Vitamin D

[PatColo]

This doc is live on Rense right now, hour will repeat @ 11 PM PST, http://www.renseradio.com/listenlive.htm

Dr. John Cannell, MD
How Vitamin D Can
Save Your Life (http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--NqqB2nhBE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--NqqB2nhBE

from his site,

Caucasian skin produces approximately 10,000 IU vitamin D in response to 20–30 minutes summer sun exposure—50 times more than the US government's recommendation of 200 IU per day!

This high rate of natural production of vitamin D3 cholecalciferol (pronounced koh·luh·kal·sif·uh·rawl) in the skin is the single most important fact every person should know about vitamin D—a fact that has profound implications for the natural human condition.

Technically not a "vitamin," vitamin D is in a class by itself. Its metabolic product, calcitriol, is actually a secosteroid hormone that is the key that unlocks binding sites on the human genome. The human genome contains more than 2,700 binding sites for calcitriol; those binding sites are near genes involved in virtually every known major disease of humans.

Current research has implicated vitamin D deficiency as a major factor in the pathology of at least 17 varieties of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, periodontal disease, and more.

Vitamin D's influence on key biological functions vital to one's health and well-being mandates that vitamin D no longer be ignored by the health care industry nor by individuals striving to achieve and maintain a greater state of health.

If well adults and adolescents regularly avoid sunlight exposure, research indicates a necessity to supplement with at least 5,000 units (IU) of vitamin D daily. To obtain this amount from milk one would need to consume 50 glasses. With a multivitamin more than 10 tablets would be necessary. Neither is advisable.

MORE...

[PatColo]

It's amazing: Scottish doctors now warning people to get more sunshine and vitamin D

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030623_vitamin_D_Scotland.html

[optionT]

Here's a good website that gives you vitamin D guidlines when you're sick.




Guidelines for Vitamin D supplementation

in healthy persons^^



Age


Ideal Range**

Normal Daily Dose
Birth to 6 months


>40ng/mL^

400IU/day
6 months to 5year


>50ng/mL^

1,000*IU per each 20lbs/day
5 year to 12 year
>60ng/mL


3-4000 IU/day
12 year to adult
>60ng/mL


5000 IU/day
Pregnant


>60nm/mL

6,000 IU/day
Dark skinned adults


>60ng/mL

5-6,000 IU/day


* One capsule at 1,000 IU is equivalent to 0.025 mg
** Higher levels of >30 ng/ml (or >75 nmol/L) as desirable for overall health and disease prevention
^Estimates vary. The medical literature recommends a level of >30ng as a “normal” level
^^ Daily supplements should also include a good probiotic and vitamin C 20mg/pound



Guidelines for Vitamin D supplementation

at first sign of illness^^



Age


Daily Dose for 7 days
Birth to 6 months


800IU/day
6 months to 3year


10,000IU/day
3 year to 5 year


25,000IU/day
5 year to 12 year


50,000 IU/day
12 year to adult


100,000 IU/day
Pregnant


25,000 IU/day
Dark skinned adults


100,000 IU/day
^^For children 5-12 years, also include Vitamin A 50,000IU/day for three days
^^For persons 12 years and over, include Vitamin A 100,000IU/day for three days




http://drtenpenny.com/VitaminD_info.aspx

[Hillbilly]

I've been taking 10000 units a day of Vitamin D3 and I have not been sick in 3 years. My wife has been sick dozens of times and I have not caught her colds like I used to.

[PatColo]

this is thread worthy, just dropping it in here as well coz this thread was kindly bumped yesterday,

Rense & Jonathan Emord - FDA New, Stealth Dirty Trick To Take Your Supplements (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA3LY0M_gI8)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA3LY0M_gI8

[Heimdhal]

Ive been taking high does vitamin D as I dont get a lot of sunshine ( i hate the heat) but I do also try to get at least a half hour a day as well as get my daughter out there as much as possible (shes VERY fair skinned).

Ive noticed since taking it (started earlier this year) that Ive been sick less (never got sick all the much anyways) and have been healing faster from minor cuts, scrapes, etc.

While I still have a whole slew of medical problems, the vitamin D does legitmatley seem to be working and working well. Im taking between 5,000 and 10,000 IU's a day, sometimes more if I miss a day.

Gel caps appear to be the way to go as word on the street is the solid pills dont absorb the vitamin D into your body nearly as well as the oil based gel-caps. FWIW.

[Heimdhal]

Also, I wanted to add,

Besides the sun, Vitamin D can be found form animal sources, mostly from organ meat of livestock (Livers, hearts and kidneys, in that order) and Fish.

Outside of there, there is only one source of natrual, non animal vitamind D and that is mushrooms that have been exposed briefly to UV Light (whether natural or artificial). In fact, the white button mushrooms absorbs it so well that only a a breif exposure increases its vitamind D levels by 10's or 100's of times.

Something to think about for SHTF and alternative medicines. Mushrooms are retarded easy to grow and will keep growing with very little help from humans.

[JJ.G0ldD0t]

I give my Kids 2800IU a day. I had been giving them their vitamins with breakfast. However it was pointed out to me that their bodies simply cannot absorb all of that in one dose.

What is the optimum daily dosing schedule so they will be able to absorb the most beneficial amount?

Searching blindly on the net has proven pretty aggravating - theres a boatload of propaganda out there countering the megadosing ideology. The biggest one being "yool git Keeedney FAYLYA!!)

::)

I dont believe it - But what is the actual counter argument to kidney failure?

[beefsteak]

Also, I wanted to add,

Besides the sun, Vitamin D can be found form animal sources, mostly from organ meat of livestock (Livers, hearts and kidneys, in that order) and Fish.

Outside of there, there is only one source of natural, non animal vitamin D and that is mushrooms that have been exposed briefly to UV Light (whether natural or artificial). In fact, the white button mushrooms absorbs it so well that only a a breif exposure increases its vitamind D levels by 10's or 100's of times.

Something to think about for SHTF and alternative medicines. Mushrooms are retarded easy to grow and will keep growing with very little help from humans.

Heimdahl,
thanks for this thread follow-up.

Perhaps it would be a good suggestion to cultivate the "domestic, grown indoors, white button mushroom angle for Vit D sourcing, as eating ANY animal organs POST FUKUSHIMA is a pretty lousy idea!

No longer should anyone instruct the butcher to "add in the heart, brain, tongue, liver, etc., with their hamburger" if they are butchering their own meat.

Remember the SERIOUS radiation we are now subjected to is CUMULATIVE, it's over 20x Chernobyl, which is over 20x Hiroshima, (Dr. Busby), it is here in the USA, and it is a serious health situation that needs to be actively managed, food consumption wise.

My Vit D story: Until this year, I've been a "mosquito magnet"... and have been for the last several years. This year, they seem to flee instead of flock to me. I truly believe my SIGNIFICANTLY increased Vit D consumption level is at least substantially responsible. Blood tests have shown I'm back in the 50-60 range, instead of the teens where I was before I got started with Vit D dosing, thanks to my sharp MD.

We have several cases of West Nile every year around here, and consistently a few deaths reported in my area as well, ANNUALLY. The city keeps threatening to "do something" about the standing water in ditches, but somehow found it was more important to rebuild the retaining wall at the city pool and put up new street lights and cross walks, than to enforce the standing water in NON-draining draining ditches...simply because someone knows somebody and wink wink, they get by with more stagnant water in the ditches. AGAIN!


beefsteak

[MNeagle]

I too am a mosquito magnet, as is our youngest. Do you attribute the decrease of mosquito bites to your vitamin D (increased?) consumption?

[beefsteak]

Yes, MN, I do. It's the only thing dietary or activity-wise, I've changed in the last year. The ONLY thing! Doc put me on 20K IU for the first 2 weeks, then tapered me back to 10K daily for 1 year, and then 5,000K maintenance after Blood tests showed I was back to normal ranges. Darned tests cost $280 each here just for Vit D.

Sure has done wonders for my energy levels getting this back into normal ranges. It's been 2 years now...and the mosquito repellant bene has only been noticed this summer.

[Dogman]

Yes, MN, I do. It's the only thing dietary or activity-wise, I've changed in the last year. The ONLY thing!
Has it been dry in your area? I ask this because I also am a mosquito magnet, but it has been so dry here this year there literary has been no place for the little bastards to breed. This is the first year that I can go outside at dusk/night/day and not become a walking meal. I have been bit 0 times this year!

