Beyond Bone Strength With Vitamin D

The more that vitamin D research progresses, the more clear it becomes that having an adequate vitamin D level is for good health.

Years ago, before vitamin D testing was developed, we really had no idea how many people were vitamin D deficient. Of course, years ago people go out into the sunshine more often. Today, many people unnecessarily fear the sun, because they don't want to get skin cancer. But that is a story for another day.

Just How Important is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D influences nearly one out of eight human genes. That is 3,000 of your 24,000 genes. According to one analysis, having an optimum vitamin D level, may cut the risk of dying from ANY cause, by 50%.

Vitamin D boosts immunity by producing over 200 anti-microbial peptides, which can act as broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Two great things about vitamin D are that your body can produce it for free, by just getting out into the sunshine and if you take vitamin D is supplement form, it is extremely inexpensive.

This all sounds too good to be true, but it is true.

According to a January 2013 press release by Orthomolecular Medicine, there were 33,800 medical papers on vitamin D up to 2013. By now there are many more.

Research Has Shown That Vitamin D Can Improve:

• Bone density and reduce osteoporosis
• Boost immunity, bacterial and viral infections
• Reduced risk of Cesarean section and pre-eclampsia
• Improvement with Type 1 and type2 diabetes
• Reduced heart disease and stroke
• Improvement for Autism and Alzheimer’s
• Improvement with depression
• Reduced symptoms of Crohn’s disease
• Improved Inflammatory bowel disease
• Cancer prevention
• Pain reduction

What Are Optimal Vitamin D Levels?

Studies indicate that the bare minimum for cancer prevention is to have vitamin D blood serum levels around 40 ng/ml. Research also suggests an ideal level might be around

General Supplementation Guidelines:

As a general guideline, research by GrassrootsHealth suggests that adults need about 8,000 IUs per day to achieve a serum level of 40 ng/ml. It is also important to take vitamin D3, not the synthetic vitamin D2.

If you do take a vitamin Ds supplement, you also need to take vitamin K2. For every 1,000 IU of D3, 10 mcg of the MK7 variety of K2 is appropriate. Vitamin K2 directs the calcium into the bones and teeth and away from the soft tissues and blood vessels, where calcium can do harm. If you are on any anti-coagulant treatment, such as Coumadin, consult your prescribing physician prior to taking vitamin K2.

The only way that you can know your vitamin D level is to be tested.

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