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| | | From: Rene (Original Message) | Sent: 3/31/2005 8:59 PM |
Vitamin D is Key: Deficiency Linked to Chronic Diseases (Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome News) ImmuneSupport.com, 03-12-2004 New discoveries link vitamin D deficiency with many chronic diseases. Coaxed by the sun, it may stop cells from perilously misbehaving RONALD KOTULAK, SPECIAL TO THE STAR CHICAGO—As the sun begins to break through some mornings, its warming rays are resuming a critical role that has lain dormant most of the winter, coaxing our skin to make vitamin D. Emerging research indicates that vitamin D is more important to our health than previously thought, leading an increasing number of scientists to challenge whether the fear of sun exposure has made us cover up too much. Doctors are finding an increase in vitamin D deficiencies, even as researchers discover remarkable results from the vitamin that affects nearly every tissue in the body. When women took vitamin D in multivitamin supplements over a long period, their risk of developing multiple sclerosis was reduced by 40 per cent, according to one study. And a disturbing number of children who don't have enough vitamin D in their bodies are showing up with rickets, a crippling bone disorder thought to have been eradicated more than 70 years ago. Vitamin D is a critical hormone that scientists are discovering helps regulate the health of more than 30 different tissues, from the brain to the prostate. It plays a role in regulating cell growth, the immune system and blood pressure, and in the production of insulin, brain chemicals and bone. "We thought that vitamin D was a very narrow-acting substance," said Dr. Hector DeLuca of the University of Wisconsin, where vitamin D was first identified in the early 1900s, leading to the fortification of milk and some other foods that eliminated endemic rickets. "The big surprise is that it's got a lot of important biological effects that probably contribute to our health and we're just now beginning to uncover them," said DeLuca. "Are we getting enough vitamin D? No we're not, especially in the winter." Vitamin D is one of the body's many control systems. It acts like an emergency brake that helps stop cells from perilously misbehaving, as immune cells can do when they cause such autoimmune diseases as multiple sclerosis and as breast and prostate cells do when they turn cancerous. This protection declines as vitamin D levels drop. University of Chicago microbiologist Yan Chun Li discovered just how that happens with high blood pressure. Vitamin D helps normalize blood pressure by keeping a pressure-increasing switch called renin in check. New research indicates vitamin D malnutrition may also be linked to many chronic diseases such as cancer, chronic pain, weakness, chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes, high blood pressure, mental illnesses �?depression, seasonal affective disorder and possibly schizophrenia �?heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, tuberculosis and inflammatory bowel disease. "A lot of people with aches and pains and marginal weakness could be helped by vitamin D supplements," said Dr. Paresh Dandona of the State University of New York at Buffalo who reported the first five cases of vitamin D deficient myopathy three years ago. Researchers are finding that the current recommended daily allowances of vitamin D are probably far lower than the minimum amount necessary for optimum health. Scientists are quick to warn that although people may need more vitamin D, mostly in the form of supplements in higher latitudes where sunlight is weak during winter, they should consult a physician before consuming large doses. Taking too much vitamin D can elevate levels of calcium in the blood, a potentially serious condition that can lead to nausea, vomiting, or even death. It is especially easy for children to overdose on vitamin D supplements. Dark-skinned people have the highest risk for vitamin D deficiency because dark skin needs five to 10 times more sunlight than white to produce the same amount of the vitamin. Even in summer the skin's vitamin D-making ability gets dampened from the increasing use of sunscreen, leading a growing number of health experts to challenge the advice given over the last two decades to avoid the sun at all costs in order to reduce skin cancer risk. "The amount of vitamin D in our diet is totally inadequate," said Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University Medical Center, a leading vitamin D expert. "We are in an era of sun phobia �?that is not being exposed to any direct sunlight �?that's being promoted widely by the dermatology community and it's probably hurting people's health more than it's helping them. "That message needs to be modified and moderated to a more sensible approach so that people can get a little bit of safe sun," he said. Source: The Chicago Tribune |
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 4/1/2005 12:01 AM |
Daily Dose, July 2, 2004
The sun also rises over the medical establishment I've often wondered - and more than once in print - how the human race ever managed to survive and thrive if what the mainstream says about sunlight is really true. To hear them tell it, natural sunlight is only slightly less harmful to our health than nuclear fallout! How did we ever last eight million years as an evolving species?