[DMac]

That's really interesting that you folks mention the lack of mosquito bites and your vitamin d intake.

I use a liquid drop for my vitamin d, taking about 4-6000 a day along with my ACV and Oil of Oregano.

My GF, for example, doesn't take the vitamins as regularly as I do and she gets eaten alive by mosquito bites when we spend time outdoors. I rarely get bit and when I do it passes usually unnoticed. It wasn't always that way for me though, growing up near the beach I used to get mauled by the mosquitos.

We joke saying that my blood is full of piss and vinegar now so they leave me alone - maybe it's not far from the truth!

[beefsteak]

Has it been dry in your area? I ask this because I also am a mosquito magnet, but it has been so dry here this year there literary has been no place for the little bastards to breed. This is the first year that I can go outside at dusk/night/day and not become a walking meal. I have been bit 0 times this year!

No, it hasn't. In fact, it was one of the wettest springs on record, and the farmers were really up in arms because LAAAATE spring usually means early fall, and they already lost 3 weeks till and plant time this year. They are mostly in my garden, but this year they haven't munched on me, which is kind of surprising! They do like my youngest cat, however.


beefsteak

[JJ.G0ldD0t]

I give my Kids 2800IU a day. I had been giving them their vitamins with breakfast. However it was pointed out to me that their bodies simply cannot absorb all of that in one dose.

What is the optimum daily dosing schedule so they will be able to absorb the most beneficial amount?

Searching blindly on the net has proven pretty aggravating - theres a boatload of propaganda out there countering the megadosing ideology. The biggest one being "yool git Keeedney FAYLYA!!)

::)

I dont believe it - But what is the actual counter argument to kidney failure?

any body have any ideas ?? :)

[Bigjon]

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/17/cees-vermeer-interview.aspx

K2 is necessary for making D3 do it's job correctly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTm95J8SNGo 10 parts


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTm95J8SNGo&feature=player_embedded

[optionT]

Two Basic Types of Vitamin K


Vitamin K can be classified as either K1 or K2:


Vitamin K1: Found in green vegetables, K1 goes directly to your liver and helps you maintain a healthy blood clotting system. (This is the kind of K that infants need to help prevent a serious bleeding disorder.)

It is also vitamin K1 that keeps your own blood vessels from calcifying, and also helps your bones retain calcium and develop the right crystalline structure.


Vitamin K2: Bacteria produce this type of vitamin K. It is present in high quantities in your gut, but unfortunately is not absorbed from there and therefore most of it is passed out in your stool.

K2 goes straight to vessel walls, bones, and tissues other than the liver. It is present in fermented foods, particularly cheese and the Japanese foodnatto (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/05/17/aspirin-heart-part-four.aspx), which is by far the richest source of K2.



http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/07/17/cees-vermeer-interview.aspx

[MNeagle]

bump

[Old Herb Lady]

Besides the sun, Vitamin D can be found form animal sources, mostly from organ meat of livestock (Livers, hearts and kidneys, in that order) and Fish.

Outside of there, there is only one source of natrual, non animal vitamind D and that is mushrooms that have been exposed briefly to UV Light (whether natural or artificial). In fact, the white button mushrooms absorbs it so well that only a a breif exposure increases its vitamind D levels by 10's or 100's of times.



Untrue

There are lots of food with Vitamin D in it. Why do people believe that there's hardly any food with Vit D ? Anyways...here's some.....


all fish - salmon, tuna, flounder, catfish, sardines, mackerel, cod, etc.

all seafood - oysters, herring, perch, scallops, etc.

all shellfish - shrimp, lobster, clams, crab, crayfish, etc.
caviar (roe), anchovies

Eggs:
Anything that contains egg yolks has vitamin D.

Seeds

pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
flax seeds

Plants and fungi

alfalfa

mushrooms

seaweed
kelp


Oils
fish oils including cod liver oil - contain very high levels of vitamin D
flax seed oil
sunflower oil
primrose oil

HERBS: Alfalfa, Carrot, Chickweed, Dandelion, Eyebright, Fenugreek, Horsetail, Lemongrass, Lettuce, Mullein, Nettle, Oatmeal, Parsley, Rosehips, Sarsaparilla, Sheep Sorrel, Sweet potato, Thyme,

Lots more that's just a start.

[Old Herb Lady]

any body have any ideas ?? :)

Large doses of Vitamin D can & do cause kidney failure among a host of other problems IF the person taking it has
a metabolic system that is not functioning properly.
Alot of people take massive doses of Vit D and are still have a deficiency in it even if taking it over a long period of time. Sometimes, most of the time it can be traced to the thyroid not functioning properly, which you have to have a properly working thyroid gland for proper metabolism in the body.

Alot of people have a very hard time with getting & keeping a healthy thyroid, but the food & water that they eat has to be changed before there is any hope of achieving health. It is in my opinion and my stupid opinion only that the fluoride & chlorine & inorganic salts are killing the functioning of thyroid hormones and iodine in the body making Vitamin D unable to absorb & assimilate properly and therefore buildup unknowingly & cause further health consequences due to the body's malfunctioning metabolism.

Edited to add: Also wanted to throw in here that heavy people have a very hard time getting adequate vitamin d in their bodies and end up with osteoporosis and people say, I thought only little skinny bony people get osteoporosis. Nope . Then they start taking tons of calcium (usually the wrong kind) and massive vitamin D to build the bone but very little is getting in there and it's a vicious cycle because of the body's DESPERATE screaming NEED for organic (wholesome from the earth ) food & water .

[Old Herb Lady]

That's really interesting that you folks mention the lack of mosquito bites and your vitamin d intake.

I use a liquid drop for my vitamin d, taking about 4-6000 a day along with my ACV and Oil of Oregano.

My GF, for example, doesn't take the vitamins as regularly as I do and she gets eaten alive by mosquito bites when we spend time outdoors. I rarely get bit and when I do it passes usually unnoticed. It wasn't always that way for me though, growing up near the beach I used to get mauled by the mosquitos.

We joke saying that my blood is full of piss and vinegar now so they leave me alone - maybe it's not far from the truth!

Just my dumb 2 cents, as usual, but people with low immune sytstems attract the most bugs.
Fleas, mosquitos, mites, whatever.

If a person's immune system is stronger, the pests don't seem to like them as much.
Same way with the flu bug, stomach bug, cold bug, etc

If you don't believe it, just take note the next time you're around bugs & see who they bother the most, the ones with low immunity or high immunity at that time .
I think you already had that experience in your post !

[optionT]

Vitamin D



Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for maintaining normal calcium metabolism (1) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html). Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) can be synthesized by humans in the skin upon exposure to ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation from sunlight, or it can be obtained from the diet. Plants synthesize ergosterol, which is converted to vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) by ultraviolet light (2) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref2). When exposure to UVB radiation is insufficient for the synthesis (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#synthesis) of adequate amounts of vitamin D3 in the skin, adequate intake of vitamin D from the diet is essential for health.



Function



Activation of Vitamin D



Vitamin D itself is biologically inactive, and it must be metabolized to its biologically active forms. After it is consumed in the diet or synthesized in the epidermis of skin, vitamin D enters the circulation and is transported to the liver. In the liver, vitamin D is hydroxylated (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#hydroxylation) to form 25-hydroxyvitamin D (calcidiol; 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the major circulating form of vitamin D. Increased exposure to sunlight or increased dietary intake of vitamin D increases serum (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#serum) levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, making the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration a useful indicator of vitamin D nutritional status. In the kidney, the 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1-hydroxylase enzyme (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#enzyme) catalyzes a second hydroxylation of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, resulting in the formation of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (calcitriol, 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D]—the most potent form of vitamin D. Most of the physiological effects of vitamin D in the body are related to the activity of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (2) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref2). The various forms of vitamin D are illustrated in the figure (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/dforms.html).


Mechanisms of Action


Most if not all actions of vitamin D are mediated through a nuclear transcription factor (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#transcription%20factor) known as the vitamin D receptor (VDR) (3) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref3). Upon entering the nucleus of a cell, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D associates with the VDR and promotes its association with the retinoic acid X receptor (RXR). In the presence of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D the VDR/RXR complex binds small sequences of DNA (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#dna) known as vitamin D response elements (VDREs) and initiates a cascade of molecular interactions that modulate the transcription (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#transcription) of specific genes (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#gene). More than 50 genes in tissues throughout the body are known to be regulated by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (4) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref4).


