May

You may have read a lot in the medical news about all the new and wonderful research that has been done with Vitamin D. But what is vitamin D? How can it help you? Should you be taking a vitamin D supplement?

Vitamin D is actually not a vitamin at all. It’s a hormone that your body makes when the skin is exposed to sunlight.  After about 20 minutes of full sun exposure, your body converts the sunlight to about 2000 IUs (international units) of vitamin D.  With Fall approaching fast, our busy schedules, and the dangers of too much sun exposure, taking a vitamin D supplement might be a good way to make sure you are getting enough.

But why take vitamin D? You have probably heard that you need vitamin D to regulate the calcium levels in your blood and bones. But did you know that there are studies linking low vitamin D levels to multiple sclerosis and many different cancers?

Osteoporosis can be a scary diagnosis. It refers to having decreased bone density with can lead to weak bones and the possibility of fracture. This condition usually affects women. The national osteoporosis Foundation suggests that adults under 50 take 400 to 800 IU daily and if you are over 50, take 800 to 1000 IU of vitamin D to help prevent this condition.

Multiple Sclerosis(MS) prevalence is higher in northern climates then it is at lower latitudes. Western New York happens to be a hot spot for this disease.  Studies have shown a link between patients that get MS and low levels of vitamin D. Since vitamin D also plays a role in regulating the immune system, it is easy to connect the dots to see why people who live in areas that do not always have a lot of sun get MS. Studies have not shown that low vitamin D levels means you will end up with MS, but they do show a strong association between the disease and vitamin D levels.  This disease also affects more of us women then it does men. Possible reasons for this is that men often spend more time outdoors and when they are outside they are less covered up and are not wearing make-up or lotions that contain sunscreen.

Low vitamin D levels are now being linked to HIV and many cancers. Ground breaking research on vitamin D is currently being conducted at our own Roswell Park Cancer Institute. The link between cancer and vitamin D is that vitamin D plays a role in cell differentiation and proliferation.  Differentiation and proliferation are just a medical way of saying that it helps the cells mature to do what they are supposed to do and they grow at a normal rate. Cancer is just the opposite of that. Cancer cells are mutated and often immature cells that grow at a rapid rate creating tumors.

How do you know if you need to up your intake of vitamin D? Well, if you are taking a multivitamin, you are already getting about 400IU a day. According to Roswell Park, 400IU is not a dose that can change your blood levels. The amount in a multivitamin is what the government set as the standard to prevent diseases like rickets. If you really want to know what your level is the standard is a simple blood test that can be done with all your other blood work. The 25 hydroxyvitamin D test will give you your level and it should be between 30 and 100. If it is low, talk to your doctor about how much you should be taking to increase it. Keep in mind that there is such a principle as too much of a good thing. While it is hard to over dose on vitamin D taking too much can alter your the amount of calcium circulating in your blood and hurt your kidneys.

Vitamin D has many far reaching effects that are not yet fully understood. Vitamin D is also speculated to be related to heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. A paper published just in January in the journal of Medical Hypotheses, takes a reflective look at the link between gestational diabetes, fetal development and high blood pressure during pregnancy. Making sure you have normal vitamin D levels is an easy step towards wellness. Be proactive with the health of yourself and your family.

-Dr. Heather Mahley

Gasport Chiropractic & Wellness, PC

www.gasportchiropractic.com