But as usual, my pokings and proddings on the subject have gone all but ignored by conventional medicine. Why? Because of commercial pressures, most likely. After all, how much sunscreen would you buy if they all of a sudden said that getting out in the sun every day was actually GOOD for you? Every once in a while, though, a mainstream doctor will slip up (or even skip ranks) and agree with me about something... Such was the case in a New York Times article in which a Boston University Medical Center dermatologist named Dr. Michael Holick re-affirmed what I've said all along - that sunlight is good for you because it aids in the body's production of vitamin D! An expert on Vitamin D with over 30 years of research on the subject under his belt, Dr. Holick cites a deficiency of this vital nutrient as a major factor in osteoporosis, diabetes, and cancers of the skin, breast, prostate, and ovaries... If this all sounds familiar, it's because it's what I've been telling you - and the medical establishment - about the benefits of vitamin D for years now! Anyway... In the interview, Dr. Holick also mentions that vitamin D plays a vital role in regulating cell growth - and on our immune systems and cardiovascular health. But what are really interesting are his studies on regional sun exposure and vitamin D levels. In one such study, Dr. Holick discovered that 36 percent of young Boston-area adults were vitamin D deficient at the end of wintertime (not too surprising, right)... But get this: They were still 11 percent vitamin D deficient at the END of summer! Remember: these figures represented the youngest, most active adults (aged 18 to 29), the hiking, biking, roller-blading, and running demographic. Can you imagine what those figures must be like for older adults with indoor jobs or a less outdoorsy lifestyle? Not good. But this condition is so easy - and fun - to remedy. My recommendation is that you get outside a little every day - especially if you live north of the Mason-Dixon line. Go ahead, play some golf or tennis, do a little gardening, or take a stroll. It'll do you so much good on so many levels, believe me. Of course, supplemental vitamin D isn't a bad idea if you're sure that what you're taking is of good quality, and highly absorbable. |
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 4/12/2005 5:59 PM |
September 22, 2004 | It's D time again.
I've already sent you three e-Alerts this year (and several last year as well) regarding the remarkable health benefits we get through vitamin D intake. And that list of benefits just got a little longer.
Today I'll tell you about two recent studies that illustrate again just how vital vitamin D is to our overall health.
Muscle up
Both of the new studies come from researchers at Tufts University (USDA Human Nutrition Research Center). For the first study �?reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition �?researchers designed a trial to expand on previous research that indicated a possible association between vitamin D deficiency and periodontal disease.
The Tufts team analyzed blood tests and dental data on more than 11,000 subjects enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Specifically, they were looking for blood serum concentrations of vitamin D and the incidence of periodontal attachment loss.
Results showed a significant association between low levels of vitamin D and an elevated risk of tooth loss due to periodontal disease.
In the second Tufts study �?reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition this month �?researchers note that a specific nuclear receptor in muscle tissue may facilitate improved muscle cell growth and muscle strength when vitamin D levels are high.
About 4,100 subjects, aged 60 to 90, were recruited to compare levels of vitamin D to lower-extremity function. After taking into account variables, such as age and individual activity levels, researchers found that both active and inactive subjects with the highest levels of vitamin D had better musculoskeletal function in the lower extremities, compared to subjects with the lowest vitamin D levels.
Both of these studies help confirm previous reports that adequate vitamin D intake may be an essential element in keeping muscles strong and gums healthy as we age.
D's lengthy checklist
As I mentioned above, we've seen quite a run of impressive studies about vitamin D over the past couple of years. Here are some of the other vitamin D benefits discussed in previous e-Alerts:
* Depression during winter months was significantly reduced among study subjects who took high daily doses of vitamin D (4,000 IU) for a period of one year.
* In a study that analyzed the relation of vitamin D levels to insulin sensitivity in a group of adults with normal glucose-tolerance, those with the lowest levels of D were more prone to develop symptoms of type 2 diabetes, including weaker pancreatic function and greater insulin resistance.
* Sufficient levels of vitamin D may cut the risk of heart disease in older women by as much as one-third, due to the ability of vitamin D to help prevent the buildup of calcium deposits in the arteries.
* When a group of 54 congestive heart failure (CHF) patients was compared to a group of 34 healthy subjects without CHF, researchers found that the CHF patients had vitamin D levels significantly lower than the healthy group, and those with the lowest vitamin D levels tended to have the most severe symptoms of CHF.
