VITAMIN D AND STRONG TEETH
Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin,” could extend the life and health of your teeth and bones and help prevent cancer!
Vitamin D deficiency is now considered as an epidemic, with 1 billion people worldwide estimated as vitamin D deficient or insufficient.
People are aware of calcium’s role in strong bones and teeth, but Vitamin D is imperative in the regulation of that calcium. The calcium that is present in bones and teeth is constantly in a state of movement. If levels are low, the calcium gets reabsorbed into the bloodstream and it goes back into the teeth and bones when levels are higher. When Vitamin D levels are low, no amount of calcium will go into bones or teeth and the net effect a loss of calcium from these strong structures. The result can be osteoporosis, periodontal disease and….weak teeth. All from Vitamin D deficiency!
Some studies have shown that dental decay is most common in the late winter and early spring when vitamin D levels are likely to be at their lowest.
WHAT IS THE LINK BETWEEN VITAMIN D AND DENTAL DECAY?
Enamel is the most mineralized substance in the human body. It is made mostly of calcium and phosphate. Vitamin D is important for increasing the absorption of calcium and phosphate from the food you eat. Increasing the absorption of calcium and phosphate can improve the strength of your teeth and increase their ability to fight demineralization from oral bacteria. Vitamin D also increases the amount of good antimicrobial proteins which can destroy the bacteria that causes tooth decay.
THE BEST SOURCE OF VITAMIN D
Exposing your skin to sunlight is the best way to get vitamin D. As a general guideline, getting about 15 to 20 minutes of sun exposure a day, with at least 40 percent of your skin exposed, will boost vitamin D levels.
Another option is taking a high-quality vitamin D supplement. The most important thing to keep in mind if you opt for an oral supplement is to use natural vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) only. The current recommended vitamin D dosage in 600IU’s per day for adults up to 70 years old and 800IU’s per day for those over 70.
Vitamin D can be found in egg yolks, liver, fatty fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel and fortified milk.
VITAMIN D AND CANCER
Vitamin D deficiency is pandemic in the United States, but many Americans are not aware that they may be lacking this important nutrient. A large-scale study on vitamin D and cancer showed that vitamin D can cut overall cancer risk by as much as 60 percent. This was such groundbreaking news that the Canadian Cancer Society has begun endorsing the vitamin as a cancer-prevention therapy.
Vitamin D has a protective effect against cancer in several ways, including:
- Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells ( which if allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer)
- Reducing the spread and production of cancer cells
- Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often lack differentiation)
- Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous
