Vitamin D – What Everyone Needs to Know

The issue of Vitamin D deficiency as a major factor in immune-system-related illnesses ranging from seasonal cold and flu, to heart disease, to cancer, to atopic and autoimmune disorders has received a lot of attention in the last few years. Clinical journals, as well as the mainstream media, have been reporting evidence that modern industrialized society is severely deficient in Vitamin D and that this deficiency is a major contributing factor to illness and lack of health and vitality.

Research has shown that vitamin D increases the ability of certain immune cells programmed to respond to viruses, bacteria, fungi and any other threatening non-self invader. Vitamin D also plays an important role in controlling the inflammatory response initiated by other specialized immune cells. A deficiency of vitamin D means deficient control of inflammation.

Can vitamin D deficiency lead to serious illness?

The evidence that vitamin D deficiency is related to seasonal respiratory illnesses such as cold and flu and that vitamin D sufficiency can both prevent and help to recover from these illnesses is extremely convincing. The role of vitamin D deficiency in other serious illnesses is also being reported. Evidence suggests that vitamin D is involved in the triple-current-childhood epidemic of autism, asthma and autoimmune diabetes. Not only do mechanisms of action exist to explain vitamin D’s role in all three, but evidence suggesting a vitamin D connection to these devastating diseases is growing. It has also been suggested that improving calcium and vitamin D nutritional status substantially reduces all cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Vitamin D is an inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin system and has anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant properties, thus low serum 25(OH)D levels are associated with a higher prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Disease. Several mechanisms have been invoked in the literature to support a potential anti-atherosclerotic activity of vitamin D.

At this point it can be confidently stated that having sufficient levels of vitamin D is essential for both wellness and prevention.

What are the daily vitamin D requirements?

According to Dr. Robert Heaney, people utilize approximately 4000 IUs of vitamin D3 per day. Dr. John Cannell, MD, the Executive Director of the Vitamin D Council, stated in a recent online newsletter that there is no evidence in the published literature that even 10,000 IUs per day of vitamin D3 is toxic to humans and that human toxicity does likely not occur until over 40,000 IUs of daily consumption. Research reports human toxicity probably begins after chronic daily intake of approximately 40,000 IU/day (100 of the 400 IU capsules). In other words, any danger associated with vitamin D3 is from deficiency, not toxicity. The Food and Nutrition Board of the US Institute of Medicine has set the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (TUIL) for vitamin D3 at 2,000 IU per day for adults. As seen above, many vitamin D experts disagree with this low setting and state that adults can require supplementation with up to 4,000 IUs per day in the winter months. Therefore, it would be prudent to ensure a minimal daily intake of 1,000 IUs of vitamin D3 for children, 2,000 IUs for adults and 4,000 IUs for pregnant and lactating women who have not previously been sufficient. A pregnant or lactating woman who has maintained sufficient vitamin D levels for years prior to pregnancy will likely not require an increase in daily intake. It would be prudent to have vitamin D levels tested.

What are the sources of vitamin D and how do we get sufficient amounts?

The answer is sunlight. In order to get the daily requirement of vitamin D from sunlight you need to have direct, summer-month sun exposure on your arms and legs for a minimum of 10–15 minutes per day. This is why vitamin D deficiency is so common in non-tropical climates, especially in the winter months. In industrial nations, neither the climate nor season are accurate determinants of the amount of sun exposure, as most people spend the majority of their time inside or covered up when outside. If you are not getting a minimum of 15 minutes per day of direct summer sunlight on bare arms and legs (without sunscreen), then you need another source of vitamin D. The simple fact is we were never meant to get vitamin D from food. We are genetically designed to get vitamin D from sunlight, but this is simply not a realistic option for most people living and working indoors or who live in areas where sunlight levels change with the seasons. It should be noted here that humans with pigmented skin (non-Caucasians) require significantly more sun exposure to achieve sufficient vitamin D levels. This means these people are at an even greater risk for illnesses caused by vitamin D deficiency.

FACT: Vitamin D is essential for wellness and prevention for people of all ages. From birth onward, people require sufficient vitamin D for health and vitality and for protection against illnesses related to vitamin D deficiency.

FACT: Unless you are getting your required amount of sunlight every day, you will almost certainly be deficient in vitamin D.

FACT: Research is clear that the vast majority of people living in industrialized society are deficient in Vitamin D.

FACT: Your serum 25(OH)D level should be between 40 and 60 ng/ml. The only way to be sure of your vitamin D levels are to measure your serum level of 25(OH)D.

FACT: You cannot get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your diet. Humans are genetically designed to get vitamin D from sun exposure, not our diets. Supplementation is the next best option.

FACT: Vitamin D deficiency can have severe consequences and is linked to very serious illness in people of all ages. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to seasonal colds and flu, cancer, heart disease, asthma, allergies, autism, autoimmune diabetes and a plethora of other serious illnesses.