* In the February 2002 issue of Nutrition and Healing newsletter, Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., wrote: "It's very likely that if you're over 40 and supplement your diet with a generous amount of vitamin D, you can lower your risk of prostate, breast, and bowel cancer, along with your risk of 'essential' hypertension, osteoporosis, and tuberculosis."
Sunshine daydream
To address the questions of vitamin D sources and dosage, we'll turn again to Dr. Wright who recommends between 1,600 and 2,000 IU daily, and as much as 4,000 IU for those over 40.
As I've noted before, the best source of vitamin D is a moderate amount of sun exposure each day. But according to Dr. Wright, it's impossible for most people to get enough vitamin D from the sun alone. In fact, for many elderly people the vitamin D deficiency problem is compounded because our skin becomes less effective in producing vitamin D as we age.
Contrary to what the milk moustache adds would have us believe, homogenized and pasteurized dairy products are not good alternative sources of vitamin D because of the many other health concerns those products raise. Instead, Dr. Wright suggests food sources like salmon and sardines, or cod liver oil, which provides more than 1,300 IU of vitamin D per tablespoon.
So get on the D train and improve your health �?from muscles, to gums, to brain, to heart, to pancreas, and many points in between.
http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ea2004/ea_040915.shtml Sources:
"Association Between Serum Concentrations of 25- Hydroxyvitamin D3 and Periodontal Disease in the US Population" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 1, July 2004, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
"Gum Health, New Target for Vitamin D?" NutraIngredients.com, 8/31/04, nutraingredients.com
"Higher 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations are Associated with Better Lower-Extremity Function in both Active and Inactive Persons Aged 60 y" American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 3, September 2004, ajcn.org | |
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 7/27/2005 4:08 PM |
Daily Dose, July 15, 2005 Sunlight key to surviving surgery? In the last few months, I've reported quite a bit (Daily Dose, 4/29 and 6/13) about the medical establishment's grudging concession that vitamin D from SUNLIGHT (I love rubbing that in) is a powerful disease fighter - especially for cancer. But earlier this spring, a news item caught my eye that adds yet another telling wrinkle to the vitamin D/cancer saga. According to a recent Reuters Health article, there's new evidence suggesting that vitamin D and plenty of sunshine may help patients survive longer after lung cancer surgery. The Harvard Medical School/Harvard School of Public Health study reviewed data from the histories of 456 patients who were treated between 1992 and 2000 and found this startling correlation: Patients who had higher levels of vitamin D in their blood and had undergone surgery in the sunnier months were more than 2.5 times more likely to be alive after 5 years than those who had the lowest levels of vitamin D. The study's lead researcher theorized that the vitamin somehow inhibits the proliferation of cancerous cells. Wow - what a revelation, and from Harvard no less! A powerful antioxidant stops abnormal cells from multiplying? You don't say! I could have told them that - three decades ago! The author also mentioned that other studies have proved vitamin D's worth in the fight against cancer, and that fortifying your body with D supplements soon after a diagnosis of lung cancer could provide a survival advantage. Of course (no doubt in the name of "balance"), the Reuters article also goes on to quote the researchers as saying that they wouldn't suggest that people schedule cancer surgeries around seasonal or location factors. Of course, I'd try to avoid the surgery at all costs, attempting an aggressive course of natural therapies first - including vitamin D therapy. Heck, just skipping the scalpel might increase my odds of living five years post-surgery more than any vitamin, if today's medicine's track record for surgical errors is any indication.
Break bread, not bones
....... Still, it's far better than drugs, it seems. According to a recent study presented at the Experimental Biology convention in San Diego, researchers claim that elderly subjects who ate a specially formulated bread fortified with vitamin D and calcium carbonate experienced a 28% increase in lumbar spine bone density in one year. This beats the 8% increase bone-building drugs typically yield by more than 300%. While this is good news, I can't help but wonder: Why couldn't they have found something other than BREAD - the killer carb that's responsible for more inches of American waistline than anything but sugar - to mix these beneficial compounds up in? I mean, why not milk (especially raw), or some kind of ground meat, or even certain grains like whole oats or flaxseed? Perhaps it has to do with bread being more or less a universal (though hideously unhealthy) food - both vegetarians and carnivorous test subjects are all likely to eat it. This is the only thing I can think of that makes any sense. Oh, well - I'd rather see people eating loaves of osteoporosis-fighting bread than popping side-effect-riddled pills... The irony here is that any bone-strengthening effects this bread fosters will likely be offset by the extra foot-pounds of force those who eat it will be exerting on their bones if they take a spill. Extra weight does equal extra impact. Always "rising" to give you the truthful daily bread, William Campbell Douglass II, MD
Daily Dose readers can now tap into the minds of other health-conscious readers at the new HSI health forum: http://www.healthiertalk.com Copyright (c)1997-2005 by www.realhealthnews.com, L.L.C. The Daily Dose may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission.
