Vitamin D is an important chemical in the body that helps transport calcium from digested food in the stomach to the blood stream, so it can keep bones strong.
There are two ways the body gets vitamin D,exposure to UV radiation and ingesting foods or supplements that contain vitamin D.
Studies have shown that people who have the lowest vitamin D levels in their blood are at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Do people who develop diabetes just happen to be deficient in vitamin D, or do low levels of vitamin D cause the disease?
Will supplementation with vitamin D prevent diseases, and can it be used to treat diseases such as diabetes?
In the past, the major source of vitamin D for humans was exposure to sunlight. One possible cause of the current widespread vitamin D deficiency is the lack of sunlight exposure. Another possible cause is a lack of dietary sources of vitamin D.
A barrier to sunshine exposure include fear of skin cancer, which has led to an increased use of sunscreen, hats, and other sun barriers.
I was out in Tramore last week for a look around the stalls,the funfair and The Strand!
The stalls were full of different trinkets such as wooden plaques,eyebrow jewellery,cloth bangels,different types of metal rings that the stall owner explained were made from Sheffield steel,chrome,resin and stainless steel!
There was also handkerchiefs with all different designs and colours!
There was plenty of people looking at the stalls and I asked one women if she knew anything about the bangles and how they were made but like me she didnt know!
Do any of you know how to make cloth bangles if so can you tell me how!
After I had a look at the stalls I went into the funfair where I had a look around at all of the amusements!
I thought the helter skelter looked the scariest and I remembered the bumper cars from my childhood!
My brother Jamieson always drove the car for me and my twin sister Joan!
I saw a young boy throwing balls at skittles trying to win a prize unfortunately he did not win anything!
I also saw a young man and his son bungee jumping it looked great fun!
I think that this bungee jumping looks like great exercise!
I then went into the kiddies corner where there was numerous amusements which they seem to enjoy!
See below a slideshow of the kiddies corner!
After that I saw a man organising the mini cars into a line to get ready for the next customers!
The best photo I took was the one of the bumper boats I think it is great what do you think?
The next place I stopped was the minion slide where a little girl was having a great time and two young women were overseeing the slide to make sure the children were safe!
Next I saw a group of people enjoying the sun and taking a selfie!
Next I stopped at the Future Dance amusement and they were waiting for the machine to start.
I dont think I would like this amusement as I am afraid of heights!
I then went to the Mystery Hotel where I saw people quequing for tickets!
I passed the Freak Out amusement but it was very quiet!
There was three ladies relaxing and enjoying the sun in front of the bumper cars!
Then I came across the spooky ghost train!
The jungle river looks like a Safari Adventure!
I then went further along the fairground to the minigolf area where I saw a women sitting on a bench waiting to play golf!
See below a slideshow of the mini golf area!
After that I went to the railway station and saw a mini train going past and the driver said hello as I walked passed!
Then I came across Pinda’s,the donut stall where people were queueing for donuts!
The next thing I stopped at was a Game of Skill where a few people were trying to win a big Teddy Bear!
Next I saw the baby bumper cars where there were a good lot of children having fun!
Next I passed another kids amusement called Dubai Rounders!
A girl and her grandmother were looking at the spinning saucers!
The next place I stopped was the crazy boot!
The next place I stopped is the bouncy trampoline!
I then saw a little girl looking at the Waltzers!
I saw the Minion Carousel with two little boys riding the horses with their parents watching!
I passed another Game of Skill with a little boy and his mother watching the father playing the game!
I dont know wether he won I hope he did!
Next I saw the Teapot and Cups it was quite busy!
Next I saw the flying elephants which all the children seem to love!
Next I saw the Cinderella Carousel!
I saw a young man win a big purple dinosaur at Planet Hollywood!
Then I came to the end of my time at the funfair when I reached the Park Shop!
Next I passed the Frisbee amusement there were a group of young people enjoying themselves!
Next I saw one women posing with Felonious Gru and two minions while her friend took the photo!
