As we skim through the cache of
information regarding wellness and health, many of us are searching for the
most truthful, efficient and safest ways of improving our health without
experiencing side effects.
We’re told that if we don’t have
enough of one particular nutrient, that a deficiency can have dire effects on
our bodies. While at the other end of
the spectrum, we’re warned of toxicity from other nutrients if we take too
much. However, the truth shows its’
consistency and availability via the correct inquisition. Understanding the body’s fundamental
processes allows you to make smarter, safer decisions about how to take care of
yourself.
The Importance of Vitamin D
Having mentioned that, Vitamin
D should be recognised as a staple in the maintenance of optimal health.
Charles Poliquin, an
internationally renowned trainer and Ottawa native, mentions in one of his
articles “Vitamin D may be the single most important supplement we can take for
our health”[i]. Poliquin has worked with Olympians in over 15
different events, including track and field 100m Gold Medalist, Donovan
Bailey. Other professional athletes he
has worked with include current and former NHL hockey players Joe Nieuwendyk,
Chris Pronger, Al Mcinnis and Gary Roberts.
Vitamin D is actually classified as
a hormone and interacts with most organs in our bodies including the heart,
skin, prostate and breasts. According to
study reviewed by Poloquin, raising your vitamin D levels also means you’ll
raise testosterone levels, resulting in improved body composition for those of
us looking for gains in lean size and/or more definition[ii]. Serum 25(OH)D levels are measured in our
blood in nanograms per millilitre ng/ml or nanomoles per millilitre (nmol/l) which
is ng/ml multiplied by 2.5. The 25(OH)D
test is one that measures serum levels in your blood and can be ordered through
your health care professional.
This chemical messenger sends
instructions to over 20 different tissues and over 200 different genes in the
human body about how and when to perform metabolic tasks. It is naturally produced and stored by our
bodies in the fat cells of our skin from adequate exposure to the sun’s UV-B
rays. Tanning beds in salons using
electronic ballasts also produce UV-B rays and can help one get extra
production of Vitamin D in the winter.
UV-B rays were once considered a damaging carcinogen or cancer causing
agent, which created warnings of avoiding direct sunlight and boosted profits
in the sunscreen industry. But new
research suggests that the skin cancer known as Melanoma is tied to ‘benign
lesions’ in their early stages which are misleadingly classified as cancerous[iii].
This
ever so important vitamin is needed for us to absorb calcium in our diets and
getting 20-30 minutes of sunlight daily will help us maintain optimal levels of
Vitamin D in our blood. The down side to
this is that the typical North American lifestyle is mostly lived indoors.
Deficiency
A
deficiency in a vitamin that has such an influence on your body’s maintenance
like this one has been linked to conditions of all kinds. Auto-immune diseases, degenerative processes,
infections and cancers (i.e., of the heart, skin, prostate, breast and colon) can all
stem from a lack of Vitamin D[iv]. A growing amount of studies link low D3
levels to Multiple Sclerosis[v],
Asthma, Tuberculosis and Alzheimer’s Disease to name a few. Since inadequate levels of D3 in your blood
is a threat to your immune system, the absence of quality sunlight during the
winter months and lack of dietary supplementation during this time are strong
contributors to the flu. Proper
supplementation shows well supported benefits for many types of cardiovascular
diseases, type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, under/over active thyroids as well several
bacterial and viral infections.
“It is
extremely important that pregnant and nursing women obtain sufficient vitamin D
from solar UVB exposure and/or vitamin D supplements to raise their serum
25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration to the range of 40-60 ng/ml
(100-150 nmol/l)[vi]". Pregnant or Lactating mothers are in great
need of vitamin d as it is necessary for fetal development and Central Nervous
System development in newborn children.
A lack of D3 in children has been shown to be associated with major risks in growth with Schizophrenia[vii],
Autism[viii],
Mental Retardation or Cerebral Palsy.
Poliquin states “The bottom line is
that virtually every disease and adverse condition is associated with low
vitamin D3 levels. Consequently, many of
these problems may be fixed with adequate vitamin d3 supplementation, or can be
avoided by keeping vitamin d3 levels in the high normal range.”[ix]
Toxicity
Accumulating toxic levels of vitamin D3 is generally rare
due to our lack of sun exposure and limited absorption through dieting. You would probably attain toxicity in other
nutrients long before one in D3 if you’re trying to eat to cover your daily
recommended intake. Information such as
this only solidifies our need for the ‘sunshine vitamin’ as a living organism
in our ecosystem.
