Vitamin D3 Deficiency

Dear KnowYourV, I’m wondering if you could help me? I was recently diagnosed with osteopenia/borderline osteoporosis at age 59 years and I have heard so much about Vitamin D3 deficiency and how it can affect our bones. But I’ve also heard that deficiency can cause a lot of other health problems as well, and that worries me. Can you help me know if I need to check my health or do more? Thank you.”

Thanks for writing Matte. As I said before, Vitamin D3 deficiency is a serious epidemic in the U.S.

Vitamin D3 is also known as the ‘sunshine’ hormone. This nickname comes from the way the inactive form of vitamin D converts to Vitamin D3 when we are out in the sun. D3 deficiencies are becoming epidemic in our society today because so many of us work inside and leave work after the sun goes down. We are also much more aware of using sunscreen and covering with clothing so we don’t burn. I know fewer of us are sunbathing that before due to the worries of skin cancer.

Vitamin D3 is the only vitamin that has immune modulating properties to help make our immune systems work better. WOW! That really changes a lot of the beliefs that we have heard about vitamin C & garlic being the natural remedies of choice for warding off colds and flu. With this in mind, we can see why it can be so important to supplement Vitamin D3.

It has also been shown that many women and men who have been diagnosed with cancer have tested low or deficient in Vitamin D3. This puts a new light on the role the immune system plays in development of cancer. But D3 supplementation must be monitored. Supplementation can be helpful for those worried about for breast and prostate cancers but taking mega-doses of D3 to obtain levels higher than the upper limit of normal has been shown to initiate some pancreatic cancers. Therefore, it is not recommended to use D3 for cancer prevention, only to be aware that it is in normal ranges in your body for optimal health. The normal recommended amount of D3 is 2000 IU a day and this would not cause any toxicity levels to worry about.

Other studies have shown D3 may play a role in reducing blood pressure, help in neuromuscular coordination, work in the bone matrix to rebuild bone, improve mental awareness and decrease depression.

I’m sure there is so much more for us to learn about D3, and I encourage you to do so now and ask your doctor about supplementation.