Do the "D"!! (Vitamin D)

Google “vitamin D” and you will get over 12 million entries!

Vitamin D was once thought to be just another vitamin that was important to your health as all the vitamins are.  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.

A look at Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the fat soluble vitamins (the others being A,E and K) found in many food sources.  Your body must have enough of these vitamins to survive.  Fat soluble means that there must be fat present in order for the vitamin to be metabolized, and the vitamin will “hang around” in your system and can accumulate.  Technically you can O.D. on the fat soluble vitamins…more on that later…

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 osteoporosis, hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer, and several autoimmune diseases including Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes, and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Vitamin D and Cancer

Being a cancer survivor, I was particularly interested in the role of cancer prevention. It was discovered that Vitamin D plays an important role in the management of “cell elimination” or apoptosis.  When cells don’t belong, there is a mechanism in the body that arranges to have them stop reproducing.  This happens, for example with fetuses and with children, who are growing and changing. Their bodies morph because some cells grow, and some get rearranged and disappear. An average tween (ages 8 – 14) losses approx 25 billion (with a “b”) cells every day to apoptosis.  If this “cell subtraction”, if you will, goes unchecked, abnormal overgrowth of cells can occur, which is another term for cancer.

Early studies also show that Vitamin D can actually destroy cancer cells and prevent spreading.

Recently, over the past 2 years or so, the Vitamin D levels of breast cancer patients were checked.  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 Vitmain 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.

When my doctor checked my Vitamin D level 2 years ago it was 23 ng/dl!  Too bad this was after I had already been diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer 3 years earlier.  I was prescribed high dose Vitamin D for 6 weeks and then was told to “take extra Vitamin D” every day.  Now my vitamin D is check routinely to make sure it is within the desirable range.  I like to keep mine as close to 100 as possible without going over….(reminds me of The Price is Right…)

There is considerable scientific evidence that 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D (the metabolized form of vitamin D in the blood)  has a variety of effects on immune system function as well, which may enhance general  immunity.

How do I get enough vitamin D?

Vitamin D comes in 2 forms: Vitamin D2 or Vitamin D3.  Vitamin D3 is more potent.

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.  This small amount of sun is not enough to put you at any increased risk of skin cancer, but the Skin Cancer Foundation still warns of excess exposure.

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 D2 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.

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 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

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.  (I have friends with a history of breast cancer and they see naturopathic doctors who prescribe taking 10,000 iu/daily)

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. The RDA for Vitamin K is 150 mcg/day. Not much info on this, but I’m told 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…..just “Vitamin D”…..or Vitmain 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?

What I do:

I would strongly suggest, especially women, ask you doctor to check your vitamin D level (ask for the vitamin D 25-hyroxy blood test) , and treat accordingly.

I take 4000 IU/day because…..I checked my levels after taking the prescription doses for 6 weeks. My level was only 45 ng/ml (which was fine by my doctor, but not for me)  I increased my daily intake to 4000 iu/day and checked it after 6 months. It went to 60 ng/ml.    I take my D3 with my calcium (that has Vit K in it)

I welcome any comments, questions as this is a sharing forum.

New study update March 20, 2012: Scientists pinpoint how Vitamin D helps clear plaques in the brain found in Alzheimer”s

Childrens body fat linked to mothers Vitamin D deficiency

Please see these sites for additional information:

Linus Paulding Institute at Oregon State University

Vitamin D and MS

New Study says Vitamin D intake needs to be higher to reduce risks of disease

New Study shows low Vitamin D plays a role in pre-menopausal breast cancer

Thanks for reading!