Calcium Balance

Maintenance of serum calcium levels within a narrow range is vital for normal functioning of the nervous system, as well as for bone growth and maintenance of bone density. Vitamin D is essential for the efficient utilization of calcium by the body (1) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#reference). The parathyroid glands (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#parathyroid%20glands) sense serum (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#serum) calcium levels and secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH) if calcium levels drop too low (diagram (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/dendocrine.html)). Elevations in PTH increase the activity of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1-hydroxylase enzyme (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#enzyme) in the kidney, resulting in increased production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Increasing 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D production results in changes in gene expression (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#gene%20expression) that normalize serum calcium by (1) increasing the intestinal absorption of dietary calcium, (2) increasing the reabsorption of calcium filtered by the kidneys, and (3) mobilizing calcium from bone when there is insufficient dietary calcium to maintain normal serum calcium levels. Parathyroid hormone and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D are required for these latter two effects (5) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref5).


Cell Differentiation


Cells that are dividing rapidly are said to be proliferating. Differentiation results in the specialization of cells for specific functions. In general, differentiation of cells leads to a decrease in proliferation. While cellular proliferation is essential for growth and wound healing, uncontrolled proliferation of cells with certain mutations (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#mutation) may lead to diseases like cancer. The active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, inhibits proliferation and stimulates the differentiation of cells (1) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html).



Immunity



Vitamin D in the form of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D is a potent immune system modulator. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is expressed by most cells of the immune system, including T cells and antigen-presenting cells, such as dendritic cells and macrophages (6) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref6). Under some circumstances, macrophages also produce the 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1-hydroxylase enzyme that converts 25-hydroxyvitamin D to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (7) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref7). There is considerable scientific evidence that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D has a variety of effects on immune system function, which may enhance innate immunity and inhibit the development of autoimmunity (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#autoimmune%20disease) ( (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref8)8).



Insulin Secretion



The VDR is expressed by insulin (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#insulin)-secreting cells of the pancreas (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#pancreas), and the results of animal studies suggest that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D plays a role in insulin secretion under conditions of increased insulin demand (9) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref9). Limited data in humans suggest that insufficient vitamin D levels may have an adverse effect on insulin secretion and glucose tolerance (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#impaired%20glucose%20tolerance) in type 2 diabetes (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#diabetes) (noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; NIDDM) (10-12) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref10).



Blood Pressure Regulation



The renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure (13) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref13). Renin is an enzyme (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#enzyme) that catalyzes (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#catalyze) the cleavage (splitting) of a small peptide (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#peptide) (Angiotensin I) from a larger protein (angiotensinogen) produced in the liver. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) catalyzes the cleavage of angiotensin I to form angiotensin II, a peptide that can increase blood pressure by inducing the constriction of small arteries and by increasing sodium and water retention. The rate of angiotensin II synthesis is dependent on renin (14) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref14). Research in mice lacking the gene (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#gene) encoding the VDR indicates that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D decreases the expression (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#gene%20expression) of the gene encoding renin through its interaction with the VDR (15) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref15). Since inappropriate activation of the renin-angiotensin system is thought to play a role in some forms of human hypertension (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#hypertension), adequate vitamin D levels may be important for decreasing the risk of high blood pressure.



Deficiency



In vitamin D deficiency, calcium absorption cannot be increased enough to satisfy the body’s calcium needs (2) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref2). Consequently, PTH production by the parathyroid glands (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#parathyroid%20glands) is increased and calcium is mobilized from the skeleton to maintain normal serum calcium levels—a condition known as secondary hyperparathyroidism (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#hyperparathyroidism). Although it has long been known that severe vitamin D deficiency has serious consequences for bone health, recent research suggests that less obvious states of vitamin D deficiency are common and increase the risk of osteoporosis and other health problems (16, 17) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref16).



Severe Vitamin D Deficiency




Rickets



In infants and children, severe vitamin D deficiency results in the failure of bone to mineralize. Rapidly growing bones are most severely affected by rickets. The growth plates of bones continue to enlarge, but in the absence of adequate mineralization, weight-bearing limbs (arms and legs) become bowed. In infants, rickets may result in delayed closure of the fontanels (soft spots) in the skull, and the rib cage may become deformed due to the pulling action of the diaphragm. In severe cases, low serum calcium levels (hypocalcemia) may cause seizures. Although fortification (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#fortification) of foods has led to complacency regarding vitamin D deficiency, nutritional rickets is still being reported in cities throughout the world (18, 19) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref18).



Osteomalacia



Although adult bones are no longer growing, they are in a constant state of turnover, or "remodeling (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#bone%20remodeling)." In adults with severe vitamin D deficiency, the collagenous bone matrix (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#collagenous%20matrix) is preserved but bone mineral is progressively lost, resulting in bone pain and osteomalacia (soft bones).




Muscle Weakness and Pain



Vitamin D deficiency causes muscle weakness and pain in children and adults. Muscle pain and weakness were a prominent symptoms of vitamin D deficiency in a study of Arab and Danish Moslem women living in Denmark (20) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref20). In a cross-sectional study (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#cross-sectional%20study) of 150 consecutive patients referred to a clinic in Minnesota for the evaluation of persistent, nonspecific musculoskeletal pain, 93% had serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels indicative of vitamin D deficiency (21) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref21). A randomized controlled trial (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#randomized%20controlled%20trial) found that supplementation of elderly women with 800 IU/day of vitamin D and 1,200 mg/day of calcium for three months increased muscle strength and decreased the risk of falling by almost 50% compared to supplementation with calcium alone (22) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref22). More recently, a randomized controlled trial in 124 nursing home residents (average age, 89 years) found that those taking 800 IU/day of supplemental vitamin D had a 72% lower fall rate than those taking a placebo (23) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref23).



Risk Factors for Vitamin D Deficiency


Exclusively breast-fed infants: Infants who are exclusively breast-fed and do not receive vitamin D supplementation are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency, particularly if they have dark skin and/or receive little sun exposure (19) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref19). Human milk generally provides 25 IU of vitamin D per liter, which is not enough for an infant if it is the sole source of vitamin D. Older infants and toddlers exclusively fed milk substitutes and weaning foods that are not vitamin D fortified are also at risk of vitamin D deficiency (1 (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref18)8). The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all breast-fed and partially breast-fed infants be given a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU/day (19) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref19).





Dark skin: People with dark-colored skin synthesize less vitamin D on exposure to sunlight than those with light-colored skin (1) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#reference). The risk of vitamin D deficiency is particularly high in dark-skinned people who live far from the equator. One U.S. study reported that 42% of African American women between 15 and 49 years of age were vitamin D deficient compared to 4% of White women (24) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref24).





Aging: The elderly have reduced capacity to synthesize vitamin D in skin when exposed to UVB radiation, and the elderly are more likely to stay indoors or use sunscreen, which blocks vitamin D synthesis. Institutionalized adults who are not supplemented with vitamin D are at extremely high risk of vitamin D deficiency (25, 26) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref25).





Covering all exposed skin or using sunscreen whenever outside: Osteomalacia has been documented in women who cover all of their skin whenever they are outside for religious or cultural reasons (27, 2 (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref27)8). The application of sunscreen with an SPF factor of 8 reduces production of vitamin D by 95% (1) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#reference).





Fat malabsorption syndromes: Cystic fibrosis (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#cystic%20fibrosis) and cholestatic liver (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#cholestatic%20liver%20disease) disease impair the absorption of dietary vitamin D (29) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref29).





Inflammatory bowel disease: People with inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s disease (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#crohn%27s%20disease) appear to be at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency, especially those who have had small bowel resections (30) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref30).





Obesity: Obesity increases the risk of vitamin D deficiency (31) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref31). Once vitamin D is synthesized in the skin or ingested, it is deposited in body fat stores, making it less bioavailable to people with large stores of body fat.


