It is time to change your view of vitamin D. It is not a vitamin. It is a hormone! This is easily demonstrated by looking at how your body manufacturers vitamin D. It is made from the most demonized molecule found in your body. The other powerful hormones made by this demon molecule include Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, Cortisol, and Aldosterone. You may or may not know that this demon molecule is cholesterol. (see: Cholesterol: Angel or Devil) If you listen to your doctors or the media you would think that God only put cholesterol in our bodies to cause heart attacks and strokes. Obviously, this line of thinking is off-base. In addition to being used to make these other powerful hormones, cholesterol is cleaved via the sun’s UV light on the skin to start the process of making the hormone vitamin D. Eventually the production of vitamin D moves to the kidneys where the active vitamin D hormone is made.

Since everything else made by cholesterol are powerful hormones, you may ask the question of why vitamin D was named as a vitamin in the first place. The answer is related to how it was discovered. In the early 1900’s there was great interest in finding special factors that, when taken out of foods, caused certain diseases. Thus, beriberi was found to be caused by the lack of a substance later called thiamine (vitamin B1) and scurvy was found to be caused by the absence of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Vitamin D was discovered as the factor that, when deficient, caused the disease Rickets. It was named vitamin D because it was next in line alphabetically as vitamins A, B, and C were already named. Thus, vitamin D became known as a vitamin and not a hormone.

In recent years, however, the incredibly important activities of this hormone have become better understood. The first clue that vitamin D held importance beyond helping to make healthy bone was gleaned when vitamin D receptors were found on every cell of the body. Additionally, it was found that certain cells within the immune system make activated vitamin D locally. Obviously, vitamin D has functional effects outside of bone metabolism. We now know that in addition to promoting healthy bone formation, vitamin D has important control functions in the immune system (affecting autoimmune disease, cancer, inflammation, and the flu), in the brain (affecting neurotransmitter function), for blood pressure control and for insulin secretion. And, the list continues to grow.

So, what does this mean for you and your loved ones? What impact could a low level of vitamin D have on your health and how can you find out if you have low levels of this extremely important hormone?

Vitamin D For The Flu?

If you are interested in learning how vitamin D may become the mainstream treatment for the flu, read the article: Vitamin D Better Than Flu Shots?

Autoimmune Disease

The autoimmune disease (Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetes, etc.) story is very similar to the flu story told in the above mentioned article. The amount of autoimmune disease found around the equator is very low. The amount of people who suffer from autoimmune disease increases greatly as you head north! Thus, lower sunlight exposure is associated with a greater prevalence of these diseases. Additionally, the onset of new autoimmune cases is greatest at the end of winter, which has puzzled researchers for years.

Recent studies have revealed that vitamin D has a regulatory effect on the immune system. In other words, vitamin D has the ability to “calm” the immune system which is of great importance for anyone with autoimmune disease. Hence, the reason for the winter onset of autoimmune disease may not be so puzzling after all.

Exciting research is being done on the effects of vitamin D upon Multiple Sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. Dr. Colleen Hayes, from the University of Wisconsin, has actually been able to reverse the symptoms multiple sclerosis in experimental mouse models. To be fair, I am not saying that vitamin D will cure M.S. and neither is she. This effect occurred in experimental mouse models under controlled laboratory conditions. However, the beneficial effect of vitamin D upon this illness cannot be overlooked any longer.

As an aside, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which sucks money from those afflicted with M.S. under the guise of “looking for a cure”, gave out 50 million dollars for M.S. research this year. How much of that went to the only substance shown to actually reverse M.S.? The answer is only a pittance of $540,000 went to Dr. Colleen Hayes. Many millions went to pharmaceutical companies for the research of drugs that they know will never provide a cure. They should be ashamed.

Cancer

Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from number of cancers including melanoma, breast, colon, and prostate. Vitamin D has a number of cancer-fighting qualities including the ability to reduce cancer cell replication and the ability to cause cells to mature into normal cells instead of undifferentiated cancer cells. It also has anti-tumor effects. Much research is ongoing to determine what the best use of vitamin D will be in the future treatment of cancer. But, the evidence is strong to suggest that anyone with cancer or with a high cancer risk should have their vitamin D levels checked.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease of poor bone density and strength. It has long been known that vitamin D plays a vital role in the making of healthy bone through its relationship with the mineral calcium. You cannot get calcium into your body or keep it in your body without sufficient levels of vitamin D in your blood. It is amazing to me, however, that MANY health professional still do not grasp the importance of checking for vitamin D levels in their patients with poor bone density. They will order a bone density test and inform their patient that they have either osteopenia or osteoporosis. They will then tell them to take calcium and will usually give them a prescription for an ineffective and dangerous bone drug. But, they will fail to test for the hormone which, when low, will never allow them to make healthy bone in the first place! That, my friends, is poor doctoring!

What Test Should You Get Done and What Levels Should You Want?

I urge everyone who reads this article to get their blood tested for levels of vitamin D at their next doctor’s visit. You have to know two things when you go to get these levels taken. First, your doctor may not know which form of vitamin D to test. Testing for the wrong form will give you no valuable information. Second, your doctor will more than likely not know what level you should expect depending upon your situation. I will make this easy for you. Just copy down the information below and bring it with you to your next appointment. If you have or are at risk for cancer, autoimmune disease, or osteoporosis, call to make an appointment today!

Test For This Form: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3

Levels You Need For Osteoporosis: Greater than 30 ng/ml

Levels You Need For Cancer/Autoimmune disease: Between 50-70 ng/ml

*Since everyone needs to make healthy bone, if you are below 30 ng/ml you are low in vitamin D.

Now, getting your levels of vitamin D where they need to be can sometimes be a tricky task. Read “Vitamin D: How to Increase Your Levels!” to find out how to supplement with vitamin D when your levels are low.