Have You Had Your Vitamin D Level Checked?

 I recently had my vitamin D level checked and it came back at 16 ng/ml, which is ridiculously low!  The last time I had it checked in 2011, it was 38 ng/ml.  At that time, the doctor told me that I needed to increase it to 50 ng/ml.  I listened but only for a minute.  I could not find a supplement that I thought was safe for my mast cell crazy body.  There was always something I didn’t like about each brand but in reality, I’m just always nervous to consume something new.  Countless trips to the ER in an anaphylactic state are enough to make anyone skittish! However, not listening to the doctor dropped the number in more than half.  Now I’m listening!

What is Vitamin D?

It is the Sunshine Vitamin, of course! Actually, it is a hormone that our body makes on its own when exposed to ultraviolet B which is produced by the sun.  Vitamin D is considered a steroid hormone although referred to as a vitamin. You may have heard it called the sun hormone or sun vitamin. Because it is absorbed and then converted, it is unique in comparison with other vitamins that we absorb directly from foods and use immediately.  Vitamin D is definitely a bit more complicated as a chemical process must take place for our bodies to use it.  Research is uncovering the importance of this vitamin/hormone as every cell in our body needs it.

Why Do We Need Vitamin D?

The steam train is rolling on the importance of Vitamin D and research is coming out left and right with studies and results to support the evidence that it is critical in keeping the body strong and minimizing disease risk.  Some of their amazing super hero fighting properties include:

• Immune system stability
• Allergy reduction
• Cancer prevention
• Maintaining healthy lungs and healthy heart
• Bone and muscle health (we need vitamin D to absorb calcium and phosphorus)
• Asthma prevention
• Type I and II diabetes prevention
• High blood pressure stability
• Depression fighter
• Alzheimer prevention
• Multiple sclerosis prevention
• Chrohns and Irritable Bowel Syndrome prevention
• Rickets prevention
• Weight control
• Helps with COPD
• Warts
• Glaucoma
• Lowers inflammation
• Improves autism symptoms
• Regulates sleep patterns
• Anemia prevention
• Reduces IgE

The Journal of Immunology states Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to allergic disease and increased risk for development and severity of allergic disease.  As a mast cell activation patient, this is enough to raise my eyebrow.  If you are interested in some of the research discussing health conditions, the Vitamin D Council provide a Health Conditions list.

The American academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) is researching the link between vitamin D deficiency and the prevalence of food allergy.  Now this is interesting as food allergies have increased significantly over the past 20 years and so has vitamin D deficiency.  In fact, the AAAAI states that in an Australian study, infants with low vitamin D were more likely to have egg or peanut allergy and were more likely to have multiple allergies compared to infants with normal vitamin D levels.  One U.S. study identified regional difference in EpiPen prescriptions in.  The most EpiPen prescriptions in the nation were filled in northeastern states while the southwest refilled the fewest prescriptions.  There was also a significant increase of prescriptions filled in Australia as it is at higher latitude and farther away from the equator.  The message is the farther away from the equator, the lower the vitamin D levels, the more prescriptions filled.  Um! Interesting! I live in the Great Lakes Region which is cloudy half the year and I sit inside all day at a desk meaning minimal sunshine.

How Do We Obtain Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is naturally obtained when bare skin absorbs ultraviolet B rays.   The sun has been deemed the enemy over the last several years because of skin cancer scares.  And, it is very scary.  Most of us probably know somebody has dealt with skin cancer and the sunscreen companies are riding this train warning us not to go out unprotected however sunscreen blocks the absorption of vitamin D.  We need the sun to kiss our bare skin but we need to do so cautiously.  It was recommended to me to allow the sun to touch my bare skin 20 minutes a day and then seek protection including wearing a hat.  Where we live and the tone of our skin all have an impact on how we absorb vitamin D. 

The easiest way to increase levels aside from the sun is vitamin D3 supplements.  Vitamin D3 is the best form of supplement as it more readily absorbed and used by the body.  Supplements come in pill, capsule or liquid and include several brands with a few being Natures Answer Vitamin D3 Drops, Optimal Vitamin D3 Liquid, Carlson Labs Vitamin D3, Nordic Naturals Vitamin D3. 