Assessing Vitamin D Nutritional Status



Growing awareness that vitamin D insufficiency has serious health consequences beyond rickets and osteomalacia highlights the need for accurate assessment of vitamin D nutritional status. Although there is general agreement that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level is the best indicator of vitamin D deficiency and sufficiency, the cutoff values have not been clearly defined (18). While laboratory reference ranges for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are often based on average values from populations of healthy individuals, recent research suggests that health-based cutoff values aimed at preventing secondary hyperparathyroidism (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#hyperparathyroidism) and bone loss should be considerably higher. In general, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D values less than 20-25 nmol/L (8-10 ng/mL) indicate severe deficiency associated with rickets and osteomalacia (16 (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref16), 18). Although 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) has been suggested as the low end of the normal range (32) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref32), more recent research suggests that PTH levels (33, 34) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref33) and calcium absorption (35) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref35) are not optimized until serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels reach approximately 80 nmol/L (32 ng/mL). Thus, at least one vitamin D expert has argued that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D values less than 80 nmol/L should be considered deficient (17) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref17), while another suggests that a healthy serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D value is between 75 nmol/L and 125 nmol/L (30 ng/mL and 50 ng/mL) (36) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref36). With this latter cutoff value for insufficiency (i.e., 75 nmol/L or 30 ng/mL), it is estimated that one billion people in the world are currently vitamin D deficient (37) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref37). Data from supplementation studies indicate that vitamin D intakes of at least 800-1,000 IU/day are required by adults living in temperate latitudes to achieve serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of at least 80 nmol/L (38, 39) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref38).



The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)



In 2010, the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) of the Institute of Medicine set a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#rda)) based on the amount of vitamin D needed for bone health. While the recommended intake was increased from the adequate intake level (AI) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/glossary.html#ai) set in 1997, some experts feel that this level is still too low to result in sufficient 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (40-43) (http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref40). The RDA for vitamin D is listed in the table below by life stage and gender.




more at:
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/

[lapis]

Untrue

There are lots of food with Vitamin D in it. Why do people believe that there's hardly any food with Vit D ? Anyways...here's some.....


all fish - salmon, tuna, flounder, catfish, sardines, mackerel, cod, etc.

all seafood - oysters, herring, perch, scallops, etc.

all shellfish - shrimp, lobster, clams, crab, crayfish, etc.
caviar (roe), anchovies

Eggs:
Anything that contains egg yolks has vitamin D.

Seeds

pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
flax seeds

Plants and fungi

alfalfa

mushrooms

seaweed
kelp


Oils
fish oils including cod liver oil - contain very high levels of vitamin D
flax seed oil
sunflower oil
primrose oil

HERBS: Alfalfa, Carrot, Chickweed, Dandelion, Eyebright, Fenugreek, Horsetail, Lemongrass, Lettuce, Mullein, Nettle, Oatmeal, Parsley, Rosehips, Sarsaparilla, Sheep Sorrel, Sweet potato, Thyme,

Lots more that's just a start.

This is true, but keep in mind that plant foods contain vitamin D2. Only animal foods contain vitamin D3, cholecalciferol, which is the most biologically active one.


"There are two basic types of vitamin D. Ergosterol is the basic building block of vitamin D in plants. Cholesterol is the basic building block of vitamin D in humans. When ultraviolet light from the sun hits the leaf of a plant, ergosterol is converted into ergocalciferol, or vitamin D2. In just the same way, when ultraviolet light hits the cells of our skin, one form of cholesterol found in our skin cells called 7-dehydrocholesterol can be converted into cholecalciferol, a form of vitamin D3.

The revolution in our understanding of vitamin D has led to extensive research on both D2 and D3, and it is the overwhelming consensus of researchers that D3 is our best bet when supplementing with vitamin D. In fact, in 2006, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition argued that D2 should no longer be considered as a nutrient suitable for fortification or supplementation, given the strong hormonal advantages of D3. You'll find more about the issue of delivery form and supplementation in our section entitled Form in Dietary Supplements."

From Vitamin D: What can high-vitamin D foods do for you? (http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=110)

Moreover, most health experts (the real ones) don't even recommend relying on food sources for achieving optimal vitamin D levels (although it can only help to eat all the foods you listed).

Lately I've been taking about 3,000 i.u. of vitamin D3, 100 mcg of K2 and as much magnesium as possible, in addition to fermented cod liver oil. Since I added the magnesium, I've noticed that I've been fighting off a lot of colds and bugs that other people around me are getting. This wasn't the case when I wasn't taking magnesium.

[Book]

https://messagesofkindness.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/walking.jpg

People who don't spend all their time indoors on internet forums report sufficient Vitamin D levels.

::)

[Book]

Brief Summary
Nutritional assessments of astronauts before, during, and after spaceflight ensure adequate intake of energy, protein, and vitamins during missions. Scientists use the information to understand the connections between nutrition and human health during space flight, and to develop effective dietary strategies to reduce adverse health impacts.


Results/More Information
Results have been compiled and analyzed for ISS crewmembers. Intake of energy (relative to World Health Organization standards) was observed to generally decrease over time during missions. However, when dietary counseling was provided to a single astronaut during flight, adequate energy intake was maintained throughout the mission. Body weight, total bone mineral content, and bone mineral density decreased during flight. Antioxidant capacity decreased during flight, leading to increased susceptibility to genetic damage from radiation. Vitamin D concentration in crew bone was decreased, and bone resorption increased, by long exposure to microgravity. The relative concentrations of other blood and urine analytes preflight and postflight were variable and subject to several confounding factors that limit conclusions as to particular effects of space flight (Smith, 2005, 2008). The results of this study formed the basis for the Nutrition and repository experiments, currently being operated on the ISS.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/Clinical_Nutrition_Assessment.html



Lack of gravity or lack of sunlight? They obviously enjoyed the most expensive vitamin "supplements".

[MNeagle]

How does one go about getting their Vit. D levels checked?

Also, it's a toss-up for me; chem-trail exposure/radiation air currents vs. Vit. D exposure...

[Book]

This doc is live on Rense right now, hour will repeat @ 11 PM PST, http://www.renseradio.com/listenlive.htm

Dr. John Cannell, MD
How Vitamin D Can
Save Your Life (http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/)



http://www.lumpi.si/_files/58533/DruzinskaRekreacija.jpg?w=511

I'm beginning to realize that sitting at a computer desk listening to some Doctor selling his book on Rense is less healthy than actually going for a walk outside.

Ever notice how many "health supplements" and books and videos are sold on these conspiracy websites?

:)

[MNeagle]

Maybe because they have some validity to them?

IDK, where do you want to spend your dollars?

[Book]

IDK, where do you want to spend your dollars?



http://www.healthmango.com/fitness/prolonged-sitting-death/

I think it is more about where to spend our time.

:)

[Old Herb Lady]

This is true, but keep in mind that plant foods contain vitamin D2. Only animal foods contain vitamin D3, cholecalciferol, which is the most biologically active one.


"There are two basic types of vitamin D. Ergosterol is the basic building block of vitamin D in plants. Cholesterol is the basic building block of vitamin D in humans. When ultraviolet light from the sun hits the leaf of a plant, ergosterol is converted into ergocalciferol, or vitamin D2. In just the same way, when ultraviolet light hits the cells of our skin, one form of cholesterol found in our skin cells called 7-dehydrocholesterol can be converted into cholecalciferol, a form of vitamin D3.

The revolution in our understanding of vitamin D has led to extensive research on both D2 and D3, and it is the overwhelming consensus of researchers that D3 is our best bet when supplementing with vitamin D. In fact, in 2006, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition argued that D2 should no longer be considered as a nutrient suitable for fortification or supplementation, given the strong hormonal advantages of D3. You'll find more about the issue of delivery form and supplementation in our section entitled Form in Dietary Supplements."

From Vitamin D: What can high-vitamin D foods do for you? (http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=110)

Moreover, most health experts (the real ones) don't even recommend relying on food sources for achieving optimal vitamin D levels (although it can only help to eat all the foods you listed).

Lately I've been taking about 3,000 i.u. of vitamin D3, 100 mcg of K2 and as much magnesium as possible, in addition to fermented cod liver oil. Since I added the magnesium, I've noticed that I've been fighting off a lot of colds and bugs that other people around me are getting. This wasn't the case when I wasn't taking magnesium.



Keep in mind that the "modern-day real health experts" are the same as modern day main stream media and modern day bankers.
The modern day health experts base their knowledge on "science" and research studies and NOT experience.
Then they write books & online articles & sell schtuff.

They are the first ones to run the doctors when they get sick & have not a clue about natural healing
because their truth is to take an isolated vitamin because of a "deficiency" of it in the body.
When in fact, one can easily up their own Vitamin D levels naturally without worrying so much about "supplementing" with a vitamin D pill made out of lanolin,
Lanolin is a grease which is secreted from sheep's skin and extracted from wool. (wool grease) more than likely from genetically modified sheep. Ewwww.


