Wednesday 19 December 2012

Food For Thought: The Importance of Vitamin D

By: Andrae Satterswaite  19 Dec. 2012



As we skim through the cache of information regarding wellness and health, many of us are searching for the most truthful, efficient and safest ways of improving our health without experiencing side effects.

We’re told that if we don’t have enough of one particular nutrient, that a deficiency can have dire effects on our bodies.  While at the other end of the spectrum, we’re warned of toxicity from other nutrients if we take too much.  However, the truth shows its’ consistency and availability via the correct inquisition.  Understanding the body’s fundamental processes allows you to make smarter, safer decisions about how to take care of yourself.


The Importance of Vitamin D

 

 

Having mentioned that, Vitamin D should be recognised as a staple in the maintenance of optimal health.

Charles Poliquin, an internationally renowned trainer and Ottawa native, mentions in one of his articles “Vitamin D may be the single most important supplement we can take for our health”[i].  Poliquin has worked with Olympians in over 15 different events, including track and field 100m Gold Medalist, Donovan Bailey.  Other professional athletes he has worked with include current and former NHL hockey players Joe Nieuwendyk, Chris Pronger, Al Mcinnis and Gary Roberts.

Vitamin D is actually classified as a hormone and interacts with most organs in our bodies including the heart, skin, prostate and breasts.  According to study reviewed by Poloquin, raising your vitamin D levels also means you’ll raise testosterone levels, resulting in improved body composition for those of us looking for gains in lean size and/or more definition[ii].  Serum 25(OH)D levels are measured in our blood in nanograms per millilitre ng/ml or nanomoles per millilitre (nmol/l) which is ng/ml multiplied by 2.5.  The 25(OH)D test is one that measures serum levels in your blood and can be ordered through your health care professional.

This chemical messenger sends instructions to over 20 different tissues and over 200 different genes in the human body about how and when to perform metabolic tasks.  It is naturally produced and stored by our bodies in the fat cells of our skin from adequate exposure to the sun’s UV-B rays.  Tanning beds in salons using electronic ballasts also produce UV-B rays and can help one get extra production of Vitamin D in the winter.  UV-B rays were once considered a damaging carcinogen or cancer causing agent, which created warnings of avoiding direct sunlight and boosted profits in the sunscreen industry.  But new research suggests that the skin cancer known as Melanoma is tied to ‘benign lesions’ in their early stages which are misleadingly classified as cancerous[iii]. 
                 
            This ever so important vitamin is needed for us to absorb calcium in our diets and getting 20-30 minutes of sunlight daily will help us maintain optimal levels of Vitamin D in our blood.  The down side to this is that the typical North American lifestyle is mostly lived indoors.


Deficiency  

   

 

             A deficiency in a vitamin that has such an influence on your body’s maintenance like this one has been linked to conditions of all kinds.  Auto-immune diseases, degenerative processes, infections and cancers (i.e., of the heart, skin, prostate, breast and colon) can all stem from a lack of Vitamin D[iv].  A growing amount of studies link low D3 levels to Multiple Sclerosis[v], Asthma, Tuberculosis and Alzheimer’s Disease to name a few.  Since inadequate levels of D3 in your blood is a threat to your immune system, the absence of quality sunlight during the winter months and lack of dietary supplementation during this time are strong contributors to the flu.  Proper supplementation shows well supported benefits for many types of cardiovascular diseases, type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, under/over active thyroids as well several bacterial and viral infections. 
             
            “It is extremely important that pregnant and nursing women obtain sufficient vitamin D from solar UVB exposure and/or vitamin D supplements to raise their serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration to the range of 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/l)[vi]".  Pregnant or Lactating mothers are in great need of vitamin d as it is necessary for fetal development and Central Nervous System development in newborn children.  A lack of D3 in children has been shown to be associated with major risks in growth with Schizophrenia[vii], Autism[viii], Mental Retardation or Cerebral Palsy.

Poliquin states “The bottom line is that virtually every disease and adverse condition is associated with low vitamin D3 levels.  Consequently, many of these problems may be fixed with adequate vitamin d3 supplementation, or can be avoided by keeping vitamin d3 levels in the high normal range.”[ix]


Toxicity

  


             Accumulating toxic levels of vitamin D3 is generally rare due to our lack of sun exposure and limited absorption through dieting.  You would probably attain toxicity in other nutrients long before one in D3 if you’re trying to eat to cover your daily recommended intake.  Information such as this only solidifies our need for the ‘sunshine vitamin’ as a living organism in our ecosystem.

              Depending on where you’re from in the world, nature has provided us with an appropriate defence mechanism from excess exposure.  Darker skin pigmentation in areas around the equator where the sun shines more consistently prevents UV-B rays from becoming toxic, but is shown to be absorbed 2-3 times slower.  This increases a dark-skinned individual’s sun exposure requirements.  In areas away from the tropics and equator, human skin has adapted by lightening pigmentation to allow for more absorption of the Sun’s UV-B rays.  So the closer your ancestors lived to either of the Earth’s poles, the lighter your skin is.  Sunburn can increase your risk of skin cancer, so getting sunlight in areas where one lives gradually seems to be better than going on vacation to a different region of the world and getting too much all at once.

              It appears that serum 25(OH)D levels that exceed 200ng/ml can be potentially harmful.[x]  The skin can produce up to 20,000 International Units (IU) from 30 minutes of exposure to the sun.  So understanding this should tell us that supplementing with oral vitamin D in these amounts seems safe when we’re unable to get it from the sun.  I’ve spoken with a few different health store employees/owners who are currently taking D3 supplements averaging 10,000-15,000 IU/day.  One of them was even a flight attendant during the SARS and H1N1 outbreaks.  Available publications of vitamin D toxicity with Hypercalcemia, for which the 25(OH)D concentration and vitamin D dose are known all involve intake of > or = to 40,000 IU/day[xi].


Recommendations

 

 

              The Institute of Medicine is an organization in the United States that provides national advice to different leaders and policy-makers around the world.  Health Canada are one of the advised.  In a 2011 study which excludes ecological studies, they state that 600 IU/day of D3 is enough in the absence of solar irradiance and that serum 25(OH)D levels of 20 ng/ml (50 nmol/l) is enough.[xii]
               
             “Really?  But even the simplest research suggests that our bodies can make over 15 times that amount in less than half hour under the sun.  Therefore, I’m not convinced.”

  Joan M. Lappe, PhD, RN, FAAN wrote a report titled “The Role of Vitamin D in Human Health: A Paradigm Shift” which was featured in a 2011 issue of the “Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine”.  This report references findings from a 2009 publication that estimated “if serum 25(OH)D levels in the US population were maintained ≥ 34 ng/ml (≥85 nmol/l), 50% of colon cancer incidence could be prevented.  Maintaining serum 25(OH)D levels ≥42 ng/ml (≥105 nmol/l) would prevent about 30% percent of breast cancers.”[xiii]

  When you go over information like this, you can’t help but ask yourself why the IOM’s recommendations are so low.  It seems to me like a lot of profit from the pharmaceutical industry would be lost if recommendations were what they should be, eliminating the need for costly treatment.  In most of modern medicine, the entire model for treatment is based on reaction to symptoms rather than prevention of them. 
  A professor of Medicine at Creighton University, Dr. Robert Heaney explains in a CTV video the importance of vitamin D and the errors involved in the IOM’s findings. Titled, "CTV News Channel: Dr. Robert Heaney, professor"


                   Vitamin D researchers Bruce Hollis and Carol Wagner among others have completed studies that demonstrate the safety of 4000 IU/day[xiv].  The Vitamin D council suggests daily serum levels of at least 50 ng/ml (125 nmol/l).  According to observational/ecological studies conducted by SUNARC (a sunlight, nutrition and health research centre in California), optimal levels appear to be at least 40 ng/ml.[xv]

               Keep in mind that it isn’t the dosage that we should worry about but the measure of D3 in our blood.  Some of us absorb this vitamin differently that others and making small changes to your dose and monitoring your levels may be the best way to ensure you’re getting the right amounts.  Recognising the importance of this crucial nutrient has prompted me to spend more time outside when warm weather returns, as well as supplement with 15,000 IU/day throughout the winter with vitamin K2 for even better absorption D3. 

