Yes, you do need more D

It is heartening to see more good coverage about the importance of Vitamin D to health in MSM.
You'll see a comment in this story about D and diabetes.  For decades we have been recommending low dose zinc with vitamin D 3 for Type 1; this combination may help reverse it.

Many people fall short in consumption of vitamin D, studies show
By Michael Hastings, Winston-Salem Journal
August 15, 2010

Vitamin D fortifies a lot of foods, including milk, cereal and orange juice. And it's naturally found in wild-caught oily fish such as salmon and tuna.
That suggests that most people get plenty of Vitamin D.
But that's wrong.
Vitamin D deficiency is a widespread problem.
"Probably 90 percent of my patients are low," said Dr. Victoria Nnadi, a physician at Forsyth Internal Medicine Kernersville, owned by Novant Health.
Dr. Michael F. Holick, a Vitamin D expert at the Boston University School of Medicine, has been quoted as saying that Vitamin D is the most common nutritional deficiency and probably the most common medical problem in the world.
Getting adequate Vitamin D would seem easy. We need to spend only a few minutes a day in the sun.
In general, 5 to 10 minutes a day between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. with minimal clothing is considered good. But cloud cover, sunscreen, skin pigmentation and even northern latitudes can reduce the penetration of ultraviolet-B rays.
And with sedentary lifestyles and concerns about skin cancer, many people never get enough sun to provide adequate amounts of Vitamin D.
Similarly, most people don't eat enough food with Vitamin D. Kathie Sigler, a registered dietitian with Diabetes and Nutrition Services at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, said that someone would have to drink a quart of milk a day to get the 400 IUs (International Units) for people from birth to age 50. This the current amount recommended by the Institute of Medicine, an independent organization.
That leaves supplements as the best alternative. But experts disagree about the optimum level of Vitamin D. The National Institutes of Health currently considers 15 nanograms per millimeter of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood as adequate. But last year, the Institute of Medicine started a 24-month review of current recommendations.
The 2000-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the federal government, acknowledged the disagreement by publishing results for three different levels of Vitamin D. The survey found that 50 percent to 78 percent of all three groups surveyed (whites, Hispanics and blacks) fell below the highest level (30 ng/ml).
The nonprofit Vitamin D Council says that the level considered good should be 50 ng/ml. And many doctors, including Nnadi, agree.
Nnadi typically sees people with chronic illnesses, and many of them have multiple illnesses. And Vitamin D affects every part of the body. It is associated with the health of bones, the heart, muscles, the immune system and the prevention of cancer.
"I often will see (Vitamin D deficiency) in people who come in all achy, with low-back pain, arm pain or pain all over," Nnadi said.
Sigler said that Vitamin D is involved with the onset of diabetes. "It helps the pancreas make insulin. It helps the cells use that insulin," she said. "If the cells can't use that insulin, if there's not enough Vitamin D there, then diabetes can develop."
Sigler also said that improved Vitamin D can help people manage the complications of diabetes. For instance, the pain of neuropathy, a burning sensation in the feet, can be eased when Vitamin D levels are improved.
Sigler also said that good Vitamin D levels can promote healing after radiation therapy and help with fatigue and mild forms of depression.
It is possible to take too much Vitamin D, but that rarely happens, Nnadi and Sigler said. The NIH currently recommends a maximum of 1,000 IU of Vitamin D for infants and 2,000 IU for anyone age 1 or older.
"I would not start taking supplements (beyond a multivitamin) without getting your blood tested and without talking to your doctor," Sigler said.
Still, studies clearly show that many of us could use more Vitamin D -- and the many health benefits it can provide.
"The take-home message," Nnadi said, "is to get the Vitamin D level checked."

Copyright © 2010, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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Posted in: Vitamin D,vitamin D deficiency,vitamin D test

Vitamin D Important for Parkinson's

Low vitamin D levels 'linked to Parkinson's disease'

Vitamin D test Kit and High Quality D3 supplements can be ordered through CHI

Having low vitamin D levels may increase a person's risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life, say Finnish researchers.

Their study of 3,000 people, published in Archives of Neurology, found people with the lowest levels of the sunshine vitamin had a three-fold higher risk.

Vitamin D could be helping to protect the nerve cells gradually lost by people with the disease, experts say.

The charity Parkinson's UK said further research was required.