All of those fancy schmancy LONG words used when talking about vitamin d2 and d3 make it sound oh so complicated, I haven't seen hardly any good
modern-day articles where they just talk in layman's terms so that everybody can just understand easily.
I speak their language fluently, means nothing to me, means NOTHING to the person or group I'm speaking with.
What matters is getting well ASAP naturally.

The modern-day health experts take one little piece of information & turn it into something unrecognizable
and confusing to convince you that you are deficient in vitamins when in actuality a person could just need to
do some healthy adjustments in their diet & lifestyle, but unfortunately people prefer to take a "pill".

I'm not saying that some good brands of vitamin D won't help. I believe they do help to do many different functions in the body, however,
the body goes right back to the condition it was before supplementing it because no real natural healing has taken place. Just a fill-in for the deficiency.
(and same with pharmaceuticals, you have to keep on taking them)

Once a person fixes the reason for the deficiency in the body naturally they won't be needing the isolated vitamin.

[lapis]

I'm beginning to realize that sitting at a computer desk listening to some Doctor selling his book on Rense is less healthy than actually going for a walk outside.

Healthy walks are good, but if you're living in latitudes north of 34 degrees it will be impossible to get any vitamin D from the sun for four to six months of the year (unofficially called "vitamin D winter").

But even here in southern California many of my health-minded friends who go out in the sun have been testing shockingly low in vitamin D, like in the teens when the optimal range is around 50 ng/ml (125 nmol/L). Who knows why; pollutants or chemtrails or??

[lapis]

Keep in mind that the "modern-day real health experts" are the same as modern day main stream media and modern day bankers.

The modern day health experts base their knowledge on "science" and research studies and NOT experience.

Then they write books & online articles & sell schtuff. .

Most of them certainly are, but miraculously there are still a few good eggs like Dr. John Cannell who owns the non-profit VitaminDCouncil.org. He even helps people wrongly accused of shaking their baby (who in fact have rickets) for free.


one can easily up their own Vitamin D levels naturally without worrying so much about "supplementing" with a vitamin D pill made out of lanolin,I mostly agree, although I think you say this because of your experience with successfully helping your clients.

Well most of us don't have someone like you around in real life to talk to and get good ideas from, so in that case it is a lot harder to figure things out on our own.

But you're right to be skeptical about using vitamin D as a magic bullet. I'm starting to wonder if people in fact have more of a magnesium and vitamin k2 deficiency which is preventing them from having optimal vitamin D levels.


Lanolin is a grease which is secreted from sheep's skin and extracted from wool. (wool grease) more than likely from genetically modified sheep. Ewwww. That is a concern, but you can also get D3 at the health food store from fish, and cod liver oil. For vegetarians, I'd recommend getting a UV-D lamp instead of supplementing with D2 for the winter.


All of those fancy schmancy LONG words used when talking about vitamin d2 and d3 make it sound oh so complicated, I haven't seen hardly any good
modern-day articles where they just talk in layman's terms so that everybody can just understand easily. That's true, it is hard to understand, especially for me. I have to read them over and over and over and over, and sometimes a fraction gets retained in this thick skull of mine. ;-)


The modern-day health experts take one little piece of information & turn it into something unrecognizable
and confusing to convince you that you are deficient in vitamins when in actuality a person could just need to
do some healthy adjustments in their diet & lifestyle, but unfortunately people prefer to take a "pill".Yes most people are l a z y, but unfortunately there's the additional factor that most food is extremely lacking in nutrients because of the way it's grown.


Once a person fixes the reason for the deficiency in the body naturally they won't be needing the isolated vitamin. It seems like what's happening is that people are actually deficient in many, many nutrients, and this can happen even on a whole food diet unfortunately.

[Old Herb Lady]

Most of them certainly are, but miraculously there are still a few good eggs like Dr. John Cannell who owns the non-profit VitaminDCouncil.org. He even helps people wrongly accused of shaking their baby (who in fact have rickets) for free.

I mostly agree, although I think you say this because of your experience with successfully helping your clients.

Well most of us don't have someone like you around in real life to talk to and get good ideas from, so in that case it is a lot harder to figure things out on our own.

But you're right to be skeptical about using vitamin D as a magic bullet. I'm starting to wonder if people in fact have more of a magnesium and vitamin k2 deficiency which is preventing them from having optimal vitamin D levels.

That is a concern, but you can also get D3 at the health food store from fish, and cod liver oil. For vegetarians, I'd recommend getting a UV-D lamp instead of supplementing with D2 for the winter.

That's true, it is hard to understand, especially for me. I have to read them over and over and over and over, and sometimes a fraction gets retained in this thick skull of mine. ;-)

Yes most people are l a z y, but unfortunately there's the additional factor that most food is extremely lacking in nutrients because of the way it's grown.

It seems like what's happening is that people are actually deficient in many, many nutrients, and this can happen even on a whole food diet unfortunately.

Thanks Lapis.

I don't believe in Dr Cannell's Vitamin D deficiency theory.

I believe the cause of rickets is a deficiency in wholesome-organic calcium.
(Not the calcium from rocks or laboratories, tho)

It seems like a vicious circle--calcium, magnesium, D, K2, etc, but I just think the organic- wholesome calcium intake helps balance all that out.

[Son-of-Liberty]

J Am Geriatr Soc. 2011 Dec;59(12):2291-300. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03733.x.
Effect of vitamin D supplementation on muscle strength, gait and balance in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Muir SW, Montero-Odasso M.
Source

Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, Parkwood Hospital, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:

To systematically review and quantitatively synthesize the effect of vitamin D supplementation on muscle strength, gait, and balance in older adults.
DESIGN:

Systematic review and meta-analysis.
SETTING:

MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, bibliographies of selected articles, and previous systematic reviews were searched between January 1980 and November 2010 for eligible articles.
PARTICIPANTS:

Older adults (≥60) participating in randomized controlled trials of the effect of supplemental vitamin D without an exercise intervention on muscle strength, gait, and balance.
MEASUREMENTS:

Data were independently extracted, and study quality was evaluated. Meta-analysis using a fixed-effects model was performed and the I(2) statistic was used to assess heterogeneity.
RESULTS:

Of 714 potentially relevant articles, 13 met the inclusion criteria. In the pooled analysis, vitamin D supplementation yielded a standardized mean difference of -0.20 (95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.39 to -0.01, P = .04, I(2) = 0%) for reduced postural sway, -0.19 (95% CI = -0.35 to -0.02, P = .03, I(2) = 0%) for decreased time to complete the Timed Up and Go Test, and 0.05 (95% CI = -0.11 to 0.20, P = .04, I(2) = 0%) for lower extremity strength gain. Regarding dosing frequency regimen, only one study demonstrated a beneficial effect on balance with a single large dose. All studies with daily doses of 800 IU or more demonstrated beneficial effects on balance and muscle strength.

CONCLUSION:

Supplemental vitamin D with daily doses of 800 to 1,000 IU consistently demonstrated beneficial effects on strength and balance. An effect on gait was not demonstrated, although further evaluation is recommended.

© 2011, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2011, The American Geriatrics Society.

I had heard that supplementation of vitamin D3 could be beneficial for muscle strength and function. A quick search found this meta-analysis. Funny that they still recommend about 1000 IU a day when people are reporting the best results at 3000-5000 IU a day and no side affects. I personally take about 5000 IU a day, more if I am feeling a cold or something coming on. Since I have implemented high dose Vitamin D and A supplementation at first sign of sickness I have not been sick. Vitamin A and D are underrated for fighting colds and flu not sure exactly but they modulate the immune system somehow.

[lapis]

I think this is one of the best articles written on the subject, by Chris Masterjohn who incidentally has also written an excellent review of how the Rockefellers and other elites have taken over the education system, both lower and higher (http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Rockefeller-Foundation-Social-Control-Eugenics.html).

From Seafood to Sunshine: A New Understanding of Vitamin D Safety (http://www.westonaprice.org/fat-soluble-activators/seafood-to-sunshine)

Here's one of his latest on the subject that's not as long:

New Evidence of Synergy Between Vitamins A and D: Protection Against Autoimmune Diseases (http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/2012/01/22/new-evidence-of-synergy-between-vitamins-a-and-d-protection-against-autoimmune-diseases/)


Posted on January 22, 2012 (http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/2012/01/22/new-evidence-of-synergy-between-vitamins-a-and-d-protection-against-autoimmune-diseases/)

One of the perennial topics of this blog is the synergy between vitamins A and D. A new Japanese study published last July in the journal Immunology Letters (1 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20655952)) provides further evidence of this synergy, this time suggesting the dynamic duo can courageously combat the most flagellant of our inner impulses, keeping our wayward neutrophils in check and barring them from wandering too far down the winding road that leads to autoimmunity.

