A look at Autism Today (online directory) has us wondering about the increase in autism, or at least the diagnosis says Dr. Wendy Roberts. She says the public ought to be cautious, and we’re in agreement especially because this particular topic involves pregnant women and the very young. When it comes to these two groups moderation is the best policy.

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 deficiency symptoms can affect every adult male worldwide regardless of their background, social status, ethnicity, or religion. Vitamin D deficiency symptoms affect males between ages of 18 to 65 from every background just as often as it affects males under the ages of 18 and those over 65. Awareness is definitely on the rise especially for men 40 and older. A recent study found that over 80 percent of Americans have vitamin D deficiency symptoms.

Vitamin D deficiency is caused by a combination of limited exposure to the sun and a low intake of Vitamin D through fortified foods and supplements. The worst instances of vitamin D deficiency occur in males that are deprived of sunlight. This can be due to geographical location, working inside, and staying completely covered while being outdoors. Even individuals located in the sunny states of Arizona, California, and Florida are deficient in Vitamin D.

How Common is Vitamin D Deficiency

In most medical schools students learn that being Vitamin D deficient causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Since rickets is rarely seen in the U.S. and other developed countries it is assumed that Vitamin D deficiency is nonexistent.  Especially with all of the foods, milk, and juices fortified with Vitamin D. However in the past few years doctors and scientists have started to realize the many benefits that Vitamin D has to offer when at optimal levels in our body.

Leading researchers have conducted studies and published their results in recent medical journals that show Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide epidemic. These studies reveal that Vitamin D deficiency affects the majority of all groups that were studied. With the latest research showing all of the health benefits of Vitamin D more and more doctors are checking Vitamin D levels.

Risk Factors for Vitamin D Deficiency

Risk factors of Vitamin D deficiency include the following:

• Obesity

• Darker skin pigment

• Lack of exposure to the sun

• Use of sunscreen

• Wearing clothing with long sleeves and hats

• Over the age of 60

• Tinted windows

• Cloudy days

• Air pollution

• Geographical location

• Spring and winter seasons

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

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms in menopausal women may lead to osteoporosis; a condition that thins and weakens the bones making them prone to fractures. It’s been known for many years that Vitamin D is critical for us to keep our bones and teeth healthy. Osteoporosis can limit the woman’s ability to move, walk, and stay active.

The bones in the body often undergo rebuilding. Some cells, osteoclasts, dissolve older parts of the bones. Then, bone-building cells known as osteoblasts create new bone using calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D deficiency symptoms in menopausal women may occur because as people age, they lose the normal capacity to transform sun rays into Vitamin D. Then, if osteoporosis develops , more bone is dissolved than is rebuilt. It appears beneficial to supplement with Vitamin D throughout our lifespan, from in uterus to advanced age. A recent long-term study showed that we are at less risk to develop osteoporosis, if our mothers had sufficient storage of Vitamin D while we were in the womb.

I would like to emphasize that as we grow older, we lose some of our ability to break down and absorb Vitamin D. The thinning of our skin also decreases the amount of Vitamin D in it. Vitamin D deficiency symptoms in menopausal women may bring serious consequences. So, women, if you’re entering perimenopause and menopause, consider getting enough Vitamin D intakes to slow down bone loss. Even though there are different factors that may contribute to the development osteoporosis, Vitamin D deficiency in menopausal women is the most important one. For we need enough Vitamin D in our bodies to be able absorb calcium which is a major part of our bones and also helps them stay strong and hard. Calcium is also used for other body processes such nerve function and muscle movement. So, if your body does not have a sufficient supply of calcium to go around, the body automatically takes it out of the bones. The result is that we begin to lose bone density. Therefore, to get the appropriate amount of calcium into our bodies, we need to make sure we’re taking the necessary amount of Vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency in menopausal women hinders the essential absorption of calcium into the gut as well as the maintenance of adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations to enable normal mineralization of the bones. And Vitamin D is absolutely necessary to promote bone growth. If you would like to learn about the appropriate amount of Vitamin D  to take go to “Vitamin D Dosage” .

