Health And General Life Care: [AlternativeAnswers] Re: Vit. D deficiency Info needed

> I am looking for some information and treatment options to
> Vitamin D deficiency. Here's my story in a nutshell:
>
> I am 46 y.o. female with a family history or
> rheumatoid/osteoarthritis. Last summer at a routine physical a
> blood test came back with low vit. D. Dr. prescribed 1,000
> units vit. D daily. What first concerned me about the results
> of the test was that at the time of the test, I was extremely
> suntanned. We spend great deals of time outside on the boat in
> the summer so I was getting at least 2-6 hours of sunshine a
> day.

Unfortunately, there is more going on than just the amount of
time we spend in the Sun.

There has been quite an amount research done on our absorption
vitamin D; one of the things that has been found out is that
there are several genes which affect our skin colour (and our
ability to Tan etc) and a different set of genes which define
the absorption of sunlight and the process of generating vitamin
D through the skin.

We know for example, that people from northern Europe Celtic
background who have ginger coloured hair have a different set of
genes activated to peoples from a Mediterranean background and
different again from those of an Afro-American background.

If, in your ancestral past, your ancestors lived in an area
where there were many hours of sunshine from vertically overhead
all year round, then the genes will govern a relatively slow
rate of vitamin D production and the body will not be set up to
store vitamin D. However, if you come from northern Europe,
then a particular gene will set the body up to produce more
vitamin D from relatively little sunshine and to be able to
store it during periods when there is no sunshine.

Another factor in the vitamin D. story the sort of diet that
your ancestors had. If, for example, they came from an area
where their main dietary source was from the sea, it is more
than probable that some of the fish they ate provided massive
vitamin D supplementation; those peoples who used to eat cod,
whale meat etc got their vitamin D requirements from this
source.

This of course means that, if you came from anywhere around the
Mediterranean, you are going to tan fairly easily but, your
metabolism is not going to produce the vitamin D you need --
especially if your people came from an area where they were fish
eaters.

>
> I just went back for a re-check (6 months have past) taking my
> 1,000 units of vit. D (fairly regularly, at least 3-4 days a
> week). My vitamin D is still low and the Dr. wants me to take
> 2,000 units per day of Vit. D.
>
> Couple of concerns and questions:
>
> 1. Why would my Vit. D level be so low with so much sun
> exposure on a daily basis?

I think just answered that question above ...
>
> 2. Could the low Vit. D be indicative of something else going
> on in my body?

Not necessarily -- in fact it is quite unlikely.

>
> 3. Does this low D have any connection to rheumatoid or
> osteoarthritis?

There has been a lot of research by some very reputable
organisations -- including Mayo Clinic and Harvard Medical
School. Low vitamin D does have a direct connection with the
way the body metabolises calcium, magnesium, phosphorus etc.
For example it is known that with a deficiency of vitamin D, an
organic compound of calcium (calcium 2 AEP) is not produced --
and this is absolutely essential for nerve cells in particular.

>
> 4. Are there any other alternatives to take the Vit. D in pill
> form?

The best form of supplementary vitamin D is in capsule form --
not tablets. You could try cod liver oil capsules, but you
will be taking a lot of them to make up the one vitamin D
capsule.

Again, depending on your ancestry, it is possible that your body
will not be able to utilise vitamin D in supplement form.

>
> Thank you for your time.
>
>
> Lori

Christopher Wynter

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