These investigators faced a conundrum. A number of studies suggest that the activated hormone form of vitamin D, calcitriol, has great promise for preventing and treating autoimmune diseases, but its usefulness in the clinical setting is currently limited because it promotes excessive accumulation of calcium in the blood and soft tissues. One hardly wants to cure, say, psoriasis if it means having to pass kidney stones.

The investigators thus sought to see if the activated hormone form of vitamin A, retinoic acid, might also prove useful in battling autoimmune disorders. If so, using the activated forms of both vitamins together might allow clinicians to treat these disorders using doses low enough to avoid the nasty side effects.

To address this issue, the investigators examined the effects of these vitamins on the development of Th17 cells and in a mouse model of contact hypersensitivity.

Vitamins A and D Synergistically Suppress the Development of Th17 Cells

Th17 cells are helper T cells that produce a number of inflammatory chemicals, including interleukin-17. These bad boys protect against infection, but they also appear to play a role in multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease. The investigators took “naive” T cells from mice that had been genetically engineered to react to egg white protein, and then incubated the cells with that very protein and with different doses of the activated vitamins.

We call these cells “naive” not to mock their credulity and lack of sophistication, but simply to indicate that because of their inexperience they have remained undecided and noncommittal about the courses their lives will ultimately take. Having yet to fall into that fateful encounter with the protein of their destiny, they have yet to even decide whether that protein is friend or foe. It is the molecular environment that will bode tidings of peace or of war. Depending on these tidings the naive T cell may on that fateful day become a brother to the protein, sheltering it from the reckless and wayward assaults of the more ignorant brethren, or may instead decide to sound the battle horn and launch an all-out crusade against the protein, ready to crush even its family and friends under the banner of victory. When the time comes, the decision proves all-engrossing: it is no less than the very decision to commit to immunological tolerance or to immunological intolerance.

The naive T cell puts its finger to the wind, so to speak, to distill the spirit of the times, and to discern whether an alliance with the protein would prove fruitful or folly. If fruitful, the T cell becomes a regulator or suppressor T cell, and arranges a treaty of peace. If folly, the T cell becomes a helper T cell, ready to route out the enemy. But the decision does not end there; war is much more complicated than friendship. The helper T must be assigned to a unit. Whether it becomes a Th1 cell, a Th2 cell, or a Th17 cell (and perhaps we will discover others) will determine just in what ways it will assist in the war effort, and just what type of collateral damage — allergies, autoimmunity — might ensue.

Even though these mice were genetically engineered to produce a great abundance of T cells that target egg white protein, there is nothing within their genes that makes them react with tolerance or intolerance, because this is not a matter of genetics. The investigators, then, had to incubate the naive cells not only with egg white protein and different amounts and combinations of activated vitamins, but also with a biochemical cocktail to mimic the environment that would occur within the body during a time of distress and that would convince these cells to commit to enlisting in the Th17 brigade.

Lo and behold, the activated forms of both vitamins suppressed the development of Th17 cells. The more of the activated vitamin there was, the fewer Th17 cells there were. We can see this below by noting that as we move rightward along the graph, the dose of the vitamin increases, and as we move downwards, the proportion of naive cells that joined the Th17 brigade falls.


http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/files/2012/01/A-and-D-Alone.jpg (http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/files/2012/01/A-and-D-Alone.jpg)


The investigators then combined the two vitamins to see whether they would prove antagonistic, additive, or synergistic. To determine the type of interaction, they created the graph below, called an “isobologram.”



http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/files/2012/01/Isobologram.jpg (http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/files/2012/01/Isobologram.jpg)


Each dot represents the dose required to cut the number of Th17 cells in half. The dose required of each vitamin alone is given a value of 1.0 to make the math simpler. These doses are represented by the dots in the upper left and bottom right corners.

The dots that appear inside the square represent some combination of the two vitamins. If they were to fall along the diagonal line, this would mean that the two vitamins are additive.

It would mean, for example, that you could replace half of one vitamin with the other and get the exact same effect. If they were to fall somewhere in the upper right half of the graph, this would mean that the two vitamins antagonize each other and that combining them increases the dose you would need rather than decreasing it. But as we see, the dots all clearly fall in the lower left half of the graph. This means that the two vitamins are synergistic. It means that if we combine the two, we can use much lower doses of both of them to get the same effect.



The investigators performed a statistical calculation from this data and concluded that the effect represents “strong synergy.”

They performed similar though less detailed experiments with human cells and obtained similar results.

Vitamins A and D Protect Against Contact Hypersensitivity in Mice

The next question was whether the activated vitamins would protect against an autoimmune condition in live mice. The investigators addressed this question with a model of contact hypersensitivity. Contact hypersensitivity is similar to a skin allergy, except that T cells do the damage rather than antibody-producing cells. The method is rather simple: rub a nasty chemical known to produce the reaction onto the ears of the mice, and see how much swelling ensues. As we see below, activated vitamins A and D cooperated together to reduce ear swelling in these mice.


http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/files/2012/01/Ear-Swelling-300x294.png (http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/files/2012/01/Ear-Swelling.png)


The first bar represents the amount of ear swelling that occurred in the absence of either vitamin. The second bar represents the effect of activated vitamin D, the third the effect of activated vitamin A, and the last the effect of the two vitamins together. It’s not obvious that this effect is synergistic rather than additive, but it’s clear that the best effect is seen with both vitamins together.



Consistent with previous research showing that Th17 cells participate in this disorder, the protection afforded by vitamins A and D was associated with a reduced number of Th17 cells in the lymph nodes draining from the ears of the mice.

Putting the Synergy in Context

Although this paper is an important step forward in the exploration of the interactions between the fat-soluble vitamins, the authors seem unaware of the small but substantial body of literature that has already begun documenting these interactions. This leads them to reject the possibility of preventing or treating autoimmune diseases with nutrition.

The authors seem unaware, for example, of the numerous studies showing that the fat-soluble vitamins each protect against the toxicity of the other. They argue that retinoic acid (activated vitamin A) could make calcitriol (activated vitamin D) safe by reducing the dose necessary to achieve the desired effect.

This is, indeed, an entirely logical argument for which they provided convincing preliminary evidence. But retinoic acid protects against the soft tissue calcification induced by calcitriol even without reducing the dose used, and it does this at least in part by normalizing the production of vitamin K-dependent proteins, which is thrown awry when calcitriol is used alone (2 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19022954)). I hypothesized that this would be true at the end of 2006 (3 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17145139)). Two years later, Tufts University showed it to be true in mice (2 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19022954)).

The authors concluded their paper by stating that fat-soluble vitamins are toxic. They suggested that using the activated hormones as drugs would provide a safer alternative to consuming the vitamins themselves:
Vitamin A and Vitamin D are fat-soluble vitamins, which have the potential of becoming toxic if they are chronically consumed in very high doses. ATRA [activated vitamin A] has been used for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia, and retinoid is used for the treatment of skin cancers and psoriasis, but a high intake of vitamin A over a long period leads to chronic vitamin A toxicity including osteoporosis [63]. The combination therapy of 1,25D3 [activated vitamin D] with ATRA would reduce the risk for these side effects and obtain a favorable clinical response with a lower dose administration.
This paragraph is difficult to interpret because of its numerous apples-to-oranges comparisons, but it seems these authors are acutely aware that they need to use the hormone forms of the vitamins together to render them safe, but wholly unaware that it may be possible to do the same with a nutritional approach. Yet the same principle demonstrated in this paper with the hormone forms is true of the vitamins themselves: when consumed together, they make each other safe and effective. I have documented these interactions in a number of articles published over the last seven years:


Does Vitamin A Cause Osteoporosis? (http://www.westonaprice.org/fat-soluble-activators/vitamin-a-on-trial) (Winter 2005/Spring 2006)
From Seafood to Sunshine: A New Understanding of Vitamin D Safety (http://www.westonaprice.org/fat-soluble-activators/seafood-to-sunshine) (Fall 2006)
Vitamin D Toxicity Redefined: Vitamin K and the Molecular Mechanism (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17145139) (December, 2006)
Vitamin D in the Infant: Requirements for Safety (http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/vitamin-d-in-the-infant) (Winter, 2006)
On the Trail of the Elusive X-Factor: A 62-Year Mystery Finally Solved, Vitamin K2 Revealed (http://www.westonaprice.org/fat-soluble-activators/x-factor-is-vitamin-k2) (Spring, 2007)
The Cod Liver Oil Debate (http://www.westonaprice.org/cod-liver-oil/cod-liver-oil-debate) (Spring, 2009)
Eight related blog posts (http://www.westonaprice.org/blogs/cmasterjohn/tag/vitamins-a-d-and-k/)

The publication of papers in the pharmacological literature like the one reviewed herein from Immunology Letters represents an opportunity of enormous magnitude: we currently have molecular biologists working out the details of how the nuclear receptors for vitamins A and D interact, pharmacologists working out the details of how their hormone forms interact, and nutrition scientists beginning to study their dietary interactions. These fields are largely fragmented at the moment. With an interdisciplinary approach, the communication barrier between these fields can be broken down and we can arrive at a fundamentally new understanding of nutritional requirements and the potential for nutrition to prevent and treat disease.

