Vitamin D Deficiency and Dis-Ease
Fortified with Vitamin D
More and more studies are pointing to the fact that a Vitamin D deficiency is at the root of many common and troubling dis-eases. Vitamin D can be absorbed naturally through the skin by exposure to sunlight. The use of sunscreens actually prevents the bodies natural ability to produce Vitamin D. The body’s ability to produce Vitamin D is brought about by tanning naturally, without burning of course, which can lead to an increased risk of cancers.
Recent studies have proven that Vitamin D had a very similar effect on breast cancer cells to studies conducted with Tomoxafen, which is a widely used breast cancer drug. Having recently beat her own battle with breast cancer, GMA’s Robin Roberts brings us a very informative piece:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOUiIvp2j18[/youtube]
So is it the sun or a Vitamin D deficiency that’s causing the bulk of skin cancers? Are tanning beds good or bad? Can you use diet to improve your Vitamin D deficiency?
Mike Adams, The Health Ranger had this to say:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd1NVsZcgRI[/youtube]
Some doctors even recommend the limited use of indoor tanning beds in the winter months to compensate for the lack of natural sunshine during those months of shorter days. It’s a controversial and edgy topic on which to take a stand, but as you can see here, some have;
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsWe4INEhfc&[/youtube]
There are really not too many natural food sources for Vitamin D. In fact, almost all of the milk supply in the United States is fortified with 100 IU per cup of vitamin D, which is 25% of the “Daily Value” and more than 50% of the AI level recommendation for anyone aged 14-50.
Selected Food Sources of Vitamin D [30]
| Food | IUs per serving* | Percent DV** |
|---|---|---|
| Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon | 1,360 | 340 |
| Salmon (sockeye), cooked, 3 ounces | 794 | 199 |
| Mushrooms that have been exposed to ultraviolet light to increase vitamin D, 3 ounces (not yet commonly available) | 400 | 100 |
| Mackerel, cooked, 3 ounces | 388 | 97 |
| Tuna fish, canned in water, drained, 3 ounces | 154 | 39 |
| Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup | 115-124 | 29-31 |
| Orange juice fortified with vitamin D, 1 cup (check product labels, as amount of added vitamin D varies) | 100 | 25 |
| Yogurt, fortified with 20% of the DV for vitamin D, 6 ounces (more heavily fortified yogurts provide more of the DV) | 80 | 20 |
| Margarine, fortified, 1 tablespoon | 60 | 15 |
| Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 2 sardines | 46 | 12 |
| Liver, beef, cooked, 3.5 ounces | 46 | 12 |
| Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D, 0.75-1 cup (more heavily fortified cereals might provide more of the DV) | 40 | 10 |
| Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is found in yolk) | 25 | 6 |
| Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce | 6 | 2 |
| *IUs = International Units.
**DV = Daily Value. DVs were developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help consumers compare the nutrient contents of products within the context of a total diet. The DV for vitamin D is 400 IU for adults and children age 4 and older. Food labels, however, are not required to list vitamin D content unless a food has been fortified with this nutrient. Foods providing 20% or more of the DV are considered to be high sources of a nutrient. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Database Web site, http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search, lists the nutrient content of many foods and provides a list of foods containing vitamin D: http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12354500/Data/SR22/nutrlist/sr22a324.pdf. A growing number of foods are being analyzed for vitamin D content. Simpler and faster methods to measure vitamin D in foods are needed, as are food standard reference materials with certified values for vitamin D to ensure accurate measurements [31]. |
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Reference: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp#h3
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