Parkinson's disease affects several parts of the brain, leading to symptoms like tremor and slow movements.

30-year study

Having low vitamin D levels may increase a person's risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life, say Finnish researchers.

Their study of 3,000 people, published in Archives of Neurology, found people with the lowest levels of the sunshine vitamin had a three-fold higher risk.

Vitamin D could be helping to protect the nerve cells gradually lost by people with the disease, experts say.

The charity Parkinson's UK said further research was required.

Parkinson's disease affects several parts of the brain, leading to symptoms like tremor and slow movements.

30-year study

The researchers from Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare measured vitamin D levels from the study group between 1978 and 1980, using blood samples.

They then followed these people over 30 years to see whether they developed Parkinson's disease.

They found that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were three times more likely to develop Parkinson's, compared with the group with the highest levels of vitamin D.

Most vitamin D is made by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight, although some comes from foods like oily fish, milk or cereals.

As people age, however, their skin becomes less able to produce vitamin D.

Doctors have known for many years that vitamin D helps calcium uptake and bone formation.

But research is now showing that it also plays a role in regulating the immune system, as well as in the development of the nervous system.

Vitamin target

Writing in an editorial in the US journal Archives of Neurology, Marian Evatt, assistant professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, says that health authorities should consider raising the target vitamin D level.

"At this point, 30 nanograms per millilitre of blood or more appears optimal for bone health in humans.

"However, researchers don't yet know what level is optimal for brain health or at what point vitamin D becomes toxic for humans, and this is a topic that deserves close examination."

Dr Kieran Breen, director of research at Parkinson's UK, said: "The study provides further clues about the potential environmental factors that may influence or protect against the progression of Parkinson's.

"A balanced healthy diet should provide the recommended levels of vitamin D.

"Further research is required to find out whether taking a dietary supplement, or increased exposure to sunlight, may have an effect on Parkinson's, and at what stage these would be most beneficial."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/10601091.stm

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2008/06/parkinsons-and-drug-pesticides.html

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Posted in: older adults need more vitamin D,Parkinson's,Vitamin D,vitamin D test

The Importance of Vitamin D

UPDATE: 10/17/09
Make sure you have your high potency vitamin D to carry you through winter and help you defend your health from flu.
-----------------
Originally posted 8/14/09
Vitamin D is more of a steroidal compound than a vitamin that has an amazing range of health benefits.

One of the very important benefits of vitamin D is that it turns on at least 2000 genes. This one fact alone makes it very clear that what happens inside your body at any given time is interconnected, not the lineal concept promulgated in mainstream medicine.

Several years ago I reported on the benefit of vitamin D for people with diabetes, especially Type 1. More benefits of this compound certainly show its worth for Type 2 as well.

What ever you wish to call it, vitamin D is fat soluble and use of it requires your being sure to have healthy saturated fats in your daily food plan.

Critical to health on many levels, especially immunity. Perhaps taking more vitamin C and D will help get you through the flu mania season with less stress, and better health, than unproven vaccines or drugs that are known not to be effective.

More and more people are not getting enough exposure to sunlight and this has a direct effect on your vitamin D level. People of color, the elderly, and people whose custom calls for body covering clothing all are at risk, along with those who live at more northern latitudes, or who do not eat oily fish.

As the darker months of the year are approaching in the Northern Hemisphere, perhaps its time for you to consider testing for your level of vitamin D, or adding it to your supplement plan.

Contact us to find out more about vitamin D home testing for detecting vitamin D deficiency and monitoring of supplemented levels. This test measures total 25(OH)D, the best single measure of overall vitamin D status. Deficiency is often found in people with osteoporosis, heart disease, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, certain cancers, depression, chronic fatigue, or chronic pain.

More on Vitamin D

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Posted in: better health,immune health,natural health news,nutritional supplements,Vitamin D,vitamin D test

Another Indication That Women Aren't Getting the Facts

Please note that this report was filed three years ago and it is only one indication that more likely than not women haven't been provided with this important information.

More about Vitamin D can be found here and you may contact us for Vitamin D testing too.

And considering that Vitamin D3 and Vitamin C can be useful in attacking breast cancer, in prevention, and also for fighting against the flu, it may be worth you while to act proactively for your health.

We believe that the level of vitamin D should be more than the 32 noted in the second article in this post.

