Lately I’ve been reading from different American reports that many people are taking too much Vitamin D and this can lead to heart and kidney diseases, even some form of cancer?? They fail to mention that the study was not a controlled experiment designed to examine the risks and benefits of Vitamin D and that their math was not accurate in calculating the amount needed per day for optimum serum levels. Serum concentration for bone health should be at 20ng/ml but this isn’t enough for overall health where 40-60ng/ml would be closer to the appropriate levels. This represents around 7000IU of Vitamin D per day. Caution as this isn’t the whole story!!!
Vitamin D absorption is dependent on calcium, magnesium and vitamin K levels. Taking too much Vitamin D may cause calcium deposits in the heart and kidneys. Improper balance between these four nutrients is the reason behind Vitamin D toxicity. Vitamin D toxicity isn’t because there’s too much Vitamin D, but it’s due to Vitamin K deficiency. Vitamin K2 keeps calcium in the proper place and a lack of Vitamin K2 when taking Vitamin D causes kidney stones and heart issues. For every 1000IU of Vitamin D, it is necessary to take 100-150mcg if Vitamin K2.
Secondly, calcium and magnesium must also be in balance to keep calcium in the cells (as oppose to deposited in tissues causing a host of issues such as osteoarthritis, kidney stones, cataracts, tartar). The ratio should be 1:1 between these two nutrients but our diet is closer to 3.5:1. Taking a calcium supplement alone may very well cause more issues without you knowing it.
Vitamin D is key as part of your cancer prevention program and for the last 30 years we’ve been told to stay out of the sun but this may very well be causing more harm than protection against skin cancer. I am not saying to burn and over expose yourself to the sun but going the other way is also causing problems.
When taking supplements, not all forms of supplements are equal in their efficacy and you must know how to take them in order to get the benefits you are looking to achieve. For more information on supplementation, please contact me at mjbrown@ascendnl.com