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  #61   ^
Old Fri, Jun-12-09, 13:36
Meistro Meistro is offline
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Hey All!

May and June have proven to me that there is no substitute for good old fashioned UVB rays! 3 weeks ago I got fed up with trying to force my body to accept the D3 supplements. I even discovered that the small amount of vitamin D in my multivitamin was causing the usual brain fog and water retention and jitters, so I have stopped taking that specific multi vitamin and all of my vitamin D supplements. I have tried EVERYTHING to try to get my body used to any level of vitamin D supplementation, but without long term success. So, for the last few weeks I have been keeping track of the UV index and sunbathing at the appropriate times. What a miracle! I haven't felt this great for years! The brain fog is almost 100% cleared up, the water retention has really decreased and my hormones are feeling more balanced than they have in years! I was able to quit my progesterone cream (it was just making me gain weight anyway) and I even found the strength to kick my diet coke habit! I haven't had any aspartame in 3 weeks, I no longer have hypoglycemic symptoms and I don't even crave diet coke! When I first stopped the supplementation, my knees and elbows were killing me! But, as my level started to rise, the pain is really starting to disappear (even after a 3 day tennis clinic). I am so excited for the rest of the summer. I can't wait to be feeling 100% and make up for all the lost time from the past 3 years.

The only cloud in my bright sunny sky of natural vitamin D love is that winter is coming. I have been talking to my husband about purchasing a vitamin D lamp from Sperti, but I can't find a single person on the web that has used one or reviewed the product. I was hoping someone here might have some good advice or a positive experience with using a UVB/Vitamin D lamp during the winter.

Thanks! Talk to ya soon!
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  #62   ^
Old Sat, Jun-13-09, 02:39
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Demi Demi is offline
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From the Vitamin D Council:


Quote:
The Vitamin D Newsletter
June 13, 2009


This is a periodic newsletter from the Vitamin D Council, a non-profit trying to end the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency.

This newsletter is not copyrighted. Please reproduce it, post it on Internet sites, and forward it to your friends and family.

Child Abuse or Rickets?

"By the streams of Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion." (Psalms 137:1)

Dear Dr. Cannell:

I am writing to ask your help because I think my problem has something to do with Vitamin D. Six months ago, Marissa, who is now one-year-old, developed a painless bump on her arm. I watch her closely; I know she did not fall; she was only six months at the time. In the emergency room they found a broken bone in her arm and then x-rayed her entire body and found two more broken bones, but these other two places were not swollen and Marissa did not cry when the doctor pushed on the area.

Well, a child abuse expert was called in and we were accused of abuse and they took our baby away, saying we had beaten her. I can’t forget Marissa screaming when they tore her out of my arms. We were shocked. We could never do such a thing. Even though they could not find any evidence of abuse except these broken bones, the DA tells me if I don’t plead guilty and testify against my husband and say he did it, I will be prosecuted as well and never see my baby again. Our lawyer says I can be forced to testify against my husband in child abuse but he would never hurt Marissa. I don’t know what to do. My husband is ready to plead guilty to save our baby from foster care but I don’t think I can let him do that.

I have learned of other African American parents in the same situation. Neither of us would ever abuse our child, it took seven years of trying and then infertility treatment to have her. The reason I am writing is because I have read about cases of rickets where unexplained fractures are common, especially in African Americans like us, that are being called child abuse. I breast fed Marissa but I now know that breast milk doesn’t have enough Vitamin D. We should have given it to her but our pediatrician never said anything about it and La Leche league says breast milk is all infants need.

When we learned Vitamin D may be involved, I asked my doctor to test me and my level was 5 at first. He prescribed Drisdol and now it is 18 after taking 50,000 IU per week for two months. When our lawyer brought up rickets and Vitamin D deficiency the DA had Marissa x-rayed for rickets and tested for Vitamin D; her x-rays were normal and her blood level is now 21, but the child abuse doctors never tested her for Vitamin D when they first took her away from us and she had been on 400 IU formula in foster care for five months when they finally tested her.

We had another radiologist look at the original x-rays and compare them to her current ones. He said it looked like rickets and he said her bones look much better now at the growth areas. However, when he found out it was a child abuse case he said he would not get involved.

