Vitamin D Deficiency – Geez!

Never in my life did I think I had a vitamin D deficiency. I am in the sun with Colson daily. I don’t wear sunscreen, and I have a pretty good tan. I take fermented cod liver oil, which provides 190 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D, and I eat raw egg yolks, which contain vitamin D. It is well recognized that the RDA is the minimum necessary to avoid disease, but that doesn’t result in vibrant health, so I don’t place much stock in it. Even so I clearly get more vitamin D than the RDA.  

I had my yearly exam the other day and the Dr. wanted to test my vitamin D level because I had been diagnosed with osteopenia, the precursor to osteoporosis, when I was 30. That diagnosis was unbelievable, given that I could bench press 120 pounds and run 10 miles! Over the last few years I have been remineralizing my teeth and bones thanks for nutrient dense food and butter oil and cod liver oil. The progress is noticeable in my teeth, which are no longer translucent and are filling in with a solid creamy color. My health has excelled, and I thought vitamin D wouldn’t be an issue. How wrong I was.

I have a fantastic gynecologist, and she was right with her suspicion. My vitamin D test score was 22. My doc says healthy is from 30 to 100. Serious deficiency is a score below 20. My doc prescribed 2,000 IUs of vitamin D a day. I emailed my incredible doctor of Oriental medicine and he agrees that my score is “quite low.” He says that some people don’t assimilate Vitamin D well and he is prescribing emulsified D-3 with cofactors liquid.

What Does Low Vitamin D Mean for Health?

Here are a few highlights for adults:

• 26% increased risk of death

• Greater risk of cancer

• Depression

• Heart-related disease

• Osteopenia/Osteoporsis

• Alzheimers Disease

• Colds, flu

• For kids, add rickets and diabetes.

Science Daily has a number of articles about vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D from the Sun

The Natural News has a great interview regarding the vitamin D we generate from the sun. It really doesn’t take that much sun exposure. In my case I greatly exceed the time recommended for healthy vitamin D levels, yet I am deficient.

How Many People are Vitamin D Deficient?

CNN reports on a Journal of Pediatrics article that 70 percent of American children are vitamin D deficient.  This USA Today article states that 36 about percent of Americans are deficient, with one doctor reporting that 95 percent of her patients are deficient. The article goes on to state that Americans were probably always deficient, but the trend is worsening due to poor sun exposure and diet.

Comments

[Lorne Montaine]

First time visitor. Too much info. for me to digest but am looking forward to reading more.

Meanwhile I am posting this comment now.

[Laura Combs]

Hi Lorne. Thank you for reading. Yeh...the post you read is awkwardly written. Too much information in too short of a space. I may post more on it in smaller bits.

Have a great week!

Laura

Laura Combs

www.movingstronglyforward.typepad.com
The older I get, the better I feel!

[Jenn Miller]

Laura,

I love this! I am a barefoot girl most of the time, I prefer it MUCH to shoes. My kids have been barefoot most of their lives. They wear sandals (Keens) for our adventures and we're very happy with those, but everyone prefers barefoot!