For more information on Vitamin D3, please go to: Earthmamanutritionals.com

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2 Copyright 2014 by Laura Ramirez. All Rights Reserved. This book may not be copied in full or in part without the express written consent of the author. For more information on Vitamin D3, please go to: Earthmamanutritionals.com DISCLAIMER: This ebook is not meant to be a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional or to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Prolonged and/or improper sun exposure or UV- light exposure may result in different types of skin cancer and may also accelerate aging of the skin. Some people may be sensitive to the sun and some diseases may require avoiding sun exposure. Other people may be sensitive to vitamin D found in supplements, especially gelcaps. Those who have high blood calcium levels should only take vitamin D supplements under the supervision of a physician. By downloading this book, the reader agrees to take full responsibility for any actions taken after reading this material. The reader acknowledges that the author and publisher advise the reader to consult a health professional before increasing sunlight exposure or vitamin D supplementation.

3 Introduction... 3 Secret # Secret # Secret # Secret # Secret # Secret # Special Discount on Vitamin D3 Reorders Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 2

4 Introduction In this ebook, you will learn about the intriguing results from cutting edge research on vitamin D3 that your doctor probably has not heard about. Before we get to the research the 7 secrets you're probably wondering why your doctor probably doesn't have this information. It's important to understand that most doctors have not been trained in nutrition. They might only take one or two classes on nutrition during the course of their 10-year education. Doctors who are successful typically run busy practices and don't have the time to keep up with all the current research. Unfortunately, most of their education comes from the pharmaceutical industry, whose representatives provide samples, flyers and incentives to doctors to prescribe their drugs. In other words, there is not much motivation for a doctor to learn about the value of achieving optimal levels of vitamin D3, much less telling their patients to go out and purchase a vitamin that they can get without a prescription. Before I reveal the seven secrets: I want to emphasize two points: 1) Make sure you take vitamin D3 from cholecalciferol and not vitamin D2. Vitamin D2 is sourced from Drisdol (which is synthetic D2) that is made by irradiating fungus. This is the form of vitamin D that your doctor may unwittingly prescribe. It not the same as vitamin D3 which is naturally produced by your body when your skin is exposed to the sun's UVB rays. Vitamin D2 is also called egocalciferol. Vitamin D3 is called cholecalciferol. The difference between taking these two substance is that not only does D3 reduce mortality rate, while D2 increases it, but D3 is about 87% more potent and stores better and longer in the body. Whether you take D2 or D3, your body must convert it into a more active form, but the body converts D3 into its active form 500% faster than it does D2. Vitamin D2 also has a much shorter shelf life. The bottom line: take only vitamin D3. If you take Ultimate Vitamin D iu from Earth Mama Nutritionals, you can be assured that you are getting D3 from cholecalciferol. 2) When measuring your blood levels of vitamin D3, make sure that what is being measured are your 25-hydroxy-Vitamin D [referred to throughout this ebook from this point on as your 25(OH)D levels]. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 3

5 25(OH)D is a steroid hormone that your body makes from vitamin D and is found and measured in your blood. This is the only accurate blood test. When a doctor talks about your vitamin D3 levels, he or she is referring to your 25(OH)D levels. These levels are usually reported in ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter), but in some parts of the world, they are reported as nmol/l (nanomoles per liter). 1 ng/ml = 2.5 nmol/l. To convert from ng/ml to mol/l, which you may need to do if you read studies on Pub Med, just multiply by a factor of 2.5. Activated vitamin D is a powerful pre-hormone that is part of the body's steroid system and is critical for optimal functioning and maintenance of organs, tissues, male and female sexual characteristics and the reproductive system in women. It fights inflammation and increases your body's ability to fight infections. There are three ways to get vitamin D3 into your system: sun exposure, tanning beds and supplementation. We can get a small amount of vitamin D from our diets, mostly from foods, like milk, that have been fortified with Vitamin D2. Since as a culture, we no longer live and work outside as much as our ancestors and since many people live in northern latitudes with long winters, supplementation has become necessary for many groups of people. According to Professor Michael Hollick of Boston University, "Vitamin D deficiency is an unrecognized epidemic among adults and children in the United States." Don't let your family be counted among the deficient. After you've read this ebook, which has intentionally been made short and to-the-point, you will be highly motivated to take your vitamin D3 and get everyone you love on a regular supplementation program. That said, let's reveal the 7 Secrets. Intrigued? Read on. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 4