From your website, I learned breast-feeding mothers have to take 6,000 IU a day to get enough Vitamin D in breast milk. Marissa never went in the sun; our pediatrician said babies should never go in the sun. I don’t know what to do. I know you used to testify in child abuse cases, will you help us? We can pay.

Kathryn

Boston, MA

Dear Kathryn:

No, I won’t testify. The American legal system, when it comes to child abuse allegations, is no Zion. My years testifying in child abuse allegations involved the “memory wars,” and those wars are over, won by plaintiff attorneys suing psychiatrists, often with the help of my testimony. However, I will put you in touch with a pediatric radiologist who may be able to help.

My interest in child abuse cases started with the McMartin preschool case. (I immediately thought the McMartins and Buckeys all totally innocent as I recognized the most fatal of the psychiatric disorders, hysteria, in those prosecuting them. I still remember Ray Buckey looking into the camera, with panic-stricken media all around him, saying, “This could happen to you.”) My involvement in such cases ended with the Archdiocese of Boston case. (I thought the priest I was hired to defend guilty.)

My cases centered on recovered memory therapy, especially multiple personality disorder (MPD), a now discarded and discredited psychiatric diagnosis that destroyed thousands of innocent American families. Of note, during my 15 years of work in the field, every MPD patient I saw had excellent mental health insurance coverage. That is, the absence of mental health insurance apparently protects one from contracting multiple personality disorder.

Cannell J, Hudson JI, Pope HG Jr. Standards for informed consent in recovered memory therapy. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2001;29(2):138-47.

The issues you raise about Vitamin D deficiency being misdiagnosed as child physical abuse are so common they were recently the topic of four papers in Pediatric Radiology. First, Drs. Kathy Keller and Patrick Barnes, both pediatric radiologists, published four cases reports. The course of each child was similar. Concerned parents took their child to the doctor for leg bumps, well baby checks, or even the flu. X-rays showed multiple skeletal fractures that were asymptomatic. No mention of bruises, skin abrasions, retinal hemorrhages, parental drug abuse, parental sociopathy, nor evidence the child was frightened of their parents. The children had been seen previously by physicians, nurses, lactation consultants, day-care workers, audiologists, family and friends with no suspicions of abuse. Such parents often have a reputation of being the most protective and concerned parents on the block. Drs. Keller and Barnes thought all four children had rickets.

Keller KA, Barnes PD. Rickets vs. abuse: a national and international epidemic. Pediatr Radiol. 2008 Nov;38(11):1210-6.

The key here is the history as much as x-rays. These are often black children, living above latitude 35 degrees, usually breastfeeding without Vitamin D supplementation, often born in the late winter or early spring. The key on exam is that the fractures are painless, unlike traumatic fractures, and there are no bruises. A common finding in the neonatal medical record is craniotabes, or softening of the skull. About 20% of “normal” newborns have soft bones as evidence by craniotabes; of course these newborns are not normal, they are simply the newest additions to the Vitamin D deficiency pandemic.

Yorifuji J, et al. Craniotabes in normal newborns: the earliest sign of subclinical vitamin D deficiency. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 May;93(5):1784-8.

Unfortunately, as 25(OH)D levels are not routinely measured on American newborns, we do not recognize the multitude of afflicted infants, and the infants seldom get Vitamin D, unless they are on formula. Even if they are on formula, 12 months later they are weaned on the empty calories of “natural fruit juice,” instead of “evil cow’s milk,” so the deficiency is just delayed by the Vitamin D formula, not prevented. That is why so many cases of autism present around 12-18 months; it is not the presence of vaccinations but the disappearance of Vitamin D; the two just happen to co-occur.

Kathryn, as far as your pediatrician telling you babies should never go in the sun, he is just following the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). In 1999, the AAP advised mothers to always keep infants out of direct sunlight, use sun protective clothes, sunblock, and make sure children’s activities in general minimize sunlight exposure. Furthermore, quite inexplicably, the AAP scientists claimed there was “no evidence” such an unprecedented and radical bit of advice would affect vitamin D levels. (p. 330)

American Pediatric Association. Ultraviolet light: a hazard to children. American Academy of Pediatrics. Committee on Environmental Health. Pediatrics 1999;104(2 Pt 1):328-33.

Getting back to the papers in Pediatric Radiology, Professor Russell Chesney, Chairman of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Department of Pediatrics, went next, warning readers we are currently in the “third wave” of rickets, the first caused by air pollution during the industrial revolution, the second wave occurred during the 1980s mainly due to La Leche League type breast feeding among heavily clothed immigrants, and the current third wave. (The current wave of rickets is the gift of the sun-scare academic dermatologists, who, in turn, are gifted multi-million dollar grants from the cosmetic and sun-screen industry.) Professor Chesney points out that asymptomatic fracture from Vitamin D deficiency is not uncommon, adding that similar fractures have been noted in young arctic foxes, alpacas, and polar bears kept in zoos, who apparently suffer such fractures during normal play – unless arctic foxes abuse their kids. I suspect arctic fox infants will get adequate Vitamin D long before African American infants.

Chesney RW. Rickets or abuse, or both? Pediatr Radiol. 2008 Nov;38(11):1217-8.

Next, Dr. Carole Jenny, head of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Child Abuse, implies such tragic miscarriages of justice simply don’t happen. She then claims, “We have been checking every child with multiple fractures for metabolic bone diseases for several years and have not identified a single child with Vitamin D deficiency.” How can that statement be true if every other researcher is reporting infantile and early childhood Vitamin D deficiency to be rampant in normal children? Furthermore, how can an infant beaten severely enough to cause multiple fractures not be bruised or in distress? Dr. Jenny cleverly avoids the question.

Jenny C. Rickets or abuse? Pediatr Radiol. 2008 Nov;38(11):1219-20.

Finally, we have commentary by two additional pediatric radiologists, Drs. Thomas Slovis and Stephen Chapman, who make it clear they do not believe in the Vitamin D deficiency pandemic. They found an illustrated medical dictionary to support their claim that one cannot have rickets unless one has x-ray evidence of rickets. If they had found a dictionary with more words and fewer pictures they would discover rickets is defined pathologically, not radiologically. In fact, in the largest cases series of rickets in Canada, Dr. Leanne Ward and her colleagues at the University of Ottawa found seven percent of the rachitic children did not have evidence of rickets on their x-rays, the diagnosis was made by low 25(OH)D levels (mean in the 104 cases was 6 ng/ml) and by elevated alkaline phosphatase levels (mean 1237 U/L). So Canadian physicians wisely feel they can diagnose rickets even when x-rays are “normal.”

Ward LM, Gaboury I, Ladhani M, Zlotkin S. Vitamin D-deficiency rickets among children in Canada. CMAJ. 2007 Jul 17;177(2):161-6.

However, Drs. Slovis and Chapman correctly point out how subjective the diagnosis of bone demineralization is on plain film x-rays. Then they go on to dispute the rickets diagnosis made by Drs. Keller and Barnes in the four case reports, proving the x-ray diagnosis of rickets is also subjective, at least in these four cases, as two pediatric radiologists diagnosed rickets and two did not, looking at the same four set of x-rays in four separate cases!

Kathryn, like your baby, the 25(OH)D levels in these cases were not taken at the time abuse was alleged, but apparently months later after the baby had been on Vitamin D formula. However, the mothers, like you, who were apparently breast feeding their baby without Vitamin D supplementation, had low 25(OH)D levels, one was 4 ng/ml and another 8 ng/ml.

Slovis TL, Chapman S. Evaluating the data concerning vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency and child abuse. Pediatr Radiol. 2008 Nov;38(11):1221-4.

A remarkable Australian paper is in press, looking at bone specimens and blood samples from people killed in accidents. (Apparently, ladies, some of the men staring at you are not admiring your figure, but are waiting for you to get run over by a car so they can take your blood and x-ray you.) These researchers found that unless one has 25(OH)D levels above 36 ng/ml, one has microscopic bony abnormalities. Thus, perhaps as many as 50% of American children have microscopic bone abnormalities radiologists cannot see as >50% of American children have levels below 36 ng/ml. Drs. Slovis and Chapman, like many radiologists, have been looking at abnormal x-rays of children’s bones so long they don’t know what normal is.

However, Drs. Slovis and Chapman have discovered something without knowing it. They point out that rachitic changes in the elbow are a “normal variant.” I’ll bet you the house that this “normal variant,” like craniotabes, is present much more often in severely Vitamin D deficient children, that is, subclinical rickets is so common it is routinely missed by radiologists because its first radiological signs are in the ulna and those rachitic changes are interpreted as a “normal variant.”

