Disease and Vitamin D Deficiency

Jenny — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:48:23 +0000

I recently had my vitamin D levels checked with a simple blood test. While my results came back within the optimal range (35 – 50 ng/ul which should be a minimum of 40 and preferably over 50 ng/ul), the test itself gave me pause for reflection. Vitamin D is critically important to overall health and, sadly, most of the population suffer from deficient or suboptimal vitamin D levels. Indeed, a recent study indicated that a whopping 70% percent of US children (no, folks, that’s not a type-o) suffer from deficient or insufficient vitamin D levels¹. Similarly, adult men and women average suboptimal vitamin D levels and these average levels seem to be decreasing year by year². Remember: the terms “average” and “normal” do not necessarily equal “optimal.”

Chalk the deficiency up to poor eating habits and lack of sunshine, yet, regardless of the reason behind this epidemic-level vitamin deficiency, the general health of the public is suffering. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is associated with many and varied diseases as well as increased overall mortality³. Conversely, researchers in human aging have found an association between optimal vitamin D levels and increased longevity⁴.

If that’s not enough to send you to your doctor for a needle stick, consider these five diseases that are associated with inadequate vitamin D levels. It’s in your interest to have your vitamin D levels checked and to work on increasing those levels until you meet, but don’t exceed, the optimal range.

1. Lack of vitamin D increases your risk of heart disease.

Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is linked to the development of heart disease⁵. Vitamin D helps your body to effectively control cholesterol, but with insufficient amounts of vitamin D circulating in your body that cholesterol can become damaged and oxidized. White blood cells then absorb the oxidized cholesterol and become what some researchers call “foam cells.” As these foam cells begin to grow in number and accumulate, heart disease begins⁶. Eating foods that increase inflammation within the body such as refined carbohydrates and super-heated fats – especially those fragile polyunsaturated fatty acids – coupled with vitamin D insufficiency sets up a feedback loop within the body that increases your risk of high cholesterol, heart disease and death from heart-related problems.

2. Low levels of vitamin D may impair cognitive function.

Low levels of vitamin D may also impair cognitive function – particularly in the elderly⁷. Elderly persons suffering from low levels of vitamin D exhibit greater signs of dementia, Parkinson’s disease and even Alzheimers disease than those with optimal vitamin D levels⁸. The elderly are at a particularly unique risk of suffering from low vitamin D levels as the body’s ability to manufacture vitamin D from exposure to sunlight declines as we age. Vitamin D plays a role in the reduction of inflammatory responses within the body, and it’s through this mechanism that it may prove protective from cognitive impairment associated with aging.

3. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with cancer.

Cancer is a complicated disease, and it seems that vitamin D also plays a role in this illness. Lack of vitamin D inhibits cells from functioning properly, thus increasing the risks of developing cancer⁹. Low levels of vitamin D have been implicated in breast, colon and prostate cancers¹⁰.

More Bloggers Talking About Vitamin D
The Importance of Vitamin D at Nourishing Days
Vitamin D at HAES in Medical School
70% of US Children Have Insufficient Vitamin D at Cheeseslave

4. Low levels of vitamin D impair bone health.

Vitamin D, calcium and vitamin K all work interconnectedly to grow and maintain our bones. In the media, we tend to hear a lot about calcium intake for health bones but calcium is only part of the story. Indeed, with inadequate vitamin D levels, calcium will do little on its own for your bones. Vitamin D deficiency, or rickets, is linked to poor bone health particularly in children and while rickets may not be wide-spread that doesn’t mean our children’s bone health is optimal. Incidentally, some researchers believe that widespread vitamin D deficiency may cause a global rise in rickets in the coming years¹¹. A study conducted on adolescent African American girls, indicates that their consistently low levels of vitamin D inhibited the development of peak bone mass¹². In essence, the girls – who are likely to face challenges to optimal bone health as they age – were already behind the curve ball during their teen years.

5. Lack of vitamin D decreases immunity to the flu and common cold.

Low vitamin d levels also decrease overall immunity and increase your risk for contracting common colds and the flu. In a three-year study conducted on the relationship of vitamin D and the common cold, researchers found that those taking supplementary vitamin D were three times less likley to report symptoms of colds and flus than control groups¹³. Suboptimal vitamin D levels is associated with an increased risk in developing respiratory tract infections – particularly for children under 5¹⁴.

Prevalence and Associations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Deficiency in US Children: NHANES 2001-2004. Pediatrics. 2009. August 3.Demographic differences and trends of vitamin D insufficiency in the US population, 1988-2004. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2009 Mar 23;169(6):626-32
Vitamin D Deficiency and Mortality. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2009. August 25.
The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest. 2008. National Geographic.
Vitamin D and the Cardiovascular System. CJASN. 2009. August 20.
1,25(OH)2 vitamin d inhibits foam cell formation and suppresses macrophage cholesterol uptake in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Circulation. 2009. August 25.
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d concentration and cognitive impairment. Journal of Geriatric Psychology and Neurology. 2008. December 10.
Prevalence of vitamin d insufficiency in patients with Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease. Archives of Neurology. 2008. October.
Vitamin D and calcium insufficiency-related chronic diseases: molecular and cellular pathophysiology. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009. September 2.
The vitamin D endocrine system as common cause for multiple malignant and other chronic diseases. Anticancer Research. 2006. July.
Resurrection of Vitamin D Deficiency and Rickets. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2006. August 1.
Dysfunction of Vitamin-D nutrition and bone mass in adolescent black girls. Journal of the National Medical Association. 2007. June.
On the epidemiology of influenza. Virology Journal. 2008. February 25.
Association of subclinical vitamin D deficiency with severe acute lower respiratory infection in Indian children under 5. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2004. April.