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 10/12/2005 11:42 PM |
| Lack of Vitamin D Linked to Pain Study Shows Limited Sun Exposure Has Health Benefits By Salynn Boyles WebMD Medical News, Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD Dec. 10, 2003 -- There is new evidence that small amounts of unprotected sun exposure could be good for you. Earlier studies have linked vitamin D deficiency with an increased risk for several cancers. Now comes word that it may also be a major cause of unexplained muscle and bone pain. In a study involving 150 children and adults with unexplained muscle and bone pain, almost all were found to be vitamin D deficient; many were severely deficient with extremely low levels of vitamin D in their bodies. Humans tend to get most of their vitamin D from exposure to sunlight, so those who avoid the sun completely or who always wear sunscreen to protect themselves against skin cancers are at risk for vitamin D deficiencies, says Michael Holick, MD. Holick runs the Vitamin D Research Lab at Boston University Medical Center. "I think the current message that all unprotected sun exposure is bad for you is too extreme," he tells WebMD. "The original message was that people should limit their sun exposure, not that they should avoid the sun entirely. I do believe that some unprotected exposure to the sun is important for health." Dermatologists Disagree Holick claims there is now a strong epidemiological case linking vitamin D deficiency with a host of cancers including those of the prostate, colon, and breast; and he says vitamin D may also help protect against heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and even type 1 diabetes. He will present the evidence in a book scheduled for publication next spring, but the nation's largest dermatology group remains unconvinced. In a recent press release, American Academy of Dermatology officials wrote that they were "deeply concerned" that the message that unprotected sun exposure may have health benefits could "mislead the public about the very real danger of sun exposure, the leading cause of skin cancer." Patients Should Be Tested In the latest study, Gregory A. Plotnikoff, MD, of the University of Minnesota Medical School found a much higher incidence of vitamin D deficiency in the patients with unexplained muscle and skeletal pain than expected, regardless of their ages. All of the African Americans, East Africans, Hispanics, and Native Americans who participated in the study were vitamin D deficient, as were all of the patients under the age of 30. The researcher says it was a big surprise that the worst vitamin D deficiencies occurred in young people -- especially women of childbearing age. The findings are reported in the December issue of the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. "The message here is that unexplained pain may very well be linked to a vitamin D deficiency," Plotnikoff tells WebMD. "My hope is that patients with unexplained pain will be tested for vitamin D status, and treated, if necessary." Not this part benedit all of us Food and Pills Although it is possible to get vitamin D through foods or supplements, both researchers say it is not easy. A glass of fortified milk or fortified orange juice has about 100 international units (IU) of vitamin D and a multivitamin typically has 400 IU. Holick believes most people need about 1000 IU of vitamin D each day. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamin D varies with age, sex, and various medical conditions but in general is 200-600 IU per day. Other sources of vitamin D include: Cod Liver Oil. 1 tablespoon=1360 IU of vitamin D Salmon. 3 ounces=425 IU of vitamin D Herring. 3 ounces=765 IU of vitamin D Sardines. Canned, 3 ounces=255 IU of vitamin D Multivitamin supplements commonly provide 200-400 IU of vitamin D daily. He says a light-skinned person wearing a swimsuit at the beach will have absorbed about 20,000 IU of vitamin D in the time it takes their skin to get lightly pink. The amount of sun exposure needed to get the proper dose of vitamin D depends on a person's skin type, where they live, and time of year, and time of day the exposure occurs. Holick says it is difficult for people living in northern climates to get the vitamin D they need from the sun in the winter, but in the summer a light-skinned person at the beach should get all the vitamin D they need in about five minutes. "The trick is getting just enough sun to satisfy your body's vitamin D requirement, without damaging the skin," he says. "It is difficult to believe that this kind of limited exposure significantly increases a person's risk of skin cancer." SOURCES: Plotnikoff, G. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, December 2003; vol. 78: pp. 1463-1470 |
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 10/12/2005 11:53 PM |
