Expert Contributor
Importance of Vitamin D By Carolyn Krieg, DO and Paul H Kim, MD
Why Vitamin D is So Important for You Low Vitamin D is the most common deficiency we see. Very rarely do we see an optimal Vitamin D level in someone who isn’t already supplementing. Even with all the summertime sun exposure! And optimal Vitamin D levels are more important than for just maintaining healthy bones. In recent decades there has been a great deal of research on its importance in other areas of health. Not only are low Vitamin D levels known to cause osteopenia, osteoporosis and fractures; but deficiency has also been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, dementia, and common cancers. It’s also vital for a healthy immune system. That’s why it’s one of the foundational supplements we recommend to everyone. Risks of Vitamin D Deficiency To name a few ... Immune System. Vitamin D strengthens your immune system and reduces the risk of infectious disease. Vitamin D turns on key peptides in your immune system that trigger an antimicrobial response, allowing you to quickly and effectively fight off invaders before they can develop into a full-blown infection. As published in a 2010 issue of Nature Immunology, scientists discovered the importance of Vitamin D for activating the immune system. They found that Vitamin D is necessary to trigger T-cells, which are the immune system’s killer cells. They also found that insufficient levels of the vitamin simply leave T cells dormant and inactive. Cancer Risk. A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found “higher concentrations of vitamin D circulating in the bloodstream are linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer.” According to the researchers, the results strengthen the evidence that vitamin D may play a protective role against the disease. Dementia. A study published in August 2014 in the journal Neurology found that moderate and severe Vitamin D deficiency in older adults was associated with a doubling of the risk for some forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D? Clearly, Vitamin D plays a vital role in optimal health, and it’s essential to maintain an adequate level. Vitamin D is the only vitamin made by the body, but it’s hard to get in adequate quantities except through sunlight or supplementation. And if you’re like me, you tend to avoid the sun and wear plenty of sunscreen. It’s present in very few foods. And the two primary Vitamin
D-fortified foods are milk and breakfast cereal, which contain dairy and gluten, and cause their own set of health problems. So how do you know if you’re getting enough? You should get your Vitamin D level tested, which can be ordered by your regular doctor. I recommend a Vitamin D level between 50 and 80 ng/mL. A typical maintenance dose of Vitamin D is 5,000 IUs daily. We frequently recommend a dose of 10,000 IUs daily if someone has very low Vitamin D, and the goal is to increase their level into the optimal range. When taking higher doses, it’s important to test your Vitamin D level regularly because you don’t want to overshoot. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and it’s possible to overdose but extremely rare. It’s important to take a Vitamin D3 supplement with Vitamin K2 (the only ones I recommend). Vitamin D and K2 work together (along with Magnesium) to pull calcium from your bloodstream into your bones. We don’t recommend calcium supplementation alone for bone health because it maybe now associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We often see patients with very low Vitamin D levels despite the fact they’re supplementing. One reason for this is fat malabsorption, for example with liver or gallbladder disease. Your body needs to be able to absorb dietary fat in order to absorb Vitamin D because it is a fat-soluble vitamin. Another reason is using a low quality brand that the body doesn’t absorb. Using a quality brand with proven bioavailability and absorption, Vitamin D levels can improve within a short time. So get your Vitamin D level tested so you know how much you should supplement, and make sure you maintain an optimal level. Please come to Medical Institute of Healthy Aging for more education.
NORTHGATE LIVING 11
