We just recently had a great article by Dr. Policano about the deficiencies to watch out for when on a raw vegan diet. But there is another very common deficiency that I was reminded of today when I read a news story.
This one is not at all related to just a raw vegan, vegan, or vegetarian diet. More and more it’s in the news that a deficiency in Vitamin D is becoming epidepic – no matter what your diet.
Gwyneth Paltrow was recently in the news telling her fans about her own deficiency in Vitamin D.
“My doctors tested my vitamin D levels which turned out to be the lowest thing they had ever seen — not a good thing,” she said earlier this month. At the same time she found out she is also suffering from osteopenia, a thinning of the bones.
Since vitamin D is a key ingredient in bone health, these two things are very related.
She goes on to say that she was prescribed high dose vitamin D and told to spend more time in the sun.
I think this is a great for her to use her ‘star power’ to help bring this to the public’s attention.
I can totally relate…
While having a free bone density test done, I found out I had osteopenia. I was shocked. I thought I was doing all the right things to prevent bone loss:
- I had exercised my whole life – outside and in the sun.
- I didn’t eat a diet high in acid forming foods which I had read many times was the real reason for calcium loss in our bones. (If we eat a diet that is very acid forming – animal products, sugar, all processed foods – the body will rob calcium from our bones to bring our acid/alkaline balance back to normal.)
I would have never thought to look for a vitamin D deficiency and I have Dr. Ritamarie to thank for finding out that I did. (note: I met Dr. Rita here at the Raw Divas. We have a great program developed by her and Tera)
I was doing a program she had that was all about balancing hormones. As a part of the program she suggested getting some lab tests done.
I came back very low in vitamin D and I started taking the higher doses she recommended.
I got amazing results taking vitamin D…
I’d been having some trouble with menopausal hormone issues and was looking into whether or not I wanted to start taking bio-identical hormones. I’d played around with them some but wasn’t getting any great results. That’s why I was taking her program.
To my amazement, soon after I started taking the extra vitamin D, I noticed a HUGE difference in how I felt. Many of the things I had attributed to declining progesterone and estrogen levels improved dramatically. Number one thing I noticed is I felt back to my old self. No more mood swings, feeling down at times. And I wasn’t having any hot flashes. I hadn’t had many, but now they were gone.
I felt more positive change than with any other supplement, diet change …I’d ever done before.
Just goes to show that when you find the exact, correct underlying cause – you can get really big changes and fast!
Some more interesting facts about vitamin D –
- It is actually a hormone – no wonder it helped my ‘hormone’ issues
- It affects every major organ and organ system in the body
- Beside bone disorders, it’s found to be a factor in cancers, diabetes, kidney and liver disorders, and more.
One warning: It’s considered a fat soluble vitamin which are the ones we need to be sure we don’t overdo. That’s why it’s important to get tested.
- First, to see how low you are in the first place, which will determine how much to take.
- Secondly, to get re-tested in a few months so you know when to reduce the amount you are taking.
This is where a good, nutritionally oriented doctor, naturopath or nutritionist can help.
If you’d like more information, Mike Adams came out with a great story on this and he also has many links at the bottom of his article for other news on the subject.
And lastly, I’d like to pose a question of the day. The more we share our experiences, the more we help each other. So, my question is – what experience have you had with finding out an exact deficiency and how did it help?
Xoxoxo Lyn