It is very difficult to obtain an adequate amount through food.  In fact, nearly impossible because it only occurs in a small number of edibles including some oily fish (salmon, tuna and sardines), liver, egg yolks and fortified dairy and grain products.  You’ll notice that it is in four of the most allergic or histamine producing foods on the planet!  Many mast cell patients cannot eat the foods that contain this much needed hormone.

I also fall into the malabsorption category meaning I don’t absorb supplements very well plus as stated before I’m horrible at consuming new things so I purchased a Sperti Vitamin D lamp Model D/UV-F (FDA recognized).  Hopefully, it works because the thing was horribly expensive ($440).  It is recommended by the Vitamin D Council for people that cannot absorb natural rays every day and that have malabsorption issues.  I emailed them to confirm but will not know until I have another test done.  I do spend time outside during the summer months and supplement with the Sperti but now that we are into October, I will begin doing a session first thing in the morning and then again at night.  Fingers crossed and prayers up above!  This level needs to rise!  So stay tuned! I will provide follow up results.

The Vitamin D Council provided this chart comparing different organizational guidelines.  For MCAS patients, I believe we should aim for 50ng/ml or higher however 80 – 100 is ideal. 

Vitamin D 25(OH)D range guidelines from various organizations:
	Vitamin D Council	Endocrine Society	Food and Nutrition Board	Testing Laboratories
Deficient	0-30 ng/ml	0-20 ng/ml	0-11 ng/ml	0-31 ng/ml
Insufficient	31-39 ng/ml	21-29 ng/ml	12-20 ng/ml
Sufficient	40-80 ng/ml	30-100 ng/ml	>20 ng/ml	32-100 ng/ml
Toxic	>150 ng/ml

 

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/what-is-vitamin-d/

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/testing-for-vitamin-d/

http://www.jimmunol.org/content/194/1_Supplement/123.12

http://drgominak.com/vitamin-d-hormone.html

http://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/allergy-library/vitamin-d-food-allergy.aspx

https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health-conditions/anaphylaxis/

http://www.sperti.com/The-Vitamin-D-Lamp-model-D-UV-F-by-KBD-Sperti-p/vitamin-d-lamp-duvf.htm

 

 

Breaking My Addiction - Diet Soda Sucks!!!!

It seriously sucks….the life right out of us!  I say that as I’m sitting here watching people mindlessly consume enough of the stuff to create can pyramids or possibly fund their children’s education with the returnable can credit.  The companies that make this stuff are experts in the art of branding.  Not only is the sweet taste a draw but these cans and bottles are fun and very cool to look at!  After all, we can find our names on some of them!  All colorful and enticing! But, instead I’ll take another swig of my green smoothie (which is actually super tasty) and keep typing about how diet soda sucks even though I want one, right now!

The truth is that I’m on week three of no diet soda and I’m starting to forget that I really loved it.  The cravings have diminished and it is just a fleeting thought at this point.  I tried quitting some time ago but failed.  Not epically but I did fall off the wagon a few times.  I have been attempting to wean off from it for a while because I believe it is possibly one of the biggest health sabotagers out there and we consume it by the gallons here in the United States.  I find that if I drink one diet soda, I’m probably going to add a few more before the day is over.  It’s so weird! It’s like a bag of potato chips. I cannot drink just one.  If I get a fountain pop, I’ll only get one in a day or maybe a week but it is the 64 oz. big daddy.  I cringe at the thought of how many individual sodas are actually in that one 64 oz. cup.  And for those of us that keep diet soda in the fridge, there are a lot of kids out there drinking this stuff because it’s there and available.  They don’t even give it a second thought.  Grab and go!  I’m thinking this is a really bad idea!!!!!  Actually, I believe all soda is bad for you but diet is the worst.  My son has not had a soda in five years.  He is 18 so he has gone the majority of his teenager’s years soda-free all because his football coach told him in 8^th grade it was bad and they should not drink it.  So he hasn’t.  Wish I was smarter than an 8^th grader!!!!

