This Is Why You Should Be Taking Vitamin D

You may have heard of all the hype about taking vitamin D but might not be sure if it applies to you. It turns out that most people are deficient in this vitamin due to a variety of modern day reasons but few realize some inconspicuous symptoms that may be a factor.

If you aren’t taking vitamin D you may want re-think adding this vitamin to your daily routine. It is one of the least expensive, highly effective remedies that could start up some life cylinders you’ve been missing out on.

Sunshine is Not Enough

Your body produces vitamin D when your skin is exposed to the sun. With the development of the Industrial Revolution and a highly mechanical society, humans no longer need to be outdoors as much. In the past, many would till the land, horseback ride, picnic, hike, or just walk from place to place. Nowadays, enclosed transportation, air-conditioning and digital entertainment all contribute to keeping people out of the sun. Add in the high incidence of skin cancers like melanoma and many avoid the sun or slather themselves with sun block. As a result, vitamin D deficiency has escalated considerably.

Harvard’s School of Public Health reports that,

“Worldwide, an estimated 1 billion people have inadequate levels of vitamin D in their blood, and deficiencies can be found in all ethnicities and age groups. Indeed, in industrialized countries, doctors are even seeing the resurgence of rickets, the bone-weakening disease that had been largely eradicated through vitamin D fortification.”

It is recommended that 15 minutes in the sun is adequate for vitamin D production. Although anyone can be lacking in vitamin D, it is found that darker skin individuals such as African Americans; vegetarians/vegans (many vitamin D sources come from animal products); and older individuals are more susceptible.

According to Alternative Daily, Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the development of:

• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Multiple sclerosis
• Glucose intolerance
• Parkinson’s disease
• Pelvic floor disorders
• Age-related macular degeneration
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Heart disease
• Schizophrenia
• Cancer

Telltale Signs

To determine whether or not your are in deficiency mode takes a simple, personal scan of your

health. See if any of these telltale signs may apply to you.

Bouts With Illness

If you suffer from being sick several times per year you could be struggling with an autoimmune response and vitamin D may help. An autoimmune response is when the body thinks it is sick and begins attacking itself. This includes some colds, flus, joint pain, etc.

Published in the Journal of Investigative Medicine, a study by researchers from the Cynthia Aranow, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, N.Y. concluded that,

“Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in autoimmune disease. Cells of the immune system are capable of synthesizing and responding to vitamin D. Immune cells in autoimmune diseases are responsive to the ameliorative effects of vitamin D suggesting that the beneficial effects of supplementing vitamin D deficient individuals with autoimmune disease may extend beyond effects on bone and calcium homeostasis.”

Depression

Sure, it’s not easy to get through the day sometimes but if you are struggling more than the average person you could have vitamin D deficient depression. Adding a vitamin D supplement may not completely reduce symptoms but it is a good start in addition to seeing your doctor.

Norwegian researchers from the Medical Clinic, University Hospital of North Norway published a study in the British Journal of Psychiatry: The Journal of Mental Science concluding that,

“Low levels of serum 25(OH)D [natural D levels] are associated with depressive symptoms…”

ED

Erectile dysfunction affects approximately 30 million American men and all some may need to get back in the saddle is vitamin D. Italian researchers studied the correlation and published their findings in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

It was concluded that,

“Our study shows that a significant proportion of ED patients have a vitamin D deficiency and that this condition is more frequent in patients with the arteriogenic [increase in vessel wall diameter] etiology [causes]. Low levels of vitamin D might increase the ED risk by promoting endothelial [tissue lining] dysfunction. Men with ED should be analyzed for vitamin D levels and particularly to A-ED [arteriogenic erectile dysfunction] patients with a low level a vitamin D supplementation is suggested.”

Low Back Pain

It is best to rule out a vitamin D deficiency when it comes to lower back pain, one of the top reasons for a doctor’s office visit. Indian doctors at the Department of Biochemistry, The Mission Hospital, Durgapur, West Bengal India studied the effects of vitamin D and other biochemical factors on back pain. It was reported that,

“The authors strongly recommend early frequent screening for vitamin D along with glucose, protein, albumin, calcium, phosphorus, CRP [blood test marker] as part of general health checkup for non-specific body pain, especially low back pain.”

Fatigue

Who isn’t tired now an again but if you are feeling exhausted more than normal you could be lacking in D. Supplementation was used in reviving fatigued cancer patients and may be helpful for non-cancer patients as well. The North American Journal of Medical Sciences published a study out of the Department of Medicine, Cooper University Hospital, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, of the effects of vitamin D on fatigue reporting,

“This prospective study of low vitamin D and fatigue demonstrated two major observations: First, a very high prevalence of low vitamin D (serum 25-OHD) in patients who complained of fatigue. Second, a significant reduction in the severity of fatigue (fatigue symptom scores) after normalization of vitamin D levels.”

Concluding that,

“Normalization of low vitamin D level with ergocalciferol [vitamin D] therapy significantly improves the severity of fatigue symptoms in adult patients who present in the primary care office with fatigue and stable chronic medical conditions, if any. With fatigue being a major presenting complaint in the primary care offices, serum 25-OHD level should be tested and low serum 25-OHD levels should be corrected with an effective ergocalciferol therapy regimen in order to improve their symptoms.”

Don’t let these symptoms take over your life when all you may need is simple supplementation. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends 600 International Units (IU) of vitamin D3 (don’t just take D as the 3 is important) however, spending time outdoors may increase your vitamin D to 10,000 to 25,000 IU’s.