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 Vitamin D

Why should I care about Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for our health.

• Vitamin D is important for the absorption of ingested calcium. If you don't have enough Vitamin D, you don't appropriately absorb calcium.

• Vitamin D is important for the health of our bones and muscles. If you are low in Vitamin D, you are at risk for osteoporosis. You also develop muscle aches and pains, which often gets misdiagnosed as Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

• Vitamin D is important for the normal functioning of our immune system.

• Vitamin D also has anti-cancer properties and is beneficial for our heart.

Myths about Vitamin D

Unfortunately, there are a number of myths about Vitamin D. Here is list of myths that my patients frequently tell me.

• I cannot be low in Vitamin D  because I drink milk.

•  I cannot be low in Vitamin D  because I take a multivitamin and calcium tablet that also contains Vitamin D.

• I cannot be low in Vitamin D because I live in sunny southern California.

• I read there is a high risk of Vitamin D toxicity if I take Vitamin D.

The fact is that most of us are low in Vitamin D. At the Jamila Diabetes & Endocrine Medical Center, which is located in sunny Southern California, we routinely measure Vitamin D in our patients . More than 90% of our patients are low in Vitamin D. Many of these patients drink milk and take a multivitamin and calcium tablet that contains vitamin D.

In our experience, Vitamin D toxicity is extremely rare. Actually we have not seen it in any of our patients.

So why is Vitamin D deficiency so common?

The sun is the main source of Vitamin D and accounts for 90% of Vitamin D in our body.

Upon exposure to the sun, our skin manufactures Vitamin D, which then finds its way into the blood stream. Cholesterol is the raw material for the synthesis of Vitamin D.

Most of us do not get enough sun exposure. Often our jobs and lifestyle forces us to stay indoors. Even when we go out in the sun, we make sure to put a healthy layer of sun screen which blocks the synthesis of vitamin D in our skin.

We have been told that the sun may cause skin cancer. Unfortunately we are not told that the sun is beneficial as well.

The truth about the sun is that it is both good and bad for us. It provides us with Vitamin D but may also zap us with an occasional skin cancer.

How do I know If I am low in Vitamin D?

Get your vitamin D level checked. It is a simple blood test.

it is important to get the correct test for Vitamin D.  There are two tests for vitamin D level: 25 OH Vitamin D and 1,25 OH Vitamin D.

25 OH Vitamin D (and NOT the 1,25 OH  Vitamin D) is the correct test for diagnosing Vitamin D deficiency.

Another common problem is the normal range printed on the lab form. In my experience, most normal ranges printed on the lab forms are incorrect.

A 25 OH vitamin D level less than 30 ng/ml is considered low by most endocrinologists.

If this level is less than 20 ng/ml, you have severe deficiency of Vitamin D.

What's the treatment of Vitamin D deficiency?

For mild Vitamin D deficiency,  Vitamin D3 (also known as cholecalciferol) 1000-2000 I.U. per day is usually adequate.

For severe Vitamin D deficiency, you may need Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) in a mega dose of 50,000 I.U. per week for 12 weeks and even longer. This dose of Vitamin D requires a prescription by a physician who should also monitor your serum calcium level to prevent Vitamin D toxicity.

What is Vitamin D toxicity?

If you take too much Vitamin D, your serum calcium level may get elevated, which if mild usually does not cause any symptoms. However, if serum calcium is too high, you may develop heart problems, drowsiness and in extreme cases, even coma and death.

So it is important that you let your physician know about your vitamin D dose.

Your physician should monitor your serum calcium level which is often included in a routine chemistry panel.