Depending
on where you’re from in the world, nature has provided us with an appropriate
defence mechanism from excess exposure. Darker
skin pigmentation in areas around the equator where the sun shines more
consistently prevents UV-B rays from becoming toxic, but is shown to be
absorbed 2-3 times slower. This
increases a dark-skinned individual’s sun exposure requirements. In areas away from the tropics and equator,
human skin has adapted by lightening pigmentation to allow for more absorption
of the Sun’s UV-B rays. So the closer
your ancestors lived to either of the Earth’s poles, the lighter your skin is. Sunburn can increase your risk of skin
cancer, so getting sunlight in areas where one lives gradually seems to be
better than going on vacation to a different region of the world and getting
too much all at once.
It
appears that serum 25(OH)D levels that exceed 200ng/ml can be potentially
harmful.[x] The skin can produce up to 20,000
International Units (IU) from 30 minutes of exposure to the sun. So understanding this should tell us that
supplementing with oral vitamin D in these amounts seems safe when we’re unable
to get it from the sun. I’ve spoken with
a few different health store employees/owners who are currently taking D3
supplements averaging 10,000-15,000 IU/day.
One of them was even a flight attendant during the SARS and H1N1 outbreaks. Available publications of
vitamin D toxicity with Hypercalcemia, for which the 25(OH)D concentration and
vitamin D dose are known all involve intake of > or = to 40,000 IU/day[xi].
Recommendations
The
Institute of Medicine is an organization in the United States that provides national
advice to different leaders and policy-makers around the world. Health Canada are one of the advised. In a 2011 study which excludes ecological
studies, they state that 600 IU/day of D3 is enough in the absence of solar irradiance
and that serum 25(OH)D levels of 20 ng/ml (50 nmol/l) is enough.[xii]
“Really? But even the simplest research suggests that
our bodies can make over 15 times that amount in less than half hour under the
sun. Therefore, I’m not convinced.”
Joan M.
Lappe, PhD, RN, FAAN wrote a report titled “The Role of Vitamin D in Human
Health: A Paradigm Shift” which was featured in a 2011 issue of the “Journal of
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine”. This report references findings from a 2009
publication that estimated “if serum 25(OH)D levels in the US population were
maintained ≥ 34 ng/ml (≥85 nmol/l),
50% of colon cancer incidence could be prevented. Maintaining serum 25(OH)D levels ≥42 ng/ml (≥105 nmol/l)
would prevent about 30% percent of breast cancers.”[xiii]
When you go over information like this, you
can’t help but ask yourself why the IOM’s recommendations are so low. It seems to me like a lot of profit from the
pharmaceutical industry would be lost if recommendations were what they should
be, eliminating the need for costly treatment.
In most of modern medicine, the entire model for treatment is based on
reaction to symptoms rather than prevention of them.
A professor of Medicine at Creighton
University, Dr. Robert Heaney explains in a CTV video the importance of
vitamin D and the errors involved in the IOM’s findings. Titled, "CTV News Channel: Dr. Robert Heaney, professor"
Vitamin
D researchers Bruce Hollis and Carol Wagner among others have completed studies
that demonstrate the safety of 4000 IU/day[xiv]. The Vitamin D council suggests daily serum
levels of at least 50 ng/ml (125 nmol/l).
According to observational/ecological studies conducted by SUNARC (a
sunlight, nutrition and health research centre in California), optimal levels
appear to be at least 40 ng/ml.[xv]
Keep in
mind that it isn’t the dosage that we should worry about but the measure of D3
in our blood. Some of us absorb this
vitamin differently that others and making small changes to your dose and
monitoring your levels may be the best way to ensure you’re getting the right
amounts. Recognising the importance of
this crucial nutrient has prompted me to spend more time outside when warm
weather returns, as well as supplement with 15,000 IU/day throughout the winter
with vitamin K2 for even better absorption D3.
