Vit D deficiency is associated with 17 types of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, autoimmune disease, chronic pain, osteoporosis, asthma, and more recently autism. Studies show that 30-50% of Americans suffer from Vitamin D deficiency.
Go out in the sun!
Our immediate primary source of Vitamin D is sunlight. Sun exposure is an easy, reliable way for most people to get Vitamin D. Exposure of the hands, face, arms, and legs to sunlight two to three times a week will cause the skin to produce enough vitamin D (the necessary exposure time varies with age, skin type, season, time of day, etc.) But what happens if you do this and are still low on Vit D?
Nurture your Liver
Vaidya Mishra explains that getting vitamin D through sunlight has become problematic because UVB is absorbed through the skin, and the liver and kidneys play a major role in transforming UVB to vitamin D.
In this day and age, due to:
1. Toxic diets: toxins in the food in the form of additives such as preservatives, flavorings, or processed ingredients, artificial colors, flavors, scents, etc.
2. Daily Stress: daily unreleased physical, mental and emotional stress that accumulates over long periods of time
3. Toxic Personal Care Products: toxins in personal care products we use daily such as – facial creams, make-up, oral and hair care products; as well as the chemicals in the water we drink and shower in; all these add put an extra load on the liver.
The liver is the organ that has to deal with all kinds of toxins that enter the body either orally or transdermally. Emotional and mental stress also produces acidic toxins in the body that end up being stored in the liver in order to be processed and discarded. This puts undue pressure on the liver, specially when a good diet is not maintained, causing the intelligence of the liver to be compromised, so it is not able to fulfill its key function in transforming UVB into Vit D. That’s why even though people may eat Vit D rich in foods (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc), or take large doses of Vit D supplements, and get enough sunlight on a daily basis, their Vit D levels may remain clinically low.
You need Vit D for Calcium, and Calcium for Strong Bones
Vitamin D has many important functions, most prominent of which is the absorption of calcium. Scientists confirm that calcium deficiency in the physiology is correlated to low levels of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is required for the regulation of the minerals calcium and phosphorus found in the body. Our bodies need vitamin D in order to absorb calcium from the intestines.
Ultraviolet light (from sunlight) helps our skin cells convert vitamin D from an inactive into an active state. If we do not have enough vitamin D, calcium that we get from the food we eat is not absorbed properly, causing hypocalcemia (lower-than-normal blood calcium) to develop. Hypocalcemia results in deformities of bones and teeth, as well as neuromuscular problems.
How is calcium related to Vit D and what diseases can result from lack of calcium?
When calcium is low in the body and de-mineralization or inadequate mineralization of the bone occurs, then one can have Osteomalacia. Osteomalacia is the softening of the bones caused by defective bone mineralization. This can also happen due to insufficient amounts of phosphorus and calcium. Or it can happen because of the overactive resorption of calcium from the bone as a result of hyperparathyroidism. Osteomalacia in children is known as rickets, and because of this, the use of the term osteomalacia is often restricted to the milder, adult form of the disease. It may show signs as diffuse body pains, muscle weakness, and fragility of the bones. The most common cause of the disease is a deficiency in vitamin D, which is normally obtained from the diet and/or from sunlight exposure.
Many of the effects of the Osteomalacia disease overlap with the more common osteoporosis, but the two diseases are significantly different. There are two main causes of osteomalcacia: (1) insufficient calcium absorption from the intestine because of lack of dietary calcium or a deficiency of or resistance to the action of vitamin D; and (2) Phosphate deficiency caused by increased renal losses.
With SV Ayurveda protocols, you can approach the Vit D insufficiency from a holistic point of view.
A balanced diet with a timely consumption of daily meals and snacks is necessary to improve overall health and the health of the organs and organ systems that can restore optimal levels of Vit D in your body.
Vaidya Mishra favors the safe and effective transdermal delivery of Vit D. He recommends correcting your diet and routine, then adding the transdermal protocol, while maintaining regular testing of the levels to show the actual results.
Is the transdermal approach unique to SVA?
The efficacy of the transdermal approach is still not as well documented and appreciated as it has been in the ayurvedic and more specifically, in the SVA tradition. However, scientists are catching on. In Canada, there has been some pioneering work in this aspect, view this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsRvoZNDLSc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Poojya Vaidya Mishraji,
What are your recommendations for Vit B12 deficiency? Some doctors prescribe B12 injections. Do you have a transdermal cream for this deficiency?
Thanks and regards,
Purnima
Dear Purnima: always follow your doctor’s recommendations, however, I have also formulated a transdermal B12 cream so you can get the benefits of B12 through application on the skin. You can apply on your pulse approximately two grams (1/8th of a teaspsoon) twice a day and it should help. Transdermal absorption is fast and easy, however you get best results from continuous use, as the effect is cumulative.
Dear Vaidyaji,
Is there a complete cure for Rett Syndrome (in kids) in Ayurveda?
Thanks,
Pavithra