Vitamin D & Fibroids

I mentioned in another post how vital Vitamin D is in our diets. Vitamin D allows our bodies to maintain proper levels of calcium and phosphorus and aids in the absorption of calcium.

Some of the symptoms and/or diseases that Vitamin D deficiencies can lead to include:

• Cystic Fibrosis 
• Psoriasis
• Muscle Weakness
• Schizophrenia and Depression
• Cancer
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Periodontal disease
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Fibroids (inconclusive but studies are showing a link!...more on that in a minute)

If you suspect you have a deficiency, consult your doctor and get tested (and ask for the 25-hydroxy-  vitamin D).

Our bodies are able to produce Vitamin D through exposure to sunlight and people with fairer skin can get enough exposure from just 10 minutes in the sun. However, people with more melanin do not absorb it as readily (possibly needing up to 6 times more exposure) as others and need to get it from other sources, including a Vitamin D supplement. 
The government's dietary recommendations are 200 IUs a day up to age 50, 400 IUs to age 70, and 600 IUs over 70. But many experts believe that these recommendations are far too low to maintain healthful vitamin D levels. They advocate for supplementation in the winter of about 2,000 IUs per day and a dose of daily sunshine in the summer.  2,000 IUs is actually what my doctor (Endocrinologist) prescribed.

Oh and by the way, they say the sunlight you get from driving in your car does not count, as the UV rays that allow our cells to produce Vitamin D are filtered out by the windows :-(

Here are some food sources that contain Vitamin D:

• Fish (Tuna/Sardines)
• Egg yolk
• Beef liver <= YUMMY!
• Cod liver oil
• Mushrooms

As I mentioned earlier, there have been studies that link Fibroids to Vitamin D deficiencies.
According to the National Institutes of Health, a study found that women who had sufficient amounts of vitamin D were 32 percent less likely to develop fibroids than women with insufficient vitamin D. Interestingly enough, Vitamin D was shown to shrink Fibroids in Rats!

I do know that when I started taking Vitamin D my energy levels improved tremendously and my mood swings were not as prevalent.

Have you had any experiences with Vitamin D?