Benefits of vitamin D3 and why most people are D-deficient!

Lately I have gotten my hands on the book, Power of Vitamin D by Sarfraz Zaidi, MD - for FREE on my Kindle! What a great deal for such a useful and informative book! Until now, I haven't considered Vitamin D a very important part of my diet. Unfortunately, many others seems to forget about vitamin D when it is in fact just as important as Calcium, vitamin C, and other popular vitamins on the market today. Many people are aware that vitamin D is the "sunshine vitamin" that is produced in the skin and aids in the absorption of Calcium. But with heightened fear of skin cancer, wrinkles and aging comes an increase in the use of powerful sunscreen that can actually disrupt the conversion of vitamin D3 in the skin by UVB rays. Therefore, vitamin D3 is not picked up by the bloodstream and delivered throughout the body.


The list of researched benefits from consuming Vitamin D is massive! According to Dr. Sarfraz Zaidi, Vitamin D is not actually a vitamin, but an essential hormone that affects various organs in the body.

• Muscles and bones: vitamin D can prevent aches and pain related to bone and muscles. It can also treat osteoporosis, a dangerous and somewhat common disease among older women.
• Vitamin D as an immune-booster: don't want that common cold this year? Then start popping some vitamin D pills! Vitamin D can treat immune-related disorders such as asthma, Crohn's disease and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Even if you are sick already, increasing your Vitamin D can help treat your illness.
• Anti-cancer vitamin: believe it or not, Vitamin D can play a role in preventing and treating cancer by controlling the growth of all cells, whether they are cancerous or normal. It especially helps treat the following types of cancer: breast, colon, prostate and pancreas.
• Vitamin D and diabetes: by reducing insulin resistance and increasing the production of insulin from the pancreas, vitamin D can help decrease blood sugar and prevent and treat Type 2 diabetes. Of course, the treatment and prevention of Type 2 diabetes also relies on a good diet and exercise regimen!
• Vitamin D to lower blood pressure: If you are familiar with the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System (RAAS for short, whew!) - I won't go into specifics, but it is a chemical system within your body that is responsible for maintaining blood pressure. If this interactive system over-reacts, it can lead to high blood pressure, or hypertension, which can eventually lead to heart failure if left untreated. Vitamin D has the power to inhibit the RAAS and therefore decrease blood pressure.
• Vitamin D is also known to boost your mood and prevent depression, especially if you suffer from seasonal depression in the winter time when the sun is not always shining - take some extra doses of vitamin D

Are you "Hormone D Deficient (HDD)?"
Go to your doctor and get your blood work done on an annual basis. They will tell you if you are deficient in vitamin D. If you are unsure, there is no harm in taking vitamin D supplements once, twice or even three times a day. According to Dr. Zaidi, it is extremely tough to overdose on vitamin D. Please do not fall into these myths:

• I get enough vitamin D from being outside without sunscreen
• I get enough vitamin D from "vitamin D milk"
• I get enough vitamin D from Calcium supplements or multivitamins
• I can get enough Vitamin D from my diet
• The daily recommended dose of Vitamin D is 200-600 I.U

And fall into these RIGHT habits instead:

• Continue to wear sunscreen - preventing skin cancer is more important than obtaining Vitamin D from the sun because you can always take supplements.
• Continue eating a diet rich in Vitamin D such as milk, fish and yogurt (check your nutrition labels)
• You must ADD vitamin D supplementation on a daily basis. According to your current Vitamin D levels, you may need to start with more or less. It is safe to start with 1,000 I.U. of vitamin D and increase as necessary. A daily dose of 1,000 - 5,000 I.U. is optimal in most healthy individuals.

What brand of Vitamin D3 should I get?
According to Dr. Zaidi, the best absorbed form of Vitamin D is sublingual because it is directly absorbed into your bloodstream. Vitamin D3 in oral form is digested along with your food and therefore must pass through the liver before it can through your systemic circulation. However, I have heard great things from those who take oral D3. Here is the brand that I am currently taking: Vitamin D3 GOLD ($13.95) for 360 softgels (5000 I.U. each). The softgels are extremely tiny yet powerful. Take these with a meal for best absorption. Consistency is the key to get good results!
If you want more information on the benefits of Vitamin D3, I highly recommend Dr. Zaidi's book on Amazon.

References:

Zaidi, S. (2010). Power of vitamin D. Denver, Colorado: Outskirts Press.