VITAMIN D SOCIETY PRESS RELEASE. IMPORTANT INFO FOR CANADIANS AND ALL OTHERS.

Friday, November 15, 2019

VITAMIN D SOCIETY PRESS RELEASE. IMPORTANT INFO FOR CANADIANS AND ALL OTHERS.

TORONTO, Ont – People around the world are losing 
their battle against vitamin D deficiency and more and more are becoming 
vitamin D deficient. It’s estimated that more than 1 billion people have 
low vitamin D levels in the world. This occurs because we are living, 
working, and spending more time indoors than ever before. We are now 
told to apply sunscreens every day, year round, which if applied 
properly prevents vitamin D production. Up to 90% of your vitamin D 
comes from sunlight. Without unprotected sun exposure (when the UV Index 
is above 3 and your shadow shorter than you are) we cannot make vitamin 
D naturally in our skin. Vitamin D levels drop rapidly as the sun 
becomes weaker in the autumn. This is why we celebrate World Vitamin D 
Day every November 2nd. We want to warn you that you are probably 
Vitamin D deficient or insufficient right now.  People need to take 
action to increase their vitamin D intake. It’s time to STOP vitamin D 
deficiency and take back your health!

This is the 10th year of celebrating World Vitamin D Day on November 2nd 
as part of Novembers Vitamin D Awareness month to highlight peoples 
plunging vitamin D levels. This is a day for you to evaluate your 
vitamin D intake and take action to prevent deficiency since outdoor 
sunlight is now too weak to make vitamin D naturally in your skin at 
latitudes above 37°. Optimal vitamin D is needed throughout the winter 
to protect your health. A new World Vitamin D Day website has been 
developed to help inform people on the importance of maintaining optimal 
vitamin D blood levels of between 100-150 nmol/L (40-60 ng/ml USA). 
Please consider sending out one of the new social media shareables to 
your friends, family and loved ones on your social network to help 
promote vitamin D health. Remember to include the special hashtag 
#WorldVitaminDDay.

Why does vitamin D matter? It matters because Vitamin D helps reduce 
your risk of cancers, autoimmune diseases, heart problems, strengthens 
your bones and muscles, and helps you live longer.

“Mortality is the most important clinical outcome. Maintaining optimal 
vitamin D blood levels of 100-150 nmol/L (40-60 ng/ml USA) may increase 
your life expectancy by 2 years.” Dr. William B. Grant

How does vitamin D do all that? Research has found that optimal vitamin 
D levels reduces your risk of many major diseases. Vitamin D controls 
the switches that guide cellular life in your body. Vitamin D tells your 
genes and DNA what to do.

To STOP Vitamin D Deficiency, adults will need a vitamin D intake of 
approximately 4,000 IU or 100 mcg a day to reach the optimal blood 
levels of vitamin D of between 100-150 nmol/L ( 40-60 ng/ml USA). 
According to Statistics Canada, 93% of Canadians do not meet this level 
and are therefore deficient.

To increase your vitamin D intake through the winter when sunshine is 
diminished and the UV index is below 3, consider using indoor sources 
such as UVB emitting sunbeds or sunlamps as a surrogate for summer 
sunshine. You can also try and eat more fatty fish in your diet such as 
salmon or take a daily D3 supplement of up to 4000 IU or 100 mcg/day 
(adults).

“Vitamin D made in the skin lasts at least twice as long in the blood as 
vitamin D ingested from the diet. When you are exposed to sunlight, you 
make not only vitamin D but also at least five and up to ten additional 
photoproducts that you would never get from dietary sources or from a 
supplement.” Dr. Michael F. Holick

To find out if you are vitamin D deficient ask your doctor for a 25(OH)D 
blood test. Another option is to purchase a vitamin D home test kit. 
Remember to always get your score and compare it with the level 
recommended by an expert panel of 48 vitamin D scientists and their 
consensus called D*action. It recommends that everyone, all ages, 
maintain a vitamin D blood level of between 100-150 nmol/L (40-60 ng/ml 
USA) for best overall health and wellness.

“Your personal health requires your guidance for disease prevention. Be 
proactive. Don’t wait until you have a disease only to discover that you 
may have prevented it with optimal vitamin D levels, says Perry Holman, 
Executive Director for the Vitamin D Society. “Please STOP vitamin D deficiency.”

For more information on World Vitamin D Day on November 2nd, visit our 
new website and help take action to STOP vitamin D deficiency.

We have developed a number of social media shareables and encourage you 
to help us communicate the vitamin D message to the world on November 
2nd using the hashtag #WorldVitaminDDay

About the Vitamin D Society:

The Vitamin D Society is a Canadian non-profit group organized to 
increase awareness of the many health conditions strongly linked to 
vitamin D deficiency; encourage people to be proactive in protecting 
their health and have their vitamin D levels tested annually; and help 
fund valuable vitamin D research. The Vitamin D Society recommends 
people achieve and maintain optimal 25(OH)D blood levels between 100 – 
150 nmol/L (Can) or 40-60 ng/ml (USA).

To learn more about vitamin D, please visit www.vitamindsociety.org