Women's Health

According to a physician I heard at a Grand Rounds, everyone is vitamin D deficient . He deals with osteoporosis and says we are all lacking in vitamin D. We do not sit in the sun and if we do, we put on high SPF sun block. There is also a lot of confusion about how much vitamin D one should take. A recent newspaper article made people wonder if we do really need vitamin D.  Let me give you the reasons why everybody should have their vitamin D level checked in a simple blood test.

First of all, vitamin D is very important for bone health. Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption. Together they keep bones strong and prevent breakdown of bone. Vitamin D decreases our risk for osteoporosis. Low blood values of vitamin D have been associated with hip fractures, vertebral fractures, and wrist fractures. With adequate calcium and vitamin D in all ages of people, bone loss would be prevented as well as tooth loss.

Vitamin D insufficiency can contribute to muscle weakness and falls in the elderly. Vitamin D improves muscle strength and helps decrease morbidity and mortality in the elderly. In a study dealing with 246 women over 65 or older, the risk of falling was reduced by 46% in those women who received 700 IU of vitamin D plus 500mg of calcium.

Heart disease kills more women than cancer. Vitamin D deficiency is related to high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure and diabetes. The lower the level of vitamin D, the higher the risk of all of the above diseases. The Framingham Offspring Study found that women with blood levels of less than 15 had a 60% to 80% increased risk of heart disease than those with higher levels.

In the premenopausal women, it has been shown that vitamin D can decrease breast cancer if the level is as high as 50 in the blood. To maintain that level, 4000 IU of vitamin D would be necessary. A reduction of 50% in breast cancer risk then could happen.

There are many studies indicating that vitamin D may affect our risk for cancers, infections, autoimmune and metabolic diseases. There are continuous randomized trials going on to prove the benefits of vitamin D. It may also be important in cognitive function, depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Clearly, we need to get our blood checked for our D level and then supplement.

What is the optimal level of vitamin D that we need in our blood?

A 25-OH level of vitamin D should be between 30 and 50 ng/ml. The RDA for vitamin D should be between 600 IU for women up to the age of 70 and 800 IU for those older than 70. The upper level of safe consumption of vitamin D has been decided at 4000 IU. However, I do not see great vitamin D levels in the blood of my patients unless they take in between 1000 to 2000 IU of vitamin D.

Supplements should be vitamin D3. It is easy to absorb and can be taken all at once either with food or without. In the US, fortified milk is the largest source of vitamin D3 containing 100 IU per eight ounce glass of milk. Eggs and cod liver oil have vitamin D as well. And of course, sunlight exposure increases vitamin D in our blood. But the use of sunscreen lotions block vitamin D production, making it important for us to supplement with vitamin D3.

We can improve our bones, as well as our heart health, reduce breast cancer risk, and risk of falling as we age by keeping our vitamin D level up. Vitamin D is now the rage of vitamins and we wait to hear more about its other benefits. I believe there will be many more to come.

~ Laura Corio, MD

Next: Stay tuned for “E” for Endometriosis