It is now known that we have a nationwide epidemic among all age groups: Vitamin D deficiency.

Studies over the last 10 years have conclusively shown that large populations of individuals in the United States do not receive enough Vitamin D

The statistics are sobering: Vitamin D deficiency has associations with:

Juvenile Onset Diabetes

Immune dysfunction, such as your ability to fight the flu or your response to infections

Rickets, a bone softening disease in children

Stress fractures in adolescents

Heart attacks

Multiple Sclerosis

Cancers in adults

Vitamin D Deficiency & Heart Attack Risk

Take for a moment the following: Vitamin D deficiency and the heart attack risk. In June 2008, studies showed that men with Vitamin D deficiency had an increased heart attack risk of 2.42 times more heart attacks. If their Vitamin D levels were normalized, this would reduce the number of deaths from heart attacks from 157,000 to 92,500. A very significant drop.

Vitamin D Deficiency & Cancer

The cancer statistics are equally sobering: Vitamin D-deficient women have an increased risk of 253% of colon cancer.

Breast cancer statistics are equally shocking, a 2008 study of breast cancer showed that Vitamin D-deficient women have a 222% increased risk for developing breast cancer.

Other studies link Vitamin D deficiency to as many as 18 different cancers.

Why Are We Vitamin D Deficient?

There are only two sources of Vitamin D: our diet and the sun.

Sun Exposure

When it comes to the sun, you could be missing out on Vitamin D if you live in a cloudier region (like Cleveland, Milwaukee, Seattle, or Boston). Sunscreens further diminish your body's ability to produce Vitamin D. SPF 8 sunscreen is enough to shut down production of Vitamin D in your body.

What about tanning beds?

Everyone knows the significant risk of UV exposure and melanomas.

The American Academy of Dermatology has issued a statement, which reads as follows:

"American Academy of Dermatology recommends that an adequate amount of vitamin D should be obtained from a healthy diet that includes foods naturally rich in vitamin D, foods/beverages fortified with vitamin D, and/or vitamin D supplements; it should not be obtained from unprotected exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Unprotected UV exposure to the sun or indoor tanning devices is a known risk factor for cancer."

Diet

When it comes to your diet, you could increase the amount of mackerel or salmon, eggs, sardines, cod-liver oil, and Vitamin D milk that you consume. However, people just don't eat enough Vitamin D-rich foods to avoid Vitamin D deficiency.

How Much Vitamin D Do We Need?

Children & Breast Feeding Mothers

Breast feeding mothers are now advised to give their infants Vitamin D drops because they are at risk for deficiency, and because their mothers are likely to be Vitamin D deficient and their mother’s milk will be their sole source of Vitamin D.

Researchers at Children's Hospital in Boston found that 40% of 380 otherwise healthy babies and toddlers had "suboptimal" exposure to Vitamin D.

Even more worrisome was that breast-fed newborns were 10 times more likely to be deficient than those who were fed with baby formula, which is fortified with a large dose of vitamin D, according to the study. Bottle-fed babies receive adequate Vitamin D in their formula and do not need supplements.

Experts say that breast fed infants should receive Vitamin D drops everyday while breast-feeding.

A typical formulation would be ADC vitamin drops for infants found at any drugstore. Ask your local pharmacist.

Children should receive 400-1000 IU (International Units) of Vitamin D per day as part of their daily regimen. Amounts will vary in children dependent on the severity of their deficiency and milk intake.

Adults

Adults should receive 3000-5000 IU per day during the winter months especially in locations like Cleveland or Boston.

Vitamin D Blood Test

Ideally, your specific dosage should be based on a Vitamin D blood test.

Ask your doctor for a 25(OH) Vitamin D assay. 25(OH) D is the better marker of overall D status. It is this marker that is most strongly associated with overall health.

I would recommend a level be checked on all children over two years to ensure their levels of Vitamin D intake is adequate. As always, you should talk with your doctor and decide with your physician how to proceed.

If you have any questions, contact Dr. Gipson at vitamindhealth@gmail.com.









DISCLAIMER: This blog is for informational purposes only. It does not replace medical care from a licensed physician. If you have a medical concern, please contact your doctor.

Photo Credit: "The Sun and the Thinker at the Cleveland Museum of Art” by Erik Drost is licensed under CC BY 2.0