Vitamin D deficient newborns have high risk of infection, study finds

(NaturalNews) Newborns deficient in vitamin D are twice as likely as newborns with higher levels to develop respiratory infections, says a new study out of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Carlos Camargo and his team found that low blood levels of vitamin D are linked to markers of respiratory disease, indicating that increased sun exposure or supplementation with the vitamin by mothers during pregnancy may be the solution. “Our data suggest that the association between vitamin D and wheezing, which can be a symptom of many respiratory diseases and not just asthma, is largely due to respiratory infections,” explained Camargo in a statement. “Acute respiratory infections are a major health problem in children. For example, bronchiolitis — a viral illness that affects small airway passages in the lungs — is the leading cause of hospitalization in U.S. infants.” The team evaluated data from over 1,000 children in New Zealand. Researchers analyzed samples of umbilical cord blood taken from 922 of them and found that 20 percent were very deficient in vitamin D, with levels below 25 nmol/L. Average levels were 44 nmol/L, which is still considered low as many now consider levels as high as 100 nmol/L to be a healthy amount. After comparing the data, the team found that infants with vitamin D blood levels below 25 nmol/L were twice as likely as infants with levels above 75 nmol/L to develop respiratory infections. And incidentally, children with the highest blood levels of vitamin D had the lowest risk of developing wheezing or other respiratory illness by age five, and vice versa. Though the team did not observe a specific correlation between vitamin D and asthma risk, Camargo explained that vitamin D may actually play a very important role in mitigating asthma symptoms. “There’s a likely difference here between what causes asthma and what causes existing asthma to get worse,” he said. “Since respiratory infections are the most common cause of asthma exacerbations, vitamin D supplements may help to prevent those events, particularly during the fall and winter when vitamin D levels decline and exacerbations are more common. That idea needs to be tested in a randomized clinical trial, which we hope to do next year.” Sources for this story include: http://www.massgeneral.org/about/pressrelease.aspx?id=1320

Diabetics with low vitamin D have high risk of death

(NaturalNews) A new study published in the American Diabetes Association journal Diabetes Care says that diabetics who are deficient in vitamin D have a significantly higher risk of dying from all causes or developing cardiovascular disease than those with higher levels of the vitamin. The findings support a multitude of current research on the importance of maintaining high blood levels of vitamin D, regardless of specific health conditions. Dr. Christel Joergensen and her colleagues at the Steno Diabetes Center in Gentofte, Denmark, found that diabetics with blood levels of vitamin D lower than 13.9 nmol/L (5.6 ng/mL) are nearly twice as likely as those with levels above 13.9 nmol/L to develop heart disease. These same patients were more than twice as likely to die compared to those with higher levels. However, average vitamin D levels among the 289 participants in the study hovered around 35.7 nmol/L (14.3 ng/mL), which is still far below Vitamin D Council recommendations of between 125-200 nmol/L (50-80 ng/mL). In other words, even those patients with levels above the threshold used in the study were still severely deficient in vitamin D. The direct correlation between vitamin D deficiency and disease is observable across the health spectrum. Everything from muscle pain and arthritis, to cancer and autoimmune disorders are aggravated and even caused by having insufficient amounts of vitamin D circulating in the blood (http://www.naturalnews.com/Vitamin_D.html). According to the Vitamin D Council, spending 20 to 30 minutes in the summer sun produces roughly 10,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D in white skin, while other sources suggest up to 20,000 IU. Such levels are optimal, and are far higher than current government recommendations of 200 to 400 IU a day. Sources for this story include: http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Vitamins/vitamin_d_deficiency_means_higher_death_risk_in_diabetes_1711100.html

Even a low-dose vitamin D pill cuts breast cancer risk by 24 percent

(NaturalNews) A recent research study on vitamin D has shown that even low-dose vitamin D supplementation plays a big role in preventing breast cancer. According to the study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , women who take at least 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day lower their risk of developing breast cancer by 24 percent. Over 6,500 patients participated in the study, which study authors believe points to vitamin D’s ability to regulate and control the growth and spread of malignant cancer cells. According to Laura Anderson, one of the study authors, breast cells have their own receptors for vitamin D, so it makes perfect sense that vitamin D exerts a positive influence on the body in terms of warding off cancer. Several other recent studies have also shown a definitive link between vitamin D intake and decreased cancer risk, highlighting this nutrient’s powerful health-promoting and disease-preventing capabilities. The research team also noted that vitamin D assimilates very well when coupled with calcium, and vice versa. The two vitamins work in tandem for maximum absorption of both in the body, so it is important to get plenty of both. And although it was not specifically mentioned in the report, vitamin D is easily obtained through natural sunlight exposure. Your skin is fully capable of absorbing sunlight and processing it into vitamin D. In fact, just 15 to 30 minutes of exposure a day during the warmer months will ensure that you get the maximum amount of vitamin D for maintaining optimal health, without the need for a supplement. During the winter months when sunlight exposure is limited, you can supplement with natural vitamin D3 as an alternative. It will effectively achieve the same results as if you were getting natural sunlight, however natural sunlight is preferable when available. The governmental recommended daily intake of vitamin D is a mere 400 IU for adults, which many now consider to be far too low. To get a significant therapeutic effect from vitamin D, dosages upwards of 10,000 IU a day are far more appropriate. Because the body absorbs roughly 20,000 IU from the sun before shutting off for the day, it is safe to assume that supplementing with vitamin D3 in roughly this amount is safe as well. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63S4GH20100429

