Friday, February 6, 2009

Are you looking for help for anemia? Vitamin D may be your answer.

Anemia is a disorder caused by a reduction of the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. It causes pallor, weakness, breathlessness and fatigue. It has been shown that in patients with kidney disuse, each 10 ng/mL increase in serum levels of 25 (OH) D is associated with a 29% reduced risk of anemia, whereas each increase of 10 mg/dl of c-reactive protein (CRP) were associated with dramatically increased risk.[1] There is every reason to believe that those without kidney disease would have the same benefit from higher levels of vitamin D. In my book, I discussed the profound association of higher vitamin D levels with lowered levels of CRP, an inflammatory chemical that is a strong promoter of heart disease. Vitamin D's ability to control CRP may also be the reason for the impressive, positive influence of vitamin D on anemia.

Let's get back in the sunlight (without burning, of course).

[1] Kendrick, J. et al. Report to the conference of the National Kidney Foundation, Spring Clinical Meetings. May 16, 2008

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