[longhaul]

Vitamin D is not a vitamin but a hormone. It is unique in that it is made in the skin as a result of exposure to sunlight. Photosynthesis of vitamin D has been occurring on earth for more than 750 million years. Some of the earliest life forms that were exposed to sunlight for their energy requirement were also photosynthesizing vitamin D. Both children and adults have in the past depended on adequate sun exposure to satisfy their vitamin D requirement. It is well documented that at the turn of the last century upwards of 80% of children in the industrialized, polluted cities of northern Europe and northeastern United States suffered from the devastating consequences of vitamin D deficiency rickets. The skin has a large capacity to make vitamin D. Exposure of a person in a bathing suit to a minimal erythemal dose of sunlight, which is typically no more than 15-20 minutes on Cape Cod in June or July at noon time, is the equivalent to taking 20,000 IU of vitamin D orally. It is now well documented that in the absence of any sun exposure 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 a day is necessary to maintain healthy levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the circulation. An analysis of the NHANES III data has demonstrated that neither children nor adults are receiving an adequate amount of vitamin D from their diet or from supplements.

Multiple Sclerosis and Vitamin D

It is known that if you are born above 35° latitude at approximately Atlanta, Georgia, and live at this latitude for the first ten years of your life that you have a 100% increase risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Recent studies have suggested that women and men who increase their vitamin D intake above 400 IU of vitamin D a day reduces risk of developing multiple sclerosis by approximately 40%.

Infectious Diseases and Vitamin D

It has long been recognized that patients with tuberculous do better when treated with vitamin D or exposed to sunlight. It was recently recognized that the immune cell known as the macrophage needs vitamin D in order to produce a peptide which is responsible for killing infectious agents such as tuberculous. It has been speculated that one of the reasons that influenza occurs in the winter time in tepid climates is because the sun is unable to produce vitamin D, and the resulting vitamin D insufficiency may promote and enhance the infectivity of the influenza virus.

Arthritis and Vitamin D

Recent studies have revealed that women who ingest more than 400 IU of vitamin D a day reduce their risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by as much as 42%.

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis.

Diabetes and Vitamin D

Diabetes mellitus type I, Studies in mice have suggested that pretreating mice that are prone to developing type I diabetes with the active form of vitamin D (1,25-hydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D]) reduces the development of type I diabetes by 80%. This study is supported by the observation in Finland where children in the 1960’s routinely received 2,000 IU of vitamin D a day during their first year of life. When these children were followed for the next 31 years, it was observed that these children had a reduced risk of developing type I diabetes by 78%. Children who were vitamin D deficient at the same time and also followed for 31 years had an almost 300% increased risk of developing type I diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus type II

The beta islet cells that produce insulin in the pancreas have a vitamin D receptor. The active form of vitamin D stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. It has been observed that the relative risk of developing type II diabetes is reduced by as much as 33% in men and women who increase their intake of vitamin D above 800 IU/day along with 1,000 milligrams of calcium.

Rickets and Vitamin D

Rickets occurs at approximately six months of age in children who are vitamin D deficient. They can present with growth retardation, skeletal deformities including bowing of the legs or knocked knees, prominent knob like projections along the ribs next to the sternum known as the rachitic rosary and muscle weakness. Infants with vitamin D deficiency also suffer from craniotabes which is a softening of the skull causing it to become square shaped. They can have increase in the bone formation in the front of the head which is known as frontal bossing.

Osteomalacia and Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency causes a defect in the ability of the body to deposit calcium into the collagen jello-like matrix in the bone. As a result, the covering on the bone which contains pain sensing nerves is easily deformed resulting in throbbing aching bone pain. Patients with osteomalacia often complain of achiness in their muscles and bones. These non-specific aches and pains in the bones and muscles are often misdiagnoses as fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. There have been several studies demonstrating that patients with severe bone and muscle pain and muscle weakness associated with osteomalacia have dramatic improvement in their symptoms when vitamin D deficiency is corrected. It takes months to years to develop osteomalacia and associated symptoms and it takes three to six months before significant improvement in symptoms results from correcting vitamin D deficiency.

