In the past few years, we have been told that around 80% of people in the U.S. are deficient of vitamin D. Now we are finding out that people are overdosing on it. At Valeo, we have been warning people that Vitamin D is a vitamin that you don't want to take without someone helping you to decide if you really need it and if you do you should have someone monitor you. The following is our stand on Vitamin D. After you read it, you will know why it is a crucial vitamin but why it is important to have help in knowing if it is right for you.
Philosophy on Vitamin D
Overview
Vitamins, minerals, enzymes, hormones, amino acids and proteins all work together to create biochemical reactions in the body. We were designed to easily utilize these vital nutrients in the body by obtaining them from our food supply and breaking down the nutrients from the food to deliver to the many organs, cells, body systems in need of them daily. Unfortunately, the myriad of toxins that have invaded our food, water and air supply have significantly hindered this normal body process in several ways. Beginning with digestion breakdown, proceeding on to affect the delivery system of nutrients to the cells, tissues, organs causing breakdown of the health and vitality of the body as a whole on to breaking down cellular communication over time – end result, imbalance, handicapped function, disease, etc.
Humans need both fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins in the body for daily function. However, fat-soluble vitamins can easily become toxic in the body including Vitamins A, D, E and K. When one begins to consume high doses of fat-soluble vitamins as supplements, creating potential imbalance, often the body cannot digest properly and then stores the synthetic or much imbalanced source of fat-soluble vitamin in our fat or connective tissues, organs and cells. Then one is exchanging deficiency for possible toxicity with different and often severe symptoms.
Is there really an epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency? Why?
We have been “feared” into behavior changes that do not address the cause of so many health issues today. For example, instead of staying out of the sun which is greatly needed for Vitamin D production naturally in the body, education is critical regarding the affects of the Standard American Diet (SAD), toxic sun screens, addictive substances and stress on the body as opposed to reverting to extreme behavior without considering all the contributing factors. When we consume less than optimal levels of cod liver oil, salmon and fresh, organic fruits and vegetables daily (as one significant factor), we are setting our bodies up for more than just extreme Vitamin D deficiency!
Much research has been done over the last several decades regarding mineral and vitamin toxicities and deficiencies, not the least of which, includes Vitamin D. It has been found that 400 IU of Vitamin D daily is required for optimal function. I don't believe there is discrepancy that we have a problem, however, I do wholeheartedly believe that there is a lack of the whole story being told. I will attempt to share with you some of the main issues that contribute to Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D conversion in the skin is severely hindered due to covering the skin with clothing as well as toxic sunscreen usage. When you combine dangerous sunscreen usage with statin drug (cholesterol lowering medication) intake, the natural Vitamin D conversion/production in the body is crippled.
Sunshine is converted into fat-soluble vitamins, such as Vitamin D, in your skin by cholesterol. Adequate skin cholesterol is often significantly lacking, due to the fact that most Americans are taking statin drugs as well as consuming way to many “bad fats” which overload the liver and gallbladder function – hindering digestion and unbalancing cholesterol and homocysteine levels. Much can be done to reverse these dysfunctions in the body without creating more imbalance and side effects.
Digestion & Assimilation
Digestion breakdown is the number one problem I see with clients as at least one root cause of health degeneration including vitamin and mineral deficiency and toxicity. Knowing this, it does not make sense to load the body down with a large amount of supplements (especially synthetic forms at high dosage levels), even whole food Vitamin D if the underlying problems with digestion have not been addressed. I do not believe in giving clients high amounts of supplements based on fear driven calls to action/behaviors. Instead, help to educate and correct the diet, digestion and evaluate one's individual options for how much the body can do on it's own given half a chance. Getting any vitamin through our intended food supply is by far the best first course of action. At the point where the body is still struggling on it's own, whole food supplements and/or lifestyle changes are then necessary. For example, many health problems such as osteoporosis are not cured by filling the body with pharmaceutical drugs or loads of calcium that not only can't cure the body but then are not digested, assimilated or delivered in the proper form. It does not make sense to band-aid a symptom or health problem without first addressing any underlying digestive breakdowns or imbalances for each individual.
Many people eat right, exercise, get plenty of rest and yet still suffer with symptoms of varying kinds. With hair analysis (tissue mineral analysis at the cellular level) as one tool, we are able to easily discern if there are mineral imbalances and/or toxic metals interfering with digestion for starters. Assessing the organs at the cellular level sheds much light on one's health and ability to heal. Creating an environment by which the body can heal is by far the best way for one to overcome Vitamin D deficiency, hormonal imbalance, digestive stress/breakdown and disease, etc.
Sources of Vitamin D
• Environmental sun exposure (15 minutes per day) for conversion in skin to Vitamin D;
• Purified Cod Liver Oil (high amounts of naturally occurring Vitamin A & D);
• Egg yolks, organic butter, oily fish (salmon~mackerel~sardines~herring);
• Mushrooms & dark, leafy green vegetables.
Options
• 15 minutes of sun exposure daily – Summer, Spring, Fall, Winter
• In extreme cold, increase Cod Liver Oil intake and vegetables
• Investigate vitamin and mineral levels in the body (Hair Analysis, diet analysis, lifestyle analysis)
• Consider all contributing factors before taking high dose synthetic Vitamin D supplements
• Evaluate digestive health before consuming whole food Vitamin D supplements
• Review lifestyle choices, diet and pharmaceutical drug intake
