It happened again. One of my patients asked their family doctor to test their vitamin D levels, and they were refused. I say it happened again because it happens so often it’s mind boggling to me.
Patients are usually told one of two things:
- It’s too much of a burden on our healthcare system to test vitamin D (yet we are being forced to pay cash for this test – it’s no longer covered by OHIP – so where is the burden?).
- Because we live in Canada everyone is deficient in vitamin D (this I do believe is true for most of us), and so it’s unnecessary to test for it (this I don’t believe is true…ever).
Vitamin D Proven to Influence Our DNA
Vitamin D is a critical nutrient, this I already knew. But, recently a study came across my desk that really sealed-the-deal for me. You see, I’m talking about a simple vitamin that’s dirt cheap and does so much MORE than make you “feel good” or has “anti-aging” effects.
This vitamin can actually influence your DNA!
And I’m talking human DNA – not mouse or rat DNA.
There are 2,776 known binding sites for vitamin D on our genes.1 I want you to think of these binding sites like a lock and key mechanism. There are 2,776 locks along the length of a strand of DNA. Vitamin D is the only key that fits into these locks. This means it directly influences our DNA. Amazing!
In fact, there happens to be an “unusual concentration” of these binding sites on the areas of the genes known to activate/influence/control autoimmune diseases (such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and rheumatoid arthritis), certain cancers (such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia and colorectal cancer), and type I diabetes.1
Now take a moment and think about your family history.
What diseases run in your family? Cancer? Autoimmune disease? Heart disease? In my family it’s breast cancer, heart disease, and polycystic kidney disease. You bet I’m doing everything I can to influence my genes in a good way, including taking vitamin D.
Make a promise to yourself starting today:
Stop feeling lousy…rotten…awful…crummy…miserable…terrible…crappy.
Find a good Functional Medicine doctor to help you get to the root cause of your health problems.
Like I always say:
Find the cause.
Fix the cause.
Feel normal again!
Dr. Carri Drzyzga, DC, ND – The Functional Medicine Doc
Find the Cause. Fix the Cause. Feel Normal Again!
