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We have a great bunch here dedicated to getting you vital facts into a friendly, living blog. Together we can overcome the deficiency, and what better way than chatting and sharing? Thank you very much for your interest!

The following paragraphs are from the Vitamin D Council’s website:

“Another substance that is often called vitamin D is ergocalciferol (also referred to as vitamin D2 or Calciferol). It is derived by radiating fungus. It is not the naturally occurring vitamin D for humans. Fungus contains fat-like substances called sterols which are commercially irradiated to form ergocalciferol. As it is derived from plants, and not animals, ergocalciferol is considered Kosher.

Ergocalciferol is available to U.S. doctors in prescription strength and is sometimes used in multivitamin preparations—usually at 400 IU per pill. Your doctor can write a prescription for 50,000 units of ergocalciferol (brand names Drisdol and Calciferol).

Ergocalciferol does not exist in detectable quantities in the human body, only in tiny quantities in plants and as such is “unnatural” when in the human body. You can not get any appreciable ergocalciferol by eating vegetables. Ergocalciferol is metabolized to various substances in the body, some of which are not normally present in humans, although these metabolites have never been shown to be dangerous. There is also some evidence that ergocalciferol is more toxic in overdose, which is curious as it is only about half as potent as the naturally occurring vitamin D, cholecalciferol. Your body also metabolizes ergocalciferol more quickly than cholecalciferol.”

Synthetic Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) becomes toxic in you body at far lower levels than D3.  Too  much synthetic Vitamin D2 may be linked to health problems.  A number of studies link Vitamin D2 to irritation of the lining of blood vessels.

In fortified Vitamin D Milk, you may not even know how much you are getting.  When Dr. Michael Holick and his colleagues at the Boston University School of Medicine tested samples of milk, they found 8 out of 10 samples contained either 20 percent less or 20 percent more Vitamin D than the amount the lable advertised — and some of the milk tested contained no Vitamin D at all.

As you can see, we cannot depend on our fortified Vitamin D Milk to supply our needs for Vitamin D.  We need to spend 15 to 20 minutes a day with bare arms and legs and no sunscreen, except on our face and neck, at mid-day to get our best form of Vitamin D.  And during the time of year when our sun isn’t strong enough to produce Vitamin D we need to supplement with Vitamin D.

Related articles

Vitamin D Information

We’re of a mind that nutritional needs are intensely individual. It’s wonderful that we are all completely different and therein lies the challenge as well. It seems to us that the path laid out is fraught with danger and lined with the beauty of nature all at the same time. We want to enjoy our lives but be smart, too. Be wary of “being led down the garden path” as well as lead a carefree life, and at least allow our children to be children. The persuasive among us have a charge to be well-informed and make sure our stance is based on fact.

To be true, Vitamin D and autism is speculation from the standpoint of the most comprehensive resource for the cause of autism. There is a wide range of hope, despair and cool-headed truth…and the truth is: we don’t know. We do know that the stats are showing an increase, we know that autism is trendy, if a disease can indeed be called trendy. When we think of media we think news and what captures the attention of the masses–so the longer you’ve been privy to the daily news the wiser you become, as far as trends go.

Here are three powerfully opposing viewpoints…and don’t get us wrong, we invite and are glad for discussion because a spotlight can show up what we had not considered before or even endorse what our best guess is based on:

1) Autism may be caused by mercury (vaccinations, plus other sources)

2) Autism may be caused by what is called Vitamin D deficiency

3) Autism may be caused by something else

The question-asking teenagers who are fascinated by law will tell you that some facts are circumstantial. In fact, the ever-popular Sherlock Holmes would say that when you eliminate the impossible what you have left, however improbable, is the answer. So, collectively we’re actually in the process of elimination of theories which takes time. In fact we would all surely love to see long-term controlled studies on Vitamin D so that short-term studies do not sway too quickly the minds and hearts of the vulnerable in our society.

In light of practical treatment, Dr. Mercola has received unsolicited letters from mothers who found through trial and error an amazing decline of the worst symptoms of childhood autism through Vitamin D.

Right or wrong there are early adopters (those of us who act first) and there are those who are careful to go forward only after enough facts are in. Most of us fall somewhere in between.

Together there will be a consensus, together an answer will be found and until then let’s be synergistically minded and let our intake be based on toxin-free food, plus fresh air, sunshine and regular sleep. Moderation for the nation.

