Unlocking the Power of Vitamin D

Transcription

1 Unlocking the Power of Vitamin D By Jason Kennedy Vitamin D may be the most explosive natural-health discovery of the last 20 years. We now know that this critical, fat-soluble vitamin can prevent ALL types of cancer by 77%. And as remarkable as that is, it only scratches the surface of its potential. But sadly, many of us are still deficient in vitamin D. Even if you take a vitamin D supplement, chances are your levels are not high enough to prevent cancer, diabetes and the dozens of other health concerns that vitamin D safeguards against. What s more, you may not have heard of vitamin D s hidden powers, which include helping you fight depression, boosting your sex drive and helping you burn fat and stay lean. In this special report, I ll show you the evidence that backs up vitamin D s promise of living a vital, energetic and disease-free life. You ll also discover all your options, even the ones Big Pharma are keeping from you, and you ll get concrete advice on what to do and where to find it. Here s a quick look: Prevent 17 Types of Cancer By 77%: Here s the breakthrough study from Creighton University you read about earlier, uncensored with all the details. PLUS I ll show you the hushed-up Harvard study that confirms vitamin D s cancer-crushing power. Fire Up Your Sex Life: How to use vitamin D to boost your bedroom performance and increase testosterone and other key sex hormones by up to 200%. Burn Fat Faster: Ramping up vitamin D turns on your body s fat burner and improves muscle definition. Are you currently taking enough vitamin D to get its fat-fighting potential? Throw Your Brain s Happy Switch : Vitamin D activates a key neurotransmitter that helps you eliminate mood swings, food cravings... even depression. I ll tell you which one and how to make it work for you. Wipe Out Pain and Fatigue: How one researcher discovered how the right amount of vitamin D reverses chronic pain, muscle weakness and fatigue in as little as three months.

2 Are You Taking Enough Vitamin D to Prevent Cancer? A recent report published in the journal Anticancer Research shows that doses of vitamin D that range from 4,000 to 8,000 IU a day are required to prevent most types of cancer by about 50%. i They went on to say: The supplemental dose ensuring that 97.5 percent of this population achieved a serum 25(OH)D of at least 40 ng/ml was 9,600 IU/d... Universal intake of up to 40,000 IU vitamin D per day is unlikely to result in vitamin D toxicity. Taking almost 10,000 international units (IU) a day is far more than most people take, and is light years ahead of the paltry 600 IU a day that the government and most doctors recommend. Thinks about this for a moment... the research shows that we need nearly 200 times more vitamin D than the medical industry is telling us. And in spite of some media sources falsely claiming that vitamin D is toxic at levels above 10,000 IU, we now know that you can take up to 40,000 IU of vitamin D a day, and STILL not worry about toxicity. This is why deficiency is a problem, even if you already take vitamin D supplements. The dose is just too low. One study of 1,200 people who were randomly screened showed that more than 87% had a vitamin D deficiency. ii To make matters worse, there are things that lower, and even deplete, your vitamin D levels. These include sunscreens and some drugs. And that s bad news because if you re taking such a small dose, vitamin D doesn t have the chance to do its job once it gets into your bloodstream. Let the problem go too long, and you re in real trouble. One study that followed 13,000 people for more than 12 years showed that vitamin D deficiency was an independent risk factor for death. iii The ridiculously low, 600 IU daily requirement recommended by the government is based on preventing a childhood disease called rickets. But not surprisingly, our kids are not getting enough vitamin D to protect them from disease. A study of 380 infants and 6,000 children showed: iv v 12% of infants had a vitamin D deficiency.

3 40% of infants had less than optimal levels of vitamin D, and shockingly, 33% already showed signs of bone loss. 9% of children, or 7.6 million were deficient. 61% of children, or 50.8 million, had less than optimal levels. What is Vitamin D? Vitamin D is both a vitamin and a steroid hormone that influences virtually every cell in your body. Being one of nature's most potent cancer fighters, your body has vitamin D receptors in nearly every type of cell in your body. Vitamin D keeps cells healthy and functioning at their best, and it s critical for your immune system. If you don t have enough, some cells may end up damaged and diseased. To prevent cancer, your levels of vitamin D must be much higher than what the government recommends. Once vitamin D is in your bloodstream, your organs convert it into calcitriol, which is the hormonal or activated version of vitamin D. Your organs then use it to repair damage, including damage from cancer cells and tumors. Epidemiologist and vitamin D researcher Cedric Garland, DrPH, a professor of medicine at the University of California at San Diego says that the vitamin D and cancer connection has been tested and confirmed in more than 200 epidemiological studies, and more than 2,500 laboratory studies. When you get your levels of vitamin D high enough, you can... Prevent ALL Types of Cancer By 77% When the Osteoporosis Research Center of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska released their landmark vitamin D study, the U.S. media was silent. No one picked up the story. In Canada, however, the news that vitamin D prevented cancer by as much as 77% sent people rushing to the health food stores to buy cod liver oil, one of the best natural sources of vitamin D. The demand was so intense, cod liver oil sold out all over the country. Since the results were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2007, there is still a blanket of silence over the major media, supported primarily by the big drug companies who have no interest in you finding out about such a powerful natural cure.