6 Secret #1 Vitamin D3 is not a vitamin, but a powerful pre-hormone that is part of a complex system designed to keep you free from pain and in good health. Vitamin D3 can be found in every cell of the body and cutting edge research has shown that it is involved in the expression of 1000 genes. This means that depending upon your levels of vitamin D3, your body can selectively turn on or off the expression of a variety of diseases that may be involved in causing cancer, pain or autoimmune diseases. The question is: if you could take a simple, affordable vitamin (okay, it's actually a hormone, like I said, but for simplicity's sake, we are going to continue to call it what it's been called since it was first discovered) that might help prevent 17 types of cancers and improve longevity, would you do it? If your answer is a resounding, "Yes!" then read on. The reason that vitamin D3 is not a vitamin is because your body can manufacture it with sufficient exposure to UVB-rays. This is why people who work outdoors and live close to the equator are seldom deficient in vitamin D3. However, for those of us who live in northern latitudes (if you live north of Santa Fe, NM, you live in a northern latitude), we simply cannot get enough sun exposure during fall, winter and early spring to make enough vitamin D3 to keep our blood levels within the optimal range, which scientists are now saying is 50 ng/ml. Most doctors will still say that levels of 20 ng/ml are normal.) While you may be able to get enough sun exposure during the summer, a lot of people avoid the sun and use sunscreen or sunblock because they're more concerned about getting skin cancer. Also, there are people who work indoors all day long and simply can't get enough daily sun exposure to maintain optimal levels of vitamin D3. This is why supplementation has become necessary for a good majority of the world's population. People who live in climates that are generally overcast and/or rainy, like in Oregon and Washington state may have difficulty making vitamin D3 even during the summer. This is why it's a good idea to start a regular supplementation regimen. Resolve to start today. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 5

7 Secret #2 Fair-skinned people make vitamin D3 much more readily than dark-skinned people.this is because the melanin in dark-skinned people protects them from the rays of the sun. Although this extra protection allows dark-skinned people to be out longer in the sun without burning, it also means that it takes longer for their skin to create vitamin D3. Of course, Mother Nature designed this with geography in mind: dark skinned people typically hailed from areas that are closer to the equator where people once spent most of their day outdoors. As dark-skinned people migrated to northern latitudes, decreased sun exposure meant that they unwittingly opened themselves up to a whole host of diseases that have recently been linked to vitamin D3 deficiency. Case in point, blacks are much more likely to get the following diseases than whites: prostate cancer, periodontal disease, rickets (which is on the rise), osteomalacia, multiple sclerosis, cervical cancer, type-2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, renal disease, pneumonia and even the flu. Typically, young white women have twice as much vitamin D in their bloodstream as young black women. It has also recently been found that nursing black mothers have virtually undetectable levels of vitamin D3 in their milk, which means their babies are deficient as well. What if many of these problems could be avoided by taking a simple daily supplement? Would you do it? In fact, research is telling us that this might just be the case. Key Points: 1. The darker your skin, the less UVB light can penetrate it to manufacture vitamin D3. Dark skinned people have to stay in the sun 10x as long as fair skinned people to product the same amount of vitamin D3. 2. The farther you live from the equator, the less that UVB rays can penetrate the atmosphere, especially during the colder months. 3. As you age, your ability to manufacture vitamin D3 decreases. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 6

8 4. People with higher levels of body fat are less able to manufacture vitamin D3 from sunlight. 5. Scientists estimate that 90% of the population is deficient in vitamin D3. Donʼt be one of these people. Get some sun exposure (but donʼt risk burns). Take your Ultimate Vitamin D3 daily, especially during the winter months or all year long if you spend most of your time indoors. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 7

