The list of conditions associated with vitamin D deficiency has increased dramatically in recent years. Apart from the classic and well know conditions rickets and osteoporosis, the list now includes:

Cancer Prevention

Cancer Treatment

Diabetes

Multiple Sclerosis

Chronic Pain

Autism

Fractures and falls

   Colds and Chest Infections

  Dental decay and gum disease

  Heart disease and hypertension

   Parkinson's disease and Schizophrenia!

     Inflammatory Bowel Disease and other autoimmune diseases



Situation in the UK:

  • 86% of the population are deficient in the winter and 57% in the summer even when living in the South of the country making Vitamin D deficiency almost the norm. Vitamin D deficiency is widespread throughout the UK. (120)

  • In Scotland the figures are worse with 92% of the population being deficient in the winter and 75% in the summer.(120) The situation is so severe that some experts have suggested Vitamin D deficiency accounts for the poor state of health in the country. The incidence of cancer, heart disease and multiple sclerosis are some of the highest in the world. For more on the situation in Scotland click here.

  • Children in the UK have vitamin D levels that are barely able to prevent rickets (20ng/ml) This is far below the level considered optimal (>40ng/ml).  Dark skinned children are in an even worse situation with levels between 14-17ngs/ml (91)

  • Dark skinned people need six times as long in the sun as white people to make the same amount of vitamin D. This makes the Asian population in the UK particularly at risk of severe vitamin D deficiency.(124, 125) (2)

  • Rickets is an increasingly common condition found in Asian children resulting in experts calling for the Asian community to receive supplements. (157)

  • Elderly patients are often deficient the whole year round with levels in the summer of 14ng/ml and 9.2ng/ml in the winter. (93)  Such low levels result in muscle and bone weakness which increases the likelihood of falls and hence bone fractures. (94,95)

Why is the situation so severe?

  • The UK lies at a latitude of 51-61degrees north, which is about the same as Hudson’s Bay in Canada. At these latitudes no vitamin D can be made for between 6 and 7 months of the year as UV radiation is too weak. In Scotland and similar Northern regions the ‘vitamin D winter’ is even longer. (99) Persistent cloud cover and pollution limit UV exposure even in the summer.

  • An indoor lifestyle, wearing of long clothes and the governments advice to avoid exposure to the sun, due to fears of contracting skin cancer all make vitamin D deficiency a more serious problem.

  • The official advice in the UK is that no supplementation is needed for those under the age of 50.  Those over 65, are pregnant or lactating are told that 400IU/day of vitamin D is adequate. This, however is known by experts in the area to be a grossly inadequate amount of vitamin D to maintain optimal levels (96-97)

  • June 2007 the Canadian Cancer Society issued a statement advising all citizens of Canada to take Vitamin D to reduce their risk of developing cancer and other serious debilitating conditions.

What about the rest of the world?

  • In France the average Vitamin D level in winter is only 8.4ngs/ml (92) and in Germany 12ngs/ml demonstrating severe deficiency. (91) (optimal levels are thought to be >40ng/ml)

  • Even countries with a great deal of sun have a deficiency problem. In Kuwait almost 100% of the population are thought to be suffering from deficiency due to the custom of keeping the body completely covered. (154)

  • 60% of babies born in Kuwait are Vitamin D deficient due to poor maternal levels. Average maternal and infant levels were 13.3 (6.5) ng/mL and 8.2 (6.5) ng/mL respectively. (<15ng/nl is deficient).(155)

  • One in seven US teenagers are deficient and Afro-American teens have 20 times the risk of being deficient compared to white teenagers. (156)


Cancer Prevention and Vitamin D (more details)

  • More than 60 epidemiology studies conducted over the last 20 years have shown that Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased rates of cancer. (8)

  • A placebo controlled study has confirmed these findings. In the study, vitamin D supplements reduced the incidence of cancer by as much as 77% compared to patients who were given placebo (sugar pill).(29)

  • A prospective study in Finland showed that women with the highest levels of vitamin D had an 84% reduction in their risk of developing lung cancer (34)

  • There was a 72% reduction in the incidence of colorectal cancer between groups of patients with the highest and lowest levels (<20ng/ml vis >32ng/ml) of vitamin D.(40)

  • Comparing women with the lowest and highest levels of vitamin D, there was a almost a 70% reduction of the risk of developing breast cancer in those with the highest levels. (43)

  • Men with low levels of vitamin D(below 16ng/ml) were three times more likely to develop prostate cancer and six times more likely to develop aggressive invasive cancer than men with higher levels.(50)

  • Two large long-term studies have shown that adults who have a higher dietary intake of vitamin D (300-400IU/day) have almost half the risk of developing pancreatic cancer than those with less than 150IU/day vitamin D in their diet. (54)


Potential for Vitamin D in Cancer Treatment (more details)

  • Breast cancer patients with low levels of vitamin D and followed for up to eleven years had a 70% greater chance of dying and twice the rate of developing metastasis than did patients with high levels of vitamin D (90)

