High levels of vitamin D are linked with lower risk of early death

Live Long

Dialysis patients and patients with cancer, hypertension, or diabetes all have been shown to have something in common: Those with the highest levels of vitamin D tend to live longer than those with the lowest D levels.

But what about the general population? Does the average Joe, free of serious health challenges, also reduce the risk of early death if vitamin D levels are high?

A Johns Hopkins team recently reviewed mortality rates among more than 13,000 adults who were given blood tests in the late 80s and early 90s. Their medical records were followed through 2000. Results: Those with the lowest vitamin D levels had higher rates of all-cause mortality compared to subjects with the highest D levels.

So – how much vitamin D intake do you actually need to make sure you land in that “highest level” group?

A lot can happen in a decade

Last year, in the e-Alert “Flying Lessons” (7/24/07), I told you about a widely reported study that found high D levels to be associated with reduced cancer risk. And dosage was one of the key topics addressed.

I noted that Dr. Michael Thun of the American Cancer Society told the Associated Press that we should stick with the lower recommended vitamin D dosage for now – 200 to 600 IU per day, depending on age. He added that 2,000 IU per day is considered dangerous, according to guidelines set in 1997.

Welcome to 2008, Dr. Thun.

HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., has stated that he would have no fear taking 2,000 IU of D3 daily. (D3 is the same form of the vitamin that’s produced in the skin after exposure to sunlight.)

And in the e-Alert “Sunny Side of the Street” (12/22/03), I told you about this recommendation from Jonathan V. Wright, M.D.: Between 1,600 and 2,000 IU of D3 daily, and as much as 4,000 IU for those over the age of 40.

Setting your level

Dr. Wright also recommends a consistent intake of dietary sources that contain vitamin D3, including salmon, sardines, and cod liver oil – in addition, of course, to moderate daily exposure to direct sunlight.

Stefan Glück, M.D., Ph.D., who is the director of a breast cancer institute at the University of Miami, notes that you can pick up about 12,000 IU of vitamin D with just 10 minutes of direct sunlight exposure.

Of course, sunlight is an unreliable D source for those who live in higher latitudes, especially during winter months. That’s one of the reasons why so many researchers are more inclined to recommend we aim high with supplementary D3 dosage.

Talk to your doctor before adding vitamin D3 supplements to your daily regimen.

Sources:
“25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and the risk of Mortality in the General Population” Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 168 No. 15, Aug 11/25, 2008, archinte.ama-assn.org
“Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation Reduces Cancer Risk: Results of a Randomized Trial” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 6, June 2007, ajcn.org
“The Urgent Need to Recommend an Intake of Vitamin D That is Effective” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 3, March 2007, ajcn.org