Are You at Risk for Vitamin D Deficiency?

Fall is in full swing and I am already having trouble getting my daily dose of sunlight. Like many Alaskans I find myself going into work just after the sun rises and leaving work as it is starting to set. I was thinking about how much I missed those golden rays and as my mind wandered (it does that on occasion) I thought about the people I see everyday in my office and how they must experience the same feeling. 

In our office we routinely talk to our patients about nutrition and part of that discussion is the subject of vitamin D. According to the Harvard  School of Public Health1 there are an estimated 1 billion people worldwide who suffer from one form or another of vitamin D deficiency! That is absurd considering that it is one of the lowest cost and easily attainable vitamins you can get. The risk of being deficient increases with some factors. Do you live in a northern latitude (FYI: Alaska is northern)? Do you have darker skin? Do you get less than 20 minutes of sun exposure everyday? Does your diet lack the classic vitamin D rich foods such as salmon, mushrooms and eggs? If you answer “yes” to one or more of these it wouldn’t hurt to ask your physician about your levels. 

Vitamin D is important for healthy bones but the scientific research on vitamin D is also beginning to see a relationship between insufficiency and some common disorders including diabetes, gastrointestinal and hepatic (liver) disorders and other diseases2,3. The jury is still out on their definitive link at the moment so in the meantime the pragmatic solution is to ensure that we are getting adequate levels through diet and sunlight exposure. Luckily, an easy and low cost blood test can be performed to measure the levels of vitamin D in the body and from there we can determine an appropriate supplement (if any) to your daily diet. If that interests you, you can always call us at 907-222-2100 for a free consultation regarding your supplementation needs.

Kelly Ryan D.C.

Sources:

1. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/

2. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/27/health/27brod.html?_r=0

3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2912737/