There is mountains of research being done about diet soda and it appears to be a very controversial subject with organizations stepping up to the plate and stating what they believe to be true while others, some very reputable, that do not want to touch the subject with a ten foot pole until there is hard and fast scientific evidence that it is detrimental to our health.  This means it is up to each of us to make our own decisions as to if we should drink or not drink.  I am going out on a limb here and giving you my full personal opinion and some opinions of sources listed below.  You can make your own decision on whether you choose to partake or not.  So let’s take a look at what is be discussed as potential hazards. 

First and foremost, you are swallowing a beverage that contains absolutely no nutritional value BUT may contain sucralose (600 times sweeter than sugar), acesulfame K (up to 200 times sweeter than sugar and may cause tumors and brain damage) or aspartame(200 times sweeter than sugar), caffeine, phosphoric acid (enamel destroying and calcium depleting), preservatives and artificial colorings such as potassium benzoate (mold prevention for longer shelf life), and up to nine artificial colors (caramel color is a carcinogen).   

Research indicates diet soda:

Dehydrates Us –

Soda has caffeine which is a diuretic.  Diet soda contains sodium which makes us thirsty.  So we are drinking a nutritionally void beverage that dehydrates us and makes us thirstier than we were before drinking anything at all.  Have you noticed this?  I have! I’m so thirsty after drinking a diet pop!

Dental Health –

Here is something CRAZY???? Health.com reported that according to a study published in the journal General Dentistry, the level of tooth erosion in mouths of cocaine-users, methamphetamine-users and habitual diet-soda drinkers is the same!!!! The cause is the citric acid in the soda.  It weakens and destroys enamel over time.  Now, of course we have all heard the commercials where lemon or citrus based fruits can do this too.  However we don’t tend to consume those healthy fruits in the quantities that we consume soda so the results from them are not as severe AND those fruits provide a benefit to our bodies in other ways so in moderation they are acceptable.

Migraine Headaches –

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame alter brain chemicals, nerve signals and are thought to be a major contributor to migraine headaches.  Anecdotal evidence is showing a decrease in migraines when people stop consuming artificial sweeteners. 

Fat Storage and/or Weight Gain or Plateau –

Diet soda is believed to have a negative impact on the hormone system and with wacky hormones comes extra weight gain and storage that is near impossible to lose.  I know! I’m in this cycle as I type.  It also may have an impact on the friendly gut bacteria due to the highly acidic makeup.  Another thought is that it fools the brain and gut into a hyper-sensitive sweet mode where it basically turns on the craving receptors and confuses the appetite-regulating hormone leptin after consuming one soda.  The rest of the day, we are jonesing for more sweetness.  I’m actually hungrier after drinking a diet soda than if I were to skip it and consume nothing at all.

Decreased kidney function –

The National Kidney Foundation states drinking two or more diet sodas a day drops the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GLR) which is a kidney function indicator.  In women that drink diet soda, the GLR decreases three times as fast.  This same connection was not found in regular soda drinkers.  This is serious business because kidney disease is a huge problem in the U.S.  It’s bad, bad news when they start to fail.

Weakening of the bones –

Phosphoric acid leaches calcium from bones and decreases bone mineral density.  Add in the caffeine that causes reduced calcium absorption and we see an increasing risk of fractures particularly in the hip. 

 Type 2 Diabetes –

A University of Minnesota study indicates that drinking one soda a day was associated with a 36% increased risk of metabolic syndrome that put people at risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.  The American Diabetes Association specifically states, “Although these observational data cannot establish causality, consumption of diet soda at least daily was associated with significantly greater risks of select incident metabolic syndrome components and type 2 diabetes.”

Tipsy/Drunk Faster –

Now don’t use this as an excuse to drink diet soda!!!!!  According to a study from Northern Kentucky University, participants who consumed cocktails mixed with diet drinks had a higher breath alcohol concertation that those that blended with a sugary beverage.  Researchers believe the bloodstream absorbs artificial sweetener more quickly than sugar.  And here I thought I was doing myself a favor drinking my vodka with diet.  Oops!  I believe there are some diet programs that encourage alcohol with diet soda to keep the calories down.  Yikes!!!!!

