‘Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed, Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant: But over its terrible edge there had slipped A duke and many a peasant; So the people said something would have to be done. But their projects did not at all tally: Some said, “Put a fence around the edge of the cliff” Some, “An ambulance down in the valley.”
But the cry for the ambulance carried the day. For it spread to the neighboring city: A fence may be useful or not, it is true, But each heart became brimful of pity For those who had slipped o’er that dangerous cliff, And the dwellers in highway and alley Gave pounds or gave pence, not to put up a fence, But an ambulance down in the valley.
“For the cliff is alright if your careful,” they said,” and if folks even slip or are dropping, it isn’t the slipping that hurts them so much as the shock down below-when they’re stopping,” So day after day when these mishaps occurred, Quick forth would the rescuers sally To pick up the victims who fell off the cliff, With their ambulance down in the valley.
Then an old man remarked, “it’s a marvel to me that people give far more attention to repairing results than to stopping the cause, when they’d much better aim at prevention. Let us stop at its source all this mischief, cried he. “Come neighbors and freinds, let us rally : If the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense with the ambulance down in the valley.”
“Oh, he’s a fanatic.” the others rejoined: “dispense with the ambulance Never! He’d dispense with all charities, too, if he could: no, no! We’ll support them forever. Aren’t we picking up folks just as fast as they fall? And shall this man dictate to us? Shall he? Why would people of sense stop to put up a fence? While their ambulance works in the valley?
“But a sensible few who are practical too, Will not bear with such nonsense much longer They believe that prevention is better than cure And their party will soon be the stronger Encourage them, then with your purse, voice and pen And (while other philanthropists dally) They will scorn all pretense, and put up a stout fence On the cliff that hangs over the valley.
Breakthrough Updates You Need to Know on Vitamin D
Living in Michigan (or anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere for that matter) during the fall and winter seasons can have some harsh effects on our bodies. Not only do we have a higher rate of slips and falls due to the slippery weather, but Michigan is second only to Washington state in minimal sunlight hours during winter time.
Sunlight is essential for many body functions and is the primary source of Vitamin D. It is for this reason that I've compiled this information for you about the importance of Vitamin D and why our office is a resource for this supplement when mother nature doesn't provide adequate amounts.
The compound we call vitamin D can no longer properly be considered a vitamin. For most mammals, it is not in any sense even a nutrient. Nevertheless, vitamin D resembles true vitamins inasmuch as humans -- who are cut off from the critical solar ultraviolet wavelengths by reason of latitude, clothing, or shelter -- depend on an external source of the substance, just as they do for the true essential nutrients.
What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D, calciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is found in food, but also can be made in your body after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. Vitamin D exists in several forms, each with a different activity. Some forms are relatively inactive in the body, and have limited ability to function as a vitamin. The liver and kidney help convert vitamin D to its active hormone form.
The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. It promotes bone mineralization in concert with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones.
Without vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, soft, or misshapen. Vitamin D prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, which are skeletal diseases that result in defects that weaken bones.
What are the sources of vitamin D?
Exposure to sunlight
Exposure to sunlight is an important source of vitamin D. Ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin.
Season, latitude, time of day, cloud cover, smog, clothing and suncreens affect UV ray exposure. For example, in Michigan the average amount of sunlight is insufficient to produce significant vitamin D synthesis in the skin from November through February.
Sunscreens with a sun protection factor of 8 or greater will block UV rays that produce vitamin D.
Vitamin D supplements are often recommended for exclusively breast-fed infants because human milk may not contain adequate vitamin D.
Food sources
Fortified foods are the major dietary sources of vitamin D. Prior to the fortification of milk products in the 1930s, rickets (a bone disease seen in children) was a major public health problem in the United States. Milk in the United States is fortified with10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D per quart, and rickets is now uncommon in the US.
Colds, Flu, and Vitamin D
Most people are under the assumption that there are far more incidents of colds and flu in the fall and winter months because of the weather. In other words, because it's colder outside, it can be believed that the brisk air is somehow responsible for the passage of the virus'. Another fallacy, is that the cold weather keeps us indoors more and when larger groups of people are gathered indoors together, then the virus can be passed more.
While these seem to be logical assumptions, the facts show a different a conclusion.
Vitamin D is essential for proper immune function, and when this neccessary component is decreased, our immune system fails to fight off common microbes in our environment.
What I mean is this; Germs are everywhere! Bacteria, virus', molds, spores, parasites, etc. are all in the air we breathe, on the surfaces we touch, and even in our bodies! If these germs caused the diseases which they are linked to, we would be sick every day of our lives. The truth is that our immune systems are capable of resisting the attack of these foreign invaders... unless it is comprimised!
One of the most common ways in which the immune system becomes comprimised is a lack of Vitamin D. In the fall and winter months, we fall dramatically short of this natural resource. Our immune system becomes comprimised and we fall prey to our environment and experience the symtoms such as colds and flu.
Vitamin D and Bone Health
It is estimated that over 25 million adults in the United States have, or are at risk of developing osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by fragile bones. It results in increased risk of bone fractures.
Rickets and osteomalacia were recognized as being caused by vitamin D deficiency 75 years ago; their prevention and cure with fish liver oil constituted one of the early triumphs of nutritional science. The requirement for vitamin D has been pegged to these disorders ever since.