Vitamin D Supplements Reduce Risk of Arthritis by 34% December 12, 2004 Rheumatoid arthritis is thought to be caused by a cellular immune response directed at an unknown antigen. Medical care costs for rhuematoid arthritis exceed $6000 per year per patient, according to the World Health Organisation. US-based researchers analysed data from a prospective cohort study of 29,368 women, aged 55-69 years, without a history of the disease at study baseline. A food frequency questionnaire recorded both dietary and supplemental vitamin D use. Following up 11 years later, the team found that high intake of vitamin D was lowered the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. Those consuming at at least 400 IU of supplemental vitamin D each day saw a 34 per cent reduction in risk of the disease. The findings for dietary vitamin D were not statistically significant. And no individual food item high in vitamin D content or calcium was strongly associated with reduced risk of the disease. However, there was a trend toward a lower rheumatoid arthritis risk with greater intake of milk products, report the scientists in this month’s issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism (vol 50, issue 1, pp72 -77). They add that further research is needed to confirm that increasing the intake of vitamin D may be associated with a lower risk of rhuematoid arthritis in older women. Vitamin D is known to play a vital role in metabolising bone but its effects on the immune system have not been so well defined. A recent study found an association between a mother’s intake of vitamin D during pregnancy and reduced risk of type 1 diabetes, caused by an autoimmune reaction, in her offspring. www.YoungAgain.com |
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 10/12/2005 11:57 PM |
| Vitamin D Lowers Inflammation | | Contributed by John Jacob Cannell, MD, executive director of The Vitamin D Council Researchers in Belgium appear to be the first to show that simple, natural and cheap vitamin D (cholecalciferol) lowers C-Reactive Protein (CRP), a measure of inflammation in the body, in critically ill patients. Even small amounts of vitamin D, about 500 IU, lowered inflammation by more than 25 percent in a small group of critically ill patients. Another marker of inflammation (IL-6) was reduced even more. The researchers also found that critically ill patients were profoundly deficient in vitamin D. In another study, researchers found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased inflammation in otherwise healthy people. Increased inflammation in the body can increase the risk of chronic inflammatory conditions, including coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes. Further, the researchers found that inflammation was lowered by simple vitamin D. As vitamin D deficiency is associated with numerous illnesses with inflammatory components, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune illness and heart disease, the findings were important. The authors concluded, “This finding provides a possible mechanism for tissue damage in chronic inflammatory conditions, including CHD and diabetes.�?/FONT> Inflammation in the body may be as important as cholesterol in determining the risk of heart disease. Unlike cholesterol alone, cholesterol and inflammation together predict a substantial number of cases of heart disease. Various studies show that vitamin D deficiency is widespread among the critically ill and suggest that that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to the inflammatory basis of various illnesses. For example, earlier this year researchers studied patients with congestive heart failure and found elevated levels of TNF, another marker of inflammation. They also found critically low levels of calcidiol [25(OH)D], the only reliable marker of vitamin D, and even found low levels of calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D that is usually low only in those who are severely vitamin D deficient. They concluded vitamin D deficiency might contribute to the development of congestive heart failure (CHF). It is important to note that vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory actions in humans have long been suspected. For example, several studies using compounds similar to vitamin D have been shown to significantly reduce inflammation and improve the patients�?condition when given to patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
Dr. Mercola's Comment: CRP is elevated when there is inflammation going on somewhere in the body, and chronic inflammation is a risk factor for a number of conditions including coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes. Numerous studies have shown that vitamin D lowers inflammation. Folks, we are in the midst of a radical revision of vitamin D understanding. The leading vitamin D scientists in the world have changed their position within the last few years and have started the warning sirens that most of traditional medicine was dead wrong when it comes to sun avoidance. Following the ridiculous recommendations of avoiding the sun has caused a minimum of 20,000 extra cancers per year, and it is far more likely the number actually exceeds 50,000. And that is just cancer deaths. It does not include heart disease or autoimmune diseases like MS or rheumatoid arthritis. The old RDA of 400 units was only put together to prevent rickets. It was established long before the appreciation of sun exposure and optimized vitamin D levels. The requirements for vitamin D are far closer to 10 times the current RDA, or 4,000 units. If you only took the RDA of 400 units of vitamin D and avoided the sun you can be virtually guaranteed you would be vitamin D deficient, just like over 85 percent of the country currently is. This is why it is crucial that you have your vitamin D levels tested now. By far, the vast majority of people reading this right now have far too little vitamin D in their blood. Over 85 percent of people have levels below 32, which is considered