Current research, published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, suggests that an increase in our daily dose of vitamin D could prevent premature death; specifically the death rate in Canada could be reduced by about 16%, implying that up to 37,000 premature deaths could be prevented each year.
In addition, an increase in our vitamin D levels could save as much as $14.4 billion in Canadian health care costs. “Personal and economic burden of disease in Canada could be significantly reduced if optimal vitamin D levels are increased," says primary author William Grant, of the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center in San Francisco.
Increased vitamin D intake could considerably diminish the incidence of various conditions such as cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, pneumonia and cancer. The study estimates that the benefits of increased vitamin D levels would include:
- decreased cancer rates of 25 per cent by increasing national vitamin D levels from 75 to 105 nmol/L
- lowered risk of cardiovascular disease by 25 per cent if levels are increased from 62.5 to 105 nmol/L
- a 60 per cent improvement in insulin sensitivity if vitamin D levels were increased from 25 to 75 nmol/L
- reduced risk of developing multiple sclerosis and reduced symptoms in those already diagnosed
- reduced risk of pneumonia by 30 per cent, by reducing the "cytokine storm" response following respiratory infections
- reduced risk of Cesarean section by about 50 per cent, by strengthening the uterine muscles
- improved fetal development
Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble prohormones, the two major forms of which are vitamin D2 (or ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (or cholecalciferol). Vitamin D obtained from sun exposure, food, and supplements are biologically inert and must undergo two hydroxylation reactions to be activated in the body.The study declares that the average Canadian has about 67 nanomoles per litre of vitamin D in their bloodstream, while levels must be about 105 nmols per litre to produce any real benefits for reducing disease. Many experts believe that 75 nmols per litre is required to maintain good health. According to this study, most Canadians are not getting the recommended daily dose of vitamin D to maintain good health, let alone enough to prevent disease and premature death. The National Institutes of Health suggests that the minimum amount of international units of vitamin D required for maintaining good health is:
Vitamin D is naturally produced by the human body when exposed to direct sunlight. In many countries, such foods as milk, yogurt, margarine, oil spreads, breakfast cereal, pastries, and bread are fortified with vitamin D2 and/or vitamin D3.
Most often, vitamin D must be ingested either through whole foods or supplements since sun exposure and skin cancer risk is a concern on its own. The table below outlines the international units of vitamin D found in various natural foods:
“The U.S. Institute of Medicine is currently working on setting new dietary reference intakes for vitamin D, and Canadian officials are involved in the process. A report is expected to be published in late summer or the fall.”
