Vitamin D – The Epidemic

When was the last time you had your vitamin D levels checked? Why would you want to know your status of this powerful yet too often overlooked vitamin? Vitamin D is not just a vitamin that is important for bone health and the prevention of rickets. It is a prohormone that is essential for modulation of calcium metabolism, cell growth, cardiovascular dynamics, immune/inflammatory balance, neurologic function, and genetic expression. Vitamin D is produced when the ultraviolet rays of sunshine strike the skin. It is then converted in the liver and kidneys to it’s active form. 30 minutes of sunshine on the entire body is required to produce adequate physiologic levels of vitamin D in the body. Full-body exposure to ultraviolet light will provide approximately 4,000-20,000 IU of vitamin D. Americans simply do not get this much sun exposure, especially at higher latitudes. Sunscreen is a major problem because it blocks 97%-100% of natural vitamin D production and contributes to a deficiency state.

It is virtually impossible to get enough vitamin D through diet even with cod liver oil supplementation. Three tablespoons of cod liver oil would be required every day to attain enough D but because of it’s high level of vitamin A one could end up with vitamin A toxicity. D3 is the naturally occurring form of vitamin D and can be obtained through high quality supplements. D2 is produced by irradiating fungi and is much less efficient as a precursor to the active form of vitamin D. Dairy products are fortified with D2 providing a vastly inferior source not to mention the potential toxicities of D2. The amount of D2 put in dairy products is also extremely inadequate which leads us to the question of how much is safe and effective. Supplementation of 4,000-10,000 IU for adults is clinically safe since such doses are consistent with physiologic requirements as noted by the amount produced by sun exposure. I have noticed recently my patients bringing in calcium/vitamin D combination products. These products have a grossly suboptimal level of vitamin D.

Vitamin D supplementation has been scientifically shown to benefit the following conditions:

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Hypertension
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Prevention of type 1 diabetes
  • Depression
  • Epilepsy
  • Migraine headaches
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome
  • Musculoskeletal pain
  • Autoimmune/inflammatory conditions such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis
  • Cancer prevention and treatment.

Low levels of vitamin D are associated with an increase risk of the following cancers: breast, colon, ovary, prostate, bladder, esophagus, kidney, lung, pancreas, rectum, stomach, uterus, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is estimated that as many as 47,000 cancer deaths could be prevented each year in America if adequate vitamin D levels were attained.

It is extremely important to have your levels checked through a blood test in addition to consistent monitoring of blood calcium levels. Vitamin D cannot be toxic in and of itself but by raising calcium levels to a toxic range which can deposit in tissues throughout the body. This is an extremely rare problem but should be monitored nonetheless. I test and monitor vitamin D levels frequently in my practice and it has become a vital piece of the pie in achieving optimum health. Dr. Nikolas Hedberg is a licensed chiropractic physician, doctor of naturopathic medicine and is certified in acupuncture. He can be reached at his practice at 298-5435.