I passed a stall with different stuffed animals where a young boy was looking at the different animals!
I exited the funfair then wandered down the main street in Tramore where I passed the Arcade where I took a number of photos!
The next place I passed was a chipper called Mossimo’s,there was a family of three eating some chips outside the chipper and enjoying the sun!
Next I passed The Gift Box where a lot of people were congregating outside!
Next I passed Strand Leisure where there was a couple outside!
Then I passed Piper’s Cafe!
Next I passed The Holiday shops!
Next was Bobby’s a newsagents!
I then came across a man with his little daughter and two little terrier dogs!
I then passed The Ranch restaurant!
I then saw a man sitting outside The Shanty Bar & Cafe!
I passed a number of B&B’s on the way to the Majestic Hotel where I was going to have lunch!
This is a beautiful picture of the outside of The Majestic Hotel!
See below a showcase of the outside of The Majestic Hotel!
Then I entered the hotel for a bite to eat and to relax and unwind!
As you enter the hotel there is a beautiful picture of a lovely woman!
Here is another picture of another beautiful women!
A beautiful Art Decor painting!
Another lovely green ArtDecor Painting!
I then came across a selection of brochures!
I then saw the door to their Lakeside Room!
Next I saw a light Decor feature!
I then saw a nice lady working hard at the reception area!
Then I came across the lounge area where people were eating lunch!
There is a nice reception area!
They have a lovely selection of jewellry!
I came across another peaceful place to relax and unwind!
See below for a selection of Majestic Wedding Reception photos!
Another nice sitting area!
A selection of old photographs!
Another nice seating area with two nice pictures of boats!
Next I saw a selection of old photographs of Tramore in the 1900’s!
You can find information about the Majestic Hotel on Facebook!
Then I went into The Majestic Lounge Bar!
I went into the lounge bar where people were eating lunch and relaxing with a pint!
See below a slideshow of the Majestic Bar!
As I was waiting in the bar people were ordering lunch and having a chat!
Then I went outside and ordered a meal,see below a slideshow of the outside area of the Majestic Hotel!
I ordered some fish goujons ,salad and french fries!
I really enjoyed the meal,the fish was delicious,I found the salad refreshing and the french fries were demolished because I was hungry!
I then went into the ladies to check my blood sugar level and took four units of novorapid insulin,two units for the goujons and two units for the french fries!
There was a lovely black and white photo of a group of photographers!
I really like it! What do you think?
After my lunch I strolled down passed the bus station and passed a nice looking lady in a lovely red and pink dress!
I passed als a local newsagents and the tourist information office on the other side of the street!
Next I made my way down to the Strand which was full of people enjoying the good weather!
I then passed a group of people on the sidewalk feeding the pigeons!
See below a selection of photos of the Strand!
After leaving the Strand I headed on to the carpark where I left my car and intended to go home,when I saw at a distance some seagulls flying over head and children running after them!
I walked across the carpark and saw the Ocean View pub at a distance!
After that I saw seagulls and ducks in the river behind Tramore Funfair Park!
I then came across a great playground called All Aboard Inclusion Playpark Tramore!
See below a slideshow of The All Aboard Park!
I left the park then I saw the back of the Funfair at a distance and it looked impressive!
Next I came across paddle boats along the river,I think they are part of the Fairground!
After that I spotted some ballon boats in the river!
I then left Tramore and headed home to Mooncoin!
Environmental factors such as fewer hours of sun exposure during the winter also decrease vitamin D exposure.
There is growing evidence that vitamin D deficiency could be a contributing factor in the development Type 2 diabetes.
Evidence indicates that vitamin D improves insulin resistance.
Furthermore, vitamin D plays an important part in the regulation of calcium.
Importance of Calcium and Vitamin D
Calcium is the most common mineral found in our bones and helps to give them strength and rigidity. Calcium is also particularly important at the time of menopause, because calcium absorption slows down, due to low levels of oestrogen.