9 Secret #3 You can test your 25(OH)D levels at home. First, be clear, what you want to test before taking vitamin D3 (to determine if you have a deficiency) is your 25(OH)D levels. If you have blood levels below 10 ng/ml, you are considered deficient, however, don't assume that a blood level in the 20 ng/nl range is optimal. In fact, this is the minimum blood level needed to prevent rickets and osteomalcia. Remember, that minimal does not mean optimal. Blood levels of 20 ng/ml may not permit your body to maximize its use of intestinal calcium absorption which researchers now say is 34 ng/ml. This is especially important as we age, but is also essential for children whose bones are growing and whose adult teeth are coming in. In a study done by Dr. Robert Heaney and Dr. Joanne Lappe at Creighton University, it was discovered that blood levels around 40 ng/ml can reduce the rate of internal cancers dramatically. It was also found that neuromuscular performance in more than 4000 elderly people improved as 24(OH) levels were increased to 50 ng/ml. Beyond this, there are some studies are indicating that athletic performance can be enhanced with vitamin D3 supplementation. Increased agility, timing, performance endurance etc were linked to even higher blood levels. Some studies indicate levels as high as 100 ng/ml for elite athletes. Proceed with caution here because as you probably know, more is not always better. Although we've been cautioned all our lives about toxicity and Vitamin D3, scientists are finding that toxicity only becomes an issue when blood levels approach 200 ng/ml. Since there is still uncertainty what exactly constitutes optimal levels, I suggest that you use Mother Nature as a guide. People who work all day in the sun in the hottest parts of the world (around the equator), typically have blood levels in the range of 60 ng/ml. Here is a chart that will give you some basic guidelines: Deficient Optimal Cancer & Heart Excessive Patients & Elite Athletes Less than 50 ng/ml ng/ml ng/ml ng/ml 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 8

10 Unless youʼre an athlete or cancer patient, you might be well-advised to keep your numbers in the optimal range as indicated by the chart on page 8. Since our levels of 25(OH)D vary seasonally, make sure to test twice yearly. There are two ways to test the level of 25(OH)D in your bloodstream. Test in November, when serum levels tend to be the lowest especially in northern latitudes in the western hemisphere and in March after the long winter, just before the weather begins to warm. Of course if youʼre taking vitamin D3 for the first time, then start by administering a test to see what your starting serum levels are. There are two ways to test your blood levels. You can go to the doctor and request a test which will require that you pay for the office visit and the test. Or you can purchase a home kit and after a simple skin prick, send off your blood to a lab and have the results in a couple of weeks. The cost for the home kits are around $50. (Price varies though. I've seen the test kit as high as $68, but it is still less expensive than an office visit plus a visit to the lab for a blood test). Here is the link to purchase the blood spot kit to measure your 25(OH)D levels. If you are not afraid of sticking your finger and producing 12 spots of blood, then I suggest the home test because this puts responsibility for your 25(OH)D blood levels squarely into your hands. It also gives you the experience to monitor your blood levels at least twice per year. (Some experts testing at the height of summer and the dead of winter, so youʼll know your highest and lowest levels.) Here are some tips from the laboratory that does the analysis on the test: 1. Prick your finger when you're standing up. If your blood clots quickly (remember, you have to get 12 spots of blood), windmill your arms or walk around to get your blood flowing. Do not squeeze your finger because this can restrict blood flow. 2. Make sure to watch the how-to video before doing the test for the first time (the link is provided with your test kit), so you'll know what to do to get the most accurate results. I learned these tips when I tried to do a blood spot test on my 17-year old son. We pricked his finger 6 different times and couldn't get enough blood for the blood spot test because his blood would clot before we could get enough blood to fill a single spot on the card. Once you've filled the card with 12 blood spots, make sure to include all your 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 9

11 information and sign and date the card. Then send it to the lab in the postage paid envelope or in the plastic container that the test kit came in. Wait 2 weeks and you should have your results. Start taking your daily dose of Ultimate Vitamin D iu from Earth Mama Nutritionals and test again to determine how your levels have improved. Opinion among doctors varies as to the optimal range of 25(OH)D levels, but most cutting edge researchers claim that ng/ml is where you want to be. Some research indicates that for elite athletes this range is higher, but it is not recommended by most doctors at this time, that your blood levels are higher than the 100 ng/ml range. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 10