  • Lung cancer patients diagnosed in the summer and who had the highest dietary intake of vitamin D compared to those who were diagnosed in the winter and had the lowest intake of vitamin D had five year relapse free survival rates of 56% versus 23% respectively. The five-year survival figures for the two groups were 73% versus 30%. (59)

  • Colorectal cancer patients with advanced disease and high vitamin D levels have 60% less chance of dying of the condition than patients with low levels. (64)

  • Prostate Cancer Patients with Vitamin D levels in the mid and high range had a 60% and 85% respectively reduced risk of death from the condition compared to patients with low levels of Vitamin D. This is almost a seven fold increase in the risk of death in those with low vis high vitamin D levels. (152)


The Role of Vitamin D in Diabetes (more details)

  • The incidence of diabetes increases the further from the equator one lives which correlates with lower vitamin D levels (102)

  • Infants given vitamin D supplements for the first year of life demonstrated an 80% reduction in the occurrence of diabetes later in life (103)

  • Also children who were found to have rickets and were vitamin D deficient had a four -fold increased risk of developing diabetes later in life. (103)

  • Diabetic patients who receive vitamin D supplements demonstrate slower progression of their disease. (104,105)

The Role of Vitamin D in Multiple Sclerosis (more details)

  • Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is more common in Northern parts of the world which have less sunlight and therefore lower levels of vitamin D. (106)

  • Studies have shown that the risk of MS is decreased by exposure to sunlight in childhood. (107)

  • Epidemiology data suggests that Vitamin D deficiency in the last three months of pregnancy is particularly harmful to the fetus and raises the risk of MS in later life. (111)

  • Nurses who took 400IU per day of Vitamin D as part of a multivitamin demonstrated a 40% reduced risk of developing MS. (115)

  • Professor Ebers of Oxford University has shown that vitamin D interacts with a specific region of a gene, which is known to exert a direct influence on the risk of developing MS. (118)

  • Only 16% of MS patient experienced a relapse when treated with 14,000IU per day of Vitamin D for twelve months compared to 40% of patients treated with only 1000IU.
      (American Academy of Neurology April 2009)

Vitamin D and Bone Health (more details)

  • Adequate Vitamin D levels are essential for maintaining strong bones and preventing Rickets.

  • Older women with low Vitamin D levels suffer a 70% increased risk of hip fractures. (136)

Vitamin D in Dental Health (more details)

  • Children receiving Vitamin D supplements have a lower number of dental cavities. (119-130)

  • There is a strong association between low Vitamin D levels and increased periodontal disease. (132)

  • Elderly patients with low Vitamin D levels have a higher rate of tooth loss than those with high Vitamin D levels. (133)

Vitamin D and Pregnancy

  • The Canadian Pediatric Society recommends that women who are pregnant or breast feeding should increase their Vitamin D intake to 2000IU per day.

  • This advice is based on the growing body of evidence that increased exposure to Vitamin D during key points of fetal and infant development may offer protection against many diseases, including asthma, osteoporosis, dental cavities and inflammatory bowel disease. (Press Release)


Vitamin D in Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

  • Vitamin D is known to stimulate the production of potent antimicrobial and antiviral peptides. Deficiencies of these peptides in winter when vitamin D levels are low are thought to explain why respiratory tract infections are more common in the winter (141)

  • Individuals with low levels of Vitamin D are 40% more likely to suffer upper respiratory tract infections. (coughs and colds) (140)

Autism and Vitamin D Deficiency

  • There is substantial evidence that autism may be caused by vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and early development.

  • Falling levels of vitamin D over the last 20 years match the increase in incidence of autism (159, 160) which coincides with when the AMA in 1989, first started to advise keeping infants out of the sun. (161)

  • Estrogen stimulates the activation of vitamin D where as testosterone does not. This may explain why autism is four times as common in males compared to females. (162)

  • Autism is much more common in black races living in Northern areas.  The incidence of autism in Ugandans living in Sweden is 15% of births. (163) Deeply pigmented people living in Northern regions are inevitability vitamin D deficient.

  • Vitamin D has been shown to be essential for normal brain development (164)

  • In a rare condition known as Williams Syndrome children have greatly elevated levels of vitamin D. This conditions presents later in life with overfriendliness, heightened sociability and an unusual willingness to initiate social interaction. These are exactly opposite to the signs of Autism. (165)

Vitamin D and Heart Disease  (more details)

  • The further from the equator, the higher the risk of cardiovascular disease including hypertension, heart failure, myocardial infarction and death from cardiovascular disease.
  (65,66)

  • A strong correlation has been shown between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of heart attacks. (75)

  • Two large prospective studies have shown that patients with low vitamin D levels have a 200% increase in risk of myocardial infarction and death from cardiovascular disease. (87, 88)

The products and the claims made about specific products on this site have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.
Vitamin D deficiency is a world wide epidemic
VitaminD3 UK-The worlds best source of information and supplies of Vitamin D3