I would
also like to mention that this dose is one I chose for my own personal health
goals and should not be taken as a recommendation and I strongly recommend that
you ask your family physician about how to safely increase your levels if you
choose to. Therefore, I cannot be held
responsible for what you decide as your course of action.
However, what
I conclude based on my research is that we can make the entire process of
elimination a whole lot easier in terms of finding out what is wrong with us
when we’re sick. Vitamin D is required
for much more than calcium absorption. It is for more than bone and teeth
health. It is a proven foundation of
maintaining optimal health all around.
I’m sure that a reasonable-minded
individual will be able to draw similar conclusions after sifting through all
the unarguable evidence. I have to say
i’m excited about discovering such helpful information because some of the
conditions listed as a result of deficiency are ones I experience with clients
as a fitness specialist.
References
[i] Poliquin, Charles. "Vitamin
D3: Best…Supplement…Ever!" 23 Jan. 2010: 12 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/230/Vitamin_D3_BestSupplementEver.aspx>
[ii] Poliquin, Charles. "Tip 441: Get Enough Vitamin D for Optimal Testosterone Levels and Body Composition" 25 Sep. 2012: 6 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/1579/Tip-441-Get-Enough-Vitamin-D-for-Optimal-Testosterone-Levels-Body-Composition.aspx>
Pilz, S., Frisch, S., et al. Effect of
Vitamin D Supplementation on Testosterone Levels in Men. Hormone and Metabolic
Research. 2011. 43, 223-225.
[iii]
BR J Dermatol. "Melanoma epidemic: a midsummer night's dream?" Pubmed.gov Sept. 2009: 5 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19519827?report=abstract>
[iv] News Medical. “Vitamin
D Overdose” 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.news-medical.net/health/Vitamin-D-Overdose.aspx>
[v] Rattue, Grace. "Multiple Sclerosis Risk Lower When Vitamin D Levels Are Higher" Medical
News Today MediLexicon, Intl., 12 Jun. 2012. Web.
18 Dec. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/246486.php>
18 Dec. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/246486.php>
[vi]
Grant, William B. "Vitamin D requirements during pregnancy and lactation" Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center 1 par. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.sunarc.org/Vitamin%20D%20pregnancy.htm>
[vii] Mittelstaedt, Martin. "Low
vitamin D in newborns linked to schizophrenia" The Globe and Mail 9 Sep. 2010: 15 pars. 19 Dec. 2012 <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/conditions/low-vitamin-d-in-newborns-linked-to-schizophrenia/article4268128/>
[viii]
Grant W, Cannell J. "Autism prevalence in the United States with respect to solar UV-B doses: An ecological study" Dermato-Endocrinology 2012; 4:0 - -1; 19 Dec. 2012 <http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/dermatoendocrinology/article/22942/?show_full_text=true>
[ix] Poliquin, Charles. "Vitamin
D3: Best…Supplement…Ever!" 23 Jan. 2010: 12 pars. 11 Dec. 2012
<http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/230/Vitamin_D3_BestSupplementEver.aspx>
[x] Denoon, Daniel J. “Can
I get too much Vitamin D?” WebMD 30 Nov. 2010: 7 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/the-truth-about-vitamin-d-can-you-get-too-much-vitamin-d>
[xi] Vieth, R. “Vitamin
D supplementation, 25 hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, and safety” Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 May; 69(5):842-56. 11 Dec 2012 <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10232622>
[xii] Grant, William B. "Vitamin D recommendations" Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center 11 Feb, 2012: 4 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.sunarc.org/Vitamin%20D%20recommendations.htm>
[xiii]
Lappe, Joan M. "The Role of Vitamin D in Human Health: A Paradigm Shift" Journal
of Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011 16: 58, DOI: 10.1177/1533210110392952 52 pars. 16 Dec. 2012 <http://chp.sagepub.com/content/16/1/58.full.pdf+html>
[xiv] Grant, William B. "Vitamin D requirements during pregnancy and lactation" Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center 1 par. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.sunarc.org/Vitamin%20D%20pregnancy.htm>
[xv] Grant, William B. "Vitamin D recommendations" Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center 11 Feb, 2012: 4 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.sunarc.org/Vitamin%20D%20recommendations.htm>