The Raw Material of Communication

In this paper, we see that vitamins A and D cooperate to tame an aberrant response of the immune system. Th17 cells don’t just participate in autoimmune diseases, however; they also, as far as we currently know, protect against infectious diseases. As I wrote about in “The Cod Liver Oil Debate (http://www.westonaprice.org/cod-liver-oil/cod-liver-oil-debate),” vitamins A and D protect against infectious disease. If it turns out in time that vitamins A and D protect against autoimmunity when given in their vitamin forms and not only in their hormone forms, it may begin to appear that they help direct the immune response toward appropriate targets, suppressing autoimmunity but boosting immunity against infections.

This may seem paradoxical, but should it? Vitamins A and D themselves are not hormones. They are the raw materials from which our cells make the signals they need to communicate. If this raw material is present in insufficient amounts, we could expect communication to go awry: diplomacy in its most miserable failings, our defenses spread thin, waging half-hearted wars against everything in sight, wholly inadequate to defeat our enemies and altogether too promiscuous to maintain any lasting friendships.

When the raw material necessary for communication is present in sufficient quantity, our immune systems mount strategic responses, defending the sacred soil when necessary, but minimizing collateral damage and opting for lasting peace whenever it is in reach.

This, at least, must be part of the puzzle. As our understanding of immunity grows in the new century, it must retain a prominent position for the fat-soluble vitamins.

References

1. Ikeda U, Wakita D, Ohkuri T, Chamoto K, Kitamura H, Iwakura Y, Nishimura T. 1alpha,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 and all-trans retinoic acid synergistically inhibit the differentiation and expansion of Th17 cells. Immunol Lett. 2010;134(1):7-16.
2. Fu X, Wang XD, Mernitz H, Wallin R, Shea MK, Booth SL. 9-cis retinoic acid reduces 1alpha,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol-induced renal calcification by altering vitamin K-dependent gamma-carboxylation of matrix gamma-carboxyglutamic acid protein in A/J male mice. J Nutr. 2008;138(12):2337-41.
3. Masterjohn C. Vitamin D toxicity redefined: vitamin K and the molecular mechanism. Med Hypotheses. 2007;68(5):1026-34. Epub 2006 Dec 4.

[lapis]

A vitamin D thread would be amiss if it didn't contain some information from nutrition and obesity researcher and blogger Stephan Guyanet:



Dr. Mellanby's Tooth Decay Reversal Diet (http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2010/12/dr-mellanbys-tooth-decay-reversal-diet.html)


I have a lot of admiration for Drs. Edward and May Mellanby. A husband-and-wife team, they discovered vitamin D, and determined that rickets is caused by poor calcium (or phosphorus) status, typically due to vitamin D deficiency. They believed that an ideal diet is omnivorous, based on whole foods, and offers an adequate supply of fat-soluble vitamins and easily absorbed minerals. They also felt that grain intake should be modest, as their research showed that unsoaked whole grains antagonize the effect of vitamins D and A.

Not only did the Mellanbys discover vitamin D and end the rickets epidemic that was devastating Western cities at the time, they also discovered a cure for early-stage tooth decay that has been gathering dust in medical libraries throughout the world since 1924.

It was in that year that Dr. May Mellanby published a summary of the results of the Mellanby tooth decay reversal studies in the British Medical Journal, titled "Remarks on the Influence of a Cereal-free Diet Rich in Vitamin D and Calcium on Dental Caries in Children". Last year, I had to specially request this article from the basement of the University of Washington medical library (1 (http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/03/reversing-tooth-decay.html)). Thanks to the magic of the internet, the full version of the paper is now freely available online (2 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2520490/)).

You don't need my help to read the study, but in this post I offer a little background, a summary and my interpretation.

In previous studies, the Mellanbys used dogs to define the dietary factors that influence tooth development and repair. They identified three, which together made the difference between excellent and poor dental health (from Nutrition and Disease):


The diet's mineral content, particularly calcium and phosphorus
The diet's fat-soluble vitamin content, chiefly vitamin D
The diet's content of inhibitors of mineral absorption, primarily phytic acid

Once they had defined these factors, they set about testing their hypotheses in humans. They performed eight trials, each one in children in an institutionalized setting where diet could be completely controlled. The number of cavities in each child's mouth was noted at the beginning and end of the period. I'll only discuss the three most informative, and only the most successful in detail. First, the results:


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zULJExxrW54/TP77943rN3I/AAAAAAAAAss/ryFrlUYOlm0/s400/cavities_in_dietary_groups%25282%2529.png (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zULJExxrW54/TP77943rN3I/AAAAAAAAAss/ryFrlUYOlm0/s1600/cavities_in_dietary_groups%25282%2529.png)


I'll start with diet 1. Children on this diet ate the typical fare, plus extra oatmeal. Oatmeal is typically eaten as an unsoaked whole grain (and soaking it isn't very effective in any case), and so it is high in phytic acid, which effectively inhibits the absorption of a number of minerals including calcium. These children formed 5.8 cavities each and healed virtually none-- not good!

Diet number 2 was similar to diet 1, except there was no extra oatmeal and the children received a large supplemental dose of vitamin D. Over 28 weeks, only 1 cavity per child developed or worsened, while 3.9 healed. Thus, simply adding vitamin D to a reasonable diet allowed most of their cavities to heal.

Diet number 3 was the most effective. This was a grain-free diet plus supplemental vitamin D. Over 26 weeks, children in this group saw an average of only 0.4 cavities form or worsen, while 4.7 healed. The Mellanbys considered that they had essentially found a cure for this disorder in its early stages.

What exactly was this diet? Here's how it was described in the paper (note: cereals = grains):
...instead of cereals- for example, bread, oatmeal, rice, and tapioca- an increased allowance of potatoes and other vegetables, milk, fat, meat, and eggs was given. The total sugar, jam, and syrup intake was the same as before. Vitamin D was present in abundance in either cod-liver oil or irradiated ergosterol, and in egg yolk, butter, milk, etc. The diet of these children was thus rich in those factors, especially vitamin D and calcium, which experimental evidence has shown to assist calcification, and was devoid of those factors- namely, cereals- which interfere with the process.Carbohydrate intake was reduced by almost half. Bread and oatmeal were replaced by potatoes, milk, meat, fish, eggs, butter and vegetables. The diet is reminiscent of what Dr. Weston Price used to reverse tooth decay in his dental clinic in Cleveland, although Price's diet did include rolls made from freshly ground whole wheat. Price also identified the fat-soluble vitamin K2 MK-4 as another important factor in tooth decay reversal, which would have been abundant in Mellanby's studies due to the dairy. The Mellanbys and Price were contemporaries and had parallel and complementary findings. The Mellanbys did not understand the role of vitamin K2 in mineral metabolism, and Price did not seem to appreciate the role of phytic acid from unsoaked whole grains in preventing mineral absorption.

Here are two sample meals provided in Dr. Mellanby's paper. I believe the word "dinner" refers to the noon meal, and "supper" refers to the evening meal:
Breakfast- Omelette, cocoa, with milk.
Lunch- Milk.
Dinner- Potatoes, steamed minced meat, carrots, stewed fruit, milk.
Tea- Fresh fruit salad, cocoa made with milk.
Supper- Fish and potatoes fried in dripping, milk.

