Dr. David Pollack
As winter approaches, many start to feel the effects of the cold and darkness. Often complaints of fatigue, depression, restlessness, distraction, catching colds easily, and other common winter maladies increase. Many of us already know that at least some of these complaints relate to vitamin D levels. It is well documented that more than 80 percent of americans suffer vitamin D deficiency, despite the season and often even supplementation.
Vitamin D is not really a vitamin. It is a hormone. a hormone that is part of a large group of steroid hormones made in the body. In fact, many of those hormones can interchange from one to another. These include hormones as varied as cortisol, controlling weight, blood sugar and immune function, to estrogen and testosterone. even blood pressure, electrolyte, mood and sleep hormones are in this category. Now, being that these hormones can convert from one to another, and that vitamin D is really a hormone not a vitamin, its deficiency may be a sign of greater hormone production issues and not a lack of dairy in the diet.
Often people ask, “Aren’t we supposed to get our calcium and vitamin D from dairy?” The interesting answer to that, however, is: “No other animal on this planet consumes dairy after infancy, and their bones are far stronger and tougher than ours. Maybe we should pay attention.”
Issues stemming from vitamin D deficiency, such as fatigue, depression, osteoporosis, poor sleep and weak immunity, are really signs of the body losing its ability to coordinate and manufacture our steroid hormones. Just taking supplemental vitamin D may alleviate some of these symptoms, granted that it’s in the right form with all associated cofactors. But supplementing vitamin D does not repair the body’s ability to make the vast combinations of other steroid hormones the way it was designed to.
It is always important to address health concerns with an experienced holistic wellness doctor.
Source: Dr. David Pollack. Location: Pollack Wellness Institute (formerly Creating Wellness Center) is located at 66 Commack Rd., Commack. For more information, call 631-462-0801 or visit CreatingWellnessLI.com.