As far as fractures in rickets, they are not uncommon. In fact, I could not find a large case series of rickets without some of the children having fractures. One case series from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1979 found about 20% of the rachitic children had fractures. I like this case series as it may contain the first case report of an autistic child being cured with Vitamin D.

Bachrach S, Fisher J, Parks JS. An outbreak of vitamin D deficiency rickets in a susceptible population. Pediatrics. 1979 Dec;64(6):871-7.

The paper reports a rachitic 16-month old child who was breast fed without maternal or child Vitamin D supplementation, presented with generalized demineralization, a fractured tibia and severe rickets. Her parents were Muslim and both mother and child wore black robes, indoor and out. After weaning, the child’s diet consisted entirely of fruits vegetables and grains. Her early development was normal; she began talking at age 13 months but lost all her speech at 15 months. On exam she was hypotonic, she did not speak during her 6-day hospital stay, and her developmental milestones were delayed. No psychiatric exam was done as autism was exceptionally rare in 1979; the authors did not comment on her social interactions. She was treated with 100,000 IU Vitamin D as a single Stoss dose and then 2,000 IU per day. She was lost to follow up for 18 months but continued the 2,000 IU per day. When seen, her hypotonia had disappeared (hypotonia is present in 50% of autistic children), her developmental milestones were normal, and her speech had returned. If an earlier case report of Vitamin D curing autism exists, I cannot locate it.

As a medical student at UNC, I studied rickets one summer in Iran, long before Vitamin D testing was available. I was amazed at how “normal” appearing bones in children with greatly elevated alkaline phosphatase levels became so much more normal after 250,000 IU of Vitamin D a week for ten weeks, and the Vitamin D dramatically lowered alkaline phosphatase (often into the normal adult range (20-140 IU/L), indicating the “normal” alkaline phosphatase upper limits for children (500 IU/L) is but another indication of pandemic childhood Vitamin D deficiency. I remember these children as shy withdrawn loners but I never asked mothers about the child’s speech. When I recently looked at the x-rays of the growth plates of the bones of autistic children recently published by Dr. Mary Hediger and colleagues at the NIH, I thought how much more normal those growth plates would look after treatment with Vitamin D, and if their autism would improve.

Hediger ML, et al. Reduced bone cortical thickness in boys with autism or autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord. 2008 May;38(5):848-56.

Kathryn, you, your husband, your child and your family are in a world of trouble. Unlike murder, the “beyond a reasonable doubt” rule does not extend to child abuse allegations. I know that it is supposed to but it seldom does and is one of the reasons I stopped testifying. Judges and juries treat child abuse allegations on the basis that “if there is smoke then there is fire.” Time and time again I have seen the most idiotic testimony be accepted by agape judges and naïve juries who are afraid they might let a child abuser go free. “Better jail ten innocents than let one child abuser go free,” is their motto.

Three hundred and sixteen years ago, the Reverend Increase Mather, Cotton Mather’s father, gave the opposite advice in Salem, Massachusetts. He paraphrased Blackstone when he said that it was better to let ten witches go free than to shed the blood of one innocent woman, and Reverend Increase Mather earnestly believed in witches. His and Blackstone’s earlier advice (better that ten guilty go free than one innocent be convicted) does not apply to child abuse in 21st Century America. That said, we all know child abuse is all too real and witches are not. However, I dare anyone to look at the American Satanic Ritual Abuse cases of the 1980s and early 1990s and say that was not witchcraft allegations under another name. Nor did that fact help any of the hundreds of innocents jailed during the day-care child abuse hysteria of the same era.

Day care sex abuse hysteria

We have no way of knowing how many innocent African American families have been and will be destroyed when child abuse experts misdiagnose the fractures and pseudo-fractures (Looser’s zones) of rickets as child abuse. In a recent report of two such cases, Dr. Senniappan of Saint Mary's Hospital in England gave some good advice that was ignored in your case: “Clinicians have the duty to exclude the possibility of an underlying medical disorder associated with skeletal fragility,” and they have to do so at the time the diagnosis of child abuse is considered, not six months later after the child has been given Vitamin D and calcium in formula.

Senniappan S, Elazabi A, Doughty I, Mughal MZ. Case 2: Fractures in under-6-month-old exclusively breast-fed infants born to immigrant parents: nonaccidental injury? (case presentation). Diagnosis: Pathological fractures secondary to vitamin D deficiency rickets in under-6-months-old, exclusively breast-fed infants, born to immigrant parents. Acta Paediatr. 2008 Jul;97(7):836-7, 992-3.

In Scotland, Dr. Colin Patterson of the Ninewells Hospital in Dundee reported on a case of unexplained fractures and warned, “A mistaken diagnosis of abuse can lead to irreparable damage to both family and child.”

Paterson CR. Vitamin D deficiency rickets simulating child abuse. J Pediatr Orthop. 1981;1(4):423-5.

Kathryn, as far as the deal the DA is offering (having you plead guilty, dropping abuse charges against you, having your husband plead guilty and go to prison, and giving you your child back if you enter testimony against your husband), this is usually how the DA gets a conviction of “confirmed” child abuse. It is an unusual woman who would risk both prison and her child to defend the truth – not to mention a husband.

However, it happens.

Few people know that all of the 20 people hung in Salem 316 years ago denied they were witches. (As Dr. Jenny would say, they were “in denial.”) Not one confessed witch was hung (they were jailed instead and eventually freed) and many confessed to being witches. That is, the Salem DA offered accused witches the same deal you are getting: confess and I won’t destroy you. Twenty brave souls in Salem Massachusetts chose death over a lie.

"By the streams of Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion." (Psalms 137:1)

John Cannell, MD

Vitamin D Council

This is a periodic newsletter from the Vitamin D Council, a non-profit trying to end the epidemic of vitamin D deficiency. Please reproduce it, post it on Internet sites, and forward it to your friends. Remember, we are a non-profit and rely on your donations to publish our newsletter, maintain our website, and pursue our objectives. Send your tax-deductible contributions to:

The Vitamin D Council
585 Leff Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93422

Last edited by Demi : Sat, Jun-13-09 at 02:51.
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  #63   ^
Old Sun, Jun-14-09, 02:04
Demi's Avatar
Demi Demi is offline
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Quote:
Convention told of MS and vitamin D link

13 June 2009

HUNDREDS of people attending a major convention in the region this weekend will be told that scientists are closing in on the links between a lack of vitamin D and multiple sclerosis.

Professor George Ebers, head of clinical neurology at Oxford University is due to speak at the MS Society's annual convention, MS Life, at The Sage at Gateshead (Newcastle) today.

He is one of a number of top scientists who will be talking about different aspects of MS, a degenerative neurological disease which affects thousands of Britons.

Experts already know that people who live in sunnier climates have lower rates of MS than those who live in areas that have less sunshine, probably because of increased vitamin D exposure via the skin.

Recently Prof Ebers was part of a research team which found evidence of a direct link between vitamin D and a gene which alters the risk of developing MS.

Prof Ebers will tell of his recent research which compared vitamin D levels in sets of identical twins and non-identical twins.

He found that identical twins had exactly the same levels of vitamin D in their bodies, suggesting that this was determined genetically rather than through environmental exposure.

Experts are now coming round to recommending taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and the early years of life as a way of reducing the chance of developing MS.

Prof Ebers told The Northern Echo: "That is probably true but I hesitate to make a blanket recommendation.

"This is probably something between people and their doctors."

Earlier this year Prof Eber and his colleagues came to the conclusion that in people with a genetic variant associated with MS a shortage of vitamin D could trigger the condition.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk:80...vitamin_D_link/


For further information about the MS Society's annual convention, MS Life, click here: http://www.ms-life.org.uk/
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  #64   ^
Old Sun, Jun-14-09, 14:22
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nawchem nawchem is offline
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I finally broke down and bought some D3 supplements (their pretty)! Couple of questions, basically am I taking the right stuff?

