Vitamin D

Vitamin D fact sheet:

• Sunlight is the primary source of Vitamin D.
• A very small number of foods naturally contain Vitamin D;

• oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines
• irradiated mushrooms
• cod liver oil

• Recent studies in humans have provided evidence that Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol from animal sources) is more efficient than vitamin D2 from plant sources.

Deficiencies

• 41% of healthy adults, 49 to 83 years of age are found to be vitamin D deficient.
• Students and young adults are also vitamin D deficient, especially those who work inside or who always wear sun protection.
• Individuals who have darkly pigmented skin, those who are obese and the elderly have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Elderly care

• In adults, Vitamin D maintains bone mineral density and prevents osteoporosis.

• The body's largest source of calcium is found in bones, which are used to maintain serum levels. When Vitamin D is low, more bone is needed as a source of calcium to support balanced levels.

• Vitamin D has a direct effect on muscle strength and is thought to maintain function of type II muscle fibers which could reduce risk of falling and fractures in the elderly.
• Falls are the single most common cause of injury mortality in the elderly and account for 40% of all nursing home admissions.

	FOODS RICH IN VITAMIN D   Cod liver oil (1 soup spoon): 1,350 IU Wild salmon (100g): 600- 1,000 IU Farmed salmon (100g): 100-250 IU Canned sardines (100g): 825 IU Shiitake mushrooms (10 mushrooms): 650 IU Mackerel (100g): 345 IU Canned tuna (100g): 200 IU Milk (1 cup): 90 IU

Pregnant/Nursing mothers and Infants

• Vitamin D regulates calcium/phosphorus absorption and metabolism for bone health.
• This role becomes more important during pregnancy and lactation as bones are developing rapidly during this period.
• Insufficient Vitamin D intake during infancy can lead to low birth weight and/or result in the symptoms of rickets;

• biochemical disturbances
• reduced bone mineralization
• slower growth
• bone deformities
• Increased risk of fracture

Protection from cancer

• Studies have shown that Vitamin D helps prevent breast, colorectal, ovarian and prostate cancers.

Diabetes

• Clinical trials have suggested that Vitamin D and calcium supplementation could have a role in the prevention of type 2 diabetes in populations at high risk.
• A study which began in 1966 administered 2000 IU of vitamin D to children and revealed there was an 80% reduction in the development of type 1 diabetes though-out the following 30 years in those children.

Protection from inflammation and cold/flu

• Vitamin D plays an important role in the regulation of immune system function and suppresses T-helper cell over-activity, and works to prevent autoimmune diseases such as type-1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and graft rejection.
• A recent randomized controlled trial gave evidence that vitamin D provides a dramatic preventative effect against influenza and colds. Vitamin D stimulates the expression of potent anti-microbial peptides and protects the lung from infection.

• A low dose (800 IU/day) reduced reported incidence of cold or flu, and abolished the seasonality of cold and flu reports.
• A higher dose (2000 IU/day), given during the last year of the trial, eliminated all reports of colds or flu.

Cardiovascular Disease

• Researchers now believe that Vitamin D deficiency could contribute to congestive heart failure.
• Calcium and Vitamin D supplementation results in a 9.3% decrease in systolic blood pressure, a 5.4% decrease in heart rate and substantially reduces C-reactive protein levels in critically ill patients.

Disorders of the brain and cognition

• Vitamin D receptors are present in the brain
• A review of older adults found a positive correlation between score on the mini-mental state examination and serum Vitamin D levels

Multiple sclerosis

• Intake of Vitamin D is associated with a lower incidence of MS and Vitamin D supplementation is often recommended in the early stages of MS to lower the risk of osteoporosis.

Mood and well-being

• Vitamin D levels are related to positive mood and well-being
• People who suffer from unipolar and bipolar depression have significantly lower levels of Vitamin D.
• In a randomized study, eight subjects with seasonal affective disorder given vitamin D supplementation showed improvements in depression measures.