12 Secret #4 Vitamin D3 deficiency is associated with the big 4 diseases/disorders. You already know that vitamin D3 deficiency is linked to 17 different types of cancer and that researchers have found that maintaining blood levels of 25(OH)D in the range of 40 ng/ml has a protective effect against the development of internal cancers. If you want to shake your hand at this point and dismiss this as yet another heavily promoted cure-all, remember that vitamin D3 is a powerful hormone that is part of your body's steroid system and is involved in a long list of actions that maintain and repair the body and are also responsible for maintaining male and female traits as well as reproduction. As mentioned previously, it is also involved in regulating some 1000 genes in your body. That said, realize that vitamin D3 deficiency is likely not the only factor involved in the diseases listed below. Type I Diabetes, an autoimmune disorder, has been found to increase in prevalence in populations that live farther from the equator. UCLA scientists have also linked higher 25(OH)D levels (in the range of 40 ng/ml) to increased insulin sensitivity and better blood sugar control. A Finnish study found that giving infants 2000 iu of vitamin D3 per day reduced the development of insulin dependent diabetes by 80%. Multiple Sclerosis & Autism: Other studies have noted that people with MS and kids with autism are typically deficient in vitamin D3 and in the case of autism, are often born during the winter months when pregnant women's d3 levels are usually at their low. (Seven studies have linked autism to winter births so far.) It is interesting to note that cases of autism rose dramatically around the time that dermatologists started their nationwide campaign, advising people to stay out of the sun. In the case of multiple sclerosis, people with 25(OH)D blood levels above 40 ng/ml have one-third less risk of developing the disease. Also it's been found that in populations that live near the equator (where people get the most UVB exposure), cases of MS are quite rare. Obviously, more research needs to be done in these areas, but early results indicate a link between MS and D3 deficiency. Heart Disease: Recent research has pointed to vitamin D3 deficiency as a big risk factor for cardiovascular disease. People who have blood levels below the range of 34 ng/ml have twice as much risk as those with higher levels. Also, it has been known for sometime that death from heart attack happen more frequently in winter to those who live in northern latitudes at lower elevations. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 11

13 Cancer: The relationship between latitude and cancers that result in fatalities has been known for some time. Low blood levels of vitamin D are a strong indication of cancer risk. Studies have shown that cancer patients are usually deficient in vitamin D. If you're battling cancer, it might make sense to supplement with vitamin D to get your blood levels up. Recent studies have strongly linked vitamin D3 with the prevention of lung cancer and has even been shown to help prolong the lives of those who suffer from this type of cancer. If you have loved ones who steadfastly refuse to give up cigarettes, in the very least, get them taking Ultimate Vitamin D iu daily. Of course, the best prescription is always to quit smoking. Although decades of research needs to done to prove deficiency and causation, doesn't it make sense to take your daily dose of vitamin D iu that may prove protective against the big C? Vitamin D3 deficiency has also been linked with septicemia, eczema and psoriasis, muscle pain, osteoporosis, pre eclampsia, asthma, hypertension, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, insomnia, cavities, macular degeneration, seizures, cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, tuberculosis, hearing loss, periodontal disease, infertility, migraines and schizophrenia. One more strong motivator: for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), supplementing with a single dose of 100,000 iu of vitamin D3 was found more effective than light therapy. Of course, it is not recommended that you take such a high dose of vitamin D3 without proper medical supervision. Another study found that supplementing with 800 iu created a boost in mood in just 5 days. Want to feel good? Take your daily dose of vitamin D iu. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 12

14 Secret #5 Vitamin D3 is linked to enhanced athletic performance. Although you might assume that top-performing athletes are not deficient in vitamin D3, research shows that like anyone, athletes can still compete, but be seriously deficient, especially if they participate in indoor sports or avoid the sun. (In order to make sufficient levels of vitamin D3, your body needs to be exposed to the sun, so if you're an athlete who participates in an outdoor sport in a full uniform, then you are not getting the sun exposure that you might think you are.) Although elite athletes may eat healthy diets, it is next to impossible to get sufficient vitamin D3 from diet alone. Every single study designed to determine if athletes are deficient has found that they are just as likely to be deficient as the general population. In fact some of the symptoms relieved by proper supplementation with vitamin D3 such as muscle weakness and bone pain may be attributed to what comes with being an athlete when this does not have to be the case. Studies have shown that athletes perform better in summer, higher 25(OH)D blood levels are linked with improved physical performance and vitamin D helps build type 2 muscle. It actually increases the size and number of type 2 fasttwitch fibers. Studies have shown that it is also involved in muscle strength. Vitamin D3 also helps protect athletes against injuries which can affect performance and also quickly and permanently end a career or the hope for a college sports scholarship. Specifically, since vitamin D3 works with calcium and other minerals to build strong bones, it can help prevent stress fractures and also help decrease pain, such as lower back pain. If you tend to get injuries, fortifying with a daily dose of vitamin D iu daily could be very beneficial and improve your performance over time. In fact, many doctors recommend that athletes take 2 softgels or as much as 10,000 iu per day. The most important thing that you need to know about vitamin D3 with regard to athletic performance is that in its activated form, it is a powerful steroidal hormone that is essential to the proper functioning of your tissues and organs. A number of studies have indicated that vitamin D3 supplementation improves agility, balance, reaction time and muscle strength (but this only happens at blood levels above the 40 ng/ml range). This may seem to be new information for U.S.-based athletes, however, East European athletes have long known that proper D3 levels are essential for top performance which is why elite Soviet athletes have been using UVB light therapy to raise D3 levels for decades. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 13

