Getting Serious About D

In April, I had the privilege of listening to Dr. Michael Holick speak about Vitamin D and its health implications. According to Holick, Vitamin D deficiency is the most common medical condition worldwide. Many people associate it with rickets. Early in the 20th century, scientists discovered the link between the two. Vitamin D was then added to milk and rickets was all but eradicated in the US. As it turns out, insufficient levels of Vitamin D may be the cause of many more health issues.

According to Holick, 1,000 IU of Vitamin D daily can reduce the risk for colorectal, breast, prostate and pancreatic cancers by up to 50%! In one study, postmenopausal women taking 1,500 mg calcium plus Vitamin D3 daily reduced their risk for all cancers by 60%. It seems that activated Vitamin D inhibits cancer cell growth. Holick says that children who get at least 2,000 IU Vitamin D daily have a 78% reduced risk for diabetes. Psoriasis and fibromyalgia have also been linked to D deficiencies. Holick’s research shows that 93% of persons complaining of chronic bone and muscle pain are in fact Vitamin D deficient.

So, what is Vitamin D and how do we get enough? Vitamin D is actually a hormone and our bodies create it from exposure to the sun. About five to 15 minutes exposure to direct sunlight every day during the summer months should be sufficient for most people. (Leave arms and legs bare, but ALWAYS protect the face with sunscreen.) African Americans need five to ten times the sun exposure as those with lighter skin (Holick says that between 30 and 50 percent of all African Americans are Vitamin D deficient). In the winter months, those living in Northern latitudes (above Atlanta, GA) can not get enough Vitamin D from the sun. The angle of the sun’s rays make it impossible. Holick says that those of us living above 37° latitude are at increased risk for conditions such as MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteomalacia, and other Vitamin D-related conditions. Obese people are also much more likely to be Vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D is fat soluble. According to Holick, “Vitamin D loves fat and won’t leave” thus, it won’t circulate to the rest of the body.

Holick recommends that we all get at least 1,000 IU Vitamin D daily from a supplement and get our 5-15 minutes of daily sun exposure. If you have any of the conditions listed above, or just for prevention, ask your clinician to test your Vitamin D levels. The cardiologists at CardioTabs are currently testing many of their patients for Vitamin D deficiency, particularly those that complain of bone and joint pain.

CardioDaily contains 1,000 IU of Vitamin D3 and you can expect to see more the next time we reformulate. Since hearing this talk and discussing it with the dieticians and clinicians at CardioTabs, I've started taking Vitamin D a lot more seriously. I take my CardioDaily every day and a Calcium plus D supplement. I also make sure that my children get a few minutes outside without sunscreen (arms and legs only) every day and started paying attention to the amount of D in their multivitamins (it's difficult to find a children's multi with enough D - I had to go with D on it's own). At their annual physician’s visits this summer I will be sure to have their levels of Vitamin D tested.