To hear what world renowned researcher Dr. Michael Holick has to say download his interview here

Cathy Fletcher

Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency

Benefits of Vitamin D

Vitamin D Dosage

The current unit of measurement for Vitamin D levels in the blood is expressed in nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml). The optimal blood levels for disease prevention is in the 50  – 100 ng/ml range.

Our team decided to pose a question to Dwight McKee M.D., a leading authority on the latest recommended dosage levels for Vitamin D supplements. We asked him what he recommended as the proper dosage levels of Vitamin D supplements for children and adults. Below are his recommendations:

• Take 1,000 IU of Vitamin D per 25 pounds of body weight per day. It can be taken daily, once a week, or on a monthly basis. Please see the table below for an easy to read conversion table.

• Don’t take any Vitamin D on days when you will experience significant summer, tropical or winter sun exposure without sun block.

• People with granulomatous diseases (sarcoid, TB, Chrohn’s disease, etc.) and lymphoma, should only take Vitamin D with a knowledgeable physician monitoring their blood levels, as they can easily get toxic with these kinds of doses. These are rare conditions, but are probably what led to the medical myth of the dangers surrounding Vitamin D toxicity.

Body Weight in Pounds	Recommended Daily Dosage (IU)	Recommended Weekly Dosage (IU)	Recommended Monthly Dosage
25	1,000	7,000	30,000
50	2,000	14,000	60,000
75	3,000	21,000	90,000
100	4,000	28,000	120,000
125	5,000	35,000	150,000
150	6,000	42,000	180,000
175	7,000	49,000	210,000
200	8,000	56,000	240,000
225	9,000	63,000	270,000
250	10,000	70,000	300,000
275	11,000	77,000	330,000
300	12,000	84,000	360,000
325	13,000	91,000	390,000
350	14,000	98,000	420,000
375	15,000	105,000	450,000
400	16,000	112,000	480,000

International Unit (IU) – The international unit (IU) is a unit of measurement based on an accepted standard and on biological activity of the substance. The substance for Vitamin D has its own unique IU. What this means is that 100 IU of Vitamin D does not equal 100 IU of Vitamin E. Note: It takes 1000 IU of Vitamin D to equal 25 micrograms (mcg) of Vitamin D.

Dr. Michael Holick is a leading researcher at the Boston University Medical Center and is a high-profile member of the Vitamin D research community. To get a FREE copy of an EXCLUSIVE interview with Dr. Holick click on the link below.

Click here for FREE Interview

Recommended reading: Vitamin D supplements

The high levels of sugar in the bloodstream are what define the health condition called diabetes. It presents itself in two ways: type 1 and type 2. Ninety percent of the diabetics are included in type 2 and they mostly adults. In the case of type 2 diabetes, either the insulin is too high or it’s not working properly, causing the blood sugar to rise.

Type 1 diabetes happens because of inadequate levels of insulin. It usually starts in childhood or the teen years. Doctors agree that type 1 diabetes develops when the beta-cells, the pancreatic cells that responsible for producing insulin, are destroyed. This destruction occurs because of some kind of immune system dysfunction. Therefore, type 1 diabetes may be considered to be an autoimmune disease.

Researchers did some epidemiological studies to see the relationship between Vitamin D supplementation in infancy (up to 1 year of age) and the future risk of developing type 1 diabetes. They found that supplementing with Vitamin D was associated with 29% less risk of developing this disease.

Those epidemiological studies cannot prove that Vitamin D is actually protecting against type 1 diabetes. However, the researchers see a strong relationship between the high levels of Vitamin D and the lower risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

Other researches support the evidence that individuals who were diagnosed as having type 1 diabetes also showed low levels of Vitamin D. It’s also true that there’s more incidence of type 1 diabetes in countries that are colder, in other words, there’s not enough production of Vitamin D in the skin.

There are Vitamin D receptors on both the beta-cells in the pancreas and some cells in the immune system. So, scientists believe that Vitamin D probably helps normalize the immune system, which in turn possibly decreases an overreaction on the beta-cells, protecting them from damage. Animal experiments suggest that this is true: Vitamin D is able to protect against type 1 diabetes while normalizing the immune system.

