More Secrets Of Vitamin D - Part 2

In my previous post I told you about the excellent presentation on vitamin D given by Dr. Whitcomb for Aurora Health on Oct 13th, 2010.  Essentially, the groundwork was laid in this first post.

In this second post, I'm going to relay some of the stunning research and conclusions Dr. Whitcomb brought up.  It's sure to raise an eyebrow.

The first bit of information to store is the 20-20-20 rule.  According to Dr. Whitcomb, this rule states that if a white 20yr old with 50% of the skin exposed gets 20min of mid-day sun on the 20th of June the body will create 20,000IU of vitamin D over the next 24hrs.  That translates to 1,000IU/minute of exposure.  However, different skin types result in changes to this rule.  For instance, and African-American would need 4-5x as much sun.  And the elderly would also need 4-5x as much due to the fact that our ability to create vitamin D from the sun decreases with age.

A 1yr old child will create about 200IU/minute of sun exposure.  And a young African American makes about 160IU/minute.  Drinking a glass of milk would give you 100IU of vitamin D.  So you would only need to drink 200 glasses of milk/day to get the same benefits as 20min in the sun.

If you put on sunscreen before even stepping out the door, and SFP-8 will reduce vitamin D production by 95% and an SPF-15 by 98%.  Does this mean you should never use sunscreen?  No.  But you should probably get some sun exposure before putting it on.  Just 15min of exposure between 10am and 3pm is all you need.

Dr. Whitcomb then got into specifics on vitamin D blood levels.  32ng is the minimum level we should be at.  An optimal amount is 60ng.  Generally, we are somewhere between 32-40ng in the summer, but only 15-20ng in the winter.  To get to a level of 60ng, we need 5000IU/day.

Why is the 32ng level so important?  Remember, vitamin D is actually a hormone which tells cells to start growing.  This includes white blood cells, which fight off viruses.  At a vitamin D blood level under 32ng, it no longer functions.  Interestingly enough, we generally hit 32ng around Sept 1st, again, due to the decrease in the amount of sun we get (for people north of Atlanta).  Just as interesting, the flu season starts about 1 month later.  Dr. Whitcomb suggest that influenza is actually a vitamin D deficiency.

One placebo controlled study in which people were given 5000IU/day of vitamin D had their blood level increase to 60ng in 1 year.  The density of their hip bone also increased by 22%.  Important because 25% of people will suffer a broken hip between the ages of 75 and 80.

Does vitamin D have an effect on cancer?  It would appear so.  In Wisconsin, the risk of breast cancer is 33% higher than in the southern U.S.  In fact, it is not just Wisconsin, but all northern states have a higher risk of breast cancer than the southern states.

A study was performed at Creighton University and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  They were studying the effects of vitamin D and the reduction of fractures over a period of 25-30 years.  However, the study was stopped after only 5 years when it was discovered that these patients had a 76% reduction in cancer within the group receiving 1100IU of vitamin D and 1g of calcium.

In the 3rd part of this series, I will report on a few other studies Dr. Whitcomb brought up, as well as information on the maximum amounts of vitamin D you can take.  Does vitamin D really help fend off the flu and help with heart health?  Can you overdose on vitamin D?  Can children take vitamin D supplements, and if so, how much?  These questions will all be answered in the 3rd and final part to this series.

Scott Huff has been helping people obtain optimal levels of vitamins and minerals through the use of  pharmaceutical grade nutritional supplements.  He is also experienced in helping people create an alternate source of income, simply by educating and helping others with their health.  For more information on this unique opportunity, please watch this short video tour, or send an email with any questions to:  huffster@usana.com.