Vitamin D Deficiency

The importance of vitamin D is finally gaining attention. Every year, Vitamin D deficiency causes tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths in the U.S. It is also becoming increasingly common and is especially prevalent in people with chronic pain. In fact, a review in the Mayo Clinic Journal showed that approximately 36% of healthy young adults and 57% of general medicine inpatients in the United States have inadequate levels of vitamin D.

THE PROBLEM
Doctors have given the poor advice to avoid sunshine; 90% of our vitamin D comes from sunshine. This misguided advice was given to decrease the number of melanomas, a type of skin cancer. What doctors forget is that most of these melanomas are not in sun-exposed areas: it is likely that the increase in melanomas is mostly due to changes in diet, environment, and sleep, which are resulting in weakened immune systems. The skin cancers usually caused by sunshine (e.g. basal cell cancers) are usually quite benign and easy to treat. On the other hand, many other cancers increase in the face of vitamin D deficiency and, as 90% of our vitamin D comes from sun exposure, it is currently estimated that the advice to avoid sunshine is resulting in as many as 85,550 unnecessary cancer deaths each year. Sunshine is healthy—avoid sunburn, not sunshine!

VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY LEADS TO SICKNESS AND DISEASE

Increases breast cancer risk.
- Research findings show that “higher intakes of vitamin D and calcium from food and supplements are related to lower levels of breast density among premenopausal women. They suggest that increasing intakes of vitamin D and calcium may represent a safe and inexpensive strategy for breast cancer prevention."
Increases prostate cancer risk.
- In a Harvard study, men with the highest levels of vitamin D had significantly lower overall risk (45%) of prostate cancer, including aggressive prostate cancer. This is very important, as prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in men in the U.S., and according to the American Cancer Society it's the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Almost 232,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year, and about 30,000 men will die of prostate cancer.
Decreases lung cancer survival rate.
- Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health studied the survival data of 456 patients with early stage lung cancer treated between 1992 and 2000. Patients who had high levels of vitamin D and had surgery in sunny months were more than twice as likely to be alive five years after surgery when compared to patients with low levels of vitamin D who had surgery in the winter, the researchers said. Lead researcher, Dr. David Christiani notes, "The survival advantage at five years is pretty dramatic. 72% versus 29% when you compare the highest level of intake (of vitamin D) versus the lowest level of intake."
Increases risk for cancer.
- 47,800 men were studied and found those with an increment in vitamin D levels of 25 nanomoles per liter was associated with a 17% reduction in cancer incidence, a 29% reduction in cancer mortality, and a 45% reduction in digestive tract (colorectal, pancreatic, esophageal and stomach) cancer mortality.
- Another study with an intake of 2,000 units of vitamin D a day (through a mix of sunshine, food and supplements) could decrease both breast cancer and colorectal cancer by over 50%.
- In addition, higher vitamin D levels may slow the progression of breast cancer.
Contributes to hip fractures in the elderly.
- Low serum levels of vitamin D in the body may make elderly persons more susceptible to falls, researchers reported at the American Society of Mineral and Bone Research (ASBMR) 27th annual meeting. "Low levels of vitamin D were associated with low physical performance," said Ilse Wicherts, "This study shows that neuromuscular performance in those with lower levels of vitamin D was significantly lower than those with adequate levels. These individuals already are fragile. The lack of mobility places them at high risk of falls and fractures."
Causes osteoporosis (weak bones).
- Vitamin D is low in 98% of the elderly who break their hip. Fortunately, women who take 500 mg of calcium and 700 units of vitamin D daily are much less likely to even have a fall.
Connected to patients with Multiple Sclerosis & Rheumatoid Arthritis.
- Vitamin D is critical in regulating immune function, and this is likely why Multiple Sclerosis is much more common in northern latitudes which are less sunny. In fact, a very large study has confirmed the long-held theory that multiple sclerosis (MS) may be caused, in part, by a lack of sunlight. Harvard researchers took data from 187,563 women participating in the ongoing Nurses' Health Study and found that women taking a daily multiple with at least 400 international units of vitamin D were 40% less likely to develop MS. While women who had high intake of vitamin D from both foods and supplements were 33% less likely to develop the disease, relying solely on food as the source of vitamin D didn't offer any protection.
- Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham analyzed data from nearly 30,000 women between 55 and 69 years of age who participated in the Iowa Women's Health Study. Vitamin D supplements were associated with a 33% lower rheumatoid arthritis risk.
Increases the risk of diabetes.
- 61% of patients with diabetes have vitamin D deficiency and higher intakes of vitamin D and calcium can lower the risk of getting diabetes.
- In a 2004 study, subjects with low levels of vitamin D had almost 3 times the risk of metabolic syndrome. Thus, the researchers conclude that low vitamin D leads to insulin resistance.
- This is supported by other research, where investigators noted “Vitamin D deficiency may, therefore, be involved in the pathogenesis [cause] of both forms of diabetes."
- Vitamin D levels also tend to be low in diabetic children and vitamin D may even help to prevent the diabetes if given early.

In addition, Vitamin D supplementation may decrease the risk of heart disease, stroke, gingivitis, and inflammatory bowel disease.