Vitamin D
Have you heard the latest buzz in the medical community? Vitamin D lowers cancer risk and prevents a multitude of other degenerative diseases.
People can get the vitamin D they need through sunlight exposure. It can also be obtained through the diet, but very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. These foods include fatty fish, fish liver oil, and eggs. Most dietary vitamin D comes from fortified foods, such as milk, juices, yogurt, bread and breakfast cereals. Vitamin D can also be obtained through supplements.
Unfortunately most people do not get adequate vitamin D from these sources and insufficiency is literally an epidemic. New statistics extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that more than 90% of the population with pigmented skin, and 75% of the white population, have insufficient levels of vitamin D.
Several studies have demonstrated that adequate levels of vitamin D can decrease the risk and improve survival rates for several types of cancers including breast, rectum, ovary, prostate, stomach, bladder, esophagus, kidney, lung, pancreas, uterus, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
It is estimated that 85,000 cases of breast cancer and 60,000 cases of colorectal cancer could be prevented in North America alone with sufficient vitamin D levels. A recent study compiled data on breast and colon cancer and vitamin D levels and found that dosages of 3500 IU/day would reduce breast cancer and 2000 IU/day would reduce colon cancer by 50%. The current median adult intake of vitamin D in the US is 230 IU/day.
Other studies relating cancer to vitamin D have shown that people living at higher latitudes are at increased risk for Hodgkin lymphoma as well as colon, pancreatic, prostate, ovarian, breast and other cancers. In addition, people living at higher latitudes are more likely to die from these cancers compared with those living at lower latitudes.
The current recommended daily allowance of vitamin D in the United States is 200IU/day for children and adults up to 50 years of age, 400IU for 51-70 years, and 600 IU for those >70 years old. However, the emerging evidence on the non-skeletal benefits of vitamin D has made these recommendations obsolete. Doses as high as 10,000 IU/day have been shown to be safely tolerated.
People are more likely to not get enough vitamin D than to get too much. Monitoring therapy is important to ensure adequate, but not excessive dosage.
The Mac Protocol and our related clinics throughout Northern California are pleased to offer a vitamin D test at wholesale prices. This inexpensive, quick and easy to use test will enable you to test and monitor vitamin D levels without the inconvenience of venipuncture. Call us today to have your vitamin D levels checked. The total cost for the test is $99. We also provide our patients with compounded pharmaceutical Vitamin D supplementation. This means we call in the order and they make it today and send it to us today at our pharmacy. You will not be able to get a higher quality supplement than that, guaranteed! The cost for 250 tablets at 5000 IUs a tablet is $40.
Dr. & Vicky Mac
