By Kerri Knox, RN
Functional Medicine Practitioner

There are SO many reasons why taking vitamin D and magnesium should be one of the biggest health priorities in the nation, if not the world! It is really THAT important- and particularly to the health of women.

Throughout our lives, vitamin D is affecting us whether we know it or not. Most people think of vitamin D only in terms of osteoporosis. While that is DEFINITELY true, vitamin D not only is important for bone health LONG before menopause, but it is amazingly important for women's health in so many other ways.

"Vitamin D supplementation by pregnant women, especially during winter months, could lead to longlasting reductions in the risk of osteoporotic fracture in their offspring." referenced from a study entitled: "Maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and childhood bone mass at age 9 years: a longitudinal study"

The first, and probably most important is its ability to stimulate the immune system SO powerfully that it can reduce the risk of breast cancer from 50% to 75%, depending upon the study that you are looking at. Breast cancer is probably one of the most feared women's immune system problems, and yet the news that we have a tool to reduce breast cancer by MORE THAN HALF doesn't even make it to your DOCTOR. Imagine if there were a DRUG that could reduce breast cancer by half; like statins, it would practically be given to every women whether she wanted to take it or not!

But prevention of the scourge of breast cancer is only one of the many reasons that women should love vitamin D. Not only does vitamin D help to reduce the risks of colds and flu, but low vitamin D levels may actually be the CAUSE of the flu! While, of course the flu is caused by a virus, there is a hypothesis by a group of very respected physicians from some of the most respected medical schools in the country that believe that the evidence points to the flu virus harboring in our bodies and only being able to cause the flu when vitamin D levels are so low that the immune system can't fight back the overgrowth of the virus any longer.

While this may sound incredible, this is exactly the way that genital herpes, mouth herpes and shingles are able to cause 'outbreaks' in the body. The virus is harbored and expressed under periods of stress, so it's really not such an incredible idea after all.

For those of us who work with people with vitamin D deficiency, we absolutely see it every day that taking magnesium with vitamin D prevents MANY of the side effects of vitamin D and does NOT 'block' the vitamin D as evidenced by Vitamin D levels rising completely normally in the people that I counsel to take magnesium with their vitamin D.

Here is a study of a person who couldn't bring their vitamin D level up until their vitamin D deficiency was corrected with magnesium: The Lancet, Volume 301, Issue 7807, Pages 803 - 805, 14 April 1973doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(73)90602-8Cite

"Magnesium-Induced Reversal of Vitamin-D Resistance In Hypoparathyroidism" 

Here's another study of people with Vitamin D Deficiency who had a 'blunted' parathyroid hormone response that was induced by magnesium deficiency: Osteoporosis International Volume 17, Number 7, 1013-1021, DOI: 10.1007/s00198-006-0084-3

"Vitamin D insufficiency and the blunted PTH response in established osteoporosis: the role of magnesium deficiency"  O. Sahota, M. K. Mundey, P. San, I. M. Godber and D. J. Hosking

I could go on and on about Vitamin D and magnesium administration during pregnancy decreasing pregnancy complications by HALF, or its deficiency as a role in the autoimmune disease of Multiple Sclerosis, but I think that you get the picture about what a powerful component of the immune system vitamin D is. And, as a woman, if I could only choose ONE way to improve my lifetime immune system health, please don't let me be without my vitamin D and magnesium!

Kerri Knox, RN
Functional Medicine Practitioner