While other medical doctors are waiting for volunteers to conduct some randomized trials, i.e. the children would be treated with Vitamin D or placebo, it’s safe to say that there is a strong evidence that there’s a connection between Vitamin D and Diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is really a significant public medical condition, accounting for considerable precocious deaths. The growing incidence of this problem seems to be directly associated with overweight problems. However, during the last five years, a variety of substantial, observational research has indicated a strong connection between the onset of type 2 diabetes and Vitamin D insufficiency.  Studies have shown that Vitamin D affects insulin activity beneficially, correcting  processes in the body that might be significant in the development of type 2 diabetes. Despite the fact that there are data linking Vitamin D deficiency to type 2 diabetes, scientists still want to do additional investigation to make sure whether Vitamin D supplementation carries a role in the avoiding type 2 diabetes.

If you would like to listen to a 10-minute free interview with Dr Holick, a Vitamin D expert,  please click here.

To your health!

Ligia Fleckenstein

You might be thinking “what about the danger of getting skin cancer because of the exposure to the sun?” Well, you’re not supposed to spend the whole day in the sun and get sunburned. The secret here is moderation as in other many things in life. Scientific studies show that a healthy person having unprotected exposure to the sun for 10 to 15 minutes a day, 3 times a week is going to produce sufficient Vitamin D all year around.

However, there are certain circumstances that may interfere in the absorption of the sun such as skin pigment, obesity, kidney disease, age, low estrogen, and geographical location. The darker a person is the harder it is for him/her to make Vitamin D because his skin works as a sunscreen. Someone who is obese cannot make sufficient Vitamin D because this nutrient is fat soluble and gets stuck in it, not giving the person any benefit. Unfortunately, someone with kidney disease cannot naturally make any Vitamin D at all because this vitamin has to go through the kidney before it can be used by the body. As the person ages the harder it is for him/her to naturally make vitamin D. There is a connection between low levels of estrogen and Vitamin D deficiency, even though we still don’t know exactly how this sex hormone affects the synthesizing of Vitamin D. People who live above the equator or far from it cannot make Vitamin D at all during most part of the year, except for summer and perhaps, spring.

There are definite benefits of Vitamin D for menopausal women such as better absorption of calcium; renewal and building of the bones; prevention of bone diseases such as osteoporosis – frail bones or osteomalacia – soft bones; minimizing of mood swings and depression; prevention of age-related illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases, colon and breast cancers, diabetes, and obesity.

The combination of Vitamin D and calcium is translated into healthy bones and no chance for bone illnesses. With the hormonal changes in the body, menopausal women are prone to depression and mood swings which according to medical studies can be minimized with the intake of Vitamin D. Plenty of studies show that prevention of colon and breast cancer is possible for women with sufficient levels of Vitamin D in their bodies. There is connection in adequate levels of Vitamin D and better usage of insulin in the body, minimizing the start of diabetes. There is a connection between calcium and Vitamin D supplementation with prevention of weight gain in women.

It’s good to know that the whole family can benefit from great nutrient. However, the benefits of Vitamin D for menopausal women should be taken most seriously. What I mean is if you have not been supplementing up to this point in life, there is still time to remedy your situation. Supplementing with the appropriate dosages of Vitamin D and calcium will not only help you to prevent the above mentioned age-related diseases, but also allow you to age gracefully without complications.

Come now, women, don’t be like an ostrich burying your head in the sand, pretending you don’t know the truth about the benefits of Vitamin D. The earlier you start your Vitamin D and calcium intake the better.

If you would like to listen to a 10-minute free interview with Dr. Holick, please click here.

To your health!

Ligia Fleckenstein

What does Vitamin D do for perimenopausal and menopausal women? If they take this nutrient and maintain sufficient levels of it in their bodies, it will help them to prevent the following age-related medical conditions:

