give you a prescription/referral for that test. Some insurances will even cover the test.
If you want to begin supplementation at a known “safe” level our office can sell you a high quality brand of vitamin D3 liquid. Each bottle contains 810 1000 i.u. drops of D3. At 5000 i.u./day that is a 162 day supply; 5 months and 12 days. For better health all fall, winter and spring begin vitamin D supplementation. A bottle of D3 liquid costs $26 and that includes tax. The cost is less than 17 cents/day.
You Would Have to Be Crazy to Not Take More Vitamin D
99% of what we know about Vitamin D was only learned this century. Vitamin D, often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin”, is different from other vitamins in that it influences your entire body. Vitamin D receptors have been found in almost every type of human cell; from your brain to your bones, so its power to optimize your health is exceptional.
Recent research in a field called epigenetics has made it clear that your lifestyle controls the expression of your genes. There are only a microscopic number of genes that control your lifestyle. This means that what you eat, think and drink; what you put on your skin and breathe, as well as how you move and exercise determines how your genes express themselves. Vitamin D will optimize between 2000-3000 genes in your body. That is 10% of all the genes in your body!
Vitamin D is likely the most-studied supplement of this decade. Recent research made irrelevant the recommendation of 400 IU’s a day of vitamin D3 that was the standard for decades. Now major resea4rch journals are recommending up to 5000 IU’s a day!
This startling change is because D3 has been shown to influence conditions as diverse as cancer and obesity. Vitamin D3 is believed to have a positive impact on MS, autism, diabetes, conditions of the gut, dementia and general aging conditions, poor sleep, teeth, muscles, eyes, and skin conditions. It has been shown to have a positive effect on the heart, fertility, the lungs, osteoporosis, and more. This does not mean that Vitamin D cures anything, only that you will be healthier with adequate levels in your body.
You may ask, “Why is this?” In the first paragraph I talked about vitamin D3 receptors being in almost every cell of the body, and helping at least 10% of the genes in the body to work more efficiently.
Your genes are only the blueprint for your body. Just as with a house, the blueprint cannot ensure a quality home will be built. If your house burns down it would be silly to have the fire department rebuild it. You would hire the best electricians, plumbers, and carpenters to be certain the blueprint was followed correctly.
Building your body is no different. If you allow bad food, sugar, and toxins to build on your genetic blueprint, you end up with a weak, faulty structure. If you use quality products like vitamin D3 you maximize the potential for having a highly functional body.
That is why I urge just about everyone to use vitamin D3. I sell vitamin D3 in a liquid form. This allows it to be absorbed more efficiently. This is especially important because D3 is a fat soluble vitamin, and for many difficult to absorb. Vitamin D3 is also economical. A single bottle that sells for $26 (tax included) contains 810 doses. This means that it would last a family of five more than a month, even at 5000 IU/day. That is 85 cents/day, 17 cents/person!
Research suggests that up to 85% of people could be deficient in vitamin D without knowing it… leaving them with less-than-optimal health. In fact, some scientists call for urgent action.
Why?
- Because current scientific research suggests that all cells and tissues in your body have vitamin D receptors — and further concludes that every cell and tissue needs vitamin D for its well-being.
- Not only that, but vitamin D is responsible for the regulation of over 2,000 genes in your body!
- Vitamin D engages in very complex metabolic processes within your body.
- Scientists believe that vitamin D serves a wide range of fundamental biological functions relating to many aspects of your health.
Your skin naturally produces your body’s supply of vitamin D from direct exposure to bright midday sun with a mere ten or fifteen minutes’ exposure per day. But for decades, you’ve been the target of a misinformation campaign from the media and conventional medicine that created a fear of sunshine. Therefore, most people either intentionally or unintentionally avoid the sun — or smear on sunscreen that blocks the beneficial wavelengths that produce vitamin D in your skin.
Having too little vitamin D may not have any outwardly obvious signs. Yet vitamin D (specifically the vitamin D3 form) impacts an incredible array of support for systems and functions in your body…
- Heart health
- Cell formation and cell longevity
- Skin health
- Pancreatic health
- Aging process
- Sleep patterns
- Hearing
- Reproductive health
- Athletic performance
- Eye health
- Vascular system health
- Respiratory health
- Immune health… Most people feel in better health during the summer sunshine months — ever wonder why?
- Healthy mood and feelings of well-being
- Weight management, including carbohydrate and fat metabolism
- Hair and hair follicles
- Strong and healthy bones, because vitamin D encourages calcium uptake
- Muscles
- Proper digestion and food absorption
- Since healthy levels of vitamin D protect and promote so many of your body’s functions, a deficiency may mean your body lacks the tools it needs to keep you in optimal health…
There are three ways to obtain the vitamin D your body needs. The absolute best way to get vitamin D is through direct sunlight on your skin. But what if you live in northerly climates where direct sunlight is unavailable for months at a time, as it is in most of the continental U.S.? Short of moving to Hawaii, you still have two alternatives.
