Part I: Vitamin D & You
Hardly a day goes by without some groundbreaking news about Vitamin D. Originally known for it’s crucial role in maintaining calcium levels for bone health, it is rapidly becoming apparent that we have vastly underestimated Vitamin D’s significant importance for our overall health and wellbeing. In short, judging by what I see in my practice and speaking with colleagues around the country, it’s looking very much like we’re facing an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency, with potential grave consequences. This Vitamin D FAQ will help to get you up to speed on this important topic.
What diseases are associated with Vitamin D deficiency?
-Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to play a role in almost every major disease, including:
-Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
-17 varieties of Cancer (including breast, prostate and colon)
-Heart disease
-High blood pressure
-Obesity
-Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes
-Autoimmune diseases
-Multiple sclerosis
-Rheumatoid arthritis
-Osteoarthritis
-Bursitis
-Gout
-Infertility and PMS
-Parkinson’s Disease
-Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder
-Alzheimer’s Disease
-Chronic fatigue syndrome
-Fibromyalgia
-Chronic Pain
-Periodontal disease
-Psoriasis
What is vitamin D?
Although it’s called a vitamin, vitamin D is really a hormone not a vitamin. Vitamins cannot be produced by your body, we get them from dietary sources, whereas hormones like vitamin D are made in your body. It’s your body’s only source of calcitrol (activated vitamin D), the most potent steroid hormone in the body.
What does vitamin D do?
Like all steroid hormones, vitamin D is involved in making hundreds of enzymes and proteins, which are crucial for preserving health and preventing disease. It has the ability to interact and affect more than 2,000 genes in the body. It enhances muscle strength and builds bone. It has anti-inflammatory effects and bolsters the immune system. It helps the action of insulin and has anti-cancer activity. This is why vitamin D deficiency has been linked with so many of the diseases of modern society. Because of its vast array of benefits, maintaining optimal levels of D is essential for your health.
Where do I get vitamin D from?
The only 2 reliable sources of vitamin D are the sun and supplements. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way for your body to generate vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced by your skin in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In fact, this is such an efficient system that most of us make approx. 20,000 units of vitamin D after only 20 minutes of summer sun without suntan lotion (or clothes!) That’s 100 times more than the government recommends per day! There must be a good reason why we make so much in so little time.
You do not generate vitamin D when sitting behind a glass window, whether in your car or at home because these UV rays cannot penetrate glass to generate vitamin D in your skin. Also sunscreens, even weak ones, almost completely block your body’s ability to generate vitamin D.
The other reliable source is vitamin D3 supplements (not vitamin D2)
Only about 10% of your vitamin D comes from diet, so it is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your food.
What are the food sources of vitamin D?
1. Fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil. Fatty wild fish like mackerel, salmon, halibut, tuna, sardines and herring
2. Fortified milk, orange juice and cereal
3. Dried Shitake mushrooms
4. Egg yolks
But to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from food, you would have to eat at least 5 servings of salmon a day or drink 20 cups of fortified milk.
My Doctor told me to avoid the sun, what do you think?
There is an old Italian saying “Where the sun does not go the doctor does.”
For about the last 25 years, doctors (dermatologists in particular) have demonized sun exposure and repeatedly told us it is bad for you and causes cancer. But is that true? In the last few years, numerous studies have shown that modest exposure to sunlight may actually be good for you, helping the body produce the vitamin D it needs to keep bones healthy and protect against cancer, including skin cancer. Though repeated sunburns–in children and very fair-skinned people–have been linked to melanoma, there is no credible scientific evidence that moderate sun exposure causes it. Since it’s almost impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from food alone (including fortified milk and fatty wild fish), the sun is your best source. I’m not suggesting you go bake in the sun with your suntan oil or go to tanning salons. But getting some sun without getting sunburned makes healthy sense.
We evolved in the sun; we were made to get some sun, not to live our lives indoors and slather on sunscreen every time we go outside. If the sun is shining where you are today, get out and enjoy it, talk about a free natural treatment! All you need is a little common sense when heading outdoors, do it gradually and always avoid sunburn.
