The benefits of Vitamin D...

 

Let the sun shine in

Vitamin D has long been known as prevention against Rickets, a childhood bone deformity, and as an aide in the absorption of calcium, which is important to bone health. But in recent years scientists have learned of its importance to the immune system. Vitamin D seems to not only control the growth of healthy and cancerous cells, but it also appears to control overzealous immune cells that lead to diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.   

In a Harvard University study, Dr. Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition, and his colleagues estimated that an extra 1,500 International Units (IU), the standard measure for Vitamin D intake, of vitamin D each day could reduce the risk of deadly cancers of the digestive system by 45 percent. Other recent studies found that cancer deaths were especially common in men with low levels of vitamin D, and that high levels of vitamin D improved strength and prevented falls in elderly people. Scientists have found receptors for the vitamin in virtually all types of human cells, including cancer cells. When Vitamin D attaches to cancer cells it shuts them off. And when it passes through the liver and kidneys it turns into a powerful steroid hormone, like cortisol or estrogen, that controls at least 200 genes.

Vitamin D is the only vitamin that the human body can make on its own from sunlight. On a sunny day, a fair-skinned person can make 10,000 to 20,000 IU in 15 minutes or less. Vitamin D can also be found in fatty fishes, such as salmon and mackerel, and in fortified foods such as milk, orange juice and cereals.

Since the body can make Vitamin D from sunshine there have been some interesting disease-trend observations comparing people living in the southern sunnier climates to those in the north. Cancers of the breast, colon and prostate, for example, tend to be more common or more aggressive in dark-skinned people, according to Anthony Norman, a professor of biochemistry and the University of California-Riverside. And Dr. Michael Holick, a professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at the Boston University School of Medicine, notes that people who live in less sunny locations are more prone to schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes.

Increasing levels of Vitamin D can enhance bone density, strengthen muscles and, help relieve unexplained aches and pains. A recent Mayo Clinic survey found that 93 percent of adults and children with unexplained pain were vitamin D deficient. And a  UCLA study found that adding Vitamin D to a culture containing Vitamin D-deficient blood and the bacterium that causes tuberculosis resulted in a surge in disease-fighting cells.

With mounting evidence touting the benefits of Vitamin D some scientists worry that the current recommended levels are too low and that many people may be deficient in this critical nutrient. Current U.S. government guidelines recommend 200 IUs of Vitamin D for anyone younger than 51, 400 IUs for people aged 51 to 70, and 600 IUs for those 71 and older. Most multi-vitamins contain just 400 IUs. These scientists are calling for a revision of the guidelines to recommend 1,000-2,000 IUs daily for people of all ages. In the meantime, you can follow grandma's advice and spend a few minutes in the sun in the early morning or late afternoon when the sun's rays are less severe.