Naturopathic Newsletter December 2008: VITAMIN D
Being Well
Monthly Naturopathic Newsletter Promoting Wellness in the Community
December 2008
UPCOMING LECTURES & WORKSHOPS
DECEMBER 8TH starting at 7:30pm, I have been invited to lecture at a Stress Management Workshop open to the public. The Workshop is located at TD Waterhouse 755 St-Jean suite 120. For further info, pls contact Shari Reinhart mibnetwork@hotmail.com
Starting FEBRUARY 18TH at 7pm, for 6 consecutive Wednesday nights, I will be teaching a course in Naturopathic Nutrition at John Abbott College Center for Continuing Education. For further info, pls contact program co-ordinator Jocelyne Duchesneau at #514 457 6610 ext 5277 or jocelyne.duchesneau@johnabbott.qc.ca
IMPORTANT ANNOUCEMENT
Pls note that my office will be closed the week of December 22nd, as well as for the second half of the week of December 29th. In light of the restricted office hours and delays related to the holiday season, pls notify my assistant, Line, by phone or by email, as soon as possible for supplement renewals.
I wish you and your family a holiday season and new year filled with love, life and longevity!
VITAMIN D: WHY SO IMPORTANT
Understanding of the role of vitamin D has come a long way from simply preventing such diseases as rickets and osteoporosis.
Current research continues to expand the ever growing list of vitamin D's widespread physiological involvement in the human body.
Vitamin D is stated to be involved in the healthy function of 36 organ tissues, including bone marrow, breast, colon, prostate, intestines, skin, uterus, and vitamin D has been shown to influence 2,000 of our body's 30,000 genes.
This lends to the recognition vitamin D playing a role in the development of numerous diseases, including: cancer (colorectal, prostate, and breast primarily), high blood pressure, type I and II diabetes, heart disease, crohn's, autism, multiple sclerosis, colds & flus, psoriasis, eczema, fibromyalgia, asthma, depression, migraines, infertility, schizophrenia, cavities, Alzheimer's, etc ...
As a result of this greater understanding and continued research, the scientific community can safely say that vitamin D is NOT just a vitamin, but rather a fundamental neuroendocrine regulator.
VITAMIN D: SOURCE & DOSAGE
The primary source of vitamin D is sunlight. However, current practices of sunscreen and avoiding sun exposure have limited the activation of vitamin D by the sun's UV rays. These current practices are the primary explanation for why a shocking 65-75% of the North American population is vitamin D deficient!
In line with safe tanning guidelines, it is recommended to expose at least 40% of your skin to the sun without sun screen for 10 to 15 minutes daily.
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin obtained from such foods as: fish, cow milk, eggs, and certain mushrooms. Food, however, does not provide enough of the current Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) for adults of 200 to 400 IU, let alone the Canadian Cancer Society's recommendation of 1000IU daily.
Although 1000 IU is a good place to start, I often recommend higher daily doses for many of my patients. My recommendation is based on their chief concerns, genetic and environmental predisposing factors, an overall review of all bodily systems, and of course, blood tests. Vitamin D is very easily and accurately assessed through blood work with a test called 25(OH)D. Considering that 65-75% of the North American population is vitamin D deficient, it is simply negligent to not have vitamin D screening as part of the patient's annual general blood tests, along with cholesterol levels, white and red blood cell counts, liver function tests, etc ... This will hopefully be a development in the conventional medical community sooner rather than later. In the interim, I recommend discussing the assessment of your vitamin D levels, as well as possible supplementation, with your local ND.
VITAMIN D: TOXICITY
As mentioned above, I recommend vitamin D assessment via blood work with the majority of my patients. This assessment allows me to better make my recommendation for possible supplementation dosage. That being said, there is very little concern for vitamin D toxicity.
overdose will occur at more than 100 times the recommended daily allowance, which is roughly equivalent to an entire 90 tab bottle of vitamin D taken repeatedly over a period of months.
An acute overdose would require taking 10,000times the RDA (see above) at one time.
Seeing the unlikelihood of vitamin D toxicity, it is fair to conclude that vitamin D is safe. However, to rule out the possible exceptions and assure adequate dosage recommendations, I strongly recommend seeing your local ND or MD to have your vitamin D levels checked.
Be well, pdc