A deficiency in Calcium can cause bones to become brittle and therefore they break very easily. The heart, nerves and muscles rely on calcium. Calcium is also necessary for your body to form blood clots.
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Who is at risk of low vitamin D levels?
Babies who are just fed breast milk, consume little vitamin D3, especially if the mother is vitamin D3 deficient.
Those who continuously wear sun block, moisturisers or make up that have sun block in them.
Those with darker skin (e.g. Africans) do not absorb vitamin D3 from the sun, as easily as lighter skinned people.
Those who have gastrointestinal disorders such as Coeliac Disease (Gluten/wheat sensitivity), Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis,or Primary Biliary cirrhosis and Type 2 diabetics.
Those, who do not get the recommended daily amounts of Vitamin D3 from the sun or through food sources.
Vitamin D Requirements and Dietary Sour
ce
Vitamin D is both a nutrient we eat and a hormone our bodies make. Some
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Vitamin D and Immune Function
Vitamin D: Oxidative Stress, Immunity, and Aging (Oxidative Stress and Disease)
Vitamin D is crucial to activating our immune defenses!
Vitamin D has been used to treat infections such as tuberculosis before the advent of effective antibiotics.
Tuberculosis patients were sent to sanatoriums where treatment included exposure to sunlight which directly killed the tuberculosis.
Cod liver oil, a rich source of vitamin D has also been employed as a treatment for tuberculosis!
There is increasing evidence linking vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), diabetes mellitus (DM), inflammatory bowel disease and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
You may find it surprising that vitamin D is so important for your health, especially if you’re still under the impression that it’s mostly a nutrient for your bones.
Most people also think that vitamin D is really a vitamin, but in reality, the active form of vitamin D is one of the most potent hormones in your body, and regulates more genes and bodily functions than any other hormone yet discovered!
Without this hormone, you could die, and indeed, many do die from vitamin D deficiency-related causes.
Vitamin D could rightly be described as a “miracle nutrient” for your immune system!
Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Vitamin D
The only way to know for sure if you’re vitamin D deficient is via blood testing. However, there are some signs and symptoms to be aware of as well.
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Testing For Vitamin D
LOXFORD XXIV Vitamin D Blood Test Kit
Having blood tests to measure the amount of vitamin D in your blood is the only way to know if you’re getting enough vitamin D or not. The blood test you need is called a 25(OH)D blood test.
You can get a blood test at your doctors or you can do an in-home test or get a test at a laboratory. All of these methods of testing should give you accurate results.
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Prevention Of Vitamin D Deficiency
1. Sun exposure
Sun exposure is the best natural source of vitamin D. During the summer months spending a few minutes in the sun is the best way for your body to produce vitamin D. It is unlikely that your skin will make vitamin D in the winter months. But, the body can store enough to last between 30 – 60 days!
Because UV exposure is also linked to skin cancer getting a balance between safe sun exposure and vitamin D production is important!
You don’t need to spend hours in the sun to produce enough vitamin D.
IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER
A.Never let your skin redden or burn to get vitamin D!
B.Take extra care if you have fair skin because you are more at risk of sunburn!
C.Never use a sunbed to increase your vitamin D levels!
D.It is important to protect your skin to reduce skin cancer risk!
2. Eating a healthy balanced diet
Vitamin D Diet Benefits: Sunshine, Best Foods, & Disease Prevention
Choosing foods that contain vitamin D is an important part of maintaining a healthy vitamin D level. The best foods to help with this are:
Cod liver oil
Oily fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel and fresh tuna
Other foods with small amounts of vitamin D include:
Egg yolks
Breakfast cereals that have added vitamin D – look at the ingredients to check the level!
Skimmed Milk with added vitamin D!
If you don’t know your vitamin D levels, or you have never had your vitamin D levels tested, I urge you to consider doing so very soon, as simply assuming your levels are in the healthy range is quite risky.
Vitamin D deficiency is at epidemic proportions in many regions around the world today, largely because people do not spend enough time in the sun to facilitate this important process of vitamin D production.