Breakfast- Scrambled egg, milk, fresh salad.
Dinner- Irish stew, potatoes, cabbage, stewed fruit, milk.
Tea- Minced meat warmed with bovril, green salad, milk.
Supper- Thick potato soup made with milk.
In addition, children received vitamin D daily. Here's Dr. Mellanby's summary of their findings:
The tests do not indicate that in order to prevent dental caries children must live on a cereal-free diet, but in association with the results of the other investigations on animals and children they do indicate that the amount of cereal eaten should be reduced, particularly during infancy and in the earlier years of life, and should be replaced by an increased consumption of milk, eggs, butter, potatoes, and other vegetables. They also indicate that a sufficiency of vitamin D and calcium should be given from birth, and before birth, by supplying a suitable diet to the pregnant mother. The teeth of the children would be well formed and more resistant to dental caries instead of being hypoplastic and badly calcified, as were those in this investigation.If I could add something to this program, I would recommend daily tooth brushing and flossing, avoiding sugar, and rinsing the mouth with water after each meal.

This diet is capable of reversing early stage tooth decay. It will not reverse advanced decay, which requires professional dental treatment as soon as possible. It is not a substitute for dental care in general, and if you try using diet to reverse your own tooth decay, please do it under the supervision of a dentist. And while you're there, tell her about Edward and May Mellanby!

Preventing Tooth Decay (http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/03/preventing-tooth-decay.html)
Reversing Tooth Decay (http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/03/reversing-tooth-decay.html)
Images of Tooth Decay Healing due to an Improved Diet (http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/04/images-of-tooth-decay-healing-due-to.html)
Dental Anecdotes (http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/04/dental-anecdotes.html)

[lapis]

Low Vitamin D: Cause or Result of Disease? (http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2010/04/low-vitamin-d-cause-or-result-of.html)


Don Matesz at Primal Wisdom (http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/) put up a post a few days ago that I think is worth reading. It follows an e-mail discussion between us concerning a paper on magnesium restriction in rats (executive summary: moderate Mg restriction reduces the hormone form of vitamin D by half and promotes osteoporosis). In his post, Don cites several papers showing that vitamin D metabolism is influenced by more than just vitamin D intake from the diet and synthesis in the skin.

Celiac disease patients have low 25(OH)D3, the circulating storage form of vitamin D, which spontaneously corrects on a gluten-free diet. There are numerous suggestions in the medical literature that overweight and sickness cause low vitamin D, potentially confounding the interpretation of studies that find lower levels of illness among people with low vitamin D levels.

Don't get me wrong, I still think vitamin D is important in preventing disease. But it does lead me to question the idea that we should force down huge doses of supplemental vitamin D to get our 25(OH)D3 up to 60, 70 or even 80 ng/mL. When the dosage of supplemental D goes beyond what a tan Caucasian could conceivably make on a day at the beach (4,000 IU?), that's when I start becoming skeptical. Check out Don's post (http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/2010/03/practically-paleo-diet-supplementation.html) for more.

[lapis]

Take Magnesium AND Vitamin D To Avoid Vitamin D Side Effects (http://www.easy-immune-health.com/magnesium-and-vitamin-d.html)



If you are taking Vitamin D, it's important that you understand the Magnesium and Vitamin D connection in order to avoid vitamin d side effects and to maximize absorption.

Nutrients don't work alone, and when it comes to taking vitamin d, it's important that you take magnesium and vitamin d together and not JUST vitamin d alone in large doses as this can lead to what people BELIEVE are vitamin d side effects, but are really just magnesium deficiency symptoms that have been induced because of how vitamin d 'uses up' magnesium in its conversion to its 'active form' in the bloodstream from supplements and sunlight.

This is a BIG problem because as more and more people, and their doctors, begin to realize the amazing health benefits that Vitamin D has to offer and to understand the seriousness of the long term Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency (http://www.easy-immune-health.com/Symptoms-of-Vitamin-D-Deficiency.html), more people are taking vitamin d with the effect of there being an increase in people having these so called 'vitamin d side effects'.

But what is Not being addressed by health care practitioners, however, is that many of these 'Vitamin D Side Effects' are not problems with the vitamin d, but are problems with not getting enough magnesium! There would be a significant reduction in problems with taking vitamin d if only people would take magnesium and vitamin d were taken TOGETHER.

Part of this problem is that nearly as many people have undiagnosed magnesium deficiencies as do people with vitamin d deficiencies. And unfortunately, blood Magnesium Levels (http://www.easy-immune-health.com/magnesium-level.html) are virtually worthless and can't tell you if you really are magnesium deficient!

In fact, Signs of Magnesium Deficiency (http://www.easy-immune-health.com/signs-of-magnesium-deficiency.html) are SO prevalent that Dr. Carolyn Dean calls this problem an 'Epidemic'. And if you have even a MILD unrecognized magnesium deficiency, your Signs of Magnesium Deficiency (http://www.easy-immune-health.com/signs-of-magnesium-deficiency.html) are going to be amplified greatly when vitamin d is taken- particularly in the large doses commonly used for vitamin d deficiency treatment. And this is creating some uncomfortable Side Effects of Vitamin D (http://www.easy-immune-health.com/Vitamin-D-Side-Effects.html) that are actually NOT problems with taking vitamin d itself, but symptoms of an induced magnesium deficiency!

Some of the problems being experienced by those taking vitamin D are:


Headaches
Insomnia
Jitteriness
Muscle Cramps (http://www.easy-immune-health.com/causes-of-muscle-cramps.html)
Anxiety
Heart Palpitations (http://www.easy-immune-health.com/causes-of-heart-palpitations.html)
Constipation



All of which are exactly the same as Signs of Magnesium Deficiency!! While certainly there are always going to be those who simply can't tolerate taking Vitamin D Supplements for one reason or another, the good news is that the vast majority of these problems can be cleared up or easily prevented by being sure to take magnesium, in a dosage that is outlined on the Magnesium Dosage (http://www.easy-immune-health.com/magnesium-dosage.html)page, along with your vitamin d. This is equally true of those who get their vitamin d from the sun as well.



Vitamin D Absorption Problems
How Magnesium and Vitamin D Work Together


Since magnesium is required for the conversion of vitamin d into its active form, it's also true that taking vitamin d may not raise Vitamin D Blood Levels (http://www.easy-immune-health.com/Normal-Vitamin-D-level.html) in those who are magnesium deficient!! Be sure that you read this again and understand this magnesium and vitamin d interrelationship:


Magnesium is 'Used Up' when Vitamin D is converted into its active form in the blood
Magnesium is 'Required' to convert Vitamin D into its active form in the blood


It works BOTH ways. Magnesium is not JUST depleted, but you won't convert vitamin d unless you have enough magnesium in order to allow vitamin d to BE converted!! In many cases where large doses of vitamin d are taken but the vitamin d level does not come up, both the person deficient and their doctor believe that they are having Vitamin D Absorption problems. This ends up causing:

1) A lot of fear that an underlying serious medical problem exists

2) Unnecessarily high dosages of Vitamin D are often taken causing worsening of the magnesium deficiency

3) Thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of dollars are spent in unnecessary medical testing to find the 'absorption' problem

4) The underlying magnesium deficiency is often never found and addressed because testing for magnesium levels is not a useful test to determine need for that nutrient

Unlike drugs, nutrients are 'synergistic' and interconnected with each other.

Especially in the case ofMagnesium and Vitamin D it's EXTREMELY important that you take magnesium if you are taking vitamin d on a regular basis.


Another reason for this is that magnesium helps calcium absorption as well, and many women who take Vitamin D and Calcium 'For My Bones' don't end up taking magnesium along with these two nutrients- and this can impair the bone building effectiveness of the vitamin d and calcium.

So, don't get caught taking vitamin d without taking both magnesium and vitamin d together! It's really THAT important! Keep reading to find out what OTHER factors can affect vitamin d absorption...

[Son-of-Liberty]

Thanks for posting those articles lapis. The first one reminded me of what i said in the airborn flesh eating disease thread that it is a properly functioning immune system that you want not just a "strong immune system." If a strong immune system is directed towards you rather then a virus or bacteria then it can do more harm then good.

[lapis]

You're welcome, and I hope others find them helpful. I debated whether or not to stay up late to post all of this; it was against my better judgement but I thought it was important. Today I was dragging my feet after only getting four hours of sleep, and when I started sneezing a few times and feeling run down, I took some extra vitamin D3 in the afternoon along with some magnesium citrate. In about an hour, I felt fine and stopped sneezing and feeling tired. Impressive results, eh?

[Large Sarge]

Bump