The Amazing D

By Suze Hargraves

Im a born Yankee. I come from a long, long line of sturdy New Englanders. Im skeptical of just about everything and when Im not being skeptical Im researching facts. When someone totes a miracle cure or a quick fix my guard goes up. By nature I simply do not believe these sorts of things. This weekend, my Yankee nature was struck by all the fuss about vitamin D. The media is expounding on this amazing little vitamin in a flurry of revelations that to me, seem suspicious. Too good to be true? Maybe. Do we need more information and less hype? Always!Vitamin D has been around for a long time. Its been around forever in fact. Although not identified as a benefit of a specific vitamin, things like cod liver oil (children of past eras have to thank one Sir Edward Mellanby to thank for that little tidbit) were long ago staples in a medicine cabinet. Recently however, vitamin D has come to the forefront again as a result of some new and rather promising research.In the June 23, issue of Archives of Internal Medicine it is noted that, Individuals with lower blood levels of vitamin D appear to have an increased risk of death overall and from cardiovascular causes. The Dana Farber Institute reports that, Patients diagnosed with colon cancer who had abundant vitamin D in their blood were less likely to die during a follow-up period than those who were deficient in the vitamin. At Moores Cancer Center at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, a link between an increase in vitamin D and a decrease in childhood Type 1 diabetes has been identified. Most recently a distinct link between pain management and vitamin D has been determined. The research goes on and on.One little vitamin is good for your heart, skin, bones and teeth and aids in prevention of certain cancers and diabetes. Amazing stuff. Knowing all this, we know that we should be getting our fair share of D. What exactly is our fair share and how do we get it?Most of our essential nutrients are found in the food we eat. Vitamin D is not. Foods fortified with vitamin D still dont offer the Recommended Daily Allowance and in fact, the practice of fortification with vitamin D has been largely discontinued around the world because of its ineffectiveness. Our primary source of vitamin D is the sun. UVB radiation is responsible for the production of vitamin D in our skin. Unfortunately, UVB rays are also responsible for skin damage and melanoma (skin cancer). Getting enough vitamin D safely in this age of an eroding ozone layer means supplementing. The multivitamin I take contains 800 I.U. of vitamin D. Yours probably contains anywhere between 500 and 800 too. Taking a multivitamin is a good idea. Taking more multivitamins to get more vitamin D would not be a good idea. Many vitamins can become toxic at high doses. Common over-the-counter (OTC) doses of vitamin D are 400 IU, 1000 IU and 2000 IU. Some Internet companies go as high as 50,000 IU but this should be considered a bad choice. Again, more is not always better. The only way to determine what is right for you and your family is to ask your healthcare provider about supplements. Good Yankee common sense tells us to be skeptical when it comes to medical information in the mainstream media. The recent vitamin D hype is no exception. The benefits are many, but no vitamin is going to cure all ills. Keep your good ol Yankee wits about you, eat healthy, get some fresh air and exercise and use any herbs or supplements with the knowledge and approval of your healthcare team. Live healthy. Live smart.