Navigating Anti-Nutritional Health Headlines: Understanding the New Endocrinology Society Guidelines on Vitamin D

Health professionals and health-conscious individuals are often bombarded with sensational medical news headlines that may not reflect reality. Anti-nutrient studies appear designed to question nutritional wellness and promote a medically managed life. As Dr. Pizzorno succinctly puts it, “We suffer the highest burden of chronic disease in every age group ever in human history. Why? Because the drug model is mainly useful for acute disease. By not addressing the rampant nutrient deficiencies and ever-growing toxic burden, the world will continue to suffer ever-increasing chronic disease.”

A headline circulating in recent weeks concerns the Endocrinology Society’s new guidelines advising against routine screening for vitamin D deficiency. For those advocating natural health and holistic approaches, this smells like just another, of many instances where mainstream medicine and “health” reporting is biased against simple, effective remedies like vitamin D supplementation and against individuals having knowledge about their own health.

However, a closer look at the guidelines reveals a more nuanced stance, hidden under the discouraging headlines. While recommending against routine screening for vitamin D deficiency in “otherwise healthy patients” under 50 (lots of those these days!! LOL) without an indication for testing, the guidelines do not dismiss the importance of this vital nutrient. They emphasize regular, prophylactic vitamin D dosing for specific groups, including children and the elderly, and advocate for screening where deficiency is suspected or the person’s condition warrants it. This indicates an acknowledgment, even in the mainstream medical industry, of the essential role vitamin D plays in maintaining health, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Now, from a perspective focused on individualized health and wellness, someone like me argues for screening everyone in northern climates, those with dark skin, obesity, children with health issues, the elderly, people with mental health concerns, autoimmune disorders, joint problems, those who need to avoid severe respiratory infections, fibromyalgia, hypertension, thyroid disease, diabetes, pregnant or pre-pregnant women, those who avoid sun exposure, and individuals who consume too many seed oils. Basically everybody.

So, dear reader, despite the sensationalist headline “Endocrine Society Recommends Against Routine Vitamin D Screening,” you may actually benefit from knowing your vitamin D level. I certainly believe so.

Reasons to Maintain Normal Vitamin D Levels

Vitamin D is well-documented for its wide-ranging health benefits. It is crucial for bone health, immune function, and linked to a lower risk of several chronic diseases. Correlational studies have shown that maintaining normal vitamin D levels is associated with better overall health outcomes, including reduced incidences of osteoporosis, heart disease, and even some cancers. (1)

People with low vitamin D levels are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and worse clinical outcomes, such as higher mortality. (2) Adequate vitamin D levels are also beneficial in other respiratory conditions, including all-cause mortality, seasonal influenza, susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infections, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. (3)

Vitamin D deficiency can cause joint pain, and supplementation may help treat it in some people. Vitamin D is important for bone health, muscle movement, nerve communication, and fighting inflammation. When deficient, the body may produce more proinflammatory cytokines, changing how the brain processes pain and increasing mechanical pain sensitivity. Vitamin D deficiency is common in people with rheumatoid arthritis and may be linked to musculoskeletal pain. (4)

Vitamin D is necessary for the normal functioning of many organs, including the thyroid gland. Deficiency is considered a risk factor for developing thyroid disorders, including autoimmune thyroid diseases and thyroid cancer. (5)

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with psychiatric diagnoses such as autism, schizophrenia, ADHD, and depression (6). It can exacerbate symptoms of depression and anxiety, and people with depression are more likely to have vitamin D deficiency. (7)

People with fibromyalgia may be especially prone to vitamin D deficiency, and supplementation may be a worthwhile treatment. (8)

Adequate vitamin D helps prevent the onset of diabetes (9). It stimulates insulin secretion and improves peripheral insulin resistance by reducing systemic inflammation via the vitamin D receptor on pancreatic beta cells and in the muscles and liver. (10)

Optimal vitamin D levels are a reasonable goal for someone who wants to be healthy, avoid problems, and feel good. It's a simple, affordable blood test, and there is no reason we cannot afford simple vitamin D screening in the age of expensive obesity medications. Unless “healthcare” is no longer about health or care.

Opt out of the system as much as you can—get knowledge, get healthy, stay healthy. And don’t fall for the constant drumbeat against basic, natural, nutritional health.

References:

1. Pizzorno L, Pizzorno J. Vitamin D (Like Every Nutrient) is a Team Player. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2022 Sep;21(4):8-14. PMID: 36644600; PMCID: PMC9542927.

2. D'Ecclesiis O, Gavioli C, Martinoli C, Raimondi S, Chiocca S, Miccolo C, et al. Vitamin D and SARS-CoV2 infection, severity and mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2022 Jul 6;17(7)
   . doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268396. PMID: 35793346; PMCID: PMC9258852.

3. Sha S, Nguyen TMN, Kuznia S, Niedermaier T, Zhu A, Brenner H, et al. Real-world evidence for the effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation in reduction of total and cause-specific mortality. J Intern Med. 2023; 293: 384–397.

4. Shipton EA, Shipton EE. Vitamin D and Pain: Vitamin D and Its Role in the Aetiology and Maintenance of Chronic Pain States and Associated Comorbidities. Pain Res Treat. 2015;2015:904967. doi: 10.1155/2015/904967. Epub 2015 Apr 19. PMID: 26090221; PMCID: PMC4427945.

5. Babić Leko M, Jureško I, Rozić I, Pleić N, Gunjača I, Zemunik T. Vitamin D and the Thyroid: A Critical Review of the Current Evidence. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Feb 10;24(4):3586. doi: 10.3390/ijms24043586. PMID: 36835005; PMCID: PMC9964959.

6. Sharif MR, Madani M, Tabatabaei F, Tabatabaee Z. The Relationship between Serum Vitamin D Level and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Iran J Child Neurol. 2015 Fall;9(4):48-53. PMID: 26664441; PMCID: PMC4670977.

7. Healthline. Depression and Vitamin D. Link.

8. Verywell Health. Vitamin D and Fibromyalgia. Link.

9. Abugoukh TM, Al Sharaby A, Elshaikh AO, Joda M, Madni A, Ahmed I, et al. Does Vitamin D Have a Role in Diabetes? Cureus. 2022 Oct 18;14(10)
   . doi: 10.7759/cureus.30432. PMID: 36407246; PMCID: PMC9671203.

10. Argano C, Mirarchi L, Amodeo S, Orlando V, Torres A, Corrao S. The Role of Vitamin D and Its Molecular Bases in Insulin Resistance, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and Cardiovascular Disease: State of the Art. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Oct 23;24(20):15485. doi: 10.3390/ijms242015485. PMID: 37895163; PMCID: PMC10607188.