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The issue of Vitamin D deficiency as a major factor in immune-system-related illnesses ranging from seasonal cold and flu, to heart disease, to cancer, to atopic and autoimmune disorders has received a lot of attention in the last few years. Clinical journals, as well as the mainstream media, have been reporting evidence that modern industrialized society is severely deficient in Vitamin D and that this deficiency is a major contributing factor to illness and lack of health and vitality.

Research has shown that vitamin D increases the ability of certain immune cells programmed to respond to viruses, bacteria, fungi and any other threatening non-self invader. Vitamin D also plays an important role in controlling the inflammatory response initiated by other specialized immune cells. A deficiency of vitamin D means deficient control of inflammation.

Can vitamin D deficiency lead to serious illness?

The evidence that vitamin D deficiency is related to seasonal respiratory illnesses such as cold and flu and that vitamin D sufficiency can both prevent and help to recover from these illnesses is extremely convincing. The role of vitamin D deficiency in other serious illnesses is also being reported. Evidence suggests that vitamin D is involved in the triple-current-childhood epidemic of autism, asthma and autoimmune diabetes. Not only do mechanisms of action exist to explain vitamin D’s role in all three, but evidence suggesting a vitamin D connection to these devastating diseases is growing. It has also been suggested that improving calcium and vitamin D nutritional status substantially reduces all cancer risk in postmenopausal women. Vitamin D is an inhibitor of the renin-angiotensin system and has anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant properties, thus low serum 25(OH)D levels are associated with a higher prevalence of Peripheral Arterial Disease. Several mechanisms have been invoked in the literature to support a potential anti-atherosclerotic activity of vitamin D.

At this point it can be confidently stated that having sufficient levels of vitamin D is essential for both wellness and prevention.

What are the daily vitamin D requirements?

According to Dr. Robert Heaney, people utilize approximately 4000 IUs of vitamin D3 per day. Dr. John Cannell, MD, the Executive Director of the Vitamin D Council, stated in a recent online newsletter that there is no evidence in the published literature that even 10,000 IUs per day of vitamin D3 is toxic to humans and that human toxicity does likely not occur until over 40,000 IUs of daily consumption. Research reports human toxicity probably begins after chronic daily intake of approximately 40,000 IU/day (100 of the 400 IU capsules). In other words, any danger associated with vitamin D3 is from deficiency, not toxicity. The Food and Nutrition Board of the US Institute of Medicine has set the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (TUIL) for vitamin D3 at 2,000 IU per day for adults. As seen above, many vitamin D experts disagree with this low setting and state that adults can require supplementation with up to 4,000 IUs per day in the winter months. Therefore, it would be prudent to ensure a minimal daily intake of 1,000 IUs of vitamin D3 for children, 2,000 IUs for adults and 4,000 IUs for pregnant and lactating women who have not previously been sufficient. A pregnant or lactating woman who has maintained sufficient vitamin D levels for years prior to pregnancy will likely not require an increase in daily intake. It would be prudent to have vitamin D levels tested.

What are the sources of vitamin D and how do we get sufficient amounts?

The answer is sunlight. In order to get the daily requirement of vitamin D from sunlight you need to have direct, summer-month sun exposure on your arms and legs for a minimum of 10–15 minutes per day. This is why vitamin D deficiency is so common in non-tropical climates, especially in the winter months. In industrial nations, neither the climate nor season are accurate determinants of the amount of sun exposure, as most people spend the majority of their time inside or covered up when outside. If you are not getting a minimum of 15 minutes per day of direct summer sunlight on bare arms and legs (without sunscreen), then you need another source of vitamin D. The simple fact is we were never meant to get vitamin D from food. We are genetically designed to get vitamin D from sunlight, but this is simply not a realistic option for most people living and working indoors or who live in areas where sunlight levels change with the seasons. It should be noted here that humans with pigmented skin (non-Caucasians) require significantly more sun exposure to achieve sufficient vitamin D levels. This means these people are at an even greater risk for illnesses caused by vitamin D deficiency.

FACT: Vitamin D is essential for wellness and prevention for people of all ages. From birth onward, people require sufficient vitamin D for health and vitality and for protection against illnesses related to vitamin D deficiency.

FACT: Unless you are getting your required amount of sunlight every day, you will almost certainly be deficient in vitamin D.

FACT: Research is clear that the vast majority of people living in industrialized society are deficient in Vitamin D.

FACT: Your serum 25(OH)D level should be between 40 and 60 ng/ml. The only way to be sure of your vitamin D levels are to measure your serum level of 25(OH)D.

FACT: You cannot get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your diet. Humans are genetically designed to get vitamin D from sun exposure, not our diets. Supplementation is the next best option.

FACT: Vitamin D deficiency can have severe consequences and is linked to very serious illness in people of all ages. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to seasonal colds and flu, cancer, heart disease, asthma, allergies, autism, autoimmune diabetes and a plethora of other serious illnesses.

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