If you have any information,questions, or feedback you would like to include in this post.
Please email momo19@diabetessupportsite.com or leave your comments below.
Interesting facts, I only knew that vitamin D is involved in the regulation of calcium and phosphorus, but I didn’t know it was so important in diabetes.
So should people suffering from diabetes ask for the advice of a doctor/pharmacist before they start a treatment with vitamin D? Also, do you have any idea if it has the same effect in type 1 diabetes?
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment on this post.
The relationship between Type 1 diabetes and vitamin D is still not fully understood and is still being studied.
Researchers believe that vitamin D helps make your immune cells act smarter.
This may be important in autoimmune diseases, like Type 1 diabetes, where your immune cells are mistakenly attacking your own body.
Researchers are wondering if you get enough vitamin D, if it can help make these cells make less mistakes and help prevent or manage autoimmune diseases better.
Vitamin D can attach to receptors on your immune cells, and through chemical signals, help direct the cells to communicate and function properly.
Vitamin D receptors are present in important areas involved with Type 1 diabetes.
Vitamin D binds to these receptors and helps prevent beta cell death, improve insulin production, and reduce inflammation.
However, its not clear if these receptors and signals are involved in preventing or treating Type 1 diabetes.
None of the studies performed so far have found vitamin D to be able to treat Type 1 diabetes, but they do suggest a possible role in helping manage some aspects of the disease.
These studies suggest that vitamin D plays a role in improving the function of the beta cells, improving insulin production, and managing blood glucose levels, all important things in Type 1 diabetes.
Vitamin D may have a role in helping the body produce some of its own insulin when alongside standard insulin treatment.
Research has shown that babies with high vitamin D intake during their first year of life are less likely to develop Type 1 diabetes later in life.
Research has shown that pregnant mothers with high vitamin D levels during pregnancy are less likely to have children that get Type 1 diabetes later in life.
So should people suffering from diabetes ask for the advice of a doctor/pharmacist before they start a treatment with vitamin D?
Whether you are a Type 1 or Type 2 diabetic you should speak with your endicrinologist , dietitian,or doctor who can perform a blood test and advice you on the best vitamin D3 supplement for you.
When you are a diabetic it is important always to check with your pharmacist or your doctor whether or not any vitamin or herbal product or supplement is safe to take.
Just because a product is natural does not mean it is always safe.
Hi There
This is a very comprehensive and informative post.I learned so much about Vitamin D and its benefits.In fact, I bookmarked your site as I will want to revisit it, there is definitely some information that I may not have grasped in.
I am a vegan and as you mentioned, the dietary sources of Vitamin D are minimal for people like me.I know you said, get a blood test, but if I just want Vitamin D, as maintenance, would you recommend a. Supplement of 1000 I.u.?
Out of curiosity, what the signs of toxicity of Vitamin D?
Thanks for an awesome article
Take Care
Roopesh
Hi Roopesh,
Its great that you found this post interesting.
If you’re not outdoors a lot and getting plenty of sun, the current recommendations are healthy adults and adolescents especially on a vegan diet should take at least 5,000 IU per day.
Two months later, have a 25-hydroxy-vitamin D blood test” (to ensure you are in the 30-80 ng/ml range).
Keep in mind that sunshine can deliver 10,000 to 40,000 IU per day of vitamin D without the risk of side effects.
If you feel that supplementing with 5,000 IU per day sounds too high being that the vitamin D bottle/package says 1,000 IU per day.
it would certainly be prudent to take 1,000 per day and see if that amount raises your level into the 30-80 range.
If it doesn’t, increase to 2,000 a day and test again in two months, etc.
If you decide to follow the above recommendations of 5,000 per day for adults and adolescents, be sure to test no later than two months after starting supplementation.
If you get a reading over 80 ng/ml, adjust your vitamin D intake down accordingly and re-test in two months.
Symptoms of Overdose of Vitamin D
Typically, initial vitamin D overdose symptoms can include headache, nausea, fatigue, and/or red areas on the face. What follows is a more comprehensive list.