Allergic Reactions –

People can be allergic to the chemicals in diet soda.  I was told not to drink it because people react negatively to the potassium benzoate.  In fact, my allergist stated that many people are not actually allergic to the chemical but it produces an allergic reaction “sometimes” in people and other times it does not.  This has happened to me on a few occasions.  Obviously, it is a drop in my histamine bucket.  It can also cause respiratory and gastrointestinal problems.

There are all kinds of speculation out there regarding diet soda causing MS, lupus, cancer, liver damage, acting as a neurotoxin, depression, heart disease, etc.  Whether these claims are true or not, I think it is time to take notice.  So, I believe it is time for my love affair with diet soda to come to an end.  We must part ways! Travel different roads! Find new lovers for we shall no longer be together!  Goodbye diet soda! May your dirty truths be exposed and may our world becomes wiser and put down the can! 

Random Resources

8 Things That Happen When You Finally Stop Drinking Diet Soda June 5, 2015 Jordan Davidson http://www.prevention.com/health/effects-diet-soda

Study Suggests Diet Soda May Lead To Belly Fat. Critics Aren't So Sure.  March 17, 2015 Alice G. Walton http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/03/17/is-there-really-a-link-between-diet-soda-and-belly-fat/ 

Diet Soda – How Healthy Is It? https://www.womentowomen.com/healthy-weight/diet-soda/ http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20739512_last,00.html

10 Reasons to Give up Diet Soda http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/what-diet-coke-your-body-6191713

This is what Diet Coke does to your body in just one hour August 2015 Jasper Hamill

Diet Soda Intake and Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/4/688.full ^* Jennifer A. Nettleton, PHD1, Pamela L. Lutsey, PHD2, Youfa Wang, MD, PHD3, João A. Lima, PHD4, Erin D. Michos, MD4 and David R. Jacobs, Jr., PHD2,5

Say No To That Diet Soda - National Kidney Foundation https://www.kidney.org/

The Nutrition of Diet Soda http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of-diet-soda.html

Anti-Angiogenesis, Inflammation, Cancer, and Mast Cells

I’ve been researching the food and cancer connection and also the cancer and mast cell connection.  This is interesting stuff to say the least.  So back in March, I took a 23andme test and found out that I’m at high risk for several types of cancer.  I also have mast cell activation syndrome.  Mast cell issues are nasty in and of themselves and mast cell leukemia is a rare possibility for some.  Of course my results set me on the path of trying to find out how to control or prevent both of these devils and it appears that our diets are finding their way to the top of the list. 

I follow Yasmina Ykelenstam, Low Histamine Chef, and Robyn Openshaw, GreenSmoothieGirl, and they both speak a lot about high-nutrient diets and disease reduction.  Yasmina’s discussions indicate that some of her favorite foods may not be on the low histamine list however the nutrient content is beneficial enough to make them a staple food basically because they are antihistamine and anti-inflammatory.  Robyn has been doing in-depth research to connect healthy eating with lower cancer incidences.  Taking some time to read their discoveries is definitely worthwhile.  So, I caught this episode of Ted Talks about Anti-Angiogenesis, Using Food to Starve Cancer and Fight Obesity.  The speaker Dr. William Li discusses the concept of angiogenesis and how certain foods contribute to this.  If you have a few minutes, watch this interesting video http://laughingsquid.com/exploring-anti-angiogenesis-using-food-to-starve-cancer-and-fight-obesity/ and give some thought to how this concept may assist with other inflammatory disease.  Below,  is a list of dietary sources of naturally occurring antiangiogenic substance provided by www.angio.org.  You’ll note that some of the foods appear on a high histamine or histamine inducing list but think about the possibility of being able to get the body stable and then add some of these anti-inflammatory foods back into the diet to fight inflammation which is associated with mast cell related diseases and cancer.  How awesome could this be!  Just some food for thought!