Having normal storage levels of vitamin D in your body helps keep your bones strong and may help prevent osteoporosis in elderly, non-ambulatory individuals, in post-menopausal women, and in individuals on chronic steroid therapy.
Researchers know that normal bone is constantly being remodeled (broken down and rebuilt). During menopause, the balance between these two systems is upset, resulting in more bone being broken down (resorbed) than rebuilt.
Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with greater incidence of hip fractures. A greater vitamin D intake from diet and supplements has been associated with less bone loss in older women. Since bone loss increases the risk of fractures, vitamin D supplementation may help prevent fractures resulting from osteoporosis.
The use of vitamin D is well accepted, but the mere absence of clinical rickets can hardly be considered an adequate definition either of health or of vitamin D sufficiency.
The fact that it takes 30 or more years to manifest itself makes it no less a deficiency condition than a disorder that develops in 30 days. It is easy to understand how long-period deficiency diseases could never have been recognized in the early days of nutritional science, but with modern methods and a better grasp of the relevant physiology, failing to recognize a slowly developing condition as a true deficiency state, can no longer be justified.
Vitamin D nutrition probably affects major aspects of human health, as listed below, other than its classical role in mineral metabolism. The rest of the article addresses some of the newly recognized uses of vitamin D.
Cancer
Today, it is well established that besides playing a crucial role in the establishment and maintenance of the calcium in the body, the active form of vitamin D also acts an effective regulator of cell growth and differentiation in a number of different cell types, including cancer cells.
Laboratory, animal, and epidemiologic evidence suggest that vitamin D may be protective against some cancers. Clinical studies now show vitamin D deficiency to be associated with four of the most common cancers:
Breast
Prostate
Colon
Skin
Diabetes
Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with insulin deficiency and insulin resistance. In fact, last year it was shown that vitamin D deficiency is likely to be a major factor for the development of type one diabetes in children.
Heart Disease
Insulin resistance is also one of the major factors not only leading to the cancers mentioned above, but also to the number one killer in the US, heart disease. Northern countries have higher levels of heart disease and more heart attacks occur in the winter months.
Arthritis
Progression of degenerative arthritis of the knee and hip is faster in people with lower vitamin D concentrations.
Infertility and PMS
Infertility is associated with low vitamin D, and PMS has been completely reversed by addition of calcium, magnesium and vitamin D.
Fatigue, Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder
Activated vitamin D in the adrenal gland regulates tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate limiting enzyme necessary for the production of dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine.
Low vitamin D may contribute to chronic fatigue and depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder has been treated successfully with vitamin D. In a recent study covering 30 days of treatment comparing Vitamin D and 2 hour daily use of 'light boxes', depression completely resolved in the D group, but not in the light box group.
Autoimmune Disorders
Multiple Sclerosis, Sjogren's Syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroiditis and Crohn's disease have all been linked with low vitamin D levels.
Single, infrequent, intense, skin exposure to UV-B light suppresses the immune system and causes harm.
However chronic low-level exposure normalizes immune function and enhances immune cell production. This reduces abnormal inflammatory responses such as found in autoimmune disorders, and reducing occurrences of infectious disease.
Obesity
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with obesity. Vitamin D has recently been shown to lower leptin secretion. Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells and is involved in weight regulation. It is thought that the hormone signals the brain when fat cells are "full," but exactly how the hormone controls weight is not entirely clear.
Additionally, obesity by itself probably further worsens vitamin D deficiency due to the decreased bioavailability of vitamin D from skin and dietary sources, because of its being deposited in body fat.
Syndrome X
Vitamin D deficiency has been clearly linked with Syndrome X. Syndrome X refers specifically to a group of health problems that can include insulin resistance (the inability to properly deal with dietary carbohydrates and sugars), abnormal blood fats (such as elevated cholesterol and triglycerides), overweight, and high blood pressure.
Vitamin D and Steroids
Steroids, like prednisone, are often prescribed to reduce inflammation from a variety of medical problems. These medicines may be essential for a person's medical treatment, but they have potential side effects, including decreased calcium absorption.
There is some evidence that steroids may also impair vitamin D metabolism, further contributing to the loss of bone and development of osteoporosis associated with steroid medications. For these reasons, individuals on chronic steroid therapy should consult with their physician or registered dietitian about the need to increase vitamin D intake through diet and/or dietary supplements.
How Much Should We Be Supplementing?
There is much debate in this area, however the science is clear.
Considering that if an appropriate amount of time is spent in the sun with adequate exposure yields upwords of 40,000 IU, then the typical reccommendation of 1000 IU per day is pathetically low! So, if regular sun exposure is not available (like during this time of year), then supplementing with oral Vitamin D is not only helpful, but proper amounts are necessary!
Researchers are finding that adults require daily Vitamin D intakes in the range of 8000 IU to achieve therapeutic blood levels!
To help you understand this a little better, I've included an interview by Dr. Joseph Mercola with Carole Baggerly Founder of GrassrootsHealth who discusses Vitamin D dosages:
So, if you find yourself falling short of taking these amounts or not even supplementing with Vitamin D, you may want to reconsider and watch the many health benefits occur.
As always, our office carries the highest quality supplements and Vitamin D is no exception. Give us a call so we can assist you in your nutritional needs.
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