Ingesting Sunshine

     When I visited my internist to have my blood pressure checked, she asked what medications I was taking.

     “Nothing,” I said.  I’d stopped the daily aspirin and the fish oil to avoid any bleeding issues during surgery. While I was at it, I halted everything including my daily Calcium and Vitamin D.

     "You should be taking Vitamin D,” she said.

     So I restarted my daily Vitamin D supplements and remembered why I started taking them in the first place. I was woefully deficient in Vitamin D, like many of us in Oregon. We simply can’t count on luscious sunny days like today. And if you don’t get enough Vitamin D naturally through the sun, you need to load up on salmon, tuna, sole, milk, eggs, mushrooms or beef liver! -- or take supplements.

    
     Research supports the benefits of Vitamin D supplements for a number of reasons.  Here are a few recent findings:

     In one study, kids getting Vitamin D supplements showed a 47 percent lowered risk of cavities. (Nutrition Reviews.)

     In another, healthy adults taking 800 IU of Vitamin D supplements per day experienced lowered blood pressure. The top number fell by 10 points on average after a year and the bottom BP number fell by four points. Vitamin D was also responsible for lowering heart rate from 74 to 70 beats per minute. (Nutritional Influences on Bone Health) 

     Low Vitamin D levels impact pregnant women. In 31 studies of pregnant women with Vitamin D levels less than 30 ng/ml, there was an increased risk of developing a complication such as preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.

      Low Vitamin D levels have also been linked to increased incidence of suicide. One study showed that people with the lowest levels of Vitamin D, less than 15 ng/ml, were roughly twice as likely to commit suicide as people with Vitamin D ranging from 17 to 41 ng/ml. (PLOS One). 
     What’s more, researchers suggest that Vitamin D curbs the growth of cancerous cells.  A report presented at the latest meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) showed a link between increased Vitamin D intake and reduced breast cancer. It found Vitamin D to lower the risk of developing breast cancer by up to 50 percent.
     Not everyone is as certain. The National Cancer Institute says claims of Vitamin D’s cancer fighting benefits are inconclusive and unclear. 
     The bottom line is: sunshine makes you feel good. And from my vantage point, Vitamin D’s the next best thing. Mine come in adult gummies.