• Osteoporosis
  As Vitamin D is critical for calcium absorption and proper bone building, women who are starting to lose estrogen are at risk to develop osteoporosis if they don’t get adequate amounts of Vitamin D. The combination of calcium and Vitamin D are imperative for both prevention and maintenance of bone strength.
• Certain Cancers
  Vitamin D has been associated with the prevention of colon, prostate and breast cancers. It is most effective in helping to prevent colon cancer, but nevertheless as it helps slow down malignant cell growth; it will probably work in any part of the body. Unfortunately, as we have been using a lot of sun block to prevent skin cancers, we have also been blocking out the much needed Vitamin D.
• Depression
  It has been shown that Vitamin D has a positive effect on low mood and cognitive performance. Since mood swings are common in the menopause years, anything that minimizes it, is worth trying.
• Diabetes
  Adequate levels of Vitamin D seem to have a strong association with your body’s ability to use insulin. Many studies have shown that this nutrient not only makes your body use the insulin, but it also makes the insulin more effective.  It also seems to prevent and/or minimize types 1 and 2 diabetes. A certain study showed that women who took 1,200 mg per day of calcium along with 800 IU of Vitamin D had a 33% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Cardiovascular Diseases As women start to lose estrogen, they begin to have the same risks for this disease as men do. There is some connection between low estrogen and D deficiency.  And D deficiency may affect your blood vessels leading to high blood pressure and consequently to other heart problems.Vitamin D is the best and the cheapest way to protect your life pump, your heart. If you are considering taking vitamin D to reduce your risk of heart disease, the best thing is to talk to your doctor about it and weigh it against your other risk factors and health concerns.  Studies have shown that supplementing with Vitamin D and calcium can lower blood pressure readings for hypertensive people.
• Obesity
  Women who are overwheight usually have low levels of Vitamin D. We don’t know whether the low levels contribute to obesity or whether obesity lowers the Vitamin D levels. But we do know that there is a link between the two. As research connects calcium and Vitamin D supplements with preventing weight gain for women, I believe that’s an excellent reason for you to start considering the intake of both Vitamin D and calcium as you get into this stage of life.

What does Vitamin D do for menopausal women? Can it really prevent so many diseases?  Absolutely!  It may seem unbelievable, but studies show that this is true. It’s really kind of miraculous.  So, let’s take advantage of it. As you get into your midlife, prevention becomes your best defense against those age-related health conditions. You may want to check the appropriate Vitamin D dosages.

If you would like to hear a 10-minute free inverview with Dr. Holick, who an expert on Vitamin D please click here.

• Age
• Season
• Latitude
• Obesity
• Use of Sunscreen

As we age our skin begins to lose it’s ability to convert sunshine to Vitamin D, and the older we get the greater the loss of receptors to convert sunshine Vitamin D.  This begins our decline of Vitamin D levels and an increase in disease and illnesses.  Until recently the medical community have not been aware of the value of optimum Vitamin D levels on our health or the causes of Vitamin D deficiency.

The medical community has been adamant about using strong sunscreens whenever we are in the sun so we have all but elimated getting the best Vitamin D which comes from sunlight.  We certainly shouldn’t get sunburned, but according to the top  researchers we need 15 to 20 minutes of sun on bare arms and legs several times a week to raise our Vitamin D levels.

Those of us who live in latitudes north of Atlanta will only be able to get enough Vitamin D for about 5 months of the year.  After that the sun isn’t strong enough to produce Vitamin D on our skin.  Women over 50 are really in short supply because our skin has lost some of the receptors to make Vitamin D.

As we age, some of the causes of Vitamin D deficiency are from aging kidneys that have trouble absorbing Vitamin D to useful forms.

Due to bad eating habits and lack of excerise we have become overweight, some to the point of obesity.  Fat and obese people absorb Vitamin D but it gets trapped in fat cells and cannot easily exit.  Researchers have found that overweight people need about twice the Vitamin D as average weight individuals.

There is very little Vitamin D in our food chain.  Oily fish, fish liver oil, beef liver, and egg yolks are the main sources, milk and a few other foods that have Vitamin D which has been added.  We can barely get enough Vitamin D from these sources to keep us from getting rickets ( which is a childrens disease of soft bones) and osteomalacia ( which is the eqivalent of rickets in adults).

To eliminate Vitamin D deficiecy our only sources are sunlight, and a small amount through our food and supplements.  According to new research we need a minimum of 1000 IU per day to keep optimum levels of Vitamin D.  The only way to know if you are Vitamin D deficient is to have your blood tested by your doctor.  Keep in mind when you go for the test that there are TWO Vitamin D tests 1,25(OH)D and 25(OH)D.  The 25(OH)D is the better marker of overall Vitamin D status.  The correct test your doctor needs to order is 25(OH)D, also known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

To read more on Vitamin D  click on the articles below:

Vitamin D Recommeded Dosage

Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms

What Does Vitamin D Do

To get our expert interview on Vitamin D click here

For many years it has just been seen as a vitamin to help keep our bones stronger so we would have fewer broken bones.

Recent discoveries suggest it has significantly more far-reaching effects than just your bone health, contrary to popular belief.

Vitamin D Facts are that research suggests 85% of people could be Vitamin D deficient without knowing it, leaving them with less than optimal health.

Current scientific research suggests that all cells and tissues in our bodies have Vitamin D receptors and further concludes that every cell and tissue needs Vitamin D for its well being.   Not only that, but Vitamin D is responsible for the regulation of over 2000 genes in your body.

Our skin naturally produces Vitamin D when exposed to direct sunlight for 15 to 20 minutes at midday. But for years we have been told to wear sun screen on all exposed areas of our body or cover them with clothing for fear of getting skin cancer.  The facts are, that skin cancer has increased since we have been using sun screens and covering our bodies.

Vitamin D facts are that we are now Vitamin D deficient instead of having optimal levels and it is affecting our bodies in many ways we have yet to discover.

Having to little Vitamin D (Vitamin D deficiency) may not have any outwardly obvious signs,  yet Vitamin D (specifically Vitamin D3) impacts most of our body.

The following list could be considered Vitamin D deficiency symptoms:

• Poor Immune System
• Heart Disease
  
• Over Weight
• Aging
• Skin
  
• Vascular system
• Weak Bones
• Muscle Weakness and Pain
  
• Depressed Moods
• Poor Digestion

and the list gets longer with new research being done.

Vitamin D Facts are that sunshine is the best way you can get your Vitamin D.  You cannot overdose on Vitamin D with sunshine because when our body has enough our skin just quits making it.  Anyone living in the Northern Hemisphere cannot get enough Vitamin D using the sun, because there is only a short period of time the sun is strong enough to produce Vitamin D in our skin.

Vitamin D Facts are:

• Individuals who are overweight have a greater need for Vitamin D because Vitamin D is oil soluble so it’s hidden in their fat

• Dark skinned people have higher melanin levels which blocks UVB radiation and limits the bodies ability to produce Vitamin D

• Elderly people,  as they age their skin loses the ability to make Vitamin D and also they spend most of their time indoors so they aren’t exposed to any sunshine.
  

Supplementing with Vitamin D3 is our only alternative to our lack of natural sunshine, as Vitamin D is rare in food and is only available in very limited quantities in eggs, liver and fatty fish.

To learn more you might want to read these articles, Vitamin D Information, Vitamin D Recommended Dosage

Very few foods in nature contain Vitamin D. The flesh of fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best sources.  Small amounts of Vitamin D are found in beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks. Vitamin D in these foods is primarily in the form of Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and its metabolite 25(OH)D3 .  Some mushrooms provide vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) in variable amounts.  Mushrooms with enhanced levels of vitamin D2 from being exposed to ultraviolet light under controlled conditions are also available.

Fortified foods provide most of the Vitamin D in the American diet .  Almost all of the U.S. milk supply is fortified with 100 IU per cup, of Vitamin D (25% of the Daily Value or 50% of the AI level for ages 14-50 years). In the 1930s, a milk fortification program was implemented in the United States to combat rickets,  a major public health problem at that time.  This program virtually eliminated the disorder.  Since a small amount of Vitamin D eliminated rickets it should stand to reason more would keep us healthier.  Other dairy products made from milk, such as cheese and ice cream, are generally not fortified.  Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals often contain added Vitamin D, and some brands of orange juice, yogurt, and margarine.  In the United States, foods allowed to be fortified with Vitamin D include cereal flours and related products, milk and products made from milk,  calcium-fortified fruit juices and drinks .  Maximum levels of added Vitamin D are specified by law.

DVs(DV=Daily Value) were developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help consumers compare the nutrient contents of products within the total diet. The DV for Vitamin D is 400 IU for adults and children age 4 and older.  Food labels are not required to list Vitamin D content unless a food has been fortified with Vitamin D.  Foods providing 20% or more of the DV are considered to be foods high in Vitamin D.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Database, lists the nutrient content of many foods.  A growing number of foods are being analyzed for Vitamin D content.

Since there are so few foods high in Vitamin D we need to use sunshine and Vitamin D Supplements to give us the optimum amount of Vitamin D our bodies need

To find the levels of Vitamin D we need for optimal health read this article Vitamin D recommended Dosages