UNCENSORED: What I Couldn’t Tell You About Vitamin D Last Week
Did you know that the “sunshine vitamin,” also known as vitamin D, is something of a misnomer? Technically, it should be classified as a prohormone (a substance that your body can convert to a hormone), but it was discovered in food before scientists realized that the body’s primary source of vitamin D is exposure to the rays of the sun.
Many experts consider activated vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D) to be the most powerful steroid hormone in the human body with the ability to have unprecedented impacts on the expression of our genetic code. This is probably why over the past 15 years research has linked vitamin D to a wide range of amazing health benefits.
Vitamin D is well known for its role in supporting the health of our bones and skeletal system, but some of the most intriguing studies on vitamin D have shown that optimizing blood levels of vitamin D is a key factor in the prevention of two of the greatest health threats facing Americans today: cancer and heart disease.
Yet for some reason, the mainstream medical community seems to have turned a blind eye to this research, as evidenced by the Institute of Medicine’s stubborn insistence that 600 IU is an adequate Daily Recommended Intake for vitamin D. Many leading experts now agree (and many studies show) that much higher doses — often, upwards of 5,000 IU per day — are needed for disease prevention.
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Due to FDA/FTC regulations, I am not allowed to discuss this sort of research in certain contexts, so if you read my article on vitamin D last week and are wondering why I didn’t mention these studies…that’s why. But I think it’s important for you to have this information, so without further ado, here is an overview of some of the most compelling studies on vitamin D and disease prevention.
Vitamin D and Cancer
Vitamin D has shown impressive results when it comes to influencing the risk and outcomes associated with this devastating disease. It may be that vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing properties factor into its observed anti-cancer effects.
Over 30 years ago, it was hypothesized that vitamin D deficiency was correlated to increased risk of colon cancer.[1] Since then, dozens of studies have supported this theory. A 2006 study reviewed the data of five other studies related to vitamin D and colon cancer with a 25-year follow up and found that increasing blood levels of vitamin D to 35ng/ml reduced colon cancer risk by 50%![2] A more recent review of previous studies also showed an impressive 33% reduced risk ofcolon cancer for those with higher blood levels of vitamin D.[3]
Another very impressive randomized controlled study done in 2008 included 1,179 post-menopausal women who were randomized into three groups. One group was given a calciumsupplement; another group was given the same calcium supplement plus 1,100 IU of vitamin D; and the last group was given a placebo. At the end of four years, the group taking calcium plus vitamin D had a 77% reduction in all-cancer incidence.[4]
Investigations done by one of the most well respected vitamin D researchers, Dr. Cedric Garland of UC San Diego School of Medicine, has shown that increasing blood levels of vitamin D to somewhere between 40-50ng/ml could reduce breast cancer risk by 50%[5].
Men with prostate cancer with higher levels of serum vitamin D compared to men with lower levels of vitamin D had a 60% and 85% respectively reduced risk of dying from the condition.[6]That is an almost 7x increased risk of dying for the men with lower blood levels of vitamin D!
These results are staggering when it comes to the implications regarding vitamin D and cancer prevention. No other known substance has shown such impressive results.
And if that was not enough, the research is also showing us that adequate vitamin D status at the time of a cancer diagnosis can significantly improve overall outcomes. A very recent 2012 study from Norway examined the vitamin D blood levels within 90 of diagnosis of 658 patients withbreast cancer, lung cancer colon cancer or lymphoma. After following the group for up to nine years, researchers found that patients with the highest blood levels of vitamin D at time of diagnosis were 66% less likely to die of their cancer than those with the lowest levels.[7]
Vitamin D and Heart Disease
Vitamin D levels have been closely correlated to many aspects of cardiovascular disease. Its role in the body seems to influence the control of blood pressure and the prevention of damage to the arteries.[8] One very large study followed nearly 50,000 healthy men for 10 years and found thatthose who were deficient in vitamin D were twice as likely to have a heart attack vs. men who had adequate levels.[9] Other studies have correlated low vitamin D levels to increased risk of heart failure, sudden cardiac death, stroke, overall cardiovascular disease and cardiac death.[10, 11, 12, 13, 14]
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Vitamin D and YOUR Health
Now it’s important to remember that no nutrient works in isolation in our bodies, and vitamin D is no exception. The vitamin D we make from the sun and take in supplement form is a prohormone and needs to be converted by enzymes in the body in order to become a potent steroid hormone with powerful regulating effects on our DNA and genetic expression. It is also important to understand that ensuring a proper supply of companion nutrients that support vitamin D activity, such as vitamin K2, magnesium, zinc and boron, can enhance some of the beneficial roles of vitamin D in the body.
Based on the impressive volumes of research backing its importance in prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease, I can honestly say that vitamin D is the single most important vitamin to take as a daily supplement. In general, I recommend taking 1,000 – 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily to keep your levels in an optimal range of 45 – 65ng/ml, but depending on your current vitamin D status, a higher dose may be warranted. The best way to determine the ideal dosage for you is to work with your health care provider to have appropriate testing done and to receive individualized recommendations and follow up. The Vitamin D Council offers discounted in-home test kits. I encourage you to visit their website to learn more about vitamin D and your health.
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