The Vitamin D Community
Respiratory Infections Respiratory infections are any infection in the throat, sinuses, airways, or lungs. The respiratory tract is the part of the body that is involved with breathing. The most common respiratory infections include influenza, the common cold, sinus infections,…
Vitamin D during pregnancy and breastfeeding Getting the right nutrients and eating well when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding is important for your baby’s growth and development. Vitamin D helps you to develop strong and healthy bones and it does the…
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine that is focused on the use and study of drugs and their actions. This page discusses vitamin D in pharmacology, its different forms and the use of vitamin D analogues. This is an advanced…
Acne Acne is a disorder of the glands which lubricate the skin, called sebaceous glands. When these glands become blocked, bacteria overgrow and causes skin lesions. It is one of the most prevalent skin conditions, primarily affecting teenagers. Acne is…
Ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is cancer that starts in the ovaries. As it has few symptoms at first, it is often diagnosed at more advanced stages. Each year, ovarian cancer affects approximately 22,000 women in the United States. It is…
What is asthma? Asthma is a lifelong lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. There are tubes or airways, which carry air to and from the lungs to the mouth and nose. If an individual has asthma, these airways…
Leukemia Leukemia is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow. The disease causes an abnormal increase of white blood cells. There are many types of leukemia. Each year, leukemia affects approximately 45,000 people in the United States and kills…
Parathyroid glands When most people think of calcium, they think it’s most important for bone health. But actually, calcium is most important for your nervous and muscular system. Your body needs a narrow range of serum calcium in your blood, or otherwise…
We all feel fed up, miserable and sad at certain times in our lives. Most of the time, these feelings last for a few days, or maybe a week, but don’t really interfere with our day to day lives. Often…
Melanoma Melanoma is a type of cancer originating in the melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin, which gives skin its pigment (color). Each year in the United States, melanoma affects about 70,000 and kills about 9,000. Melanoma affects 33%…
Hypersensitivity For most people, supplementing with vitamin D is a safe and healthy practice. Getting too much vitamin D is rare and hard to achieve, usually requiring you to take a supplement of much more than 10,000 IU a day for several…
Colorectal Cancer Colorectal cancer is a malignant tumor, which is caused by a group of cancerous cells growing in either the colon or rectum. Colon cancer starts in the cells of the colon, whereas colorectal cancer starts in either the…
Congestive heart failure Heart failure is also called congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF occurs when the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the rest of the body. Nearly 5 million Americans currently suffer from heart failure. Annually, about…
Coronary heart disease Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of several cardiovascular diseases. The others include stroke, congestive heart failure, and peripheral artery disease. CHD occurs when the blood supply to the heart is cut off. CHD is usually caused…
Tuberculosis is a respiratory illness that usually affects the lungs, but can also infect the kidney, spine, or brain. Tuberculosis can be either dormant or active. Dormant tuberculosis is when you become infected with the tuberculosis bacteria, but you don’t…
Gastric cancer Stomach (gastric) cancer is a moderately important cause of disease and death. In the United States each year, it affects about 21 thousand people and kills approximately 11 thousand. Risk factors Of the many risk factors associated with…
Renal Cancer Each year, kidney (renal) cancer affects approximately 61,000 Americans and kills about 13,000. Risk factors Risk factors for kidney cancer include: Diet high in animal products Environmental chemicals (pesticides or herbicides) Sunlight exposure and renal cancer risk Kidney…
I have breast cancer. Should I take vitamin D? The answer is a resounding YES, not only because there are positive clinical trials showing that vitamin D prolongs life, but also because there are so many studies showing that it…
Preeclampsia Preeclampsia is a condition which occurs only during pregnancy and a short post-pregnancy period. It causes increased blood pressure and protein in the urine. If left undiagnosed, preeclampsia can lead to eclampsia, a condition that can cause seizures dangerous…
Hypertension Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated. High blood pressure causes your arteries to stretch beyond normal. There are risk factors that can increase your…
As the reader will see below, there is compelling evidence that low vitamin D status during pregnancy is a major cause of autism, and that high dose vitamin D supplementation will often help the core symptoms of established autism. I…
Periodontal disease Periodontal disease (PD) is a chronic gum condition. Bacteria cause the gums to swell, redden, and bleed. Connective tissue holding the teeth into the jaw bone may become damaged. The gum around the teeth is measured with a…
Multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of the plasma cells. They are white blood cells that normally produce antibodies. Multiple myeloma affects about 20,000 in the United States each year and kills about 11,000. Risk factors Risk factors…
Lung cancer Lung cancer is a cancer starting in the lungs. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Annually, it affects approximately 220,000 and kills about 157,000. Risk factors The primary risk factor for…
Prostate cancer The prostate is a small gland found in men. It is about the size of a walnut and is part of the reproductive system. Prostate cancer occurs when prostate cells grow abnormally and form clumps called tumors. Prostate…
Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome of body-wide pain. Tender points are the joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. People with fibromyalgia also have persistent fatigue, memory and mood disorders, and insomnia Risk factors The cause of fibromyalgia is…
Endometrial cancer Endometrial cancer is cancer that starts in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus (womb). Each year, endometrial cancer affects approximately 46,000 U.S. women and kills about 8000. Risk factors Risk factors for endometrial cancer include: Diet high…
Parkinson’s disease Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic progressive neurological disease. It is linked to decreased production of dopamine, a nerve transmitter. PD is marked by tremor of resting muscles, rigidity, slowness of movement, impaired balance, and shuffling gait. PD…
Eczema Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic skin disorder that causes inflammation and red, dry, rough, and itchy skin. Eczema is most common in infants and young children, but you can also develop the disorder as an adult…
Cognitive impairment Cognitive dysfunction is defined as unusually poor mental function. This causes confusion, forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating. Risk factors Risk factors for cognitive impairment include: Old age Smoking Lack of exercise Obesity Diet high in animal fats Diet low…
Cervical cancer Cervical cancer starts on the surface of the cervix. This is the lower part of the uterus (womb), which opens at the top of the vagina. Cervical cancer affects 12,700 women in the United States annually and kills…
Dental Caries Dental caries, also known as tooth decay, is a tooth infection caused by bacteria that leads to a loss of the hard tissues of your teeth. It is one of the most common diseases in the world. Dental…
What is Alzheimer’s disease? Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a condition that causes memory problems and other cognitive functions that cause unpredictable changes in behavior. Usually, it’s progressive, which means it develops slowly and worsens over time. AD is the most…
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common lung diseases. There are two main forms of COPD: Chronic bronchitis is identified by a long-term cough with mucus. Emphysema is a slow destruction of…
Sepsis and septicemia Sepsis is a severe illness. It is caused by a bacterial infection that begins anywhere in the body and moves to the blood. The bloodstream is soon overwhelmed by bacteria. Each year in the United States, more…
Anemia Anemia occurs when the body has a low number of red blood cells (RBCs). These cells carry oxygen throughout the body. Fewer RBCs limit the body’s oxygen level. Risk factors Risk factors for anemia include: Low dietary iron and…
Pneumonia Pneumonia is a lower respiratory infection that affects the lungs. Pneumonia can usually be treated at home in a few weeks. However, pneumonia can be more serious in someone with a weak immune system and can lead to hospitalization.…
Type II Diabetes Type II diabetes is a condition in which the body has a hard time managing sugar the right way. Usually you develop type II diabetes in adulthood, past the age of 40, but you can develop it earlier,…
Rickets Rickets is a condition that affects the development of bones in children. It causes soft weak bones, which can become bowed or curved. It’s a condition that only develops in children. It’s most commonly diagnosed in children between the…
Anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a very severe hypersensitivity to an allergen. Allergens are any substances that cause allergies. This condition affects many systems of the body at the same time. Skin: hives, itchiness, and flushing Respiratory: shortness of breath Gastrointestinal: abdominal…
Esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is a moderately important cause of disease and death. In the United States each year, it affects about 17 thousand people and kills approximately 15 thousand. Risk factors Of the many risk factors associated with esophageal…
HIV and AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The immune system begins to fail. This leads to life-threatening infections. Approximately 33 million people in the world are living with HIV or AIDS. The rates are highest…
Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a condition where you lose too much bone or don’t make enough bone to replace the bone that you normally lose. If you lose too much bone, your bones become less dense and are more likely to…
What is lupus? Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or lupus, is a chronic disease that affects many systems in the body, such as the skin, heart and muscles. Lupus develops when an individual’s immune system begins to function abnormally. SLE is an…
Inflammatory bowel disease Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic disease that causes inflammation in all or part of the digestive tract. The two main types of inflammatory bowel disease are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which affect different parts of…
Pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer is cancer of the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin. Approximately 44,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas each year. It is one of the most deadly cancers and causes…
Type I Diabetes Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It is a condition where your own immune system attacks certain cells called beta-cells. Beta-cells help you produce a hormone called insulin. You need insulin to help your body manage…
Multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis is a condition where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Because these nerves provide messages to so many different areas of the body, the symptoms of multiple sclerosis can…
Should I take vitamin D to reduce the risk of colds and flu (URI)? Yes, you should because so many studies show that vitamin D helps reduce the risk of colds and flu. The best dose to use is unknown,…