Special Note: Remember to take antioxidants when you sit in the sun, as these can help prevent skin cells from sun damage.
How much sunshine do I need?
All living things need sun, the key is balance. Too much sun exposure can cause melanoma and skin aging, while too little creates an inadequate production of vitamin D. The amount needed depends on the season, time of day, where you live, skin pigmentation and other factors. As a general rule, if you are not vitamin D deficient, about 20 minutes a day in the spring, summer and fall on your face and arms or legs without sunscreen is adequate. It doesn’t matter which part of the body you expose to the sun. Many people want to protect their face, so just don’t put sunscreen on the other exposed parts for those 20 minutes.
If you live north of 37 degrees latitude (approximately a line drawn horizontally connecting Norfolk, Virginia to San Francisco, California) sunlight is not sufficient to create Vitamin D in your skin in the winter months, even if you are sitting in the sun in a bathing suit on a warm January day! The further you live from the equator, the longer exposure you need to the sun in order to generate vitamin D.
Part 2 of Dr. Frank Lipman’s blog will be posted tomorrow!
Originally posted at HuffingtonPost.com.
- Posted by Dr. Frank Lipman on November 10, 2009 at 5:00 am
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Tagged as: disease, hormone, sun exposure, Supplements, Vitamin D
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Excellent article! Thank you for writing it.
In the last year I have learned much about vitamin D and have taken great steps to get my blood levels up. This subject is an ongoing one that I blog about. (all blog posts are titled “Vitamin D Project” and were written during this past summer…. If you want to take a look, check out
http://www.mehok.wordpress.com
I’m looking forward to reading more about this tomorrow!
Elizabeth
Elizabeth- I’m curious about what steps you’ve taken to get your blood levels up. Mind sharing them here?
I’ve recently started taking supplements (MegaFood brand), since I spend most of my time inside behind a computer screen! I know that there are days at a time that I do not get sun exposure. It would be interesting to be tested for this. Does anyone know if this is a simple test to have done at the doctor?
I was raised to fear the sun and never go outside without sunscreen. I am a huge supporter of sunscreen of course, but I do think that it can have a negative affect if it is used 100% of the time. After reading this blog, it sounds like if you’re only going to be in the sun for 20 minutes a day, the sunscreen should be left alone. Thoughts?
ps- How’s the singing going, Elizabeth? I remember you from Kripalu! Still manifesting those dreams? xo
Is Mega Food the best source of Vitamin D when supplementing and is it acceptable for children? My family and I recently relocated to Oregon to film for a year. We get a fair amount of time outdoors, but the sun is illusive at best. How can I best help my family keep healthy levels of vitamin D? We do a primarily living foods diet so we do not consume enriched products or dairy.
I question why this says “The other reliable source is vitamin D3 supplements (not vitamin D2)”? While you do need more D2 as opposed to D3, D2 has been shown in studies to be a reliable source. Otherwise, how would all of us vegans get enough Vit D? D3 is not vegan and D2 is. When I see an error like this, it makes me wonder if anything else is incorrect.
Corinne, the blood test for Vit D levels is 25-OH Vit D3. It is a simple blood test that you should be able to get thru a general practitioner.
Dr. Frank Lipman will respond to some of your questions tomorrow, so be sure to check back!
After 10 years of being treated for Crohn’s disease with steroids I have osteopenia at the tender age age of 29. Vitamin D is key to good health. Great article.
Love Dr. Lipman! His book SPENT is amazing and I highly recommend it. I got my levels up and haven’t been sick since.
There is also a home test you can do for you and your family. You can order here:
http://www.zrtlab.com/vitamindcouncil/
Be well!
Bueller
My question for Dr. Lipman, I almost forgot, is are there any longtime side affects from taking D3 for a long period of time, like fore years…?
Thanks Dr. Lipman!
Bueller
I just read yesterday that, on average, most people living in northern climates (I’m Canadian) need about 5,000IU/vitamin D2/day. This is from Carolyn Dean (MD, ND), author of “The Magnesium Miracle”. What are the potential toxicity implications of such high dosages and how does one know when we’re reaching those levels?
