By Michelle Kruse

I can honestly say that I read a new article or study everyday about the benefits of vitamin D and the health risks of low levels of Vitamin D. Today it’s a news release from the Canadian Cancer Society recommending supplementation with at least 1,000 IU Vitamin D for all adults as a preventive measure against all cancers. Yesterday it was high blood pressure in women being linked to insufficient Vitamin D and a couple of days before it was the link between age-related memory loss and low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is often linked to immune support including protection against colds and flu. Many researchers link low D levels with fibromyalgia, breast cancer risk, and other diseases. Even aches and pains and winter “blahs” can be linked to Vitamin D levels. There are so many reasons to maintain adequate levels of Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin for a reason. It’s actually a hormone that our bodies produce as a result of sun exposure. In a perfect world, we’d all get 15-20 minutes unprotected sun exposure (bare arms and legs, no sunscreen) daily. During the summer months, this is usually enough to keep our Vitamin D levels in an adequate range. As runners, we spend a lot of time outdoors. During the summer months, we might be getting enough vitamin D. But did you know that during the fall/winter/spring months it is physically impossible to make sufficient vitamin D from sun exposure alone? The angle of the sun makes it physically impossible above around 37 degrees latitude (about Atlanta, GA). Even during the summer, I wear sunscreen which inhibits vitamin D absorption. Those with dark skin, the elderly, even overweight individuals may never be able to make enough Vitamin D from the sun. The cardiologists that I work with have long recommended daily Vitamin D doses of 2,000 IU, especially during the winter months just to keep our levels sufficient. Even if we’re logging long hours outdoors training, we will not make enough vitamin D to keep ourselves healthy from now until late spring 2010. The current RDA for vitamin D is only 400 IU, a number that many health advocacy groups and research bodies are lobbying to raise. Most researchers agree that the RDA should be at least 800 IU with many calling for 1-2,000 IU ranges. Daily intake of 2,000 IU Vitamin D3 should keep your levels adequate all winter long, which may mean less time off and interruptions in winter running!

[I take one CardioDaily everyday for 2,000 IU Vitamin D. I also take supplemental calcium, omega-3 fish oil (great as an anti-inflammatory!) and, as a menstruating woman, I make sure I have sufficient iron in my diet.]

By Michelle Kruse

Soon, the beautiful fall color will give way to winter and sometimes, the winter blues. Just as the lack of direct sunlight in fall and winter causes the leaves to stop producing chlorophyll, change color and fall from the trees, the sun’s absence has a direct effect on you. In autumn and winter, when the sun’s rays are weak and days are short, our bodies can’t synthesize enough vitamin D. In fact, if you live north of 37 degrees latitude (around Atlanta, GA), it is impossible for you to get enough vitamin D from the sun. Nearly half of all Americans are Vitamin D deficient, and not surprisingly, those numbers increase significantly during the fall and winter. Those with darker skin and those who are obese are even more likely to be Vitamin D deficient. Inadequate vitamin D levels can severely impact not only your mood (giving you the winter blahs), but also increase your risk for a variety of serious health conditions.

The latest studies show that most Americans need at least 1,000 IU per day of Vitamin D to get their blood levels of this crucially important nutrient into the adequate range, and the cardiologists at CardioTabs recommend 2,000 IU per day. According to Dr. James O’Keefe, Preventive Cardiologist and unpaid Medical Director of CardioTabs, “Restoring Vitamin D levels to normal will improve blood pressure and glucose levels, and may reduce risks for heart failure and heart attacks.”