Getnourished Visit Store


  

  

Follow Us On
Home Articles REAL Health Diabetes Research: Vitamin D Linked to Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases
Research: Vitamin D Linked to Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases Print E-mail
Written by Susan McCreadie, MD   
Vitamin D Linked to Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases. Vitamin D deficiency is a known risk factor for rickets. Now evidence suggests vitamin D deficiency may increase one's susceptibility to autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes, as well as cancer and dementia. Vitamin D effects our DNA through the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which binds to specific locations of the human genome. In this study, the team mapped out these specific locations and identified more than 200 genes that vitamin D directly influences.
 
"Our study shows quite dramatically the wide-ranging influence that vitamin D exerts over our health," said Andreas Heger of the Functional Genomics Unit at Britain's Oxford University, who led the study.
 
Some experts estimate half the world's population has lower than optimal levels of vitamin D, and the problem is getting worse as people spend more time indoors.

Given the frequency of vitamin D insufficiency and the results of this study that showed "just how important vitamin D is to humans, and the wide variety of biological pathways that vitamin D plays a role in.  Vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and the early years could have a beneficial effect on a child's health in later life.  Some countries such as France have instituted this as a routine public health measure."  Sreeram Ramagopalan, of the Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics at Oxford University went on to say that health authorities should consider giving supplements to pregnant women and young children as a preventative measure.

Most vitamin D is made by the body through sunlight exposure.  Since we routinely use sunblock to protect against sunburn and spend more and more time indoors, how can you ensure your child is getting enough vitamin D?  Is your child eating eggs and fatty fish such as salmon, herring and/or mackerel everyday?  Probably not, and we don't recommend that they do due to water contamination with heavy metals and other harmful substances.  That's why we recommend taking a daily vitamin D supplement, complete with a daily dose of essential fats. Two supplements in 1 teaspoon!

See The Vitamin D Cure.
Susan McCreadie, MD is a Holistic Pediatrician and co-founder of nourishMD. She shows parents how to find REAL health for their child, so they can stop treating their child's symptoms and instead find solutions that help their child heal from the inside out.