InspireHealth held a lunchtime webinar on vitamin D this past Vitamin D Day. Dr. Cletus D’Souza, Director of Research at InspireHealth, discussed the benefits and requirements of vitamin D for cancer prevention and overall optimal health.
You can view the full recording here: https://inspirehealth.adobeconnect.com/_a1047753574/p5l0t0wr4ps/
Or visit InspireHealth’s site for more information: https://www.inspirehealth.ca/vitamind
]]>Today is the Day, Vitamin D Day that is! Organizations from all over the world are calling you to be aware of vitamin D and help spread awareness.
Most know that vitamin D does not come from your diet, but rather from your skin when you expose it to the sun. What most people don’t know is that in the wintertime it’s hard to make vitamin D.
As November approaches, the sun shifts its focus on the southern hemisphere and is no longer shining overhead in the North. What does this mean? It means that your skin is no longer able to produce much vitamin D.
Hence why organizers are calling for vitamin D awareness this November 2nd as we head into winter.
Get involved!
Check out the page Vitamin D Day on Facebook. Organizers are using the page as a hub for all the happenings on Vitamin D Day.
Plus, you can use it a place to share graphics and information to your friends and family, to help educate others. Also join in the conversation on Twitter, the hashtag will be #VitaminDDay.
See all details here.
Other happenings
Vitamin D Council is offering free one-month memberships to their blog for anyone that emails November 2nd requesting membership. To redeem free one-month membership from the Vitamin D Council, email [email protected] with the title “Vitamin D Day” in the heading. GrassrootsHealth is putting on a photo contest, asking for photos of you, showing off how you’re spreading awareness this Vitamin D Day.
GrassrootsHealth is initiating a photo contest to invite everyone to share a photo (with description) about some event that they do to celebrate awareness of the need to correct this deficiency. The winning photographer will win a 1 year supply of vitamin D3 for their own personal use. Interested participants should submit a photo with names, contact information and date of photo to [email protected] by Friday, November 9, 2012 for consideration. The contest winner will be announced by December 2, 2012.
Who’s behind Vitamin D Day?
The Vitamin D Society promoted November as Vitamin D Awareness month in 2007, to help draw attention to vitamin D deficiency in Canada. “We are excited to grow this focus worldwide with other partner organizations by recognizing Vitamin D Day on November 2nd ,” says Executive Director, Perry Holman.
InspireHealth established Vitamin D Day November 2nd in Canada in 2009. From its humble beginnings in Vancouver it has grown, supported by proclamations in communities across Canada, to an international event. This grassroots public health movement inspired Dr. James Lunney, Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Alberni to introduce Bill C-388, An Act to establish National Vitamin D Day.
Joining InspireHealth and Dr. James Lunney in the promotion of Vitamin D Day – November 2nd are GrassrootsHealth, a public health research and advocacy group from San Diego CA, the Vitamin D Council, USA, Health Research Forum, UK and the Vitamin D Society, Canada.
Are you an organization interested in partnering or taking a pledge to spread awareness this year’s Vitamin D Day?
Email [email protected] or use the contact form on the Contact page.
]]>Vitamin D Day has launched its Facebook page, calling to the public to help spread awareness this Vitamin D Day using the world’s most powerful sharing tool.
The Facebook page will serve as a hub for Vitamin D Day and allow people to educate family and friends on vitamin D, vitamin D deficiency and preparing for winter.
Some of the ways organizers will be using Facebook and asking for public participation is providing infographics, quotes, press releases and news items for people to share on the social network site.
Check out the page at www.facebook.com/vitamindday.
]]>Ottawa, Canada — Dr James Lunney wants to see the health of Canadians improve. That is why this past February, Dr James Lunney, Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Alberni, introduced his new Bill C-388, An Act to establish National Vitamin D Day in Canada. The bill would establish November 2nd as National Vitamin D Day recognized by municipalities throughout Canada.
Says Lunney, “A National Vitamin D Day will further public knowledge, discussion and use of a cost-effective personal health measure.”
Lunney points to a couple of studies specific to Canada that show the need for better awareness on vitamin D. A major study by Statistics Canada found 60 to 70 per cent of Canadians have less than ideal levels of vitamin D. A study published in the Annals of Epidemiology states that raising the amount of vitamin D in North Americans could prevent approximately 58,000 new cases of breast cancer and 49,000 new cases of colorectal cancer each year. This translates to saving over $14 billion per year in health care costs Canada alone.
Says Dr Hal Gunn, MD, CEO and co-founder of InspireHealth, ”The time has arrived for a nationally coordinated action to substantially increase intake of Vitamin D; we simply have to do more to engage people in this simple, safe approach to cancer prevention and treatment.”
To read more about Dr James Lunney’s efforts, visit jameslunneymp.ca.
