NBH, FACOG, AACS, AACG,
“I get all I need from the sun and milk”:
*Actually, we don’t get enough from either. If you’re fair skinned, some “experts” say going outside for 10 minutes in the midday sun in shorts and a tank top with no sunscreen, may give you enough radiation to produce about 10,000 international units of the vitamin. Unfortunately, this has not been substantiated by studies – even in sun heavy climates like Hawaii.
Dark-skinned individuals and the elderly also produce less vitamin D, and many folks don’t get enough of the nutrient from dietary sources like fatty fish and fortified milk. *The truth of the matter is that I have not seen one patient is 3 years of testing that has a normal level of vitamin D. Years ago the government required the levels in milk to be decreased for fear of toxicity. It may take 1-2 gallons a day of milk to now get enough vitamin D and that unlikely. Too much sun increases your risk of skin cancers. YET, almost everyone needs Vitamin D3.
What does Vitamin D do for me?
*Vitamin D3 deficiency is associated with many problems including osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers (including breast cancer and prostate cancer), autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Osteoporosis can be prevented in men and women by taking vitamin D3. *There is also some evidence that the vitamin may reduce the incidence of several types of cancer, primarily prostate and breast, and type 1 and 2 diabetes. Recent data supports the use of vitamin D3 in helping the memory. Another very important use of vitamin D3 was reported by Cedric Annweiler from Angers University Hospital in France who stated that the use of vitamin D3 was associated with a 77% decrease in the risk of Alzheimer’s.
How much vitamin D should I take?
The government’s dietary recommendations are 200 IUs a day up to age 50, 400 IUs to age 70, and 600 IUs over 70. But many experts believe that these recommendations are far too low to maintain healthful vitamin D levels. They advocate for supplementation in the winter of about 2,000 IUs per day and a dose of daily sunshine in the summer. *We recommend 5000 IUs a day to achieve blood levels of 60 to 80 ng/ml. unfortunately over the counter supplements have been known and reported to NOT have the amount of product within the tablet or capsule that is stated on the bottle. Because of this, our D3 is produced by a reputable compounding company with the stated amount in the capsule. FURTHER, A BLOOD TEST CAN VERIFY THE EFFICACY.
Is Vitamin D the only thing I need to take to prevent osteoporosis?
*For women, not only does one need vitamin D but also estrogen and progesterone to promote healthy bone AND desist and prevent osteoporosis. *Men need testosterone and some estrogen as well to prevent osteoporosis. *I personally think it is malpractice for providers not to prescribe estrogen and progesterone post menopause to prevent osteoporosis and to provide men testosterone for the same reason. The fracture rate for osteoporosis is very high and the death rate with a fracture hip, for instance, is 50%. *This tragic complication can definitely be prevented.