Published: June 04, 2008 11:16 am            

Put some D in your summer

Carman Williams

cwilliams@weatherforddemocrat.com

If you’re planning on boosting your health this summer, don’t forget the vitamin D.

The D vitamin, discovered in 1919, is often known as the sun vitamin because a form of the vitamin is produced when skin is warmed by the sun.

Along with calcium, it has long been linked to bone health and the prevention of bone diseases like rickets and osteoporosis, but researchers now believe the sun vitamin may have other health benefits as well.

Having too little vitamin D has been linked to chronic pain conditions such as arthritis. In some chronic pain cases, doctors will diagnose the patient with low D levels using a standard test and administer D supplements.

Often, this seemed to ease the patient’s pain.

Dutch researchers have also linked vitamin D deficiency to depression in older adults.

The researchers still had many unanswered questions, but noted that low levels of vitamin D lead to overproduction of a parathyroid hormone, which has been linked to signs of depression. The researchers are planning further tests to determine whether the low D levels are a cause or affect of the depression.

In a separate study, a Canadian research team led by Dr. Pamela Goodwin studied the vitamin D levels in breast cancer patients.

The team found patients with sufficient levels of vitamin D were less likely to die of breast cancer or have the cancer spread.

This may be because vitamin D works in the body to block the growth of abnormal cells and also hinders the type of blood vessels that feed tumors.

With almost 50,000 deaths in the U.S. each year from breast cancer alone, these findings could have a huge impact on American health.

Weatherford’s Dr. Nusrat (Ness) Khan, M.D. FAAP, added previous research suggests calcium and vitamin D could connect to receptors on some tumors causing the tumor cells to slow down production, and in some cases will cause the cells to die (a process called apoptosis).

Kahn also cited a 2006 study which found appropriate levels of calcium and vitamin D decreased polyps in the colon, and another study which indicated appropriate levels of calcium decreased the risks of breast cancer in premenopausal women.

“An appropriate amount of calcium and vitamin D — about 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium, and 400 International Units (IUs) of vitamin D — does have a protective effect on osteoporosis and maybe on premenopausal breast cancer and colon cancer,” Khan summarized.

But just because some is good, more is not necessarily better,” he said.

Khan mentioned the Women’s Health Initiative found no protective effect that calcium and vitamin D had on colorectal cancer.

Also, high levels of calcium (over 2,000 milligrams) may increase the risk of prostate cancer.

Doctors theorize that too much calcium can lead to Insulin-like Growth Factor 1, and tumors presumably respond to these growth factors.

The same Canadian study that linked vitamin D to cancer survival noted patients with the highest levels of D had the worst survival rates in the test group.

And there is no evidence showing increasing vitamin D through sun exposure outweighs the risks of developing skin cancer.

In fact, Khan said only a few minutes of sun exposure a day was enough to satisfy the daily requirements for natural D production.

The key to maintaining healthy amounts of calcium and vitamin D lies in following recommended amounts and in consulting a physician for individual needs.

Khan also emphasized how people receive their vitamins and minerals is very important.

“We must emphasize natural intake,” he said. “From a nutritional standpoint, we should rely first and foremost on our food, and secondly on supplements.”

For calcium and vitamin D, Khan recommends dairy products like milk and yogurt. Seafood is also a good source of D.

Khan recommends using supplements only to make up for what diet doesn’t provide.

Consumers should check the labels to make sure the pills do not provide more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D.

Anyone beginning to take supplements should also check with their doctor to make sure the vitamins won’t interfere with any other medications.

Above all, Khan said, no one should rely on a glass of milk and a vitamin pill to keep them healthy.

“In no way does a nutritional supplement take the place of people taking care of their health,” Khan said. “And that means yearly mammograms for women who are age-appropriate, and colonoscopies for men and women after they turn 50.”

According to Khan, the key to maintaining health is to live a healthy lifestyle and to make good health decisions every day.

        

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