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Ottawa, Canada — Taking place on November 1st at the University of Ottawa, the Ottawa Vitamin D Disease Prevention Symposium is a free event designed to help educate healthcare professionals and the general public on vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, and its many benefits related to health and wellness. Learn from top vitamin D researcher, Dr Robert Heaney, Professor of Medicine, Creighton University and author of over 400 original papers.
The WHO has established that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death in the world, and the majority of these deaths are attributed to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. Research suggest that optimal vitamin D levels may prevent many of these diseases.
Says Dr Greg Plotnikoff, “Vitamin D may represent the single most cost effective medical intervention we have today.” It’s time to consider new innovative solutions and take action.
Did you know?
- Vitamin D in the 100-150 nmol/L range could possibly prevent, in Canada, 18,000 women (75% of cases) from getting breast cancer and 15,000 men and women (67% of cases) from getting colon cancer.
- Approximately 50% of Multiple Sclerosis cases could be prevented with vitamin D levels in the 100-150 nmol/L range.
- According to a group of 40 of the top vitamin D researchers and doctors, maintaining vitamin D levels in the range of 100-150 nmol/L has been linked to reducing the risk of asthma, upper respiratory Infections, dental caries and type 1 diabetes in children, heart disease, high blood pressure, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, colds, and flus in the general population.
Ottawa Vitamin D Community Campaign
Attend the conference, learn more about how you can get involved with a local community action program to protect your community’s health with vitamin D testing and education.
Featured speakers
- Dr Robert P Heaney, MD Professor of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE. World Leading Vitamin D Researcher, and author of over 400 original papers.
- Carole A Baggerly Breast cancer survivor and director of GrassrootsHealth, a public organization dedicated to increasing awareness of vitamin D and its breast cancer prevention potential.
- Dr Marc Sorenson Author of Vitamin D3 and Solar Power for Optimal Health
When
Thursday, November 1st at 7:00pm
Where
University of Ottawa, Roger Guindon Hall, Room 2005 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5To RSVP, email [email protected] with the subject “Register” and list your name and title in the email. You can also find the event on facebook.com/CanadaVitaminDSymposium to register for the free event.
Hosted by: Vitamin D Society Check out their site for further details.
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]]>This November 2nd is Vitamin D Day! This day is dedicated to spreading awareness on vitamin D, vitamin D deficiency and making sure you and your loved ones are sufficient throughout the winter. Please join us in recognizing this day and spreading awareness on the issue, as we prepare for winter.
Furthermore, November is Vitamin D Awareness Month, so if you don’t have time to pay your dues November 2nd, please take the time to spread awareness throughout the month. We’ll explain why you should care:
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a nutrient that your own body produces! When you expose your skin to the sun, you can make vitamin D, lots of it!
In the 21st century, however, we don’t get as much sun exposure as we used to. This has led to a vitamin D deficiency pandemic of sorts, and just this past year, the CDC reported that 65% of African Americans, 45% of Hispanics and 20% of Caucasian Americans are deficient in vitamin D.
Why November 2nd?
During the winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun drops down and starts to focus on the Southern Hemisphere. Here in the north, the days are shorter and the sun doesn’t get very high in the sky. The further north you live, the longer the winter is, the less and less the sun gets high in the sky, and the longer period you can’t make much vitamin D. The sun just isn’t high or intense enough to allow your skin to produce vitamin D.
In other words, because of all this science mumble jumble, it’s hard to get vitamin D during the wintertime. For example, in places likes Boston and New York City, your skin can’t make much vitamin D November through March. If you live as far north in latitude as Edmonton, you can’t make much vitamin D October through April!
Be prepared, have a game plan! Make sure you and your friends and family are aware. Groups like Vitamin D Council and GrassrootsHealth recommend supplementing at the very least.
Who’s behind Vitamin D Day?
The Vitamin D Society promoted November as Vitamin D Awareness month in 2007, to help draw attention to vitamin D deficiency in Canada. “We are excited to grow this focus worldwide with other partner organizations by recognizing Vitamin D Day on November 2nd ,” says Executive Director, Perry Holman.
InspireHealth established Vitamin D Day November 2nd in Canada in 2009. From its humble beginnings in Vancouver it has grown, supported by proclamations in communities across Canada, to an international event. This grassroots public health movement inspired Dr. James Lunney, Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Alberni to introduce Bill C-388, An Act to establish National Vitamin D Day.
Joining InspireHealth and Dr. James Lunney in the promotion of Vitamin D Day – November 2nd are GrassrootsHealth, a public health research and advocacy group from San Diego CA, the Vitamin D Council, USA, Health Research Forum, UK and the Vitamin D Society, Canada.
Are you an organization interested in partnering or taking a pledge to spread awareness this year’s Vitamin D Day? Email [email protected] or use the contact form on the Contact page.
What can I do?
- Check out vitamindday.net for a full list of details for events and actions you can take.
- Check out the Get involved page for direct calls to action.
- Also check out the Facebook page Vitamin D Day.
- And join in on the conversation on Twitter.
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