15 Note: Some ex-athletes are jumping on the Vitamin D3 bandwagon and using megadoses in an attempt to cure old injuries since the supplement is also known as the joint-building hormone. This is a topic for another book that will be forthcoming to repeat customers of Ultimate Vitamin D iu from Earth Mama Nutritionals. Although this is not a recommendation, if you opt to go this route, make sure to have a doctor monitor your blood levels or use the blood spot kit that we recommend above to ensure that your 25(OH)D levels do not exceed ng/ml which is the range that some very progressive doctors are now recommending for elite athletes. (Please be forewarned that this book is not advising you to take megadoses of vitamin D3.) Since vitamin D3 improves performance in those who are deficient, it follows that it will also improve performance in athletes who happen to have a deficiency. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 14

16 Secret #6 Vitamin D3 may preserve hair follicles and promote hair regeneration. In an animal study that was published in August 2012 in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, researchers found that increased blood levels of vitamin D3 (25(OH)D led to a greater number of outgrowing hair shafts and a higher number of regenerated hair follicles. Researchers concluded that vitamin D3 may be helpful in preserving hair follicles as well. In a separate study, alopecia was linked to vitamin D3 deficiency. Of course, more studies are needed in this area, but vitamin D3 is currently being explored as an important component in hair regrowth therapies. Although the jury is still out on this, if you are taking 5000 iu of vitamin D3 daily to help maintain your health, after a year of regular supplementation, you might just notice a thicker head of hair. Given all the known benefits of supplementation, it certainly is worth the effort. Please note: vitamin D3 is utilized in your body for functions that are essential to survival first, like the blood-calcium function. As blood levels are maintained to ensure functions for survival, then the body can begin to utilize stored D3 to perform other functions such as selectively turning on or off certain genes, preserving hair follicles or maximizing athletic performance. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 15

17 Secret #7 Vitamin D3 has important benefits for everyone but is particularly important for the elderly. If you've read this far, you can probably predict that if vitamin D3 is good for the populations described so far, it is especially important for the elderly. Older adults are prone to a lot more health issues than their younger counterparts. As people age, they tend to spend less time in the sun (especially if they are disabled, infirm or live in a nursing home). What you know so far is that vitamin D3 has a protective effect against many types of cancer and diseases that are typically associated with aging. You also know that it builds strong bones and teeth and even helps boost mood to manage depression. What we haven't talked about yet is that vitamin D3 helps promote muscle strength and balance. In older people, this counts for a lot since a bad fall and a broken hip can be the beginning of the end for anyone who is elderly. Scientists have shown that even taking as little as 800 iu per day significantly reduces the number of falls. Since older people have more difficulty making vitamin D3 from the sun, supplementation is an important part of their daily regimen. Back in 1967, scientists learned that vitamin D3 cures muscle weakness which is another important reason to make sure all the elders in your family are taking 5000 iu per day. Improved muscle strength for an older person can mean everything from greater ease and quickness in rising from a sitting to standing position to greater freedom and mobility (and the ability to exercise and create feel-good endorphins) to less frustration and more independence while performing daily tasks such as opening jars or getting dressed. Vitamin D3 improves balance, coordination and is also essential for normal muscle function. Since it is also integral to bone health, supplementing with vitamin D3 and other important minerals such as calcium, is crucial to keeping seniors mobile. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 16

18 Special Discount on Vitamin D3 Reorders So, there you have the seven secrets. Now that youʼve read through this ebook, weʼd like to reward your quest for more knowledge about vitamin D3 with a 10% OFF coupon for your next purchase of Ultimate Vitamin D3 from Earth Mama Nutritionals when purchased from Amazon. To reorder now and take advantage of the discount, click on Ultimate Vitamin D iu, add to cart and enter PU9O9U9X into the coupon box. Make sure to visit our web site at earthmamanutritionals.com for information on vitamin D3 and other issues related to health and well-being. 7 Secrets About Vitamin D3 earthmamanutritionals.com 17