               I would also like to mention that this dose is one I chose for my own personal health goals and should not be taken as a recommendation and I strongly recommend that you ask your family physician about how to safely increase your levels if you choose to.  Therefore, I cannot be held responsible for what you decide as your course of action.

                However, what I conclude based on my research is that we can make the entire process of elimination a whole lot easier in terms of finding out what is wrong with us when we’re sick.  Vitamin D is required for much more than calcium absorption. It is for more than bone and teeth health.  It is a proven foundation of maintaining optimal health all around. 
 
I’m sure that a reasonable-minded individual will be able to draw similar conclusions after sifting through all the unarguable evidence.  I have to say i’m excited about discovering such helpful information because some of the conditions listed as a result of deficiency are ones I experience with clients as a fitness specialist.


References

 


[i] Poliquin, Charles. "Vitamin D3: Best…Supplement…Ever!" 23 Jan. 2010: 12 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/230/Vitamin_D3_BestSupplementEver.aspx>

[ii] Poliquin, Charles. "Tip 441: Get Enough Vitamin D for Optimal Testosterone Levels and Body Composition" 25 Sep. 2012: 6 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.charlespoliquin.com/Blog/tabid/130/EntryId/1579/Tip-441-Get-Enough-Vitamin-D-for-Optimal-Testosterone-Levels-Body-Composition.aspx>  

 Pilz, S., Frisch, S., et al. Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Testosterone Levels in Men. Hormone and Metabolic Research. 2011. 43, 223-225.

[iii] BR J Dermatol. "Melanoma epidemic: a midsummer night's dream?" Pubmed.gov Sept. 2009: 5 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19519827?report=abstract>

[iv] News Medical. “Vitamin D Overdose” 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.news-medical.net/health/Vitamin-D-Overdose.aspx>

[v] Rattue, Grace. "Multiple Sclerosis Risk Lower When Vitamin D Levels Are Higher" Medical News Today  MediLexicon, Intl., 12 Jun. 2012. Web.
18 Dec. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/246486.php>
 
[vi] Grant, William B. "Vitamin D requirements during pregnancy and lactation" Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center 1 par. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.sunarc.org/Vitamin%20D%20pregnancy.htm>
 
[vii] Mittelstaedt, Martin. "Low vitamin D in newborns linked to schizophrenia" The Globe and Mail 9 Sep. 2010: 15 pars. 19 Dec. 2012 <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/conditions/low-vitamin-d-in-newborns-linked-to-schizophrenia/article4268128/>
 
[viii] Grant W, Cannell J. "Autism prevalence in the United States with respect to solar UV-B doses: An ecological study" Dermato-Endocrinology 2012; 4:0 - -1; 19 Dec. 2012 <http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/dermatoendocrinology/article/22942/?show_full_text=true>
 
[ix] Poliquin, Charles. "Vitamin D3: Best…Supplement…Ever!" 23 Jan. 2010: 12 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.charlespoliquin.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/230/Vitamin_D3_BestSupplementEver.aspx>
 
[x] Denoon, Daniel J. “Can I get too much Vitamin D?” WebMD 30 Nov. 2010: 7 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/the-truth-about-vitamin-d-can-you-get-too-much-vitamin-d>
 
[xi] Vieth, R. “Vitamin D supplementation, 25 hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, and safety” Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 May; 69(5):842-56. 11 Dec 2012 <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10232622>
 
[xii] Grant, William B. "Vitamin D recommendations" Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center 11 Feb, 2012: 4 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.sunarc.org/Vitamin%20D%20recommendations.htm>
 
