Health Risks, Immunity, and Why Levels Matter
Sacramento, Calif.- If living a long and healthy life is a priority, it is imperative to understand that simply having a low level of vitamin D is associated with a 26 percent increased rate of death from all causes, according to a study published in Archives of Internal Medicine.
Key Role
A plethora of studies over the last decade have demonstrated that low vitamin D levels are a major factor in the pathology of at least 17 varieties of cancer; heart disease; stroke; high blood pressure; autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, which is uncommon at the equator; diabetes; depression; chronic pain; osteoarthritis; osteoporosis; muscle weakness and wasting; birth defects; periodontal disease; weakened immunity, including influenza and the common cold; and inflammatory bowel disease. The list goes on.
If cancer is a concern, a research team from the University of California, San Diego, reported that up to 50 percent of all breast and colon cancer cases could be prevented by consuming more vitamin D. Only 29 percent of the American population is estimated to have adequate vitamin D levels.
Deficiencies
Vitamin D deficiency is more common among the elderly; wintertime residents of Northern California; people with darker skin who receive little direct sun exposure or who use sunscreens above SPF 8; and individuals who live in smoggy, foggy, or cloudy areas.
After exposure to the same amount of sunlight, elderly individuals produce only about 25 percent as much vitamin D as 20-year-olds.
Despite the abundant vitamin D–fortified summer sunshine in Davis, as winter approaches, vitamin D levels drop precipitously, creating the perfect internal environment for wintertime flu and other immune challenges.
Research from around the world has clearly demonstrated that people fare worse in the winter because vitamin D levels decline as the season progresses.
Immunity
Vitamin D has profound and multiple effects on human immunity. Influenza occurrence parallels vitamin D deficiency in both time and space. Norwegians, who receive less sun exposure than any other Europeans, experience fewer flu epidemics and a smaller wintertime spike in mortality because their diets include fish oil and maintain higher wintertime vitamin D levels.
Due to increased skin melanin, African Americans generally have lower vitamin D levels than Caucasians, which may help explain why African American children develop pneumonia twice as often as Caucasian children and why African American adults often have higher blood pressure.
Children with rickets, the classic vitamin D deficiency illness, are 11 times more likely to experience lower respiratory infections than matched controls without rickets.
Flu shots in the elderly and immunocompromised populations may even be unnecessary if vitamin D levels were optimized, as vitamin D stimulates innate immunity.
Are your vitamin D 25(OH) levels in the optimal range of 60–80 ng/mL? If you are unsure, speak with your doctor or a healthcare practitioner about a simple blood test. Ask for the vitamin D 25-hydroxy test.
Explore additional topics from Sacramento Naturopathic Medical Center with Dr. Godby, ND, MA and his team at Natural Wellness.
As a naturopathic doctor for the last 20 years, I have witnessed the power of a preventative lifestyle and naturopathic medicine to transform the health and lives of thousands of patients.
Sacramento Naturopathic
2530 J Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95816
Phone: (916) 446-2591
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