What's News: Vitamin D

Vitamin D’s influence on the fabric of our existence - the human genome, and key biological functions vital to one’s health, demands that vitamin D no longer be ignored by health care providers nor by individuals striving to achieve and maintain a greater state of health.

Current research suggests that vitamin D deficiency is a major factor in the pathology of at least 17 varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, autism, periodontal disease and more.

Known as the sunshine vitamin, the best way to optimize vitamin D levels is with regular daily exposure of large portions of your skin to 15 to 30 minutes of full sun. So, you might think the average Kiwi should have no problem with vitamin D. However, vitamin D is one of the most prevalent deficiencies in industrialised countries including New Zealand. Even in summer approximately 70 to 80% of the population are thought to be deficient, whilst in winter, up to 100% of the population may carry some level of deficiency.

There is so much evidence supporting the importance of maintaining adequate vitamin D. It also tells us that the average diet and lifestyle factors such as working indoors and sun avoidance do not maintain healthy vitamin D levels. New Zealand does not fortify foods with vitamin D (yet), so dietary supplements, of the natural cholecalciferol form of vitamin D, is the only insurance you have against the severest of deficiencies. 2000IU daily is the recommended dose. The only test that can diagnose vitamin D deficiency is a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test. Get one done and get your levels above 50μg/L year-round.

Type “youtube Vitamin D Deficiency and Illness” into your internet search engine and watch the CBN news report.

(Originally published in Health & Herbal News Magazine Volume 19, Issue 2)