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Gluten and Its
Association With Illness
Vitamin D Importance
In Prevention and Treatment of Illness
Allergies & Sensitivities: LDA (Ultra Low
Dose Enzyme Activated Immunotherapy)
Post Traumatic Environmental Stress Disorder
Peace of
Mind: Holistic Approaches to Anxiety and ADD
Bipolar Disorder Can Be Treated With Medication
and Naturally
ALLERGY REDUCTION:
Improving Mood and Energy
Hidden Factors Behind Your
Persistent Illness
Adult
ADD:
To Medicate or Go Natural
Cancer
–
Finding Your Best Advisor
Overweight - The Risk and the Remedy
Loss
of Sexual Interest
Approaches in Helping Bipolar Sufferers
Help
for Panic and Anxiety Sufferer
Seasonal
Affective Disorder: The Winter Blues
Depression
Relief Speeds Health Recovery
Amino Acids
& Other Considerations in Depression Evaluation
Integrative Medicine & Psychiatry
Blood
Pressure -
A Wake up Call
Addictions
- Breaking the Cycle
Suboxone: For Opiate Dependence
(for Western North Carolina Residents Only)
Spirituality:
The Core of
Healing in Integrative Psychiatry
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Vitamin D Importance
In Prevention and Treatment of Illness
By Ronald R. Parks, MD
Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a number of
diseases including rickets and possibly osteoporosis. It has
also been found to be an important immune modulator --
beneficial in preventing certain illnesses: including viral
infections, alleviating some painful conditions as the pain
found in the neck and shoulder region, and in fibromyalgia.
There is evidence that there are some vitamin D responsive
autoimmune disorders by which there might be preventative or
treatment benefits in having adequate vitamin D levels: as in
multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis,
Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease.
Vitamin D levels can be checked by simple blood test and
vitamin D 25-hydroxy levels, which can be ordered by most
healthcare practitioners. There are many factors that
contribute to a low vitamin D level: including seasons,
temperature, less exposure to full spectrum light, being
indoors too much, being covered by clothing, sunscreens,
sunglasses, affected by latitude, race and pigmented skin,
being overweight, lack of physical activity -- especially
outside, or a digestive problems affecting absorption.
Dr. Parks commonly finds low vitamin D levels in many people
he tests; there is benefit in bringing levels up to between 40
and 60 NG/L, which improve -- when these low levels are
corrected -- overall immune status, resistance to infections
and some of the common complaints and symptoms related to
existing illness.
Gerry Schwalfenberg, M.D.'s recommendations (to reduce the
burden of disease in the world related to autoimmune disease)
is to have a minimal oral intake of vitamin D3 at latitude 30°
or higher as infants at 1000 to 1800 IU a day, adults 2000 to
2400 IU per day, 2000 IU a day in children 1 to 12 years, and
in all ages to have 25 hydroxy Vit. D blood levels in a range
between 40 to 60 NG/L. He notes that the risk benefit ratio is
infinite since these are within established no adverse effect
levels.
This review of vitamin D and prevention of auto immune disease
at the October 2009 AAEM meetings was by Gerry Schwalfenberg,
M.D. - Clinical Lectures - Faculty of Family Medicine
University of Alberta.
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