VITAMIN D WINTER--Nov. 1 through Feb 15

When the sun is too low in the sky to make vitamin D in human skin.

As we go into winter, I want everyone to be aware that two leading health organizations--the American Medical Association and the American Public Health Association--are saying that taking 1,000-2,000 IU of vitamin D is critically important to your health.

At a recent meeting of Reference Committee D (public health) of the American Medical Association, a resolution was passed that will change the health of most Americans.

"Resolution 425:

"RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association urge the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine to re-examine the Daily Reference Intake Values for Vitamin D in light of new scientific findings (Directive to Take Action);

"and be it further RESOLVED, That our AMA study the advisability of recommending that physicians consider adding to their health maintenance activities the measurement of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and, where appropriate, recommending dietary supplementation of vitamin D at a dosage of 1000-2000 units per day, with a report back at the 2009 Annual Meeting..."

Also, in late October, the American Public Health Association passed a resolution calling for the beginning of a campaign now aimed directly at the general public, based on scientific data currently available, to resolve the vitamin D deficiency epidemic.

Why so much push right now to raise everyone's vitamin D blood levels? After all, studies showing that vitamin D and/or sun exposure lower cancer deaths have been coming out since 1936, when Dr. Peller discovered that seagoing U.S. Navy personnel, with their huge sun exposure in those pre-sunscreen days, had 60% less deadly internal cancers (and a lot more non-fatal skin cancer). Since then, many studies have shown that vitamin D and sun exposure act to decrease the risk of fatal internal cancers. One such study, authored in 1999 by the Northern California Cancer Center's Esther John and associates, showed 25-65% reduction in breast cancer with abundant regular sun exposure, depending on the sunniness of the location.

However, scientists know that if the subjects of an experiment know which group they are in, it changes the results, and there is no way to disguise who gets sun and who doesn't. But in June 2007, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, comparing dummy pills with real supplements, was published by Joan Lappe and associates of Creighton University in Omaha. They reported a 60-77% cancer reduction in post-menopausal women as a result of 4 years of vitamin D and calcium supplementation. This study has again raised the suggestion that in the neighborhood of half of cancer deaths may be caused by vitamin D and mineral insufficiency. That's why the leading health agencies are moving on vitamin D recommendations right now.

The pace of vitamin D studies has increased greatly since 15 years ago, when I authored the first medical science literature review on the cancer-preventing effects of sun exposure. The APHA resolution cited recent research showing that insufficient vitamin D is a major cause of respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis and juvenile diabetes, loss of strength and balance with aging, hip fractures, and all of the most deadly cancers.

Dr. Carole Baggerly, co-author of the APHA resolution, organized a continuing education seminar, presented jointly by GrassrootsHealth and U.C. San Diego School of Medical in San Diego on Tuesday, December 2, on "Diagnosis and Treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency", with 6.5 CME credits for physicians. For doctors wishing to dramatically decrease the ravages of cancer and other degenerative diseases among their patients, a video of the seminar will be available soon through UC San Diego Television, or at http://www.grassrootshealth.org:80/events/seminars.php

However, between now and when your doctor gets educated on vitamin D, I suggest you follow the proposed AMA guidelines and take 1,000-2,000 IU per day, depending on body weight, or go to a tanning salon once or twice a week. (Studies from Boston University show that once or twice a week in a tanning bed with the standard mixed UVA-UVB fluorescent-tube lights will safely produce higher vitamin D blood levels than taking 2,000 IU pre day orally.). If you choose getting your vitamin D from tanning, be sure to get all of your skin areas that you can't see checked regularly for skin cancer. A twice-yearly trip to a dermatologist is a good idea.

Please take the pills or do the tanning, or do both. Doing both is the best and safest approach, because some people's skin doesn't make vitamin D very well, and occasionally supplement makers don't put as much nutrient in their pills as the label says.

Please do this. It's just getting too sad seeing people I like and love needlessly die of diseases that would never happen if they had enough vitamin D in their bloodstream.

Dr Gordon Ainsleigh, DC