Boost Vitamin D Intake: Why?

For nearly a decade scientific evidence has been mounting to show that the vast majorities of adults (and many children) are grossly deficient in circulating blood levels of vitamin D. The conditions and diseases responsive to vitamin D that account for over half of the world's mortality include cancer, cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis and respiratory diseases and infections. Serum concentration of 25(OH)D is the best indicator of vitamin D status.

For many people, 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D or more each day will maintain bone health, but those aged 71 and older may need as much as 800 IUs daily, the Institute Of Medicine experts say.

Viewing the role played by the sunlight vitamin, we leave you to analyze the need:

Vitamin D, which is primarily absorbed from the sun, plays a role in protection against childhood asthma. A new study led by Valencian researchers has shown that children who live in colder, wetter cities are at greater risk of suffering from this respiratory problem, since there are fewer hours of sunlight in such places. This vitamin, which can be found in various cell receptors, is usually found at lower levels in people with asthma. The research, carried out on more than 45,000 children and teenagers from nine Spanish cities and published in the International Journal of Biometeorology, shows that climatic conditions, above all solar radiation, can in many cases explain the high geographical variation in the prevalence of asthma in Spain.

Colon Cancer: The PLoS One journal shows the precise cellular mechanism that helps vitamin D dramatically lower the risk of colon cancer. The bottom line is simple: check your vitamin D blood saturation with an inexpensive test and make the necessary adjustments to live a healthier and longer life. Researchers have known for some time that low vitamin D levels are associated with a significant increase in colon cancer cases, but they have not understood the specific mechanism responsible. Now, scientists have discovered how a lack of vitamin D promotes DNA damage and colon cancer risk. Specifically, low vitamin D status instigates the development and progression of this devastating form of cancer. Researchers have focused on a protein in intestinal epithelial cells called beta-catechin that normally helps epithelial cells bond together with other cells to form a protective barrier between the contents in your gut and the physical structure of your digestive tract. They found that when vitamin D is lacking, DNA synthesis is disrupted and beta-catechin builds up in cells, dramatically increasing the risk of colon cancer initiation.

Heart Disease: Preventing and treating heart disease in some patients could be as simple as supplementing their diet with extra vitamin D, according to two new studies at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah. In one of the study, researchers followed two groups of patients for an average of one year each. In the first study group, over 9,400 patients, mostly female, reported low initial vitamin D levels, and had at least one follow up exam during that time period. Researchers found that 47 percent of the patients who increased their levels of vitamin D between the two visits showed a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease.

Obesity: Studies in adults and children have shown a link between obesity and vitamin D deficiency. However, data characterizing the racial differences in the relationship between obesity and vitamin D. In the study, researchers measured vitamin D levels in 237 children and found the majority of the study participants were vitamin D deficient. Plasma vitamin D levels were associated inversely with BMI and fat levels and positively with HDL cholesterol in all subjects. Visceral adipose tissue (fat between internal organs) was higher in vitamin D deficient whites and subcutaneous adipose tissue (fat below the skin) was higher in vitamin D deficient blacks compared with their respective vitamin D non-deficient counterparts.

Anemia: Pediatricians from Johns Hopkins Children's Center and elsewhere have discovered a link between low levels of vitamin D and anemia in children (May 1, 2011). To examine the relationship between hemoglobin and vitamin D, the researchers looked at data from the blood samples of more than 9,400 children, 2 to 18 years of age. The lower the vitamin D levels, the lower the hemoglobin and the higher the risk for anemia, the researchers found. Children with levels below 20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) of blood had a 50 percent higher risk for anemia than children with levels 20 ng/ml and above. For each 1 ng/ml increase in vitamin D, anemia risk dropped by 3 percent. While the findings show a clear link between low vitamin D levels and anemia, they do not prove that vitamin D deficiency causes anemia, the investigators caution.

Bone Density: Vitamin D is essential to building and maintaining healthy bones throughout life. Calcium, the main element of bone, can be absorbed into the body only when vitamin D is present in sufficient levels. Studies have shown that an adequate dietary intake of vitamin D helps to prevent and treat osteoporosis, a condition characterized by a reduction in bone mass that leads to an increased risk of bone fractures. In order to further evaluate the role of vitamin D in preventing bone loss, researchers conducted a study on 161 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Throughout the study, researchers took fasting blood and urine samples to assess vitamin D levels in all participants. Results of the study showed that 39.1% of postmenopausal women with low bone density were deficient in vitamin D. Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency was associated with a higher probability of meeting the diagnostic criteria for osteoporosis.

Tuberculosis: There is no need to get vaccinated against tuberculosis if you maintain high enough levels of vitamin D, suggests a new study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. It was found that vitamin D is necessary for the immune system to produce cathelicidin, an antimicrobial peptide that, like interferons, provides humans and other mammals with protection against bacterial infections. In other words, vitamin D equips the body with the tools it needs to prevent infection without the need for drug-based antibiotics.

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Vitamin D

* Adequate Intake (AI)

A healthy diet is one that:

Emphasizes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.

Milk is fortified with vitamin D, as are many ready-to-eat cereals and some brands of yogurt and orange juice. Cheese naturally contains small amounts of vitamin D.

Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.

Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel are very good sources of vitamin D. Small amounts of vitamin D are also found in beef liver and egg yolks.

Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

Vitamin D is added to some margarines.

Stays within your daily calorie needs.

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