[xiii] Lappe, Joan M. "The Role of Vitamin D in Human Health: A Paradigm Shift" Journal of Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011  16: 58, DOI: 10.1177/1533210110392952 52 pars. 16 Dec. 2012 <http://chp.sagepub.com/content/16/1/58.full.pdf+html>
 
[xiv] Grant, William B. "Vitamin D requirements during pregnancy and lactation" Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center 1 par. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.sunarc.org/Vitamin%20D%20pregnancy.htm>
 
[xv] Grant, William B. "Vitamin D recommendations" Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center 11 Feb, 2012: 4 pars. 11 Dec. 2012 <http://www.sunarc.org/Vitamin%20D%20recommendations.htm>

Thursday 27 September 2012

Food For Thought


A lot of us tend to think that aging is inevitable and that it's going to be the same for everybody.

If you bought a brand new car today and took terrible care of it, it would only last several months. Even if it were a Ferrari, the result would be the same.

Our cars last a really long time, mainly because we have their maintenance done when needed.

If we take really good care of ourselves through healthy eating and exercise, 

we'll live great, long lives.

Saturday 22 September 2012

Recipes

Hearty Lentil Soup



You'll want to use a pot large enough to hold about 10 cups of broth.

7 cups of chicken broth (use low salt broth or salt-free broth so you can add as much as you prefer)
500g of mixed vegetables of your choice
2 cups of brown lentils
14oz of diced tomatoes
1 sweet potato chopped up into small cubes
2 teaspoons of olive oil

Set pot to medium heat with olive oil.
Add veggies and saute until tender.
Add tomatoes and cook for 4 -5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add broth, then the lentils and bring to a boil.
Simmer at low/medium heat until lentils are tender (be careful not to over cook them or they'll lose their nutritional value)


Black Bean Brownies



2 cups of cooked black beans (non-salted)
10 Medjool Dates
2 Apples (peeled and cored)
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
2 tbsp Almond Butter
1 tbsp Ground Chia Seeds
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
Blend all ingredients together and pour into an 8" x 8" baking dish.
Bake for 1 hour @ 275 degrees.
Special thanks to Maxine Gibson for a great recipe!


Celery and Almond Butter




Essential Fatty Acids, Fat burners and protein.  Prep time 2 min.

Curried Quinoa




Season pot first, tasting water after adding each ingredient until desired taste is reached.  Have approximately 24 ounces of water at almost a boil.
Add ingredients..
Margarine/Vegan spread
2 Tablespoons
Turmeric
2 Tablespoons
Curry Powder
3 Tablespoons
Black Pepper and Salt
(use discretion)
Anise Seed
(use discretion)
Cumin
(use discretion)
Fresh Rosemary (dried. crushed)
(use discretion)
Thyme
2 or 3 twigs
Chives
2 Tablespoons
Green Onions (chopped)
1 stalk
All Purpose Seasoning
2 Tablespoons
Cloves
3 pieces
Pimento Seed (crushed)
4 or 5

Add approx. 12 oz of frozen vegetables, boil on high for 2-3 minutes
Add approx. 8 oz of washed quinoa.  Let boil for 2-3 minutes, turn down to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until water is absorbed.

This is a great meal that tastes good and is nutrient jam packed.

This became a favorite of mine quickly.

Thanks to Benny London for this recipe.




Monday 13 February 2012

Stress Management

Fact:  Stress represents a vast majority of the causes of most physical ailiments.  We as a society are becoming more and more aware of this.  The human body reacts with a secretion of the Cortisol. This "stress" hormone is the beginning of body fat development especially around the midsection.  For example, deep breathing has physiological, relaxing effects on  your body. What are your methods of coping?

Wednesday 8 February 2012

What are some challenges you encounter when commiting to a routine?

Over the last few years of working with clients both privately and in fitness facilities, I can vouch for how challenging the right elements of wellness can be to incorporate.  The most common obstacles I would say are time and money.  What are some of the challenges you face?