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2006) — Vitamin D may help curb breast cancer progression, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology.

The authors, from Imperial College London, measured the levels of vitamin D in the blood serum of 279 women with invasive breast cancer. The disease was in its early stages in 204 of the women, and advanced in the remaining 75.

The results showed that women with early stage disease had significantly higher levels of vitamin D (15 to 184 mmol/litre) than the women in the advanced stages of the disease (16 to 146 mmol/litre).

The authors say that the exact reasons for the disparity are not clear, nor is it known whether the lowered levels of vitamin D among those with advanced disease are a cause or a consequence of the cancer itself. However, the researchers' results, taken together with results from previous studies, lead them to believe that lowered levels of vitamin D may promote the progression of the disease to its advanced stages.

Laboratory studies have shown that vitamin D stops cancer cells from dividing and enhances cancer cell death. Vitamin D sufficiency and exposure to sunlight has been shown to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. The body produces its own vitamin D in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. The vitamin is also found in certain foods, including eggs and fatty fish.

It is known that vitamin D treatment boosts the activity of certain key genes and dampens it down in others. One that is boosted is p21, which has an important role in controlling the cell cycle.

Dr Carlo Palmieri, from the department of cancer medicine at Imperial College London and lead author on the paper, said: "This report, while being an observational study, clearly shows that circulating vitamin D levels are lower in advanced breast cancer as compared to early breast cancer. It lends support to the idea that vitamin D has a role in the progression of breast cancer.

"The next step in this research is to try and understand the potential causes and mechanisms underlying these differences and the precise consequences at a molecular level. We also need to look at the potential clinical implications of monitoring and maintaining high circulating vitamin D levels in breast cancer patients. By answering these questions we may be able to improve the treatment of women with breast cancer," he added.

Adapted from materials provided by Imperial College London.
Imperial College London (2006, October 17). New Study Gives Further Hope That Vitamin D Can Fight Breast Cancer. ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2006/10/061017084854.htm

Now we have yet another study reporting much the same information three years later. If you have breast cancer, has anyone suggested that you get the proper test for Vitamin D and encourage you to use it? Please let us know.

Women With Breast Cancer Have Low Vitamin D Levels
ScienceDaily (Oct. 10, 2009) — Women with breast cancer should be given high doses of vitamin D because a majority of them are likely to have low levels of vitamin D, which could contribute to decreased bone mass and greater risk of fractures, according to scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

In a study of 166 women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, nearly 70 percent had low levels of vitamin D in their blood, according to a study being presented Thursday, Oct. 8, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Breast Cancer Symposium in San Francisco. The analysis showed women with late-stage disease and non-Caucasian women had even lower levels.

"Vitamin D is essential to maintaining bone health, and women with breast cancer have accelerated bone loss due to the nature of hormone therapy and chemotherapy. It's important for women and their doctors to work together to boost their vitamin D intake," said Luke Peppone, Ph.D., research assistant professor of Radiation Oncology, at Rochester's James P. Wilmot Cancer Center. He is a member of the National Cancer Institute's Community Clinical Oncology Program research base in Rochester.

Scientists funded by the NCI analyzed vitamin D levels in each woman, and the average level was 27 nanograms per milliliter; more than two-thirds of the women had vitamin deficiency. Weekly supplementation with high doses of vitamin D -- 50,000 international units or more -- improved the levels, according to Peppone's study.

The U.S. Institute of Medicine suggests that blood levels nearing 32 nanograms per milliliter are adequate.

This problem is not unexpected, Peppone said, because previous studies have shown that nearly half of all men and women are deficient in the nutrient, with vitamin D levels below 32 nanograms per milliliter. Vitamin D, obtained from milk, fortified cereals and exposure to sunlight, is well known to play an essential role in cell growth, in boosting the body's immune system and in strengthening bones.

Symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency include muscle pain, weak bones/fractures, low energy and fatigue, lowered immunity, symptoms of depression and mood swings, and sleep irregularities, many of which are common for women undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Adapted from materials provided by University of Rochester Medical Center.
University of Rochester Medical Center (2009, October 10). Women With Breast Cancer Have Low Vitamin D Levels. ScienceDaily.
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2009/10/091009090431.htm

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Posted in: breast cancer awareness,immune health,natural health news,prevent breast cancer,vitamin C,Vitamin D,vitamin D test,vitamin deficiency