Dr. Michael Holick:
Dr. Lisa's Interview

Aired on Superstation WGN
Saturday, February 26 and April 23, 2005

Show 208

"Why is vitamin D so important?" ask Dr. Lisa. "Every tissue and cell in the body requires vitamin D, not just bones and teeth. Vitamin D deficiency contributes to the cause of many diseases such as cancer, MS, rheumatoid arthritis and depression. It's critical to overall health. Many people are deficient, but at first the symptoms are subtle. After a time, they can develop bone pain, muscle pain and physical weakness. Often, they will end up being misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome," says Dr. Holick, author of The UV Advantage and director of the Bone Clinic at Boston University. "Can you get too much vitamin D?" asks Dr. Lisa. "You can't get too much from the sun because the sun destroys any excess thatyour body makes from the sun. However, orally you can take too much. Over 5,000 units tends to be toxic. The best way to get vitamin D is through moderate exposure to sunlight, 5 to 10 minutes several times a week depending on the time of day, the time of year and your skin pigment."