Vitamin D deficiencies at epidemic levels, says new study

(NaturalNews) Vitamin D is an amazing nutrient that protect the body from all sorts of diseases and problems. Researchers continually uncover new links between lack of vitamin D and disease, illustrating the fact that it is vital to good health. However recent studies have also found that most people are deficient in vitamin D. A team of doctors from the McGill University Health Centre in Canada was surprised to find that about 59 percent of people evaluated were deficient in vitamin D and about 25 percent were severely deficient. Published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism , the study is allegedly the first to illustrate a definitive link between vitamin D deficiency and an accumulation of fat in muscle tissue. “Because it [vitamin D deficiency] is linked to increased body fat, it may affect many different parts of the body. Abnormal levels of vitamin D are associated with a whole spectrum of diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis, and diabetes, as well as cardiovascular and autoimmune disorders,” explained Dr. Richard Kremer, lead investigator of the study. The main reason why people are generally lacking in vitamin D is because people spend much more time indoors than they used to. Especially with computers, people often spend their entire days inside cubicles where they are exposed to little or no sunlight. Vitamin D is not produced in the body on its own. It is created when skin is exposed to sunlight. Some foods contain vitamin D, but in minimal amounts compared to what can be achieved from sun exposure. Most people also do not consume enough vitamin D-rich food to obtain adequate amounts of it. The McGill study highlights an important link between vitamin D and obesity that, until now, has been largely ignored. Vitamin D deficiency contributes to decreased muscle and increased fat, which is a condition that is increasingly common in industrialized nations. Though diet also plays a role in obesity, it is striking to see vitamin D playing a role in the condition as well. Perhaps the reason why vitamin D deficiency is linked to all sorts of serious diseases has more to do with the increase in visceral fat that it causes, which in turn leads to such health problems. This study seems to confirm that notion. The best way to address vitamin D deficiency is to get more sunlight. But when this is not possible, particularly throughout the winter months when the sun is at a lower angle and the ultraviolet (UV) rays are at a minimum, supplementation with vitamin D is the next best option. The study itself did not confirm one way or another the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation in reducing fat and increasing muscle, however tests have shown that supplementation does increase blood levels of vitamin D. Many people take vitamin D supplements to alleviate their deficiency and have experience good results. Currently, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin D is between 200 and 400 international units (IU) per day, depending on age. Recent studies are showing that these recommendations are too low to maintain optimal health. Some are suggesting that these guidelines be updated to amounts upwards of 1,000 IU per day, including the Canadian Cancer Society. On a typical summer day, 15 to 20 minutes of sunlight exposure will result in the skin producing about 40,000 IU of vitamin D. At this point, the mechanism that produces it shuts off in order to prevent the body from making too much. With these levels in mind, many naturopathic doctors recommend supplementing with up to 10,000 IU a day or more. Many believe it is difficult to take too much vitamin D because the safe upper limits are much higher than previously thought. Currently, the best form of vitamin D is D3, or cholecalciferol, because it is the precursor to the type created by the body from sunlight exposure. Vitamin D3 can be safely taken at amounts much higher than the RDA guidelines. Safe tanning beds are another option for achieving optimal vitamin D levels without taking a supplement. Despite recent reports that they are unsafe and cause skin cancer, some tanning beds can be used properly and safely to obtain UV rays when regular sunlight is not an option. These beds use electronic ballasts instead of magnetic ballasts that emit electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs), which can cause cancer and other health issues. Dr. Mercola, another trusted source of natural health information, has a helpful directory of healthy tanning locations across the country. There are also companies that sell these tanning beds for home use. If you are unsure about your vitamin D levels and wish to consult with your physician, a simple blood test will determine your levels. Whichever route you choose to take, just be sure to get enough vitamin D. Your body will thank you. Sources for this story include: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/03/05/mcgill-vitamind-study.html

Treating vitamin D deficiency significantly reduces heart disease risk, studies find

Researchers in Utah last fall demonstrated the link between vitamin D deficiency and increased risk for coronary artery disease. These new studies show that treating vitamin D deficiency with supplements may help to prevent or reduce a person’s risk for cardiovascular disease and a host of other chronic conditions. Researchers also establish what level of vitamin D further enhances that risk reduction.