“Most human illnesses and diseases are due to a deficiency of vital nutrients. When you supply your body with the proper nutrients, in a form that your body can use, it knows how to repair itself”

-American Living Foods

Some diseases associated with a vitamin D deficiency include: MS, lupus, arthritis, Chrohn’s, Psoriasis, and diabetes.

The Sun  

“I think you might dispense with half your doctors if you would only consult Dr. Sun more.”
-Henry Ward Beecher

Our bodies make vitamin D when our skin is exposed for a long enough period of time to the sun’s rays. On the equator, where people get lots of sun and their bodies are able to produce plenty of vitamin D on their own, MS is almost non-existent! In places like the Pacific Northwest, where there are a lot of overcast days and shorter days, MS affects a higher percentage of the population.

Now, there are certain populations that break this rule. Populations whose diets are naturally high in fish have a low incidence of MS, psoriasis, asthma, and Type-1 Diabetes, even if they live in areas with short daylight hours. Why? Because fish is an excellent dietary source of vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids, which help suppress inflammation-causing cytokines.

Cytokines cause many fibromyalgia symptoms. In the brain, cytokines can cause behavioral changes. They can either prompt or worsen depression, anxiety, or anorexia. They may cause a person to become withdrawn. Cytokines create fatigue and interfere with sleep patterns. They are one thing responsible for what has been termed “brain fog.”

The vitamin D connection is so significant that doctors may soon be asking, “What’s your sign?” when determining your risk for Multiple Sclerosis (MS). According to a new Oxford University study, your birth month can increase or decrease your likelihood of developing MS. Individuals born in May have the highest risk and November the lowest. The mother’s exposure to sunlight during pregnancy and consequent vitamin D production is believed to be the probable cause of the birth month’s relevancy.

Many factors, including the color of your skin, the use of sunscreen, keeping the body covered due to cultural or religious reasons, and age will determine how much vitamin D you are able to produce on your own. Generally speaking, the fairer your skin, the less sun exposure you need to produce adequate amounts of vitamin D on your own. For this reason, studies have shown that African American women in the US are more likely to be vitamin D deficient than Caucasian women. No matter what your skin color, wearing sunscreen or completely covering the skin will block vitamin D production. Additionally, when sunlight comes through glass, it will not cause your body to produce any vitamin D.1

Dietary vitamin D absorption can be hindered by a number of factors. People with Inflammatory Bowel-type disorders have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. Diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis and Cholestastic Liver Disease decrease the body’s ability to absorb vitamin D. Additionally, obesity and steroid use make vitamin D less bioavailable to the body.

Some experts estimate that up to 40% of the U.S. population is deficient in vitamin D, especially during the winter months.   This deficiency can cause achiness in the muscles and is often misdiagnosed as Fibromyalgia.

Note: Eating soy foods can cause deficiencies in both vitamin D and calcium. 5

Studies have shown that women supplementing with vitamin D were significantly less likely to develop Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) than their peers.  The same is true of women in MS studies.  Over the years, scientists have also used vitamin D injections to help with symptoms in MS, lupus, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Type-1 Diabetes.

How much vitamin D do you need? That is a good question and one that scientists continue to battle out. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, evidence suggests that vitamin D supplements of about 800 IU/day may be helpful at supporting certain health issues. But, in order for the vitamin D supplementation to be effective 1,000 to 1,200 mg per day of calcium should also be consumed. 9 This is much less vitamin D than many of our forefathers got from the sun. The amount of vitamin D synthesized by white human skin under UV exposure common to our outdoor ancestors was about 4,000 IU/day.
However, the major danger from taking too much of this vitamin is damage to kidney tissue.

Please don’t use the suspicion that you may be low on vitamin D as a reason to drink more milk or eat ice cream! Even though milk is touted as being an excellent source of vitamin D, milk consumption is linked to a higher incidence of autoimmune diseases like MS.
(Read more about it at http://www.drlam.com/A3R_brief_in_doc_format/2003-No2-Milk.cfm#MultipleSclerosis and http://www.notmilk.com/ms.html)

Note: Vitamin D supplementation is contraindicated in the presence of renal (kidney) disease. Consult your doctor about vitamin D supplementation.

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