Low Vitamin D Could Be Associated With Higher Mortality From Threatening Diseases
Ecological and observational studies suggest that low vitamin D status could be associated with higher mortality from life-threatening conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus that account for 60% to 70% of total mortality in high-income countries. There has been resurgence in interest in vitamin D and its effect on bones and other diseases.
Whatever condition and disease you study, vitamin D keeps coming up as a major factor. Vitamin D is the most important vitamin in prostate disease, for example. Since prostate and breast problems are 99% identical, this clearly infers it is the most important vitamin in breast disease. One in eight American women will get breast cancer. Vitamin D is the most important vitamin for bone and joint health. 95% of Americans over the age of 65 suffer from some form of arthritis or similar inflammation. Vitamin D is the most important vitamin of all in fact. It is the most deficient of all vitamins.
A new meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials showed that individual who took vitamin D supplements had a 7% reduction in all-cause mortality. This meta-analysis covered 57,311 participants, with 4,777 deaths from all causes during size-adjusted mean of 5.7-years trial period. Daily doses of vitamin D supplements varied from 300 to 2000 IU with a mean daily vitamin D dose at 528 IU.
This study concluded that intake of ordinary doses of vitamin D supplements seems to be associated with decreases in total mortality rates. The relationship between baseline vitamin D status, dose of vitamin D supplements, and total mortality rates remains to be further investigated.
Did anyone ever tell you that vitamin D really isn't a vitamin at all, but a hormone? That's correct. It is a hormone and not a vitamin. Vitamins come from the daily food we eat, and there is no meaningful amount of "vitamin" D in any food. Vitamin D comes from exposure to sunlight, and most of us do not get enough exposure to sunlight to make enough of it. In winter, this is especially true.
There are several forms of vitamin D including D1, D2 and D3. You want to take D3 (calciferol). Vitamin D3 is converted in our bodies to the active form which is dihydroxy vitamin D. It is important not to take too much D3 as it is oil soluble, toxic in excess, and can result in side effects. Since you can't get any meaningful amounts in common foods this is not a problem at all.
Remember how popular cod liver oil has been for decades now? This is really because of the vitamin D content. People often really do get strong results from simply taking a spoonful of cod liver oil. This is because they are getting the vitamin D they need so badly. Of course, taking a multivitamin of 400 IU vitamin D supplement is a much more practical- and tasty- way to do this.
The science behind this is just overwhelming. People of all ages should take it.
Article Source: Archives of Internal Medicine 2007; 167(16):1730-7.