Thursday, February 16, 2012

The Truth About Vitamin D



Know your (Vitamin) D- factor

Vitamin D: The “Super-Vitamin”

Vitamin D was once thought to be just another vitamin that was just as important to your health as all the other vitamins.  We know it plays a huge role in the regulation and absorption of Calcium, (that’s why you will see it in your Calcium supplements) but it’s just over the past several years that people are “doing extra D” for important added benefits...and rightly so!

The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. Recently, research also suggests vitamin D may provide protection from hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer, and several autoimmune diseases including Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes, and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Vitamin D is a somewhat “special” vitamin as well because the body actually manufactures Vitamin D from sunlight.  No other vitamin is produced in our systems.  The fact that our bodies produce it and the fact that it has such an impact on many of our bodies systems, actually puts it in the category of a hormone.  This all important “super-vitamin-y hormone” has made headlines recently because of the link that was discovered with breast cancer.

Vitamin D and Breast Cancer

It was found that a significant number of breast cancer patients, for whatever reason, had very low levels of Vitamin D.  It was suggested that increasing women’s Vitamin D level to “adequate” (35-74 ng/ml in the blood measured as calcifediol or Vitamin D 25-hydroxy) could save 65,000 women from developing breast cancer every year. A study of over 1400 women in the general population showed that over 50% of them had inadequate Vitamin D levels. (myself included)

When I was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer my Vitamin D level was 23 ng/dl! (desirable is considered to be 35 - 74 ng/dl)  A few weeks of high dose vitamin D under a doctor’s supervision, with a daily supplement intake of 4000 mg/day is keeping me in the 50’s. 

Since the breast cancer study, it has been discovered that other cancer patients as well had low Vitamin D levels (but not prostate cancer).  We are learning more and more about vitamin D and the role it plays on your immune system.  Poor immunity is related to your risk of cancer, but also is linked to heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and Multiple Sclerosis among others.  the reason is the role Vitamin D plays in “apoptosis” or regulating the destruction of unwanted cells.  A lapse in the regulation causes overgrowth.....cancer.

It would make sense, then, to assume that it is vital you know what your Vitamin D levels are and supplement to keep them stable.  This can be done with a simple blood test called “serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D”.  This has become a very routine blood test and it is the only way to know if you are getting enough D.  With repeated tests you can tell what  “your personal” level of supplementation is in order to keep you within range.  The fact that Vitamin manufacturers are now making Vitamin D in 2000 mg sized pills tells you that people are wising up.

D2 vs D3

Vitamin D comes in two forms when buying supplements. Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) comes from plant sources, and Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) comes from animal sources.  Your body produces vitamin D3 from sunlight.  The jury is still out on whether Vitamin D2 or D3 is absorbed better. For vegans, obviously the choice is clear.

How do I get enough Vitamin D?

Naturally:  Our skin will produce vitamin D3 by exposing it to sunlight without sunscreen.  5 – 10 minutes a day 3 x week is sufficient to get adequate doses of Vitamin D in your system.  I must warn you of the Skin Cancer Foundation’s recommendations that you don’t go out in the sun without sunscreen.  (They would rather you just take a pill, thank you)



Foods:  It is hard to eat enough foods to get the levels of D you need. Foods contain, or are fortified with, the form D2 or D3. You will find D in eggs, fish and fish oil, fortified dairy products and (dare I say it?) beef liver (ugh) and cheese. Difficult for those on vegan or low fat diets, but many many foods are fortified. (D3 is the usual form in supplements, but not all are Vitamin D3)

Supplements: Here is where it gets tricky…..initially, the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of vitamin D was thought to be 200 UI/day but we now know that this amount just is not enough. The consensus from many sources is that every adult should be taking 2000 IU/day.... especially, the elderly, dark skinned people, those who live in colder climates (don’t get sunlight exposure), over weight (vitamin D is prevented from absorption in overweight persons) and those who have inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s that affect absorption.

Toxicity: Initially, there was not enough evidence to put a number on the upper limit for intake of vitamin D. Early studies showed that abnormally high levels of blood calcium were observed in those that took in excess of 50,000 IU /day of vitamin D.  This led the Food and Nutrition Board to establish VERY conservative maximum upper intake levels of 2000 IU/day.
Since 1997, more and more studies have been done that show vitamin D toxicity is very unlikely in healthy people at intake levels lower than 10,000 IU/day. 

Toxicity can further be avoided by taking it in conjunction with Vitamin K. When taken with Vitamin K, vitamin D is less likely to reach toxic levels.  Certain companies are now making Vitamin D with Vitamin K together.  Not much info on this, but I’m told by experts in the field that the data is there, and there will be more supplements that contain a combo of vitamin D and K in the future.

Be careful

Vitamins are not regulated by the FDA and because of that there is no guarantee that because the bottle says “Vitamin D3 1000 IU, that it contains what it states.
Pick a vitamin company that you trust. Look at their philosophy….look at who owns the company…. how long have they been around….any claims about certain products should have data to support it.  Call the company and ask questions.

Vitamins lose their potency so check expiration dates.
Look for a descriptive label…..does the bottle say just “Vitamin D”…..or Vitamin D3?
Look at the fillers….yeasts, preservatives….bulking agents, binding agents, etc….
Do they “do good” for the community?  do they donate a portion to research etc?

Bottom line

Even if you don’t like taking supplements, you may want to consider getting your Vitamin D blood level checked.  Having the right level may do more for your health than you realize.


Author Susan Gonzalez is a registered nurse, breast cancer survivor, and the creator of MOON Organics Inc. MOON organics is committed to providing organic, healthy products while helping those going through treatment for cancer. Please visit MOON-Organics.com for details.

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