Thanks for the link, Bueller! I’ll check out that test:)
I live in Canada. Would it be best for a northerner to take D3 supplements or to visit a tanning booth for a few minutes a day?
Oh this is fabulous. I love Vitamen D3. I have found it fundamental in the well being of your immune system. If helps keep the symptoms of MSALS at bay and helps prevent colds and flus from settling it. It has changed my energy level and my mental outlook. Duncan and I both take 4000 iu’s a day and we are in the process of ramping up this vitamen a bit more. Along with the super food diet and green juice we are settling in to a new and healthier year. Duncan had tested very low on his vitament d test last Jan. and he had to take 50,000 units a week for six months. Finally the pain and the symptoms have backed down a bit. I hope everyone has the good fortune we have had with this essential vitamen. And I think we have lost the idea that tanning in the sun is not getting good old fashioned excersize in the sun. We need to be outdoors.. it clears our heads energizes our bodies and changes out moods. Now this does not mean laying on one of those silver reflective blankets from the eighties slathering yourself with baby oil and letting the tan set.. bad habits die hard.. but tanning has been gone for years.. although I am a beach person. Thanks for the wonderful article. Callie
Hi Corinne
in the summer I got a LOT of my skin in the sun … careful not to burn. When not in the sun I take about 15,000 IU a day and get a labcorp blood test every few months to make sure my serum calcium levels are in range (not a concern with sun exposure, just with oral supplements). My body seems to use up most of what I take. Everyone is different and 15,000 IU a day is not right for everybody. I will modify it when I get my blood levels close to 80. You can get a reliable home test from the Vitamin D Council, but that will not tell you your serium calcium level.
I’ve got pictures on my vision board as we speak. These are not the only things that I am turning my manifesting mind to …
Am still manifesting like crazy! I manifested winning the audition to sing last summer (read more on my blog at the end of July last summer) and manifested the lot we bought and the apartment we are renting (right across the street) while we plan our new house. Next manifesting project, elegant YOGA Queen
Miss you! Had a blast a Kripalu last October… life changing
xoxo
Elizabeth
I live north of the line and have been taking a Vit D3 suppliment for a year. I was hoping it was helping with the insulin problems, blood pressure and weight loss.
When I am in the sun or too hot/ like when I was in Hawaii last year – I swell up and am miserable…extremely so…when home I do sit on my deck with my back exposed to the sun for about 20 minutes at about noon ( me and the solar panels!) but that is only summer..
I don’t know if it is making a difference?
Still just visualizing health, exercising, and eating raw…and hoping
I got a lovely dose of Vitamin D today from enjoying the sunshine. A great perk for living in AZ…
How do I go about getting my 4 year old tested for Vit D deficiency? Aside from begging her pediatrician….
Dr. Lipman,
I am taking both Calcitriol and Vitamin D in an effort to restore calcium levels which have dropped since a total thyroidectomy removed my parathyroid glands as well.
Recently relocated from Massachusetts to California which seems to aid my hypocalcemia as symptoms seem to improve after being in the sun… and seem to reappear when indoors for long periods of time.
What is the half-life of the supplements? Can your body “store” vitamin D? How “rapidly” do lab tests detect a change in levels?
I would always promote natural (sun) over artificial (pills) but a combination of both seems to be managing it for now.
Just worried about winter…
Thank you.
Stephanie,
Differences between Vitamin D2, (also called ergocalciferol) and Vitamin D 3, (also called cholecalciferol).
