A healthy dosage of sun while gardening, for instance, can help you attain your daily requirement of vitamin D.
Your Health
Don’t Forget the “D”
Vitamin D is quickly becoming a common household name since recent studies have linked low levels to osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, even death — and everything in between.
BY
Brooke Pearl
PHOTOGRAPHY
iStockphoto/Legacy One Photography

Vitamin D has long been overlooked and is now one of the two most essential nutrients commonly deficient in about 30-50 percent of the population.

A fat-soluble vitamin that’s essential for increased absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the gastrointestinal tract, this vitamin is found in fish and cod liver oils, fortified dairy products and is produced in the skin when exposed to sunlight. It’s a known fact that this nutrient is vital for bone health, but recent studies have shown it’s also important for optimal functioning of many organs and tissues, as well as the cardiovascular system. “Vitamin D is not so much a vitamin but a hormone,” says Dr. James O’Keefe, cardiologist at St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, UMKC professor and author of 165 scientific publications. “It activates genes throughout the body and in this way improves the health and function of many organs. The implications of vitamin D go far beyond bone and muscle health.”

A 2008 study by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported that “vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency is prevalent in practically every segment of the U.S. population, including children and young adults. This worldwide pandemic remains generally unrecognized and untreated.” On a more local level, “We’ve found in Kansas City that 50-70 percent of people have insufficient or deficient levels of vitamin D,” Dr. O’Keefe adds. But don’t let the statistics overwhelm you because you’re not alone. “Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common in healthy people,” says Dr. Barbara Lukert, professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Genetics at KU Medical Center.

“This is the one hormone that a majority of people will require a supplement for because of the decreased amount of exposure to ultraviolet light. The darker the skin, like with people of Hispanic and African-American descent, the greater the risk of being vitamin D deficient.” So, go outside and literally enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, but be careful how much time you spend in the sun — overexposure can lead to skin cancer.

“Those who are at higher risk for skin cancer (i.e. fair skin, blue eyes) should talk to their dermatologist about how to safely maintain/improve levels of vitamin D through diet while still protecting their skin from the sun,” says Dr. Amanda Tauscher, board-certified dermatologist for Johnson County Dermatology. (Note: Nix the tanning beds.) Outdoor activities like gardening can help you acquire your daily vitamin D level and revitalize your plants and vegetables (a good source of nutrition and exercise, too).

If you start to experience aches and pains in your muscles, joints or bones, make an appointment to visit your doctor. “A true vitamin D deficiency is certainly cause for concern and warrants aggressive supplementation to improve bone and overall health,” Dr. Tauscher adds. Other signs of deficiency are exhaustion and fatigue and a weakened immune system.

The U.S. government’s current daily recommended doses of 200-600 IUs (international unit of measurement for biologically active substances), depending on age, of vitamin D intake just isn’t cutting it anymore. You should ingest at least 1,000 IUs of the vitamin, and for most people, 2,000 IUs are necessary to get the vitamin D blood levels into an  optimal range, Dr. O’Keefe explains. A Johns Hopkins Medicine survey found that half of women are vitamin D deficient, meaning their levels are below 28 nanograms per milliliter, classifying them as having Vitamin D Deficiency Syndrome (VDDS) — 30 or more is the range to shoot for. Another study, by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found a deficient amount of vitamin D in men increased their risk of myocardial infarction (MI), which is destruction of heart tissue — a heart attack. In children, vitamin D deficiency leads to rickets (soft, abnormal bones), while older adults develop osteoporosis.

The deficiency has been associated — but no definitive evidence so far — with hypertension, congestive heart failure and chronic vascular inflammation, the Journal states. Dr. O’Keefe also says it’s highly connected to neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, dementia and several cancers like breast, colon, pancreas and prostate. “So when you put it all together, significant vitamin D deficiency is the perfect storm for causing serious long-term health problems,” he says. People who struggle with obesity or diabetes also are more likely to be vitamin D deficient. 

Now that the scary stuff has been pinpointed, here are some sources that will rejuvenate your body’s vitamin levels or prevent deficiency in the first place.

Vitamin D is found in calcium-fortified fruit juices, milk products, oily fish, and some brands of cereals, orange juice, yogurt and margarine, along with other foods like salmon, tuna, sardines, eggs and liver. But those foods alone won’t do the trick. Whether you’re maintaining or working on restoring your body’s vitamin D levels, over-the-counter dietary or prescription-strength supplements have shown to actually do the job of providing the body with the vitamin D it needs.

“A healthy person, someone who’s not at risk of deficiency, can take 1,000 units a day,” Dr. Lukert explains. “If you’re vitamin D deficient, we’ll prescribe large doses like 50,000 units once a week for a period of time to restore your body then put you on a maintenance dosage.” Once vitamin D levels are restored, calcium absorption will improve, bone loss will decrease and accumulating evidence suggest that the risk for hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, breast and/or prostate cancer may be reduced,” she adds.

Dr. O’Keefe recommends vitamin D3 (a.k.a. cholecalciferol), a natural supplement with calcium and magnesium that will stay in your system longer and has more of an effect. But keep in mind: “Caution must be used when supplementing because toxic levels of vitamin D can adversely impact health,” Dr. Tauscher advises.


Learn More


U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Database website
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search

American College of Cardiology
www.acc.org

American Academy of Dermatology
www.aad.org

Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism & Genetics at the KU Medical Center
www.kumc.edu/endocrine