A growing body of evidence indicates that most Americans are suffering from a Vitamin D3 defficiency.

If the nation was suffering from vitamin C deficiency and millions of people were getting sick and dying from scurvy, the cure would be cheap vitamin C supplements. The cure for D3 deficiency is cheap, too. Yet, we spend billions to treat the sicknesses caused by it.

Benefits
The benefit to taking Vitamin D3 would be an across-the-board reduction in a slew of health risks.

These include 17 varieties of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, congestive heart failure, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, chronic inflammation, pneumonia, influenza, and a host of other diseases. Possibly including Seasonal Affective Disorder. Or SAD.

D3 not a cure-all
D3 supplements "cure" only one thing: D3 deficiency. But D3, or cholecalciferol (pronounced cola-cal-siff-er-all), is not a vitamin at all, but a fat-soluble hormone that affects so many systems that a deficiency increases sickness and death from many causes.

Where can we get D3?
Sunshine is the most natural source, but most of us spend all day inside. And there are few good food sources. Cod liver oil has a lot of it, salmon, especially sockeye, and smelt have some, but supplements are the most reliable source.

For many of us, going to the tribal clinic is impractical. So where else can you get it? Many grocery stores carry D3 in their supplement section, health food stores carry it and there are several reliable sources online that carry it.

Dosage
For optimal health, adults need 5,000 to 8,000 IU of vitamin D3 each day. For children, Dr. John Cannell, of The Vitamin D Council, recommends that "parents supplement breast-fed infants with at least 800 IU of vitamin D daily, while formula-fed infants need 400 IU per day. And the Food and Nutrition Board recommendations state doses up to 2,000 IU per day are safe for children over the age of one."

Important note about vitamin A
Vitamins A & D are often combined. The problem is that these usually contain too much Vitamin A. The proper proportions are between 3 and 4 times as much vitamin D3 as vitamin A.

Who should Not take D3?
Vitamin D3 supplementation is not recommended for individuals with hypercalcemia (high blood calcium levels). And people with kidney disease, certain medical conditions (such as hyperparathyroidism or sarcoidosis), and those who use cardiac glycosides (digoxin) or thiazide diuretics should consult a physician before taking vitamin D3.

See your doctor
If you have any questions or doubts, consult with your doctor. If you have never been to your local tribal clinic, now might be the time to make an appointment. Remember, if you have health insurance through work, your local tribal clinic can bill it, and that will help extend their limited federal funding.

Untsa Uq'n Naway

I see you.