We are near the end of our 2010 winter season here in New Zealand. My husband is a dentist and we both do not believe in flu vaccines. This winter I began taking extra Vitamin D3 - 1000iu daily. My husband just took his normal dose that is contained in the nutritional supplements we both take. My husband got the flu - possibly the H1N1 because I have never seen him so unwell. He is a man who normally shrugs off colds and flus, but not this one. He had to take time off work, pulled a muscle from his violent coughing and even stayed in bed. Meanwhile, as soon as he came down with the flu, I increased my D3 dose to 2000iu daily and I have stayed well.
Anyone keeping up-to-date with health news over the last few years will be aware that more and more research is uncovering the significance of Vitamin D and its effect on our health. The "cover-up and slap on the sunblock" campaign has helped to reduce skin cancer risk but in doing so, Vitamin D deficiency has affected the health of millions of people worldwide. Vitamin D affects over 200 genes in our bodies and about 6% of the human genome.
It is healthy to have bright sun exposure to our bodies for 15-20 minutes per day. People who live in temperate zones (latitude 37 degrees north and south of the equator) will not get the sun exposure required for our bodies to make the 15,000 to 20,000iu of Vitamin D it needs each day. However, overexposure to sunlight does cause skin cancer and wrinkles.
Can we overdose on Vitamin D from the sun? It's not possible to overdose from the sun source because the body can inactivate excess Vitamin D. The body can also store excess Vitamin D in our tissues and use it as required.
So what about food? The Vitamin D that is available in food is insignificant compared to what the synthesis of the sun can provide. The principal source of Vitamin D is through sun exposure on our skin.
For instance, the following is a list of foods that we would have to consume on a daily basis to get the equivalent of 15,000 to 20,000iu Vitamin D from the sun:
Sardines - 30 cans per day or
Milk - 100-200 glasses per day or
Fortified cereal - 100-200 bowls per day or
Egg yolks - 500-1000 per day or
Wild salmon - 2 kilos or 4.5 lbs
I would not recommend any of the above to be consumed in such quantities on a daily basis.
Vitamin D research has been shown to prevent the following diseases:
Heart Disease
Cancer - Breast, Ovarian, Colon, Prostate, Bladder, Uterus, Esophagus, Rectum, Stomach
Diabetes
Obesity
Dementia
Influenza - upper respiratory infections have shown to be reduced by 90% by supplementing with 2000iu of Vitamin D. By boosting our Vitamin D to 5000iu in the flu season, we do not need to have the flu vaccine.
Bacterial Infection
Depression
Insomnia
Muscle Weakness
Fibromyalgia
Osteomalacia -soft and weak bones, makes you more prone to fractures.
Osteoarthritus
Rheumatoid Arthritus
Osteoporosis
Psoriasis
Multiple Sclerosis - if we do not have enough exposure to sunlight in the first 10 years of our life, we are more pre-disposed to getting MS. So if you grow up in a temperate zone you have a 100% increase in the risk of getting MS.
Hypertension
The best health advice is, if you live in temperate zones it is advisable to take a Vitamin D3 supplement every day and boost it to 5000iu in the flu season. Expose yourself to bright sun 15 to 30 minutes day as much as possible, before applying sunblock to your body. I recommend that you do not expose your face and neck though. Avoid over-exposure to sunlight. If possible, get your Vitamin D levels checked by your doctor on an annual basis to avoid deficiency.
Helen Wenley provides Healthy Aging resources to women 40+ who want to live a long, healthy and fulfilling life. For a free report "Five Steps to Choosing Nutritional Supplements" visit http://www.antiagingboomer.com The Vitamin D Council is a trusted source of up-to-date information on Vitamin D research http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
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