Women, be aware that Vitamin D deficiency in menopausal women can cause osteoporosis, but the regular intake of Vitamin D helps to promote healthy bones and to decrease some of your menopausal symptoms.

I would like to add that if you are getting into the menopausal stage and you are also overweight, or have any of the following health conditions such as Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, liver disease, diabetes, or cystic fibrosis, talk to your primary doctor about supplementing with Vitamin D. Those conditions make the natural absorption of Vitamin D through sunlight much more difficult. And if you’re not taking calcium, talk to your doctor about it as well because Vitamin D and calcium go hand in hand.

You may also want to read Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms. If you would like to listen to a 10-minute free interview with Dr. Holick, please  click here.

Ligia Fleckenstein

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms in children have long been overlooked.

About 70 percent of U.S. children have low levels of Vitamin D, in other words 70 percent of children here in the U.S. suffer from Vitamin D deficiency symptoms.

Some of  the Vitamin D deficiency symptoms in children are  frequent and or persistent colds.

The Vitamin D deficiency puts children at higher risk for bone and heart disease, but more importantly it can be assumed that it is one of the main causes for a weak immune system.

As we know children’s immune systems are still in development as they grow.

This means their immune systems are especially taxed during the flu season each year.

I am a mom myself and I came across Vitamin D deficiency symptoms information while researching ways I could protect my child from getting the flu or swine flu this winter season.

We don’t think of a weak immune system as symptoms of a deficiency in children because we just assume children have a weak immune system period.

Even if your child isn’t exhibiting signs of a weak immune system this information will help you to know what to do to prevent the symptoms from happening (in this case the flu or swine flu)

The researchers analyzed data on more than 6,000 children, ages 1 to 21, collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2004.

The researchers found that 9 percent, or 7.6 million children across the country, were Vitamin D deficient and another 61 percent, or 50.8 million, were Vitamin D insufficient.

What are causes of Vitamin D deficiency?

Well Vitamin D is mostly activated in our body through direct sunlight, meaning sunlight actually touching our skin.

Kids have more sedentary lifestyles today and are not spending as much time outdoors. The widespread use of sunscreens, which block UV-B rays, has only compounded the problem.

The body uses UV-B sunlight to convert a form of cholesterol in the skin into Vitamin D.

What to do

It is recommended  that children should consume more foods rich in Vitamin D and the food industry smelled this as a selling opportunity a mile away– if you look around all of a sudden everything says “rich in Vitamin D”. My intention is to empower you through knowledge and not use misinformation as does the food industry. The Vitamin D that is used in foods is Vitamin D2 and it’s been known for quite a while that Vitamin D2 is not an efficient supplement but that Vitamin D3 is. (to read more on this subject read the article of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

Vitamin D3 is mainly found in fish.  It’s very hard to get enough Vitamin D from dietary sources alone. Vitamin D supplementation is recommended. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which recently updated its Vitamin D guidelines, now recommends that infants, children, and teens should take 400 IU per day in supplement form.

Supplements are especially important for children living in northerly regions where the sun may be too weak to maintain healthy Vitamin D levels. Supplements are also critical for infants who aren’t breast-fed.  For infants that are nursed it is important that the mother supplements  to pass the vitamin on through the milk.

Making sure your kid gets outside while the sun is shining will require that you turn of the TV sometimes.

To be without sunscreen for up to 30 minutes has proven to be absolutely safe.

To get more ideas what you can to strengthen your kids immune system this flu season and for a list of recommended supplements sign up for my free report.

Find an in depth article on vitamin D related illnesses here

Recommended reading: Vitamin D supplements

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms and heart disease: - is your body trying to tell you something - is your lifestyle letting you down?

What is the link between Vitamin D deficiency symptoms and heart disease?

Heart disease is common among middle-aged and elderly men and is becoming increasingly common in women. Researchers are finding that in many cases there is a complicated association between Vitamin D deficiency symptoms and heart disease.

Consider this common scenario:

Work and life catches up with many people, particularly for men in their middle years. Daily and weekly habits have slowly lost balance: work is all consuming and often stressful and there doesn’t seem to be the time nor the energy to fit in a regular regime to stay fit and healthy. The weight has started to pile on but it’s easy to ignore this or make excuses.