1. The bottle says 400 I.U. from fish liver oil, is that a good source?
2. It also has 600 I.U. vitamin A -from skipback tuna, is this the right stuff? Does D always come with A?
3. Do I just take 10 pills a day or I do you have to work up to that? Will I overdose on vitamin A?
4. should I be taking calcium supplement with this, or chromium?
5. I live in calif and get a lot of sun should I just get tested first to see if I need this. I get the winter blues bigtime, thats my main motivation to take D.

thank a lot in advance Nancy!
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  #65   ^
Old Sun, Jun-14-09, 14:31
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PS Diva PS Diva is offline
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D does not always come with A. With both vitamins you want NATURAL sources. Any vitamin A from fish liver is fine. As for D, just make sure it is D3, not D2!
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  #66   ^
Old Sun, Jun-14-09, 14:46
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nawchem nawchem is offline
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That was fast! Thx! The label says Natural Vitamin D3. So far so good!
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  #67   ^
Old Sun, Jun-14-09, 14:47
Zuleikaa Zuleikaa is offline
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If you live in California and get a lot of sun on your unsuncreened skin, you might not need vitamin D supplements during summer, only during the winter.

However, if you work full time, and wear long sleeved clothing when out you still might need up to 2,000 IU/day depending on skin tone, propensity to burn, vitamin D deficiency symptoms.

It would be good to have yourself tested at the end of summer to see where you might need to supplement to maintain healthy levels.
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  #68   ^
Old Sun, Jun-14-09, 14:50
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nawchem nawchem is offline
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Thx Zule- I wear short sleeved shorts and shorts year round and lay out 45 min at lunch. So maybe the 400IU is good. I'll wait until my next blood donation for my thyroid test and put in for vit D test then.

Do you have to work up to taking higher levels or just go for it?
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  #69   ^
Old Sun, Jun-14-09, 18:42
Zuleikaa Zuleikaa is offline
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Some people increase by 2,000 IU every 5 or so days, some just go for it.
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  #70   ^
Old Mon, Jun-15-09, 03:51
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Hutchinson Hutchinson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zuleikaa
Some people increase by 2,000 IU every 5 or so days, some just go for it.
If you lay naked in the sunshine your skin can (depending on colour, sunscreen, uvb content time of day etc) theoretically make up to 20,000iu in a short space of time and if you were very clever at managing alternating sun exposure with time for absorption and your skin was hardened to the sun, make up to 50,000iu on a long sunny summer day. So as it is NATURAL to sometime flood the system with D3 it's perfectly safe to do so.
It's standard practice to suggest 50,000iu once a week for eight weeks to correct deficiency
There have been studies using 500,000iu as a loading dose.
My view is that the body naturally usually errs on the side of making more D3 than is needed for daily use. Under the conditions we evolved our DNA would never have had to deal with the parsimonious amounts in most supplemented foods and vitamin tablets. It's hard to imagine any circumstances where full body skin exposure could provide D3 in units' of less than 1000s/iu and so I don't think it's natural to build up to effective amounts. In fact I think it's safer and more natural to go for large amounts and only when you have evidence that you've attained a level over 55ng should you consider reducing the regular supplement intake.

While of course no one should ever let their skin burn, I think even when you are taking an effective amount of supplement there may be other benefits to getting some of your vitamin D from sunshine so I do both, supplement daily AND sunbathe whenever possible.
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Old Mon, Jun-15-09, 08:16
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Hutchinson Hutchinson is offline
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Default More Aggressive Vitamin D Supplementation Needed in Obese Cancer Patients

More Aggressive Vitamin D Supplementation Needed in Obese Cancer PatientsCHICAGO, June 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Body mass index (BMI) should be taken into account when assessing a cancer patient's vitamin D status, according to researchers at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), who found that obese cancer patients had significantly lower levels of vitamin D compared to non-obese patients.

The association between vitamin D and obesity remains unsettled with studies reporting conflicting findings on the relationship between the two. This association assumes even greater importance in cancer because of the alleged role of vitamin D in cancer.

"Currently, the dietary recommendations for vitamin D do not take into account a patient's BMI," said Carolyn Lammersfeld, national director of nutrition for CTCA and a principal investigator in the study. "We investigated the relationship between vitamin D and BMI in a large sample of cancer patients and found that as BMI groups increased from normal to overweight or obese classifications, there was a significant decrease in vitamin D."