Early symptoms of overdose (emerge within days or weeks of starting vitamin D supplementation)
Mild sensitivity in teeth to hot or cold substances
Wheezing when breathing
Over-sensitivity to light in the evening
Bone pain
Constipation (especially in children or adolescents) *
Diarrhea
Drowsiness
Dryness of mouth
Headache (continuing) *
Increased thirst
Increase in frequency of urination, especially at night, or in amount of urine
Irregular heartbeat *
Eye twitching
Itching skin
Red swollen splotches on the face
Loss of appetite
Metallic taste
Muscle pain *
Nausea or vomiting (especially in children or adolescents)
Unusual tiredness or weakness
* Remember, this could be due to insufficient magnesium .
Late symptoms of overdose (emerge within weeks or months of starting supplementation)
Bone pain
Calcium deposits (hard lumps) in tissues outside of the bone
Cloudy urine
Drowsiness
Increased sensitivity of eyes to light or irritation of eyes
Itching of skin
Loss of appetite
Loss of sex drive
Mood or mental changes
Muscle pain
Nausea or vomiting
Protein in the urine
Redness or discharge of the eye, eyelid, or lining of the eyelid
Runny nose
Weight loss
Late symptoms of severe overdose (emerge after months or years of starting supplementation)
High blood pressure
High fever
Irregular heartbeat
Stomach pain (severe)
If you experience any of the above symptoms discontinue Vitamin D supplementation until symptoms disappear,
Keep in mind that It is not uncommon for side effects to fade slowly over the course of a few weeks.
A standard protocol in the case of vitamin D overdosing is to not only avoid vitamin D supplements, but also vitamin D fortified foods, sunshine, and calcium supplements for a few weeks, while increasing water intake and physical activity (through vigorous exercise).
Remember that healthy, natural foods (fruits and green leafy vegetables) contain no vitamin D.
Also, I’d advise getting an immediate 25-hydroxy-vitamin D test to see just where your levels were when you started experiencing symptoms.
Besides being good data to have in cases of deficiency and excess, the test is an especially good idea if the symptoms you are experiencing are not actually being caused by vitamin D toxicity.
You don’t want to be misdiagnosed, which happens more often than you might imagine .
One last word about over-doing vitamin D supplementation:it may not be that you are getting too much vitamin D, it may be that you are not getting enough magnesium and other “companion nutrients” of vitamin D.
There are other nutrients that need to be consumed in sufficient quantities for vitamin D to do its job, like zinc, vitamins C, A, and K2, boron, and magnesium.
Magnesium is the most important of these co-factors where it concerns vitamin D.
So if you’re experiencing problems when you start supplementing with vitamin D, a magnesium deficiency could be the reason why.
A vitamin never works alone; it has various relationships with other vitamins in order to work properly.
And if you’re deficient in magnesium, you could be taking an otherwise “okay” dose of vitamin D but still experience vitamin D deficiency symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, jitteriness, muscle cramps, anxiety, heart palpitations and/or constipation, and your vitamin D level might not improve when taking the vitaminD supplement.
Those who are eating a healthy diet that contains lots of uncooked fruits,and green leafy vegetables may be getting enough magnesium but those eating a typical Western diet may not (probably not) be getting enough.
To ensure an adequate supply of magnesium, and the other vitamin D co-factors, a high quality multivitamin may be a good idea if you are not consuming a healthy diet full of green vegetables and fresh fruit.
Hello Momo
Thanks for writing this article My father has diabetes, and he had a really hard time a few months ago, at first he was a bit worried about having all the vitamins needed for staying healthy, but the doctor gave him a few pills to take everyday and now; he’s taking some vitamin D too, and I have to say he’s fantastic these days.
Ruben
Hi Ruben,
I am very happy to hear that you found this article helpful.
Its great that your father is feeling much better after following the advice of his doctor and taking the medication and necessary vitamins to keep him healthy.
I hope he finds this website useful in managing his diabetes.