Here are 10 reasons why you should take vitamin D :
1. Reduction of the mortality risk: A 2008 study found that a vitamin D deficiency increased the risk of death by 26% compared to people with optimal vitamin D levels ! (1) This may be due to the fact that vitamin D can induce apoptosis therefore reducing the potential for the malignant cells to survive. (4)
2. Reduction of osteroporosis and bone fracture: It has been shown that a vitamin D and calcium supplementation decreased the risk of hip fracture up to 43%. Risk for osteoporosis increases when there is a vitamin D deficiency as it causes mineral loss in the bones like calcium. Without vitamin D, you can only absorb up to 10 to 15% of calcium.(2-4)
3. Decreased cancer risk: Studies have shown that vitamin D levels (25-OH) under 20 ng/ml has been associated with an increase of colon, prostate and breast cancer by 30 to 50% and an increased mortality rate in these cases. Vitamin D controls over 400 genes responsible for apoptosis among other things (permits the auto-destruction of cancer cells). (4-5)
4. Helps the immune system: Vitamin D is an immune system messenger. When the vitamin D levels go under 20 ng/ml, the monocytes cannot elicit an immune response. This could be the reason why black Americans, which are more proned to be vitamin D deficient because of skin color, might me more susceptible to contract a tuberculosis than white Americans. (4)
5. Decreased Hypertension risk: It has been shown that living at high altitude increases the risk of developing hypertension and heart diseases. This is due to the fact that we produce less vitamin D at high altitude. In a study of patients with hypertension who were exposed to ultraviolet radiations three times a week for 3 months, 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels increased by approximately 180% and blood pressure became normal. (4-6)
6. Decreased asthma symptoms: Asthma is a chronic disease from which the primary cause is still unknown nowadays, but we know that it is a myriad of complex interactions involving many genes and environmental factors. It has been shown that vitamin D promotes the regulatory T cells which plays a major role in the immune response. They also permit the inhibition of T-helper-2 immune responses which are often responsible for many allergic diseases and asthma. (7-8)
7. Decreased multiple sclerosis risk: Studies show that among white men and women, for every 20 ng/ml of 25-(OH) D above 24 ng/ml, there is a 41% reduction of multiple sclerosis risk. (4)
8. Prevent muscle mass and strength loss: It has been demonstrated that low levels of vitamin D, which increases parathyroid hormone secretion would have a direct impact on raising the levels of cytokines IL-6. Studies have shown that elevated levels of cytokines IL-6 is linked to muscle mass and strength loss. That may be due to the fact that vitamin D prevents sarcopenia which is a degenerative loss of strength and skeletal muscle mass associated with aging. (10)
9. Prevents insulin resistance and diabete type 1: A vitamin D deficiency reduces the insulin production, causes an insulin resistance and is directly linked to diabete. In a study with 10 366 children in Finland, it has been demonstrated that after taking 2 000 IU of vitamin D3 daily for their first year of life, there was a reduction of 80% in the development of diabete type 1. Another study showed that vitamin D supplementation combined with calcium in women have reduced the risk for diabete type 2 by 33%. (4-9)
10. The majority of the population in North America is vitamin D deficient: Studies shows that 90% of pigmented people (Blacks, Asians, Hispanics) and 75% of white people have insufficient levels of vitamin D in North America. (11) Insufficient levels means below 30 ng/ml. According to the world experts, around 98% of the population do not have optimal levels of vitamin D in their blood.
To get your vitamin D to optimal levels, I recommend you to take at least 5 000 IU daily of vitamin D3. I suggest you D3 Liquid by Metagenics which is an excellent quality product that I use extensively. Come get your vitamin D3 supplement today at Axellite Comprehensive Health !
Don’t forget to go out and get some sun this summer !
References
1. Harald Dobnig, MD; Stefan Pilz, MD; et al. Independent Association of Low Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Levels With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(12):1340-1349.
2. Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Giovannucci E, Willett WC, Dietrich T, Dawson-Hughes B. Estimation of optimal serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D for multiple health outcomes. Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84:18-28. [Erratum, Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84:1253.]
4. Holick MF. Vitamin D deficiency. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(3):266-81.
5. Garland CF, Garland FC, Gorham ED; et al. The role of vitamin D in cancer prevention. Am J Public Health. 2006;96(2):252-261.
6. Forman JP, Giovannucci E, Holmes MD; et al. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of incident hypertension. Hypertension. 2007;49(5):1063-1069.
7. Nancy E Lange, MD, MPH, Augusto Litonjua, MD, MPH; et al. Vitamin D, the immune system and asthma. Expert Rev Clin Immunol. 2009 November; 5(6): 693–702. [PubMed]
8. Hawrylowicz CM, O’Garra A. Potential role of interleukin-10-secreting regulatory T cells in allergy and asthma. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 2005;5(4):271–283. [PubMed]
9. Hypponen E, Laara E, Reunanen A, Jarvelin M-R, Virtanen SM. Intake of vitamin D and risk of type 1 diabetes: a birth- cohort study. Lancet 2001;358:1500-3
10. Marjolein Visser, Dorly J. H. Deeg, and Paul Lips. Low Vitamin D and High Parathyroid Hormone Levels as Determinants of Loss of Muscle Strength and Muscle Mass (Sarcopenia): The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism December 1, 2003 vol. 88 no. 12
11. Journal Clinical Endrocrinal metabolism 2010, 95(2), 471
Vincent Paradis
Axellite Comprehensive Health