Vitamin D Deficiency: Lupus and Other Health Conditions
Lupus made head lines with Michael Jackson’s death, but now it has made a more positive appearance. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to lupus, so now people can have a better defense against lupus diagnosis with more knowledge.
Those who have lupus and those who are genetically predisposed to having lupus, like family members of a person with lupus, can benefit from taking vitamin D supplements, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation states.
Their release stated that “low levels of vitamin D correlated with increased autoantibodies — proteins that attack the body’s own tissue.”
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements in the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D deficiency can also cause rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, which can cause weak bones and muscles.
Low levels of vitamin D can also cause “heart disease, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, hypertension, arthritis, depression, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, PMS, Crohns Disease, cancer, MS and other autoimmune diseases,” according to an article on www.fightingfatigue.org.
I have personally been told and have read books stating that depression can be improved by taking vitamin D supplements. Apparently, vitamin D deficiency can cause so many other problems. Thankfully, most can be alleviated by getting the proper nutrients and treatment.
Two articles from Private MD News suggested that vitamin D deficiency could also cause Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and is linked to multiple sclerosis. In the case of dementia, there is a “link between vitamin D and various forms of cardiovascular disease and the link between cardiovascular disease and dementia,” according to the Web site. However, there has been no real investigation of a link between vitamin D deficiency and dementia, according to the article.
I have definitely seen this possible link all over health news. On the New York Times Web site, there was an article in February that sited a study from Cambridge University in England that suggested the low vitamin D levels could be linked to dementia.
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Add a Comment3 Comments
Vitamin D is soooo important, and its the only vitmain we can make in our bodies, but i think thats why we take it for granted. We simply don't/can't get enough UVB from the sun on a daily basis, plus theres the risk of skin cancer, which is why i believe so strongly in supplementing. I found a good liquid multi that has 1000 IU of d at http://rwigham.vemma.com/vemma/
September 3, 2009 - 12:30pmThis Comment
I'm a lupus patient, a marathoner, and spend a lot of time outdoors in spite of the fact that sun exposure can trigger another lupus flare up. I can't take too many supplements because they upset my stomach, and I'm lactose intolerant. So, my only choice is sun exposure.
Besides, I'd rather that than a pill or yet another multi-purpose supplement, any day. It's great if you can find something that works for you!
September 3, 2009 - 4:35pmIs vitamin D the new wonder drug?! I worry living so fa north that lack of sunlight during the winter monts could be such a major factor for health. On the topic of lupsus, I also receive a newsletter from Women to Women and this last one was about lupus and menopause -- how controlling the symptoms for one can help te other. f you are anywhere past your mid 30s dealing with RA or lupus, it's a good read!!! Lessons from lupus — what an inflammatory disease can teach us about menopause (and vice versa!)
September 28, 2009 - 8:30pm