Originally published - October 2012
By Terri Suresh, RN, MSN, ACNP - Hormonal Health & Wellness Clinic
I have two favorite hormones that all men and women shouldbrmake sure they have a full tank of: Testosterone (yes ladies, our bodies makebrand need testosterone, it is THE brain hormone) and Vitamin D3.
Vitamin D3, the primary source of which is the sun, is in chemicalbrstructure and the way it works in the body actually a hormone. Many people dobrnot realize or understand how important this hormone is for ALL of our bodybrprocesses. Fear of sun exposure combined with an overall trend in our country ofbrspending more time indoors during work and play has been the greatestbrcontributing factor to the current widespread deficiency of vitamin D3.
Historically, D3 was thought to primarily function as preventativebrfor bone diseases such as rickets and osteoporosis. We now know that D3 levelsbrbelow 50ng/ml have been shown in countless studies to increase cancer riskbrfive-fold; and in one major study heart disease risk increased by over 160% inbrpeople who's D3 levels fell in the lower end of the “reference range”, or underbr50ng/ml. The links between low D3 levels and asthma and allergies isbrastounding. More and more research is showing links between D3 deficiency inbrpregnancy and infancy and higher rates of autism.
Most recently, however, studies are showing vitamin D status canbreven affect your weight loss goals! According to research studies taken from: Surprise! Vitamin D canbrHelp or Hinder Your Weight Management by Dr. Joseph Mercola: Women age 65 and older withbrlow vitamin D levels experienced mild weight gain, and overweight individualsbrtended to have lower vitamin D levels. Women who had insufficient (below 30mg/dl) levels of vitamin D gained more weightbron average compared to those with adequate
(above 30mg/dl) blood levels ofbrvitamin D3. A second study found thatbrmore than half of overweight adolescents are deficient in vitamin D3. Eightbrpercent were found to have severe deficiencies, and teens with the highest bodybrmass index (BMI) were the most likely to be vitamin D deficient.
So how much D3 is enough?
Optimal blood levels of D3 have been shown to be ABOVE 50ng/ml, and thebrhigher the number towards 80ng/ml, the more protection against a host ofbrcancers and other disease states. Understand this important concept: Lab valuesbrof D3 show the “reference range” to be between 30-100. If you get your levelsbrtested, be sure and ask what the results are, I mean an actual number, don’t settlebrfor: “your lab results are normal.” “Normal” is not always optimalbrwhen we are talking about hormones. Vitamin D3, testosterone, estrogenbrand thyroid should be treated to OPTIMAL ranges, not within the labbr“reference range”.
Where should we get D3 from?
Well, natural sun exposurebris the BEST way to get this important hormone, however many people eitherbrcannot or have been advised not to spend time in the sun without sunscreen- everythingbrin moderation here! I'm not talking about getting outside and baking andbrcausing major damage to the skin. Twenty minutes a day of early afternoon sunbrexposure without burning is adequate.brAccording to D experts, full bodybrexposure to the sun for 20 minutes can produce about 20,000 IU of vitamin D3;br5,000 IU can be acquired with 50 percent of your body exposed, and up to 1,000brIU with 10 percent of your body exposed.
There are no adequate dietary sources of D3, so if sun exposure isbrnot an option for you, and in the winter months when sun exposure is less, oralbrsupplementation is recommended. The amount of oral supplementation reallybrdepends on what your blood levels reveal, however a great rule of thumb,braccording to the Vitamin D Council, is 5000iu/day for adults andbr1000-2000iu/day for children. Often adults and children may need higher doses,brespecially when levels fall below 20ng/ml of a lab value. This is considered abrCRITICAL range, increasing your risk of at least 16 different cancers. Anotherbrimportant concept: the FDAbrrecommendations of D3 you see on supplement bottles are reflecting the minimum Dbrrequired to prevent rickets!
Where can I get more information and how can I get tested?
ASK your healthcare provider to test you! OR, join a majorbrcampaign bringing awareness of Vitamin D deficiency called the Grassroots HealthbrD*Action Project; a worldwide public health campaign aiming tobrsolve the vitamin D deficiency epidemic through education, testing, and word ofbrmouth.
Please visit their websitebrat Grassroots Health for more information about D3, recommended doses, research studiesbrand much more.
Terri Suresh is a Board Certified, Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and a Principal at Hormonal Health & Wellness Center of Southlake. Terri's passion is educating people about the aging process and the belief at Hormonal Health & Wellness is that people can experience relief from the symptoms and stressors of aging through hormonal balance, internal and external nutrient supplementation, and therapeutic massage. See more at Hormonal Health and Wellness Center.