deficient, but it is possible to overdose on vitamin D. In my practice we don't like to see patient levels go much above 50, but 55 is probably a perfect level and anything above 60 is likely to be toxic. One study found cancer started to occur at 80. So, be smart and get your vitamin D level tested. We routinely put people on 10,000 units a day or more of vitamin D safely as long as we monitor them. It is important to understand that most of us get 10,000 units on a sunny summer day if we have significant exposure. If you are a health care professional I would strongly urge you to consider subscribing to Dr. Cannell's excellent vitamin D newsletter. The top vitamin D scientists in the world write it, and it is sent to the top scientists in the world with the intention of sparking the important changes that need to occur in the U.S. recommendations. I have learned quite a bit about vitamin D already, but it seems that every issue Dr. Cannel surprises me with new and exciting information about the health benefits of vitamin D. Related Articles: What is the Vitamin Most People in the U.S. are Deficient In? RDAs of Vitamin D Far Too Low How Much Vitamin D is Too Much? Take This Vitamin D Quiz to Find Out! Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency Breakthrough Updates You Need to Know on Vitamin D Return to Table of Contents #511 | Research Reviews Physiology Pharmacology Toxicity Requirements Vitamin D Deficiency Mental illness Heart Disease Hypertension Cancer Diabetes Pregnancy and Lactation Multiple Sclerosis Autoimmune Illness Osteoporosis Osteoarthritis Hyperparathyroidism Muscle Weakness and Falls Chronic Pain Miscellaneous |
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 10/13/2005 12:03 AM |
Vitamin D is Key: Deficiency Linked to Chronic Diseases (Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome News) ImmuneSupport.com, 03-12-2004 New discoveries link vitamin D deficiency with many chronic diseases. Coaxed by the sun, it may stop cells from perilously misbehaving by: RONALD KOTULAK
SPECIAL TO THE STAR CHICAGO�?/STRONG>As the sun begins to break through some mornings, its warming rays are resuming a critical role that has lain dormant most of the winter, coaxing our skin to make vitamin D. Emerging research indicates that vitamin D is more important to our health than previously thought, leading an increasing number of scientists to challenge whether the fear of sun exposure has made us cover up too much. Doctors are finding an increase in vitamin D deficiencies, even as researchers discover remarkable results from the vitamin that affects nearly every tissue in the body. When women took vitamin D in multivitamin supplements over a long period, their risk of developing multiple sclerosis was reduced by 40 per cent, according to one study. And a disturbing number of children who don't have enough vitamin D in their bodies are showing up with rickets, a crippling bone disorder thought to have been eradicated more than 70 years ago. Vitamin D is a critical hormone that scientists are discovering helps regulate the health of more than 30 different tissues, from the brain to the prostate. It plays a role in regulating cell growth, the immune system and blood pressure, and in the production of insulin, brain chemicals and bone. "We thought that vitamin D was a very narrow-acting substance," said Dr. Hector DeLuca of the University of Wisconsin, where vitamin D was first identified in the early 1900s, leading to the fortification of milk and some other foods that eliminated endemic rickets. "The big surprise is that it's got a lot of important biological effects that probably contribute to our health and we're just now beginning to uncover them," said DeLuca. "Are we getting enough vitamin D? No we're not, especially in the winter." Vitamin D is one of the body's many control systems. It acts like an emergency brake that helps stop cells from perilously misbehaving, as immune cells can do when they cause such autoimmune diseases as multiple sclerosis and as breast and prostate cells do when they turn cancerous. This protection declines as vitamin D levels drop. University of Chicago microbiologist Yan Chun Li discovered just how that happens with high blood pressure. Vitamin D helps normalize blood pressure by keeping a pressure-increasing switch called renin in check. New research indicates vitamin D malnutrition may also be linked to many chronic diseases such as cancer, chronic pain, weakness, chronic fatigue, multiple sclerosis and Type 1 diabetes, high blood pressure, mental illnesses �?depression, seasonal affective disorder and possibly schizophrenia �?heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, tuberculosis and inflammatory bowel disease. "A lot of people with aches and pains and marginal weakness could be helped by vitamin D supplements," said Dr. Paresh Dandona of the State University of New York at Buffalo who reported the first five cases of vitamin D deficient myopathy three years ago. Researchers are finding that the current recommended daily allowances of vitamin D are probably far lower than the minimum amount necessary for optimum health. Scientists are quick to warn that although people may need more vitamin D, mostly in the form of supplements in higher latitudes where sunlight is weak during winter, they should consult a physician before consuming large doses. Taking too much vitamin D can elevate levels of calcium in