There is so much evidence today that shows the value of vitamin D and as such, it is gaining the respect it needs. Vitamin D offers vast health benefits but why are we still ignoring it? We have grown convinced that sun exposure is bad for your skin, and as such we ladder our body with sunscreen lotions to protect us from the the sun. However, we are not looking at the side effects of these sunscreens which block the ability of the skin to make vitamin D while expose to sun. Between the advice to stay out of the sun or applying sunscreens our practices have contributed to 65 to 85 percent of American adults having a vitamin D defficiency.
Robert Heaney, M.D, a bone mineral specialist and professor at Creighton University on Omaha, Nebraska, urges adults to supplement with 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day. He warns that a shortfall on this vitamin puts our bone health in danger and increases the risk of rheumatoid arthitis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, glucose intolerance, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis and type 2 diabetes. Vitamin D also plays a crucial role in preventing Osteoporosis according to Dr. Heaney.
New research also finds that supplementation of Vitamin D prolongs life. After reviewing data from 57,000 people involved in 18 different trials, researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France found that taking vitamin D supplements lowered the risk of death by 7 percent (assumes daily supplementation of 300 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D).
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Great questions! I suggest visiting The Office of Dietary Supplements • National Institutes of Health's website as it is very informational when it comes to nutriceuticals and vitamins such as vitamin D.
Here is the link http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp This site offers very comprehensive information on vitamins and other nutritional supplements. I have copied and pasted an excerpt regarding the D3 comment by Lowengail.
"In supplements and fortified foods, vitamin D is available in two forms, D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D2 is manufactured by the UV irradiation of ergosterol in yeast, and vitamin D3 is manufactured by the irradiation of 7-dehydrocholesterol from lanolin and the chemical conversion of cholesterol [11]. The two forms have traditionally been regarded as equivalent based on their ability to cure rickets, but evidence has been offered that they are metabolized differently. Vitamin D3 could be more than three times as effective as vitamin D2 in raising serum 25(OH)D concentrations and maintaining those levels for a longer time, and its metabolites have superior affinity for vitamin D-binding proteins in plasma [6,32,33]. Because metabolite receptor affinity is not a functional assessment, as the earlier results for the healing of rickets were, further research is needed on the comparative physiological effects of both forms. Many supplements are being reformulated to contain vitamin D3 instead of vitamin D2 [33]. Both forms (as well as vitamin D in foods and from cutaneous synthesis) effectively raise serum 25(OH)D levels"
January 21, 2009 - 12:03amThis Comment
And I'm wondering if there are certain vitamin D supplements that are better than others.....
January 20, 2009 - 3:49pmThis Comment
I heard a D-3 supplement is better than just straight D. Anyone know why?
January 20, 2009 - 9:18amThis Comment