This is a daily conversation:
“Are you taking some Vitamin D? How much? Is it Vitamin D 3?” — “My recommendation is to take 5,000 IU per day for adults. For children 1,000 IU per every 60 pounds of body weight. Take this average dose for the next six months.”
My patients tell me the following after taking Vitamin D regularly in the winter months: I am not depressed in the winter time; taking Vitamin D helps my mood. My skin is less dry and itchy. Everyone else at work got sick, except me. My muscles are less achey.
Sounds good doesn’t it?
Why do I recommend Vitamin D supplementation for everyone?
Vitamin D is made with the help of sunlight exposure on your bare skin; it is thereby converted into its active form. In the winter time there is less sun exposure, which translates into deficient Vitamin D levels. Even if you get lots of sun on your face, it is not enough. Every cell has receptors to Vitamin D so it is important!
Most notably, Vitamin D has a significant impact upon your immune system. Many cancers have been associated with low Vitamin D levels. It is thought, that Vitamin D may decrease your chance of getting influenza. Vitamin D is known to up-regulate the immune system’s innate defensive actions. One strategy that has been proposed, is to significantly increase your Vitamin D intake, if you are feeling under the weather. A dose up to 100,000 IU everyday, for up to four days, can be effective to boost your immunity.
Vitamin D favorably effects calcium metabolism. All my patients with osteopenia and osteoporosis take it all year around. Vitamin D promotes thyroid metabolism, and when deficient, can cause low thyroid function. It helps with neurotransmitter function, therefore balancing moods.
Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated as a important factor in a the following health concerns including:
Heart disease
Hypertension
Depression
Inflammatory bowel disorders
Cancer (breast, prostate and others)
Colds & Flu
Immune deficiency conditions
Autoimmune conditions
Diabetes
Rheumatoid arthritis
Multiple Sclerosis
Rickets and Osteoporosis
Muscle pain including Fibromyalgia
Low back pain
Migraine headaches
Insulin resistance
Polycystic ovary disease
For more information about Vitamin D follow these links:
