Is Vitamin D For Me?

Of the vitamins that are needed by the body for any number of physiological processes, vitamin D, also known as cholecalciferol, has generated a lot of buzz lately. As a chiropractor who utilizes blood testing and phlebotomy to assess and diagnose musculoskeletal pain, vitamin D, and testing for serum levels of this vitamin, is a topic that is of particular importance. 

Cholecalciferol is a fat-soluable substance, meaning that it is stored within the adipose tissue or fat, and has many uses within the human body, most notably in the development and strengthening of adolescent bones. Dietary vitamin D is provided primarily by foods of animal origin, especially beef, veal, liver, eggs and in dairy products. 

Most famously, however, vitamin D is synthesized through exposure to sunlight and UV rays. A form of cholesterol is stored within glands in the skin and when UV rays are exposed to that reservoir, a previtamin to active vitamin D is created. A few days following that process, active vitamin D is produced. The process by which vitamin D is created through supplemental or dietary process differs from the sunlight exposure route, but by far and away the predominant way that humans obtain vitamin D is through UV exposure. 

For you, the patient, speaking generally, baseline levels of vitamin D should be between 30-50 ng/dl, with optimal levels above 50 ng/dl. Suboptimal levels of this essential nutrient can manifest in many different illnesses and conditions, but often times can be linked with generalized musculoskeletal pain. Additionally, a review article in the New England Journal of Medicine, noted that "observational studies in large cohorts have shown significant associations between low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and an increased risk of metabolic, neoplastic and immune disorders such as type 1 diabetes mellitus and multiple sclerosis."

In order to optimize levels of vitamin D to combat the aforementioned conditions, you have to ensure the quality of the product. Unfortunately, vitamin D content in over-the-counter supplements is both low and unpredictable. A study presented at the meeting of the Joint Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers noted, "the mean vitamin D content from 10 OTC brands was only 33% of what the label claimed, with the actual content ranging from less than 1% to 82% of the advertised level." 

At RASC Rockford, we use two forms of vitamin D, one in tablet form and one in liquid drop form. Both are quality controlled and have had wonderful success in increasing the vitamin D levels in all patients. 

Vitamin D & Muscle Pain

As a Chiropractor people often ask me about back, neck and joint pain and how they can help to relieve their symptoms. Fortunately and unfortunately, the majority of back pain can attributed to incorrect biomechanics and physiology issues that can be corrected. The unfortunate part of that statement is that people are often deficient in the common vitamins and nutrients that can go a long way in relieving musculoskeletal pain.

Living in the Northern Hemisphere, as far North as the Rockford region, we experience a strange season that lasts approximately 6 months termed winter. During this time we experience a shortage of sunlight, and often times a Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamins come in many forms and the primary form of Vitamin D that body uses in it's multitude of functions is D3 - termed Cholecalciferol. Approximately 80-90% of the Vitamin D used in the body comes from a hormone located in the skin that when combined with UV light from the sun forms Vitamin D3.

The lack of adequate sunlight, when combined with diets deficient in Vitamin D and hidden diseases can result in Vitamin D deficiencies. One of the most common complaints of patients deficient in Vitamin D is joint and muscle pain, better known as the conditions that Chiropractors most often treat.

So, it would seem that supplementing with Vitamin D would be a smart choice right? But then the question of which Vitamin D supplement should I take arises and we all know that there is no shortage of options. Unfortunately, the Food & Drug Administration does not regulate vitamins or supplements so who knows if what you're buying is actually effective in providing the correct amounts. In fact, a study conducted by the Consortium of Multiple Sclerois Centers found that "The mean vitamin D content from 10 OTC brands was only 33% of what the label claimed, with the actual content ranging from less than 1% to 82% of the advertised level....The labeled doses ranged from 400 IU to 10,000 IU, but the mean actual dose was only 33.5% of the labeled dose, with a range from 0.24% to 81.7%. Lower-dose products tended to be closer to their labeled dose than higher-dose products, with the three 400-IU products averaging 51.5%, the two 1000-IU products averaging 34%, and the three 10,000-IU products averaging 29.9%. On the other hand, the single worst sample -- the one with only 0.24% of what it claimed -- was a 400-IU sample."

The vitamins utilized at Rehabilitation & Spinal Care of Rockford SC are from USANA and were chosen because they guarantee the quality of their product, so much so that they willing submitted to rigorous FDA policy to obtain a "Drug Establishment Registration," holding it to a standard well above most traditional nutritional supplementation companies.