Out of the blue one of your best mates has a heart attack. You are jolted back into reality – he is younger that you and has a similar lifestyle. That could have been you ….. so what will you do to ensure this isn’t YOU next time?

Heart disease is a leading cause of death for middle aged and older men

Risk factors for heart disease include:

• Age
• Family history
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Smoking
• Poor diet
• Excess weight and inactivity
• Other health problems (such as diabetes)

Men over age 45 and women over age 55 are at greater risk for heart disease.

BUT DON’T DISPAIR… You cannot do much about your age, but you do have control over many of the other risk factors.

One major risk factor for heart disease is low Vitamin D levels

Low Vitamin D predisposes the body to many of the heart-related illnesses and health issues that become common through middle-age, retirement and beyond. This knowledge is not widely known outside the medical and wellness industry.

The great news is that this deficiency can be easily fixed!

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms and heart disease – recent studies show that Vitamin D deficiency:

• increases the risk of heart disease
• predisposes the body to high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and chronic blood vessel inflammation (associated with hardening of the arteries).
• is linked to other major associated heart disease risk factors such as obesity and diabetes.
  • can alter hormone levels and immune function which can increase the risk of diabetes, a major contributor to cardiovascular heart disease.
  • obese people are at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency, possibly they are less efficient at producing this hormone.
• people with low vitamin D levels are twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or other heart-related condition that individuals with higher levels of vitamin D (examples: 1,2).

“Vitamin D deficiency is an unrecognized, emerging cardiovascular risk factor, which should be screened for and treated“ says researcher James H. O’Keefe, MD, director of preventive cardiology at the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo. “Vitamin D is easy to assess, and supplementation is simple, safe and inexpensive (3).”

Who is Vitamin D Deficient?

• Up to 50% of American adults.
• People in higher latitudes (Alaska, Canada and northern Europe) where the sun is too weak to power vitamin D production in the skin.
• Older people because they tend to get less sun exposure and the skin is less efficient at producing Vitamin D.
• Obese people also absorb less because Vitamin D gets caught in the fat cells.
• People with dark skins because they need longer sun exposure for Vitamin D production

The skin produces Vitamin D when exposed to the sun. High rates of Vitamin D deficiency probably relate to people spending more time indoors and efforts to minimize skin cancer through the use of sunscreens. Suncream with a skin protection factor (SPF) of 15 blocks approximately 99% of Vitamin D synthesis by the skin.

How can I boost My Vitamin D levels – what are the sources of Vitamin D?

• Sun exposure. Spend 5 to 15 minutes in the sun at least 2 or 3 times per week in the spring, summer and autumn. Expose your arms and legs, but always put suncream on your face, neck and upper torso.
• Food. Oily fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel provide the best source of Vitamin D. However, the required daily intake of Vitamin D cannot be acquired through food.
• Supplements. The best way to increase your vitamin D levels is to take daily Vitamin D supplements (at least 1000IU per day).

Make sure you check for Vitamin D deficiency symptoms. Many of us are Vitamin D deficient and because of this we have a higher risk of developing heart disease. However, we can dramatically reduce our risks of heart disease greatly by taking Vitamin D supplements to raise our Vitamin D to optimum levels.

Remember Vitamin D is the “sunshine vitamin” breathing life into us and is our ticket to long-term health.

We invite you to download our free report with 8 steps on how to become fit and healthy and reduce your risk of heart disease.

You will also be interested in reading the benefits of Vitamin D for heart disease.

Check out  Causes of Vitamin D deficiency and Vitamin D related illnesses.

Here’s to your long-term health!

Claire

References:

1. Dr. M. Holick et al. in New England Journal Of Medicine 2007;
2. Dr E. Giovannucci et al. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Risk of Myocardial Infarction in Men: A Prospective Study. Archives of Internal Medicine 2008, 168(11) p 1174-1180.
3. American College of Cardiology (2008, December 2). Lack Of Vitamin D Could Spell Heart Trouble. ScienceDaily. Retrieved http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081201200032.htm