Vitamin D Deficiency- A Form of Chemical Stress

In our clinic we like to classify the three major categories of stress on the body as physical, chemical and mental/emotional.  The body has shown that it will react similarly to different types of stresses and go through predictable hormonal and physical changes.  There are often many reasons why a particular symptom occurs in the body and it has always been a priority of mine to figure out what the actual cause of the problem is.  For example, something like a headache may be due to misalignment in the upper neck, tight muscles and trigger points in the neck, dehydration, exposure to a toxin or an overwhelming day at work.  Due to the complexity of the body, it’s often a case of the more you know the more you don’t know.  However, we have had a lot of success in our clinic looking for the reason of the symptom and finding the most appropriate way to deal with it.

In dealing with chemical stress we usually lump these into two categories: toxicity and deficiency.  Simply put, you can put stress on the body by being deficient in something (like a vitamin or mineral) or by being exposed to some type of toxin (i.e. environmental).

One common deficiency that has received a fair amount of press recently is vitamin D.  As Canadians, I believe it is very important that we pay attention to this as Vitamin D is needed for proper bone health, protects us from diabetes, improves the function of the immune system, is anti-carcinogenic, can improve mood and well-being and can also offer protection from cardiovascular disease.  According to the Canadian Vitamin D Society, vitamin D deficiency drains the Canadian Health Care system of 9 billion dollars per year. 

The body has the ability to make vitamin D through exposure to the sun and UVB rays but this can become a challenge with our Canadian winters.  In one study 41% of healthy subjects were found to be vitamin D deficient throughout the year.  This also becomes more of an issue for people with darker skin as they will absorb less UVB rays through the skin.  The minimum RDA for adults for vitamin D is 400 IU’s that will help prevent things like rickets but it is not likely enough for the average Canadian to prevent the above mentioned diseases.
 
I have 3 different clinical interests in the application of vitamin D.  The first of my interests is around the winter time when more and more people have lowered resistance to viruses like the cold and flu.  Vitamin D has recently been shown to help the immune system defend against colds and flus and I think it is a cheap and easy way to help protect you through the winter.  Another one of my interests is that I tend to see a fair amount of middle aged women in the clinic that are beginning to have some bone density issues and vitamin D has proven to help maintain bone density and prevent osteoporosis.  Another interesting correlation for me is the effect of vitamin D on inflammation in the body which has an effect on some autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases.
 
Most experts are recommending at least 1000 IU’s for adults with a healthy upper limit of 2000 IU’s per day.  It is safe to say that most Canadians are not getting adequate amounts of sunlight especially in the winter and therefore most are experiencing a deficiency of this essential vitamin.  You can get vitamin D through foods like oily fish, cod liver oil, egg yolks and fortified foods like dairy products.  There are two forms of vitamin D: D2 (ergocalciferol) from plant sources and D3 (cholecalciferol) from animal sources.  Most of the research indicates that D3 is the superior form and in some cases D2 can interfere with the normal production of D3.

Ensuring you have adequate vitamin D intake is an “easy” step toward improving your health.  Chemical stressors in the form of toxicity and deficiency are eating away BILLIONS of our health care dollars each year.  We only get one shot to take good care of our bodies so let’s start right now to take small steps towards better health.  Good luck on your journey towards optimum health!!

Drs. Jason Plotsky and Cindy Toner established Nova Spinal Care in 2003.  The clinic offers gentle forms of chiropractic as well as massage therapy and acupuncture.  They are passionate about assisting other individuals and families expressing their full health potential. Check out their new website at www.novaspinalcare.ca and sign up for the monthly e-newsletter for the latest topics in health and wellness.