The researchers evaluated a group of 740 cancer patients seen at CTCA from January 2008 to June 2008. Of the 740 patients, 303 were male and 437 female, with a mean age at presentation of 55.7 years (SD = 10.2). The mean BMI was 27.9 kg/m2 (SD = 6.7). The most common cancers were lung (134, 18.1%), breast (131, 17.7%), colorectal (97, 13.1%), pancreatic (86, 11.6%), prostate (45, 6.1%) and ovarian (39, 5.3%). The mean vitamin D (serum 25(OH)D) was 21.9 ng/ml (SD = 13.5).

The study concluded that obese cancer patients (BMI >=30 kg/m2) had significantly lower levels of vitamin D compared to non-obese patients (BMI <30 kg/m2). BMI should be taken into account when assessing a patient's vitamin D status and more aggressive vitamin D supplementation should be considered in obese cancer patients, researchers determined.

This study was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, May 29-June 2, 2009, and was publicly released on ASCO's Web site, on May 14, 2009.


YouTube - Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention
In case anyone isn't aware the level associated with least cancer incidence and best prognosis is over 55ng
To get from the average of those cancer patients approx 22ng to 55ng requires AT LEAST 3500iu maybe in practice 5000~6000iu/d (the higher your vitamin D status gets, the harder it becomes to raise status, more is being diverted to storage)

Low Vitamin D May Be Root Cause of Cancer In fact, Dr. Garland and his team have published epidemiological studies about the potential preventive effects of vitamin D for some twenty years. Again someone here cannot do simple arithmetic. Do sunlight and vitamin D reduce the likelihood of colon cancer? was published in 1980 2009-1980=29 so it's more like 30 years work that Garland has put into vitamin D and cancer prevention, it's such a shame people aren't prepared even to spend 40minutes listening to what he is saying let alone spend the few cents/pence it takes to be on the safe side.

Ideal dose of sunshine vitamin? Interesting Vieth's point more complicated" because both low blood amounts and wide annual fluctuation "may be a problem." Indeed we can do something about a wide fluctuation and low levels throughout the year and 2000iu/d is not going to solve those problems, they require somewhat more than 2000iu/d.

Last edited by Hutchinson : Mon, Jun-15-09 at 09:32.
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Old Mon, Jun-15-09, 16:48
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Jayppers Jayppers is offline
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Hutchinson, do you mind if I ask your opinion on the MP theory that exogenous vitamin D from foods and supplements binds and deactivates the VDR?

I've already come to a fairly well educated conclusion (I've previously posted scientific explanations to the contrary), but seeing as how you are fairly well versed in much of the science behind D, I am interested in hearing your opinion on the subject, as you never replied directly to any of those previous posts.
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Old Tue, Jun-16-09, 02:40
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Hutchinson Hutchinson is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jayppers
Hutchinson, do you mind if I ask your opinion on the MP theory that exogenous vitamin D from foods and supplements binds and deactivates the VDR?

I've already come to a fairly well educated conclusion (I've previously posted scientific explanations to the contrary), but seeing as how you are fairly well versed in much of the science behind D, I am interested in hearing your opinion on the subject, as you never replied directly to any of those previous posts.
As I consider the man a fraud I'm not prepared to waste further time considering the matter. Information about Trevor Marshall"
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Old Wed, Jun-17-09, 06:37
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Demi Demi is offline
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From The Scotsman:


Quote:
Vitamin D call as march bids to cut MS rate

17 June 2009

CAMPAIGNERS went on the march in the Capital (Edinburgh) to stress the need for the widespread introduction of a vitamin D supplement.

Up to 1,000 people marched down the Royal Mile towards parliament yesterday, demanding more action to reduce cases of multiple sclerosis.

Scientists have suggested that if more people in Scotland were to take a supplement, rates of MS could be cut by 80 per cent.

Beth Vokurka, 36, who suffers from MS, brought a coach-load of children from her home village of East Linton for the march.

http://news.scotsman.com/health/Vit...arch.5372839.jp


It'll be interesting to see how far they get with this ... hopefully, all the way.



More from the BBC on this:


Quote:
Schoolboy calls for MS campaign

A teenager whose mother has multiple sclerosis has made a plea for MSPs to help reduce the number of people with the disease in Scotland.

Ryan McLaughlin wants ministers to ensure all children receive supplements of vitamin D, which some believe can help prevent MS.

The 14-year-old from Glasgow put his case to the Scottish Parliament's petitions committee.

Scotland is believed to have the highest rates of MS in the world.

