Strength and Health Through Synergy

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

There are several causes of Vitamin D deficiency in women over 50 including:

• 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

Vitamin D Facts for women over 50 are very important to our overall health.

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

It is almost impossible to find foods high in Vitamin D.  That is one of the reasons we humans are becoming Vitamin D deficient.

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

Vitamin D and depression are like day versus night. Really, Vitamin D is the antithesis to depression. In fact a book called The Invisible Plague: The Rise of Mental Illness from 1750 to the Present shows almost three hundred years of a worsening picture and D is the antidote.

We see it in industrialized nations, and we’re on the lookout for what will surely happen in the developing nations. So far so good, but if what happened to the western world happens elsewhere there will be more than fifty per cent depression to deal with worldwide.

In essence go without enough Vitamin D and depression shows up as:

1) in children—irritability, loss of interest in school, decline in academic performance, clingy, demanding, dependent, insecure, moody

2) in adults—low mood affects relationships, preoccupation with regret, not able to enjoy previously liked activities, wake early, not be able to get back to sleep; recent onset of forgetfulness, noticeable slowing down in older adults

In ordinary depression one in five people benefit from bright light to help  slow-acting anti-depressants and get them to respond to the drug. Also, those with winter depression respond to morning light therapy, while you’d be better off with evening light therapy if you’re not particularly seasonally affected. So if you’re light deprived consider phototherapy.

Generally speaking, depression is one overall low mood. Are you bummed out? If you are you’re twice as likely to be a woman, which still leaves you half as likely to be a man. In fact Ebenezer Scrooge was a grumpy old man, and when he snapped out of it no one could recognize him at first. If you’re taking the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin D and depression is still with you, make sure it’s high quality D3 and take more!

In our society if you talk about depression and reach out you’ll be managed most likely with dope, either self-medicating or prescribed by doctors.

You know, it’s hard to get dozens of studies of the kind that we need on Vitamin D3. But we’ve known that since 1999 that 100,000 IU of Vitamin D given as a one-time oral dose improved depression scales better than light therapy in a small group of patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

This might just be the key to “non-compliance”, that is: having to take a dose every single day, and remember to do it. And you’ll have to trust me on this one: you cannot overdose on Vitamin D. In fact you’d have to have it in a bowl like cereal and start eating D like granola if you are looking to come close to some kind of non-existent contraindication.

It’s just a matter of the same old song about big pharmaceutical companies not being able to patent the sun or some “magical” nutrient that is free. So sad. Speaking of SAD, a noticeable “seasonal affective disorder”, it has its own name that’s not so funny if you’re suffering from it. We talk about February being a “write-off” in that we predict that we will not be motivated no matter what we plan in the high sun months of summer. That’s in Canada but what about the rest of the world?

A Finnish study showed their people did not have a seasonal variation in their Vitamin D blood levels, which was low all year round. Somehow they just were not able to build up to a high level in the peak months of summer, to benefit them for the winter. It seems to take about five months to really get it up there, but fortunately with awareness you can build it up at any time.

Perhaps this is the draw of people to the warmer climes during winter…not only do you get your D levels up and start smiling, but you don’t have to hang out with the rest of the depressed population, especially if you’re senior and you can stay away longer.

With awareness, it’s a different story. You can get out there and get your D without any fear from the naysayers, stand your ground and be happy to boot.

Here’s the correlation that you’ll note in your research: we don’t get enough sunlight because of tall buildings, or being in buildings, pollution, driving everywhere, clothes, sunblock and fear.

The up side is my friend has attained benefits in a very short time even though on anti-depressants. So, what are you going to do with Vitamin D and depression? We’ve done the research and come to the conclusion of supplementation to augment your sun-loving self.

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

Cathy Fletcher

Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D Related Illnesses

Benefits of Vitamin D Lens