4 But the results speak for themselves. In the study, researchers found that calcium, when combined with vitamin D prevented: vi All cancers by 77% Breast cancer by 68% Type I diabetes by 80% All fractures by 50% It s incredible that such a powerful cure could be so universally ignored. If a drug stopped cancer in its tracks, AND prevented diabetes and bone fractures, it would be on the front pages of every newspaper in the country. But when it s a simple vitamin, it gets hushed up and pushed aside. Discover the Hidden Powers of Vitamin D Your body makes vitamin D from exposure to sunshine. On a typical day, 15 to 20 minutes is all you need for your daily dose. But because we wear clothes and spend most of our time indoors, you may need to take vitamin D supplements. This is especially true during the winter months when sunlight is weak and your exposure drops. By supplementing, you get more than just help with your bones or cancer prevention. Vitamin D offers a wide range of benefits you may not be aware of... these include help with fat loss, depression, and even sexual performance. In fact, vitamin D can boost your sex drive, your fertility and even improve your sexual performance. Vitamin D can also lessen the impact of aging on your sex drive. Vitamin D is essential for the production of sex hormones and maintenance of your reproductive system, and boosting your levels can help or reverse problems with potency. Crank Up Your Sex Drive with Vitamin D The vitamin D your body makes from sun exposure, as well as the vitamin D you get from a supplement boosts testosterone production, the sex hormone that ignites arousal in both men and women.

5 Men have about 15 times more testosterone than women, and this extra testosterone gives men their strength, muscle mass, and is largely responsible for their sex drive and potency. It also increases a man s energy, ambition and mental focus. One study shows that the vitamin D from sunlight has a profound on testosterone production. When the chest or back is exposed to sunlight, the male hormones may increase by 120%. When the genital area is exposed, the hormones increase by 200%. vii In the journal Natural Hormonal Enhancement, researchers concluded: In male rodents, experimental light deprivation causes profound testicular shrinkage and a reduction in testosterone levels to near castrate levels. In a wide range of other animals, summer to winter light changes induce decrements in reproductive hormones, copulatory performance, and gonadal mass. That means that a deficiency of vitamin D can trigger a loss of testosterone production and decreased sex drive. As you get older, loss of sex drive is common, but this age-related decline can be reversed with a combination of sunlight and vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D Burns Fat and Builds Stronger Muscles Dr. Herbert Shelton notes that before modern times, athletes would sit in the sun as part of their training. In his book, he wrote, Muscles subjected to proper sun exposure grow larger, firmer, and have their contractile powers enhanced even without exercise " Sunlight and vitamin D helps wipe out subcutaneous fat, and improves muscle definition. It also stimulates your thyroid gland, increasing your metabolism and helping you burn more fat. Here s proof: Studies show that people with a vitamin D deficiency are more likely to be obese and obese people are more likely to be vitamin D deficient. viii But supplementing with vitamin D and keeping your levels high enough give you the attributes of strength, power and vitality. These include vitamin D s ability to: Build stronger muscles: Vitamin D improves muscle building. Muscle is your body s biggest metabolic engine. Bigger muscles raise your metabolic rate, and burn more calories even while you re resting.

6 Suppress your appetite and curb depression: Vitamin D stimulates the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. And that s good news, because when levels of serotonin drop, it can cause mood swings, carbohydrate cravings and even depression, all of which pack on the pounds. Boost production of MSH: Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (MSH) has been shown to stimulate weight loss and energy production. Vitamin D also oxygenates your blood, increasing blood supply to your muscles. ix Conversely, a vitamin D deficiency can cause or worsen muscle loss. Examples include myopathy and sarcopenia. x xi In the book The Miracle of Vitamin D, nutritionist Krispin Sullivan reports the results of a medical study where five patients confined to wheelchairs with severe weakness and fatigue. Blood tests revealed that all suffered from severe vitamin D deficiency. The patients received 50,000 IU vitamin D per week and all became mobile within six weeks. Play It Smart: Get Your Vitamin D Levels Tested The only way for you to know if you have a vitamin D deficiency is to have your vitamin D levels tested. A simple blood test will tell you everything you need to know. You can request a vitamin D test from your doctor, or go to the lab yourself. If you need to find a lab in your area, I recommend Quest Diagnostics. They have locations all over the country and they can draw your blood on site. Here s their website: When you get the results back, you ll notice that your vitamin D level is measured in nano grams per milliliter or ng/ml. Here s how to gauge your level: Extreme deficiency: below 20 ng/ml Clinically deficient: below 32 ng/ml Borderline deficient: below 35 ng/ml Acceptable: 35 to 45 ng/ml Healthy: 45 to 55 ng/ml Optimal: 55 ng/ml

