vit D

[beni]

thanks for the replys re flu jab, decided not to have one, Tex why vit D, I thought vit C kept colds at bay, what dose of it do you take, I take a normal multi vit suppliment, do you take extra vit D, thanks, you guys are fantastic but I think I may be driving my husband mad talking about the site and what you all say, I must confess to not talking much about my embarrasing moments till I found your forum, now I feel liberated and not ashamed so probably talk too much about it now!!!!beni

[tex]

Hi Beni,

Vitamin C may help to prevent colds, but vitamin D seems to be the most important vitamin regarding the health of our immune systems, and unless they take a regular supplement, most people in the world have low levels of vitamin D. It has been shown that low levels of vitamin D are associated with most autoimmune issues, and many other diseases, including cancer. The risk of developing an inflammatory bowel disease, for example, is known to be much higher, for someone who is deficient in vitamin D. In addition, research shows that IBDs deplete vitamin D levels drastically, so that most people with Crohn's or UC, for example, have very low vitamin D levels. The internet is full of recent research data to support this position. The best source of information is the Vitamin D Council.

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/

The latitude of Dublin is approximately 53, which is equivalent to central Canada. At that latitude, the body can manufacture vitamin D from the sun only during a few short months in the summer. Therefore, unless you are taking a substantial vitamin D supplement, your blood level of vitamin D, {the test is known as 25(OH)D}, is almost surely low. The higher the latitude, (the farther North), where one lives, the less vitamin D one can absorb from the sun. I live at a latitude of about 31, where it's mostly sunny for most of the year, but I still take 2,500 IUs of vitamin D daily, during the late spring, summer, and early fall, and 4,500 IUs during the colder months. Many members here who live in the northern U. S., (latitude of 40+), take roughly 50% to 100% more than I do, because of less sun exposure, in order to get enough vitamin D to keep their 25(OH)D level above the minimum number now considered to be optimum for good health. These days, most people just don't spend near as much time out in the sun as our grandparents did. Also, it takes almost 48 hours for the skin to completely convert sunlight into vitamin D, and most people wash off those skin oils before the chemical process is completed. Many doctors are still using out-of-date reference numbers for safe vitamin D levels, because the official government recommendations are too low for optimum health.

Low vitamin D levels are even associated with problems such as GERD, which many people with MC have to deal with. Doctors have known for years that the vitamin D levels of the general public are too low, but they didn't think that it mattered, so they rarely even tested for it, let alone recommended a supplement. That probably is playing a role in the current uptrend in autoimmune diseases, many types of cancer, and various other health issues that are so common today. Another common problem is osteoporosis. The body cannot utilize calcium to produce new bone tissue without sufficient vitamin D. IOW, low vitamin D levels are associated with osteoporosis. And the list of issues caused by low vitamin D goes on and on.

I must confess to not talking much about my embarrasing moments till I found your forum, now I feel liberated and not ashamed so probably talk too much about it now!!!!

That applies to virtually all of us, but as you've seen, most people outside of this board, would rather hide such problems, than to discuss them, because we were raised to think that it's improper to discuss such things.

Tex

[MBombardier]

My mother used to call diarrhea "outward signs of inward distress." I found myself standing in the kitchen during the potluck at church today discussing fecal incontinence, constipation, and the various forms of diarrhea with a friend who was totally on the same page with me. Oh, how things change...