Vitamin D Deficiency, Excess Copper?

Vitamin D Deficiency

Today, February 18, 2011, the doctor's office called to tell me that I was Vitamin D deficient. They told me that I should start taking 1000 IUs of Vitamin D every day.

OK, will do. So I looked up Vitamin D deficiency, and the NIH has this page: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind/ where it says:
* Sunlight helps our bodies make Vitamin D
* Very few foods contain Vitamin D in adequate amounts
* Fortified milk, cereal, or other fortified foods are the only real food options
* Cheese and other milk products are not fortified

To get your vitamin D from sun, consider these things:
* Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation with a wavelength of 290–320 nanometers penetrates uncovered skin and converts cutaneous 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3, which in turn becomes vitamin D3 [1].)
* Sunscreens rated 8 or more block UVB radiation, which prevents vitamin D conversion
* Cloud cover, pollution, and dark or tanned skin (melanin) block UVB
* Generally, 30 minutes of bare skin (30% of your body) sun exposure twice a week between 10 and 3 is enough for vitamin D synthesis

Vitamin D deficiency has these symptoms and effects, among many others:
* Decreased bone density
* Thin tooth enamel, leading to more cavities
* Muscular weakness
* high blood pressure
* lowered immunity
* bone pain
* blood sugar problems
* DEPRESSION

This is a nice explanation of Vitamin D that is a lot more understandable than the .gov sites: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=110

More about Vitamin D: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/slideshow-vitamin-d-overview

Wilson's Disease

The reason Vitamin D deficiency seemed familiar is that a few weeks ago I had a dream that I had a house with a lot of copper-clad doors. I wanted to renovate, and I realized that I could sell the pretty copper doors to help pay for the renovation. I reflected that I had TOO MUCH COPPER, anyway.

That led me to look up what having too much copper could be, and I learned about Wilson's Disease: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001789

"Wilson's disease is an inherited disorder in which there is too much copper in the body's tissues. The excess copper damages the liver and nervous system."

On the Vitamin D page, I saw that the deficiency (also called rickets) could be caused by kidney problems resulting from renal tubular acidosis. In turn, renal tubular acidosis (RTA) can be caused by Wilson's disease.

To reduce copper, you can take chelation treatments to take the copper out of your blood, and you can also avoid:
* Chocolate
* Dried fruit
* Liver
* Mushrooms
* Nuts
* Shellfish

My Own Symptoms

* More cavities (which has been freaking me out)
* Weakness
* Muscle and joint pain
* high blood pressure
* often sick
* blood sugar problems
* DEPRESSION

Factors:
* I don't drink milk, except in foods, but cooking isn't supposed to be a problem
* I use sunscreen more, I haven't been outside as much in the last 10 years as before

The likelihood of me having Wilson's Disease is low, but I do wonder why I have low vitamin D. I love the sun, and I am out in it without sunscreen at least twice a week for two to four hours. Even without milk, why would I be deficient?

Chromium Picolinate for Depression?

I have been using Chromium Picolinate for years to help me feel better in the afternoon when I used to always get dizzy and irritated if I didn't eat exactly on time. Here are some relevant studies mentioned on Wikipedia.

From Wikipedia:

It has been noted that patients with atypical depression often suffer from intense cravings for carbohydrates. A mineral supplement, chromium picolinate, was found to assuage these cravings.[5][6] It also was found to have an antidepressant effect on some atypical depression sufferers.[6]

Some hypothesize that atypical depression may be related to thyroid dysregulation. Some studies have found subtle thyroid abnormalities in people with atypical depression.[7] Another study suggests that patients may benefit from triiodothyronine, a medication used to treat hypothyroidism.[8]

References

5. ^ Docherty JP, Sack DA, Roffman M, Finch M, Komorowski JR (September 2005). "A double-blind, placebo-controlled, exploratory trial of chromium picolinate in atypical depression: effect on carbohydrate craving". J Psychiatr Pract 11 (5): 302–14. doi:10.1097/00131746-200509000-00004. PMID 16184071.
6. ^ a b Davidson JR, Abraham K, Connor KM, McLeod MN (February 2003). "Effectiveness of chromium in atypical depression: a placebo-controlled trial". Biol. Psychiatry 53 (3): 261–4. doi:10.1016/S0006-3223(02)01500-7. PMID 12559660.
7. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20070317050218/http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20040315/atypical-depression-thyroid-link-still-alive Atypical Depression: Thyroid Link Still Alive
8. ^ Iosifescu DV, Nierenberg AA, Mischoulon D, et al. (August 2005). "An open study of triiodothyronine augmentation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in treatment-resistant major depressive disorder". J Clin Psychiatry 66 (8): 1038–42. doi:10.4088/JCP.v66n0812. PMID 16086620. http://article.psychiatrist.com/?ContentType=START&ID=10001405.