Page 1 - Sunshine-Vitamin

The Sunshine Vitamin

by Dr. Janet McKenzie, ND, MBA, BSn

Vitamin D has become highly newsworthy over the last few years as it has been suggested as a preventative aid for many common health
conditions for adults, ranging from cancer to high blood pressure to multiple sclerosis, and the supportive research for larger RDA’s continues
to grow. Most of what we have heard is helpful to adults but what about children? How much Vitamin D do they need, and is it advisable to
provide them with supplements too?

Vitamin D is a hormone-like substance that our bodies will manufacture when the skin is directly exposed to strong sunlight. This is the most
efficient way to obtain Vitamin D because a brief exposure can provide up to 10,000 International Units (IU) per day. Depending on factors
such as the degree of UV light exposure and the amount of pigment contained in the skin – people with dark complexions usually need more
light exposure than people with light complexions.

Sun exposure is a challenge these days because the amount of UV light is higher now than in the past, and because of the connection between
UV exposure and the subsequent development of skin cancer. Recognizing this connection, medical experts advise us to minimize our expo-
sure to the sun, regardless of the climate in which we live and how darkly pigmented our complexions might be.

This good advice inadvertently creates a problem with respect to our Vitamin D status. When sun exposure is lacking because of climate, skin
pigmentation or sunscreen use, we need to make sure we get Vitamin D from other sources, such as the foods and supplements we consume.

Vitamin D plays many roles in the development and maintenance of our bodies. Where children are concerned, Vitamin D is very important for
the development of healthy bones and teeth as well as healthy immune function.

Vitamin D influences bone development by regulating the behaviour of bone cells and the process of bone mineralization. It affects immu-
nity through the presence of Vitamin D receptors located on many white blood cells. When these receptors are activated, they influence the
reproduction and specialization of immune cells . There are various types of immune cells that can arise from a common “parent” cell. Vitamin
D is somehow involved in the process that guides the development of the “daughter” cells into different types.

More recently, research has implicated Vitamin D deficiency in the development of severe asthma, obesity and diabetes in children, so it is
clear that ensuring an adequate intake of this vitamin is critically important for their overall health.

Consequences of Too Little or Too Much
When we fail to get enough Vitamin D over an extended period of time, Vitamin D deficiency can develop.

Signs of Vitamin D deficiency in children include:
■ impaired bone development and growth, especially of the long bones in the legs and arms (rickets)
■ dental problems
■ muscle spasms
■ muscle weakness

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. This means we can build up stores of Vitamin D in the fatty tissues of our bodies. Because we can store it, it
is possible to experience a toxic level of Vitamin D if we get too much of it. This is typically the result of over-supplementing.