Hydrogen Supplement Developer Cites Science, Seeks to Distance Himself from ‘Magic’ Waters.
February 26, 2019Omega 3’s are critical. Full Stop.
March 12, 2019Vitamin D. An Essential Supplement…For Some
Vitamin D is one of those supplements that everyone has heard of. Most recognize that it is essential for those that don’t get enough sunlight to supplement with it, however, the media can sometimes cause a lot of confusion. For the media, and many writers for health sites in the industry, everything either has to be a ‘miracle’ or ‘a scam’ in order to grab headlines and captivate viewers. The truth is often far more complicated, with astounding results coming from small sample sizes that need to be assessed critically and on the other side of the spectrum negative results coming from groups that wouldn’t benefit much from supplementing- such as those that get ample sunlight in warmer climates. Vitamin D is so important the Government of Canada has it in the law mandating all milk is fortified with vitamin D. Many people avoid drinking milk due to lactose intolerance, or other dietary reasons, leaving a large segment of the population considered at risk.
Vitamin D is a supplement that is so ubiquitous on the market, and in stock at the manufacturers, with such small variability in dosage and quality, that I personally do not believe it is particularly ethical to market as a premium good, or to considerably mark up at all. In fact, I believe that it is so essential for a certain portion of the population, that I made the executive decision to not mark it up at all.
Many of our community members who work indoors, in northern climates, and especially in the wintertime likely fall well below the required vitamin D intake. Falling low on Vitamin D can increase the risk of Seasonal Affective Disorder, a temporary depressive state that can show symptoms such as lethargy, poor diet choices and weight gain, and sleep problems. All of which can lead to dysregulation of our critical systems such as redox and inflammation, leading to far worse problems over time.
Gaining a few pounds each winter often leads to obesity over the years, with more and more health issues occurring. For this reason, any member of our community- anyone who purchases one of our premium developed products such as Rejuvenation or AGEless Defense, will be able to ‘add on’ a month’s supply of Vitamin D for just $2. I know many of you are probably wondering why we are even bothering to charge $2, why not just give it away?
Lots of companies give away extras to their customers. In fact, one of my team members even pushed the issue, advocating for doing just that. In two words: plastic waste. For those of you who do not need to supplement with Vitamin D, the extra packaging, manufacturing, and transit of all that is required to make the finished good would be a net waste. In a growing world running low on resources, personally navigating the helm of a company with more and more followers every month, I made the decision to have this as an opt-in for a negligible cost. Vitamin D supplementation is not critical for everyone, for instance, if you work outdoors in a warm climate, or enjoy outdoor activities in the sun even throughout the winter, you are likely not at risk of a deficiency. For those that are, gambling with your mental health is not wise.
What else does Vitamin D Deficiency lead to?
Vitamin D deficiency is alarmingly common in the United States, with an estimated 42% of people deficient and statistics as high as 69% in Hispanics and 82% in African Americans. These numbers are even worse for Canadians, with two-thirds of the population below levels associated with decreasing risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, 1 in 10 having their bone health suffer, and an astounding 4% being at risk of developing rickets. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a myriad of health issues including, but not limited to:
Depression
A Canadian systematic review of 14 studies totaling over 30,000 participants found that lower levels of Vitamin D were strongly correlated to increased risk of depression, the lower the level increasing the risk. Many other small studies have shown marked improvement in healthy mood from Vitamin D supplementation, although they have been small studies without proper controls. It is still unclear whether a deficiency causes depression, or depression causes the deficiency. Regardless, excess intake of Vitamin D would be required.
Schizophrenia
A new study that came out in late 2018 is claiming that decreased Vitamin D levels in the womb lead to an increase in the likelihood of Schizophrenia. While the link was just found, the sample size was relatively significant in over 2600 total individuals. While researchers have long argued schizophrenia is a genetic condition, and this wouldn’t contradict that, it is only recently that scientists have begun to hypothesize that certain genetic disorders such as schizophrenia and autism could begin in the womb with simple factors like Vitamin D deficiency leading to an increased prevalence. In a society where more and more frequently we spend our time indoors away from the sunshine, depriving us of this essential Vitamin, it may become more common to find these types of links.
Bone Loss
Vitamin D is imperative for calcium absorption, and bone metabolism. While the evidence that Vitamin D can improve bones with supplementation is limited, the risks of having your bones deteriorate and soften, or forming Rickets from deficiency is relatively high. Remember, supplementation likely won’t reverse the damage that has already occurred, but deficiency can cause damage. This is again the ‘miracle or fraud’ fallacy, in which marketers yell ‘Vitamin D will strengthen your bones’ and then the media and skeptics will yell ‘Vitamin D supplementation doesn’t work’ when results aren’t realized in studies looking for high levels to reverse the damage.
Bone Loss and Muscle Soreness
Vitamin D deficiency may also be correlated with hair loss and muscle soreness, although the evidence is limited, and with hair, loss study has revolved around alopecia and not age-related thinning or loss. There is no good evidence to suggest Vitamin D could help here, but as stated previously a deficiency could lead to loss of function and increased symptoms.
The bottom line
We’ve taken away everyone in our community’s excuse to put yourselves at risk of Vitamin D deficiency. While we encourage you to get outside, soak in the rays and if possible get some exercise we realize for many of you, especially in the winter months, this may not be possible. Simply ‘opt in’ on your next order of Rejuvenation or AGEless Defense and get your month’s supply of Vitamin D added to your delivery for just $2. As always, new users can try our Rejuvenation risk-free, so there is no need to wait.