My take on the vitamin D issue

One of the hottest topics in healthcare right now is vitamin D.  By some estimates, as many as 60% of all Americans are deficient in vitamin D.  We know that vitamin D plays an important role in helping people absorb calcium from foods, and therefore is important in bone health.  However, vitamin D may also be a key player in our immune systems as well.

The main way that our bodies produce vitamin D is thru exposure to sunlight.  Therefore, most scientists suspect that Americans are so low because we spend too much time indoors, and not enough time outdoors.  Many dermatologists are beginning to recommend that when people go out, they wait 10 to 15 minutes before putting on sunscreen, to make sure that they get enough UV exposure to create enough vitamin D for themselves.

However, one other culprit that is more controversial is the role that animal protein may play.  In his book, The China Study, Dr. T. Collin Campbell talks about several studies that show that cultures that eat a larger amount of animal protein (such as most Americans), have a significantly higher risk of getting cancer and heart disease.  In the book, he suggests this possible link between animal proteins and cancer:

Animal proteins have a higher amount of sulfur containing amino acids than plant proteins do.  These sulfur containing amino acids tend to acidify the blood – to counteract that, the body leaches calcium from bones to maintain the proper pH.  This, in turn causes the blood calcium levels to be higher, which in turns inhibits the body’s ability to activate vitamin D.  This, in turn, depresses the immune system, which plays an important role in preventing cancers from taking hold inside our body.

At this point in time, much of what Dr. Campbell proposes is still theoretical – the basic science behind his claims are in the very early stages.  It is possible that the current epidemic of vitamin D deficiency and the emphasize on animal products in the American diet are purely coincidental, but I for one do believe that there is indeed a connection.

So, what should you do?

#1) Feel free to ask me to check your vitamin D levels next time that you do routine lab work.  To be honest, I have not been very good at remembering this on my own, so remind me – I will not mind.

#2) As above, if you use sunscreen when you go out (and you should), wait 10 to 15 minutes first.  15 minutes of sunlight twice a week should be enough to keep your vitamin D levels up.

#3) If you don’t get out twice a week, then consider a vitamin D supplement.  For men with normal levels – 400 units once a day should be enough.  If your levels are low, you may consider 1000 or even 2000 units a day.  For women, I would recommend a calcium and vitamin D combo – the most common combo is 600mg of calcium and 400 units of vitamin D.  You should take such a combo at least twice a day.  If you are worried about maybe getting too much, ask me to get your levels checked – it’s a simple enough test to order.

#4) Finally – give serious consideration to cutting out, or at least cutting down on animal products in your diet – that includes all forms of meat, eggs, milk, and cheese.  To learn more, I would recommend reading The China Study, as well as Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes.