Understanding Vitamin D Cholecalciferol
The high rate of natural production of vitamin D3 cholecalciferol (pronounced koh·luh·kal·sif·uh·rawl) in the skin is the single most important fact every person should know about vitamin D—a fact that has profound implications for the natural human condition.
Technically not a "vitamin," vitamin D is in a class by itself. Its metabolic product, calcitriol, is actually a secosteroid hormone that targets over 2000 genes (about 10% of the human genome) in the human body. Current research has implicated vitamin D deficiency as a major factor in the pathology of at least 17 varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, periodontal disease, and more.
Vitamin D's influence on key biological functions vital to one's health and well-being mandates that vitamin D no longer be ignored by the health care industry nor by individuals striving to achieve and maintain a greater state of health.
Sunshine and Your Health
If well adults and adolescents regularly avoid sunlight exposure, research indicates a necessity to supplement with at least 5,000 units (IU) of vitamin D daily. To obtain this amount from milk one would need to consume 50 glasses. With a multivitamin more than 10 tablets would be necessary. Neither is advisable.
The skin produces approximately 10,000 IU vitamin D in response 20–30 minutes summer sun exposure—50 times more than the US government's recommendation of 200 IU per day!
How To Get Enough Vitamin D
There are 3 ways for adults to insure adequate levels of vitamin D:
- regularly receive midday sun exposure in the late spring, summer, and early fall, exposing as much of the skin as possible.
- regularly use a sun bed (avoiding sunburn) during the colder months.
- take 5,000 IU per day for three months, then obtain a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test. Adjust your dosage so that blood levels are between 50–80 ng/mL (or 125–200 nM/L) year-round.
Noteworthy News
Proposed Restrictions on Vitamin D Testing
Soon, Medicare's newly proposed guidelines for restrictions on vitamin D testing will be adopted by every major insurance company in the country.
The restrictions would forbid screening, the most important use of the test. This means that although vitamin D deficiency treatment is still covered, your doctor will not be able to order the test to find out if you suffer from low vitamin D in the first place!
We encourage people to send their comments to Medicare by filling out this form on their website. When filling out the form, the proposal's LCD number is DL30273. The name of the proposal is "Vitamin D Assay Testing."
If you would rather send a letter, which is more effective, sent it to:
- Ms. Anna Gene Risoldi
- Senior Research Analyst
- Highmark Medicare Services
- 1800 Center Street, 1AL3
- Camp Hill, PA 17089
Comments may also be sent to Dr. Daniel B. Kimball, Jr. at drdankimball@gmail.com. He is on the AMA board that is reviewing this policy.
We need your help!
The Vitamin D Council envisions a world with less illness, suffering, and needless death due to vitamin D deficiency. It is our mission to make that vision a reality by educating the masses as to the profound health benefits of vitamin D.
But we can't do it alone. We rely on your tax-deductible donations to help us carry out our mission.
If you would like to help us bring to fruition our dream of a greater state of health for humanity, we encourage you to use the PayPal orange "Donate" button on the left sidebar. No amount is too small and every bit helps.
Thank you for you support.
Vitamin D Council Public Service Announcement
Our new public service announcement, Pregnancy and Vitamin D, is a call to end the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency among pregnant women.
To arrange media runs of a high-quality, TV-ready edition of our Pregnancy and Vitamin D PSA in any part of the country (at a great discount), or to receive the TV-ready video for only US$50.00 (cost of replication) plus shipping, please contact both Jeff Lind (jeff@slaslo.com) and Michelle Gaeta (michelle@slaslo.com) at S. Lombardi & Associates.
Vitamin D Newsletter
Child Abuse? Or Vitamin D Deficiency Rickets?
Vitamin D deficiency rickets is commonly misdiagnosed as child physical abuse, leading to irreparable damage to both family and child.
Pregnancy and Gestational Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy endangers the mother's life and health and is the origin for a host of future perils for the child.
The evidence that vitamin D has profound effects on innate immunity is rapidly growing. Find out how vitamin D can help booster your immune defenses against bacteria, fungi, and viruses such as the H1N1 flu.
Subscribe to the Vitamin D Newsletter! Subscription form at top of page.
New Site Additions!
Visit our newly-expanded Vitamin D Research section to see research on topics such as Influenza, Innate and Adaptive Immunity, Breast and Prostate Cancer, Depression, Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, Asthma, COPD, and more. Additional topics to be added soon!
Read quotes about vitamin D and sunlight by vitamin D experts, nutrition experts, and medical professionals on our new Vitamin D Quotes page.
Vitamin D and Autism
Now a single theory answers the many unanswered questions surrounding autism. A theory that implies a simple prevention and raises the possibility of treatment.
It's called the Vitamin D Theory of Autism—read about it in our section, Autism and Vitamin D.