Osteoporosis and Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency will cause removal of both the calcium and matrix from the bone, and as a result, will cause osteopenia and can precipitate and exacerbate osteoporosis. Unlike osteomalacia which causes bone pain, osteoporosis, which is porotic bone, i.e., holes in the bones and loss of bone does not cause bone pain unless there is an acute fracture. Typically this pain resolves as the fracture heals and can be easily distinguished from osteomalacia.

Cancer and Vitamin D

As early as 1941, it was observed that people living at higher latitude were at higher risk of dying of cancer. In the 1980’s and the 1990’s, several reports surfaced revealed that living at higher latitude and being at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency increased risk of developing and dying of cancers of the colon, rectum, prostate, breast, ovary. More recently, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risk of developing many other cancers including cancer of the esophagus, pancreas and leukemia.

Obesity

Obesity is associated with vitamin D deficiency. The reason is that the vitamin D is trapped within the fat and cannot easily exit. As a result, obese patients need at least twice as much vitamin D as a normal weighted individual in order to maintain a normal vitamin D status with a 25(OH)D between 30-60 ng/ml.

[wheeliebear75]

Wow where do you find all this stuff at?

[Murray]

Geesch! I got some of that...certainly didn't get all of it! I recently broke my right hip. Went back to the osteopath for a follow-up. Am healing up great. He said that sci folks tend to produce more bone than ab's. You know anything about that?

Lynn

[longhaul]

Murray, on Feb 10 2009, 11:32 AM, said:

Geesch! I got some of that...certainly didn't get all of it! I recently broke my right hip. Went back to the osteopath for a follow-up. Am healing up great. He said that sci folks tend to produce more bone than ab's. You know anything about that?

Lynn

No, I have Osteopenia and they want me to take bone building meds but the side effects out weight the binis as far as I can see.

[longhaul]

wheeliebear75, on Feb 10 2009, 02:12 AM, said:

Wow where do you find all this stuff at?

I just make it up as I go along. On the web mostly. They're finding that Vitamin D is a key nutrient in keeping us healthy and it's fascinating that so many of the ills that plague us are caused in part by the lack of this vitamin.

[Murray]

OK - I'll bite. How does osteopenia differ from osteoperosis? The latter's the one I have (I think) .... have to take Fosomax 70mg once weekly. I've heard that calcium with D is supposed to be taken along with that drug. Have you got some info on that one?

Lynn

[greybeard]

More on Vitamin D from UK Food Standards Agency website


Vitamin D is found in a small number of foods. Good food sources are oily fish and eggs. Other food sources include fortified foods such as margarine, breakfast cereals and powdered milk.

But we get most of our vitamin D from sunlight on our skin. This is because the vitamin forms under the skin in reaction to sunlight. The best source is summer sunlight but remember, if you're out in the sun, take care not to burn.

Liver and liver products are also good sources of vitamin D, but they are also a rich source of vitamin A. So if you already eat them every week, you might want to choose not to have them more often.

How much do I need?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. This means you don't need it every day because any of the vitamin your body doesn't need immediately is stored for future use.

Most people should be able to get all the vitamin D they need from their diet and by getting a little sun.

However, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding you should take 10 micrograms (0.01 mg) of vitamin D each day.

Older people should also consider taking 10 micrograms (0.01 mg) of vitamin D each day.

You might be particularly short of vitamin D, and so might want to think about taking 10 micrograms (0.01 mg) of vitamin D each day, if you:
are of Asian origin
always cover up all your skin when you're outside
rarely get outdoors
eat no meat or oily fish.
If you aren't getting enough vitamin D, you might be more at risk of some of the harmful effects of too much vitamin A.

Ask your GP if you want more information.

What does it do?
Vitamin D has a number of important functions. For example it helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body, and calcium and phosphate are needed to help keep bones and teeth healthy.

What happens if I take too much?
Taking high doses of vitamin D for long periods of time could weaken your bones.

What is FSA advice?
Most people should be able to get the amount they need by eating a varied and balanced diet and by getting some sun. But if you decide to take vitamin D supplements it's a good idea not to take too much because this could be harmful.

Taking 25 micrograms (0.025 mg) or less of vitamin D supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm.

This post has been edited by greybeard: 10 February 2009 - 11:43 PM

[wheeliebear75]

I figure I've probably been getting enough. I take a prenatal vitamin.......it's got %100 of just about everything.