Lupus made head lines with Michael Jackson’s death, but now it has made a more positive appearance. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to lupus, so now people can have a better defense against lupus diagnosis with more knowledge.
Those who have lupus and those who are genetically predisposed to having lupus, like family members of a person with lupus, can benefit from taking vitamin D supplements, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation states.
Their release stated that “low levels of vitamin D correlated with increased autoantibodies — proteins that attack the body’s own tissue.”
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements in the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D deficiency can also cause rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, which can cause weak bones and muscles.
Low levels of vitamin D can also cause “heart disease, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, hypertension, arthritis, depression, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, PMS, Crohns Disease, cancer, MS and other autoimmune diseases,” according to an article on www.fightingfatigue.org.
I have personally been told and have read books stating that depression can be improved by taking vitamin D supplements. Apparently, vitamin D deficiency can cause so many other problems. Thankfully, most can be alleviated by getting the proper nutrients and treatment.
Two articles from Private MD News suggested that vitamin D deficiency could also cause Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and is linked to multiple sclerosis. In the case of dementia, there is a “link between vitamin D and various forms of cardiovascular disease and the link between cardiovascular disease and dementia,” according to the Web site. However, there has been no real investigation of a link between vitamin D deficiency and dementia, according to the article.
I have definitely seen this possible link all over health news. On the New York Times Web site, there was an article in February that sited a study from Cambridge University in England that suggested the low vitamin D levels could be linked to dementia. Although the study’s lead author said that vitamin D deficiency is not the cause of dementia, supplements can provide a cheap prevention technique.
The study found that “about 12 percent were cognitively impaired, and the lower their vitamin D level, the more likely they were to be in that group.” This definitely points to a link between the two and needs to be taken to heart, especially for those who are older and possibly those who have a history of dementia.
With all this knowledge of what low vitamin D levels can do to you, I would suggest walking around at least for 10 minutes or so in the sun every day or taking vitamin D supplements. Even taking a general women’s vitamin can help, especially with other vitamins and essentials you need to be healthy.
Sources:
http://omrf.org/OMRF/News_Releases/Releases/2009/20090804.asp
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp
http://www.fightingfatigue.org/?p=1220\
http://www.privatemdlabs.com/news/Vitamin_D_Deficiency-Diagnosis_and_Treatment_/Researcher:-Possible-link-between-vitamin-D-and-Alzheimers-disease-and-vas$19192100.php
http://www.privatemdlabs.com/news/Autoimmune_Diseases/Vitamin-D-may-be-linked-to-multiple-sclerosis$19219883.php
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/health/research/24aging.html