A new research paper written by two primary care practitioners is encouraging family doctors to take responsibility to help eliminate vitamin D deficiency in their patients. The Vitamin D Society supports the recommendations which were based on a thorough review of the scientific evidence of vitamin D health benefits and its role in disease prevention.

Woodstock, ON (PRWEB) August 29, 2013

The Vitamin D Society supports the recommendations from a new study written by primary care practitioners which encourages fellow family doctors to take responsibility and help eliminate vitamin D deficiency in their patients. The study was published in the Journal of Optometry and confirmed the current scientific evidence showing vitamin D’s positive health effect on cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, bone health, multiple sclerosis, obstetrics, infectious diseases and eye health. Vitamin D is an effective regulator of cell growth and interacts directly with 2.5% of the human genome or some 1,000 genes working like a master on-off switch.

Dr. Richer and Dr. Pizzimenti reported, "One full-body summer sun exposure (one MED) delivers 20,000 IU to the systemic circulation of Caucasians at southern latitudes. It takes 200 glasses of milk or 50 typical multivitamin tablets (400 IU) to do the same. The recommendations to completely avoid the sunlight and zealously and immediately apply UVB sunscreen appear particularly misplaced in an age of 24/7 urban indoor work, darkening US racial patterns, poly pharmacy, and low D3 intake afforded by the current 2010 RDA."

"As primary care practitioners, each of us comes in contact with thousands of patients per year. The authors believe it is our responsibility to promote "sensible sunlight" exposure, eye and skin protection along with vitamin D3 supplementation. It now remains the responsibility of practitioners, particularly those that practice in northern latitudes, to alert patients to the possibility of vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is easy to screen for and even easier to treat with "sensible sunlight recommendations" and vitamin D3 supplementation to achieve 25(OH)D vitamin D level of 50 ng/ml (125 nmol/L)."

"It’s very encouraging to see front line medical practitioners taking responsibility to ensure their patients are not vitamin D deficient said Perry Holman, executive director for the Vitamin D Society. The treatment for vitamin D deficiency is cheap, simple to access (sun or D3 supplement) and safe and should be implemented promptly in the full population to help prevent many serious diseases and reduce healthcare costs."

The study concluded, "The ball is in our court. Let us be a ray of light for our patients."

About the Vitamin D Society:

The Vitamin D Society is a Canadian non-profit group organized to: increase awareness of the many health conditions strongly linked to vitamin D deficiency; encourage people to be proactive in protecting their health and have their vitamin D levels tested annually; and help fund valuable vitamin D research. The Vitamin D Society recommends people of all ages achieve and maintain optimal 25(OH)D blood levels between 100 – 150 nmol/L (Can) or 40-60 ng/ml (USA).

For further information, please contact:

Perry Holman
Vitamin D Society
877-520-4867
pholman(at)vitamindsociety(dot)org
http://www.vitamindsociety.org

References:

1.    Richer SP, Pizzimenti JJ. The importance of vitamin D in systemic and ocular wellness. Journal of Optometry (2013) 6, 124-133