By Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden  Print Article

(MCT)—The winter season is
upon us, with a lack of daylight hours, cloudy days and
temperamental weather. And so we pack on the winter pounds, get
the winter blues, and go into relative metabolic hibernation
until spring arrives. But what if we could circumvent some of
this seasonal downturn in our health?

Paying attention to our Vitamin D intake may be a way to
improve our health, and to improve a host of medical
conditions. Research has found that the following medical
conditions may be linked to Vitamin D levels:

Cancer. Improving calcium and vitamin D
nutritional status substantially reduces all-cancer risk in
postmenopausal women. This was suggested from a study in 2007
of more than 1,100 women in Nebraska, in which treatment with
Vitamin D and blood levels of Vitamin D were found to be both
linked to a reduced incidence of all cancers.

Multiple Sclerosis. A recent study performed
by the U.S. military looked at more than 250 cases of multiple
sclerosis, and found that those who had higher levels of
Vitamin D in their bloodstream were at lower risk of developing
MS.

Insulin-dependant diabetes. A study of
children born in Finland in 1966 and followed for 30 years
showed that those who had supplemental Vitamin D in their first
year had a significantly lower risk of developing
insulin-dependant diabetes, and those who had rickets (severe
vitamin D deficiency) had a much higher risk of developing
insulin dependent diabetes later in life.

Rheumatoid arthritis. Postmenopausal women
with the highest total vitamin D intakes were at significantly
lower risk of developing RA after 11 years of follow-up than
those with the lowest intakes.

Osteoporosis and Fractures. Many studies
suggest that vitamin D3 supplements of at least 800 IU/day may
be helpful in reducing bone loss and fracture rates in the
elderly.

Cognitive functioning. Vitamin D deficiency
has been linked to decreased cognitive performance in older
adults.

Depression. Low vitamin D levels have been
linked to low mood and depression, with one study showing blood
Vitamin D levels 14 percent lower in people with major and
minor depression as compared to non-depressed patients.

Despite these numerous health benefits, surprisingly, more than
half of all adults and children are deficient in Vitamin D,
according to a 2008 report in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition.

So what should you do in the winter to ensure that you are
getting enough Vitamin D to offset the lack of vitamin D from
sunlight exposure?

You could try to obtain Vitamin D naturally through a few
foods, including some fatty fish (mackerel, salmon, sardines),
fish liver oils and eggs from hens that have been fed vitamin
D. You also can take Vitamin D in the form of a supplement.

In 2010, the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) of the Institute of
Medicine set a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) based on the
amount of vitamin D needed for bone health. It is recommended
that most adults take 600 IU of Vitamin D, with those over 71
recommended to take 800 IU of Vitamin D in supplementation.

Those most at risk for low Vitamin D levels include people who
are older, have diabetes or kidney disease, stay indoors, are
obese or have darker skin.

Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden are medical
directors of Sutter Downtown Integrative Medicine program.

©2012 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.)
Distributed by MCT Information Services 

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Integrative Medicine: Vitamin D Can Help Turn Health Around