Health Care Reform: The Vitamin D Connection

(Article first published as Is Vitamin D the Answer to Health Care Reform? on Technorati.)
Health care reform continues to be one of the most pressing issues for a majority of Americans. As politicians move forward with sweeping changes to the current defunct health care system, many people are left with non-existent or poor coverage, and a plan which is far from ideal and not likely to improve any time soon.

Now is the time for personal action to prevent heart disease, cancer and stroke which claims the lives of 1.4 million people in the US annually. Vitamin D supplementation is the key to preventing many of the most lethal diseases which plague Western populations today. Studies confirm that heart disease can be reduced by as much as 53%, and cancer incidence slashed by up to 77% in those people with the highest levels of Vitamin D in their blood. For mere pennies a day, we could be taking advantage of this powerful weapon which could yield billions in health care cost savings each year.

Vitamin D Reduces Risk From a Fatal Heart Attack

Heart attacks related to coronary artery disease kill nearly 157,000 people each year. Those with the lowest levels of Vitamin D are 2.5 times more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack, which would result in 93,000 fewer deaths each year by supplementing to optimal Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D works at many levels by helping the body to properly regulate blood pressure, blood glucose and insulin, as it helps prevent excess calcium in the blood which leads to coronary plaque.

It’s estimated that the cost savings of a nation with optimized Vitamin D blood levels would be $84 billion each year. That dollar figure doesn’t take into account the suffering and lost productivity of the millions of Americans who suffer from some form of heart disease. We could take that savings to the health care bank today, relieving pressure on a system which is at the brink of failure.

Vitamin D Slashes Cancer Deaths

Overwhelming evidence exists that the risk of 17 different types of cancer can be cut by as much as 77%. This could conservatively prevent the unnecessary demise of 350,000 people in the US each year. We have evolved with high levels of Vitamin D over the course of generations, and we know that it functions at the genetic level by supporting the development and replication of new cells. Vitamin D is required by every cell in our body and represents a powerful ally toward a healthy lifestyle. Vitamin D helps activate the immune system, permitting our body to detect and snuff out potential invaders, including single cancer cells which will multiply if left unchecked.

The federal government spends $1 billion each year to prevent or develop cures for many lethal diseases and yet Vitamin D is not on their radar. It’s estimated that mandatory supplementation to optimal Vitamin D levels would save the US nearly $400 billion annually, which would effectively put an end to concerns over skyrocketing health care costs. With the countless studies confirming that Vitamin D can have a major impact in reducing the risk of disease, it’s clear we must make the decision to protect ourselves and provide for our own health care reform.