Another Reason Why Vitamin D Is Important

While eating breakfast the other morning I was watching The Today Show or some morning news show and this lady was on there talking about 6 “Health Sins”. I apologize for not recalling her name and the exact show, but one of the sins was drinking too much sodas. The reason was that sodas (Diet or not) contain a lot of Phosphorus. She mentioned that not balancing out Calcium intake and Phosphorus can raise the risk of osteoporosis, especially in women who generally are at higher risk of Osteoporosis than men are. While your body needs phosphorus, there needs to be a balance because when high Phosphorus levels are present in your body, Calcium tends to bet pulled from your bones to make that balance. While some people may blame the high sugar content to decreased dental health in people that drink too much soda, it may be the Phosphorus that is at fault because your body may be pulling Calcium from your teeth and bones to balance things out. Interesting, eh? Think about it next time you pack your fridge with soft drinks.

While checking my RSS feeds this morning I found another interesting article about Vitamin D and it’s benefits. I hate to quote the entire article of any other health site or blog but this is what the entire article says:

Several high-profile studies have suggested that high levels of vitamin D lower the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), but more research is needed to assess these findings.

When a person has multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks the coating that protects the nerve cells. Initial research suggests that a connection between vitamin D and MS could be tied to the positive effects vitamin D has on the immune system.

The possible link between vitamin D and MS is strengthened by the association between sunlight and the risk of MS. The farther away from the equator a person lives, the higher the risk of MS — suggesting that exposure to sunlight may offer protection from MS. Whether this is related to ultraviolet radiation or because active vitamin D levels increase with sun exposure remains unclear.

Until researchers clarify the possible relationship between vitamin D and MS, there isn’t enough evidence to recommend vitamin D as a way to treat or prevent MS. Still, vitamin D remains an important nutrient for overall good health.

The National Academy of Sciences currently recommends 200 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day for children and adults up to age 50. For adults older than age 50, the recommendation increases to 400 to 600 IU a day. Generally, the upper limit for vitamin D is 2,000 IU a day.

So although further study needs to be made, it’s a bit obvious that Vitamin D is important not only for bone health but to reduce the risk of Multiple Sclerosis. However at the same time it is important for people to understand that Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and there is such thing as too much. Some vitamins are water soluble, meaning that if your have too much, your body will normally expel what is not needed or can not process at that given time through urination. Fat soluble vitamins get stored in fat cells and can become harmful to your body in excess. So how much vitamin D do you need and is there such thing as two much? Below are a few links to the original article about Vitamin D and MS and also to to article from Mayo Clinic Dietician Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. These are great resources from the Mayo Clinic and if you find the time, surf around their site a bit.

Vitamin D and MS: Is There A Connection?

Vitamin D: How Much Do I Need? and How Much Is Too Much?

The above picture is from my recycling bin from the past two weeks so obviously I am guilty too. Live and learn…before it’s too late!

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