Vitamin D 2 does not get absorbed into the body well, a phenomenon called bioavailability Many vitamins are not necessarily bioavailable, therefore taking vitamins does not mean that you actually absorb the vitamin. Vitamin D2 is one of these vitamins that is not very bioavailable, that is why I recommend Vitamin D3. If you are a vegan, then Vitamin D2 is fine, but you will need more because it is not absorbed as well into the body as Vitamin D3
The Vitamin D Research supports this extremely well:
•
• “… cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) is substantially more potent than ergocalciferol (vitamin D2).” ‘Vitamin D in Health and Disease’ Heaney, RP
•
• “Vitamin D2 should not be regarded anymore as suitable for supplementation or fortification.” From ‘Vitamin D2 or vitamin D3?’ Mistretta, VI et al
•
• “D2 (ergocalciferol) has lower bioactivity, poorer stability, and shorter duration of action, resulting in approximately 33% lower potency compared with vitamin D3” From ‘The Value of Vitamin D3 over Vitamin D2 in Older Persons’ Barbara J. Zarowitz PharmD, FCCP, BCPS, CGP, FASCP
Bueller,
Vitamin D is fat soluble so yes it can cause toxicity in large doses. Because most people are deficient, this is now uncommon but possible. That is why I recommend getting your blood levels drawn (25 hydroxy vit D) and checked every 3 months if you are taking 5,000 units or more daily
Deb,
I agree with Carolyn Dean, thru the winter in Canada with no sun, 5,000 units is generally a good dose to take. But please get your levels checked
Roxanne,
I tend not to recommend them because we don’t really know if they are safe. Because the light sources vary with different tanning beds, it makes them unpredictable and possibly unsafe. In addition, most commercial tanning beds emit an unknown amount of EMF and because one is so close to the actual bed, it may be an unnecessary high dose. Theoretically both these problems could be overcome, but in reality they usually are not.
Thanks Dr. Lipman!
I posted on the other blog but I still have the same question: what does a vegan do in the winter? My levels were very low and I went on 5000IU of D3. That is animal based always? After having cancer I listen to my doctor but I would like a worthy alternative. Thanks.
hi, I’m 32 female. suffering from degenerated discs at c2 and L4-5 and osteopenia. thats how I found out about my Vit D defciency.I took the test and my level is 9.67 ng/ml.
I am taking INDROP D i ampoule injection orally once a month.(recommended for 5 months). also i sit in th sun at least 5 days a week. plz guide me as to how long should i get sun exposure with cotton clothes on and with my forearms n feet exposed to sun.
thank you!
hi, im 32 yrs old female; suffering from degenerated discs and osteopenia. my VIT D levels tests showed acute deficiency, i.e 9.67 ng/ml. i am advised INDROP D 1 ampoule injection administered orally once a month fr 5 mnths.
i take sun light atleast 5 days a week now. plz suggest how long should i get exposure to sun each sitting, with cotton clothes on n only forearms n feet exposed.
thanks a lot!
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I am a 26 year old . Last July I started having palpitations, and I had been having dizzy spells. Of course the dr. checked my heart- no major problems. My thyroid level was ok.
I was still sick about 3 months later. By November I had dizziness, headaches, terrible back pain, rt ankle swelling/pain,pressure in rt eye/face, extreeeeme fatigue, loss of interest in anything, short of breath at times, mood swings, memory loss, and anxiety!!! I HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE SPECIALISTS- Cardio, Gastro,ENT, Neuro, OB/GYN,Endo and a Rheumatologist. After all these docs trying to put me on meds for everything from anxiety to high blood pressure, the endocrinologist finally tested my vitamin D level.
My vitamin D level was 11 ng/L !!, I thought I WAS DYING FOR MONTHS AND HAD ACCEPTED THE FACT. Pray, research, and demand thorough treatment. The only reason I discovered these problems was because I decided they would not find out what my illness was on autopsy.
The doctors, unfortunately, is not ALWAYS looking at you as an individual, but as a textbook case. My endocrinologist (2nd in 4 months) prescribed 50,000 I.U. 2 times a week for 4 weeks and then it decreases to times a week for 4 weeks.
Now my level 85 ng/L ,I am frustrated that I still having some symptoms,I have been living in HELL for the past 8 months and I am looking forward to heaven on earth again!!! Have a little faith.
please any one who been treated with vitamin d3 are your symptoms better?
Thank you for any comments/info you have to offer..God bless
as per blood test report my vitamin D3 level is 8.47,my nephrologist has advised me INDROP i ampule oral or inj. for 3 months,but how often? pl.advise