7 Excess: greater than 100 ng/ml Intoxication: greater than 150 ng/ml Most people are clinically deficient, even if they take a multivitamin. Ideally, you want to maintain a healthy year-round level of around 50 ng/ml. Stock Up on Foods Rich in Vitmain D You can also get vitamin D from food sources. Cod liver oil is the most concentrated natural food source of vitamin D. One tablespoon contains about 1,200 to 1,400 IU. If you take a multi-vitamin, you probably get 400 IU a day, but this is hardly enough to get the benefits you read about in this special report. The easiest way to reliably boost your vitamin D levels is to take a daily supplement. If you do, keep this in mind: Have your levels tested and then take a minimum of 2,000 to 4,000 IU a day, or as prescribed by your doctor or health care practitioner. If you levels are low, you can take 8,000 to 10,000 IU a day, but always talk to your doctor before deciding on a course of action. Take a vitamin D supplement that contains cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), not ergocalciferol (vitamin D2). One of the best natural sources is cod liver oil. Take one to two tablespoons of cod liver oil a day with food. There is roughly 1200 to 1400 IU of vitamin D in a tablespoon of cod liver oil. To boost your dietary intake of vitamin D, consider adding some vitamin D-rich foods to your diet. Some of your best bets are wild-caught fish and eggs. Here s a list for your reference: Source Amount Units (IU) Cod Liver Oil 1 Tbsp Herring 3 oz. 1383

8 Catfish 3 oz. 425 Salmon, cooked 3.5 oz. 360 Mackerel, cooked 3.5 oz. 345 Sardines, canned in oil 1.75 oz. 250 Tuna, canned in oil 3 oz. 200 Eel, cooked 3.5 oz. 200 Pork spare ribs 3 oz. 88 Beef liver, pan fried 3 oz. 42 Egg, whole 1 25 By taking these simple steps, you can boost your vitamin D to a healthy level and dramatically reduce your risks of many chronic diseases. Remember if your vitamin D levels are low, work with your doctor. Your doctor can help you monitor your levels so that you reach your target without overshooting it. Just keep in mind that some doctors will not recommend taking more vitamin D than what is recommended by the government. Some doctors may not even want to measure your vitamin D levels at all. If this happens to you, don t worry. You can go it on your own. It s your choice what you do with your body. Just follow the general guidelines in this special report. If you have your levels tested by an independent lab, start supplementing with vitamin D and then have them retested every 6 months. Use the blood level guide above, and try to keep your levels around 50 ng/ml.

9 i Cedric F, et al. Vitamin D Supplement Doses and Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D in the Range Associated with Cancer Prevention. Anticancer Research. Vol 31, No 2 (2011) ii Ray MM, Long AN, et al. Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in an Urban General Internal Medicine Academic Practice, 2009 Southern Regional Meeting Abstracts Session: SSGIM Research Abstract Session C iii Melamed ML, Michos ED, Post W, Astor B 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the risk of mortality in the general population. Arch Intern Med Aug 11;168(15): iv Gordon, CM, et al. Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency Among Healthy Infants and Toddlers. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(6): v Kumar, J, et al. Prevalence and Associations of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Deficiency in US Children: NHANES Pediatrics vi Lappe JM., et al. Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr Jun;85(6): vii Myerson, A, and Neustadt, R. (1930). Influence of ultraviolet irradiation upon excretion of sex hormones in the male. Endocrinolgy. 25:7. viii Shi, H, et al. (2001). Vitamin D3 modulates human fat metabolism. FASEB J. 15(14): ix Kime, ZR. (1980). Sunlight. Penryn, CA: World Health Publications. p. 36. x Prabhala, A, et al. (2000). Severe myopathy associated with vitamin D deficiency. Arch.Intern.Med. 160: xi Vsser, M, et al. (2003). Low vitamin D and loss of muscle strength and muscle mass. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 88(12):