One alternative is to regularly use a tanning bed that utilizes UV-B rays. Your third alternative is internal supplementation with vitamin D3.
How Can You Be Sure You’re Getting Enough Vitamin D?
Some population groups are more likely to have lower-than-optimal vitamin D levels than others. But remember that 85% are estimated to be deficient. Are you one of the 85% — or in one of these groups that may suggest deficiencies?
People with limited sunlight exposure. During the long grey winter months in northern latitudes, you may need to supplement your vitamin D3 unless you have access to a safe tanning bed. However, even during summer many of us are modern day ‘cavemen’. Most people get very little sun exposure during the summer. Your reasons might include working an indoor job during all the peak sunlight hours, avoiding the heat of the day, or cultural dress codes.
And did you know that your car, home, and office windows block most of the sun’s wavelengths that your skin needs to produce vitamin D?
Your bare skin needs at least 10-15 minutes of exposure to direct sunlight every day to produce the vitamin D you need.
Overweight people. Individuals who are overweight often have considerably higher needs for vitamin D because vitamin D is oil soluble and hidden in their fat.
Pregnant women. New evidence suggests that vitamin D levels during pregnancy may be critically important for you and your baby.
The elderly. As you age, your skin loses the ability to generate vitamin D. Plus, the elderly tend to spend more time indoors.
Dark-skinned people. Darker-skinned people have higher melanin levels, which blocks UVB radiation and limits the body’s ability to produce vitamin D3.
What’s more, vitamin D is very rare in foods, and is only available in very limited quantities in eggs, liver and fatty fish.
Getting appropriate amounts of sunshine or UV exposure through a safe tanning bed (or taking a vitamin D supplement when you can’t get healthy amounts of UVB exposure) is one of the KEY preventive strategies against the cold and flu, as it has an extraordinary strengthening effect on your immune system.
Although supplements are clearly inferior to sunlight exposure or safe tanning beds, I am becoming more convinced of the value of vitamin D supplements as they are less potentially toxic than the scientific community thought even a year ago, and they are certainly more convenient and less expensive than a tanning bed.
If you are in an area that does not allow you to get adequate sun exposure, and you don’t have access to a safe tanning bed, adults should take 5,000 to 10,000 IU of vitamin D per day, depending on body weight. For children, 2,000 IU per day is typically adequate.
How to cure a cold or flu with mega-doses of vitamin D, please read Avoid Flu Shots With the One Vitamin That Will Stop Flu in Its Tracks. 2000IU/kg of weight/day for 3 days
And, please, think long and hard about whether you want to waste your money on a toxin-laden shot that likely won’t work to prevent the flu.
Top Researchers Advise More Vitamin D During Pregnancy
The importance of vitamin D, for adults, the elderly, children and also for pregnant women, is beginning to permeate the mainstream medical community, but it will still likely be some time before most doctors are routinely checking levels and recommending sun exposure and supplementation for those who are low.
In the latest news, researchers from the University College London Institute of Child Health concluded that pregnant women should be advised to take vitamin D, given the ample amounts of evidence showing benefit.
Study author Dr. Elina Hypponen told NutraIngredients:
“The incidence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women in Britain is unacceptably high, especially during winter and spring. This is compounded by a lack of exposure to sunlight and the limitations of an average diet to meet the optimal need. In the most severe cases, maternal vitamin D deficiency can be life threatening to a newborn …
We believe that the routine provision of a daily supplement throughout pregnancy would significantly decrease the number of mothers who are clearly vitamin D deficient, reducing related serious risks to their babies.”
U.S. researchers Drs. Hollis and Wagner also recently divulged their impressive findings from what is considered the first scientific trial that meets the most stringent criteria for “evidence-based inquiry” into vitamin D and pregnancy.
Their findings were discussed at an international vitamin D research conference in Brugge, Belgium, and included:
- Mothers who took 4,000 IU’s (ten times the RDA of 400 IU) of vitamin D during pregnancy had their risk of premature birth reduced by half
- Premature babies born to women taking high doses of vitamin D were reduced by half at both 32 and 37 weeks
- There were also fewer babies who were born “small for dates”
- Women taking high doses of vitamin D had a 25 percent reduction in infections, particularly respiratory infections such as colds and flu, as well as fewer infections of the vagina and the gums
- The “core morbidities of pregnancy” were reduced by 30 percent in the women who took the high-dose vitamin D. (Including diabetes, high blood pressure, and pre-eclampsia — a potentially deadly increase in blood pressure and fluid accompanied by low platelets)
- Babies getting the highest amounts of vitamin D after birth had fewer colds and less eczema
The findings are so significant that researcher Dr. Bruce Hollis of the Medical University of South Carolina said:
“I’m telling every pregnant mother I see to take 4,000 IUs and every nursing mother to take 6,400 IUs of vitamin D a day. I think it is medical malpractice for obstetricians not to know what the vitamin D level of their patients is. This study will put them on notice.”
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