Vitamin D

Why Vitamin D stands for “illness-fighter”

Practically every day another benefit of Vitamin D is revealed. Vitamin D is created when our skin is exposed to sunshine. It is also present in our diet, mainly in cold-water fish and dark green vegetables.

A recent newspaper headline read, “Vitamin DLinked to Parkinson’s disease.” At first glance, it may not be clear if Vitamin D is a culprit or an “illness-fighter.” Well, in fact, just as Vitamin D helps build bones, Vitamin D plays a role in building our brains – it is an “illness-fighter.”

Vitamin D and Parkinson’s
Previous studies have shown that the part of the brain affected most by Parkinson’s, the substantia nigra, has high levels of the Vitamin D receptor, which suggests Vitamin D may be important for normal functions of these cells.

If we look at other Vitamin D research, low levels of Vitamin D have been found to be associated with:

• Many neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
• Auto immune disorders such as multiple sclerosis
• Metabolic disorders such as diabetes. Vitamin D is formed when sunlight strikes the skin and interacts with cholesterol. Its main purpose is to shuttle calcium and other minerals to the bones.

Vitamin D – a messenger
Information is carried by a number of messengers inside your body, including proteins and fats. Vitamin D can also act like a messenger, telling the cells how much work to do. Think of this like building a house. Proteins give specific instructions in the same way a carpenter may decide how best to connect walls and windows and doors. Fats may serve as the building materials for the entire house. Vitamin D serves as the general contractor to determine how much building should be done at any specific time. We certainly need proteins and protein complexes of Vitamin B-12 to create the structures making up our brain. We also need the fats found in such products as Omega Prime® to serve as raw materials and general information on brain repair. We need Vitamin D to tell us how much brain to build when we are young and how much repair work to do as we age.

why winter is the time for more Vitamin D
We get Vitamin D from sunlight, foods and supplements. Because we are exposed to less sunshine in the winter than in the summer, we need to be more vigilant about supplementing with Vitamin D and exposing our skin to sunshine whenever practical. Most doctors who recommend Vitamin D explain that winter cold and fl u outbreaks are directly related to Vitamin D deficiency. If you take supplements to ensure you’re getting enough Vitamin D, make sure they’re the type that your body can really use. It’s best to take supplements formulated for maximum absorption, such as TriVita’s VitaCal-Mag D™ or TriVita Bone Builder. This way, you can help ensure that you’re getting the full benefits of Vitamin D to meet the serious challenges of daily life.

DID You Know?
Growing evidence links low Vitamin D levels to stroke, congestive heart failure and common heart disease risk factors such as hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity and diabetes. Patients with Vitamin D levels below 15ng/ml double their chances of heart attack or stroke within the next five years. Researchers strongly recommend screening for and treating low Vitamin D levels, especially in patients who are at risk for heart disease or diabetes.

Why Vitamin D stands for “illness-fighter” By Dr. Tammy Pon
Tammy Pon, M.D, a functional medicine physician, received her medical degree from the University of Texas in Houston. She completed specialty training in Healthy Aging. Make sure you get an adequate supply of Vitamin D. or to find out more about VitaCal-Mag D and Bone Builder. Click Here

David Ogden
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