the blood, a potentially serious condition that can lead to nausea, vomiting, or even death. It is especially easy for children to overdose on vitamin D supplements. Dark-skinned people have the highest risk for vitamin D deficiency because dark skin needs five to 10 times more sunlight than white to produce the same amount of the vitamin. Even in summer the skin's vitamin D-making ability gets dampened from the increasing use of sunscreen, leading a growing number of health experts to challenge the advice given over the last two decades to avoid the sun at all costs in order to reduce skin cancer risk. "The amount of vitamin D in our diet is totally inadequate," said Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University Medical Center, a leading vitamin D expert. "We are in an era of sunphobia �?that is not being exposed to any direct sunlight �?that's being promoted widely by the dermatology community and it's probably hurting people's health more than it's helping them. "That message needs to be modified and moderated to a more sensible approach so that people can get a little bit of safe sun," he said. Source: The Chicago Tribune |
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 12/12/2005 7:54 PM |
Here's a link to a summary article about Vitamin D |
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| | | From: Rene | Sent: 11/25/2006 11:59 PM |
Low Vitamin D Increases Your Chances of Being Admitted to a Nursing Home
A study has shown that elderly men and women who were deficient in vitamin D were significantly more likely to be admitted to a nursing home than those with high levels.
Vitamin D deficiency is common among senior citizens. Up to 90 percent may suffer from the deficiency. One reason is their lower sunshine exposure, along with the reduced capacity of older skin to synthesize vitamin D when exposed to light. Poor nutritional intake is also a factor. Low vitamin D concentrations may accelerate age-related decline in physical health. Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to be one cause of lower muscle strength, loss of muscle strength, and poorer physical performance. There is also an association between lower vitamin D concentrations and higher mortality risk. Several studies have shown improvements in muscle strength, body sway, fall risk, and physical performance following vitamin D supplementation. The greater risk of nursing home admission can in part be explained by the high risk of osteoporosis, falls, and fractures related to a lack of vitamin D. But it could also be related to the fact that vitamin D deficiency has been shown to be connected to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and numerous other health problems. Insufficient vitamin D could be a main cause of poorer health, and higher health care costs, among older people.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition September 2006; 84(3): 616-622
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Dr. Mercola's Comment:
Vitamin D deficiency is widespread among nursing home residents, not to mention much of the U.S. population. Elderly citizens with vitamin D deficiency are more likely to be: Incontinent
Cognitively impaired or depressed
Suffering from arthritis
Less mobile
Vitamin D deficiency also increases the risk of bone and muscle problems and perhaps a host of other diseases including:
Many forms of cancer
High blood pressure
Depression
Multiple sclerosis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Diabetes
The beneficial effects that vitamin D can provide are nothing short of amazing. So much so that optimizing your sun exposure and secondarily the levels of vitamin D in your body may, indeed, be one of the most crucial steps you can take in support of your long-term health.
Unfortunately, many Americans do not get enough vitamin D, largely because of experts' recommendations to avoid all sun exposure. No advice could be more misguided. Get outside regularly -- that is the key. Take some time for yourself and work up to the point where you get one hour of sun on your skin every day it is possible. I can assure you that I consider this a critical part of my health program and seek to get in to work around 5 a.m. so I can leave early and read out in the sunshine. Please remember that, in nearly every circumstance, getting your vitamin D by exposing your body to UV light from the sun is the best option. When doing so, however, there are two extremely important points to remember: 1. Stay away from tanning beds, as they increase your risk of cancer. 2. Never stay in the sun for long enough to burn your skin. At the beginning of the season, limit your exposure to perhaps as little as five to 10 minutes a day. Progressively increase your time in the sun so that in a few weeks, you will be able to have normal sun exposure with little risk of skin cancer. If you use the sun to get vitamin D, you really don't have to worry about measuring your vitamin D levels, as sunlight will actually destroy excess vitamin D. It is very difficult to overdose on vitamin D from sun exposure. But if you take supplements in the winter months, when sun exposure is more difficult, be sure to monitor your vitamin D levels. If you do supplement, I recommend cod liver oil, the best source of vitamin D other than the sun.
Related Articles:
Vitamin D Treats and Prevents MS How Vitamin D Protects Your Heart |
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