Ryan, whose mother Kirsten, 34, was a European Taekwondo champion before being diagnosed with the incurable disease, also called on the Scottish Government to back an MS awareness campaign.

This would include guidelines on vitamin D supplements for pregnant women, as well as schoolchildren.

Vitamin D, which the body needs for healthy, strong bones is largely gained through sunlight and food.

Medical experts have claimed a vitamin D deficiency, combined with a specific gene variant, may increase the risk of MS, which more than 10,000 people in Scotland have.

A joint study carried out in February by Oxford University and Canadian experts suggested vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy and childhood may cut the risk of someone developing the disabling and painful neurological disease in later years.

Earlier, Ryan, from Drumchapel, led hundreds of supporters down Edinburgh's Royal Mile to the parliament building.

He said: "MS is a horrible disease - I wouldn't wish it on my worst of enemies.

"I wouldn't like anybody to go through what my family's been through. People are now calling MS 'the Scottish disease'."

The teenager's mother, who was diagnosed with MS two years ago, added: "Ryan isn't doing this for me, he's doing it for future generations of Scots and that's why I'm so proud of him."

Meanwhile, the petitions committee used Ryan's petition to launch a report on improving awareness of the work it does.

As well as a website to publicise his campaign, Ryan has posted a short film on the video-sharing website YouTube, and runs pages on popular social networking sites - a strategy the committee is taking on itself.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8101610.stm

Last edited by Demi : Wed, Jun-17-09 at 06:53.
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Old Wed, Jun-17-09, 09:38
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From Dr Briffa's blog:


Quote:
Skin Cancer Foundation recognises value of vitamin D but still advises us to keep out of the sun

Posted By Dr John Briffa On June 17, 2009

I was interested to read yesterday a report regarding a recommendation coming out of the Skin Cancer Foundation in the USA. The Foundation has recommended that adults increase their intake of vitamin D from 400 IU (the recommended daily amount) to 1000 IU. This is good news, I think, because there’s abundant and continuing to amass evidence that vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is common. And a deficiency here may well increase the risk of all manner of conditions including cardiovascular disease, bone disease, multiple sclerosis and many different forms of cancer. So, upping our intake of vitamin D could well help to protect against these conditions, and will almost certainly improve general health and wellbeing.

The Skin Cancer Foundation has made a useful recommendation, but some could argue that this organisation is, to some degree, responsible for the fact that vitamin deficiency/insufficiency is so common. The organisation recommends, not surprisingly, that we be wary of the sun, and that we all use sunscreen of at least sun protection factor (SPF) 15. From the Foundation’s website:

Since its inception in 1979, The Skin Cancer Foundation has always recommended using a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher as one important part of a complete sun protection regimen. Sunscreen alone is not enough, however. Read our full list of skin cancer prevention tips.

Seek the shade, especially between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M.

Do not burn.

Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.

Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day.

Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours.

Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.


While there is some justification for this advice, it is obviously skin-focused. And what this sort of advice can neglect is the profound benefits sunlight exposure can have on general health. While the Skin Cancer Foundation is clearly alive to the fact that vitamin D is important, it recommends that we get this through diet and supplements. The likelihood is that these recommendations will still leave many individuals short on vitamin D, especially in the winter. See here for more information on this (bearing in mind that optimal levels of vitamin D are almost certainly going to be in excess of 40 ng/ml or 100 mmol/L).

While I am not against supplementation (I am currently taking 3000 IU of vitamin D again myself), I suspect that shying away from the sun and slavering ourselves in sunscreen will almost certainly jeopardise our chances of enjoying optimal levels of vitamin D. And the risk here is that what might be good for our skin, may have profound negative consequences for other aspects of our health.

Early in 2008 I reported on a study which weighed up the pros and cons of sun exposure regarding cancer risk. Essentially, this study estimated that each life saved as a result of reduced sunlight exposure (and reduced risk of melanoma), about 10 other lives would be lost as a result of an increased risk of other forms of cancer. The authors of this study suggested that “…increased sun exposure may lead to improved cancer prognosis and, possible, give more positive than adverse effects on health.”

On top of this, we need to remember that vitamin D and/or sunlight exposure has been linked with reduced risk of many other conditions including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Overall, while I welcome the Skin Cancer Foundation’s call for increased vitamin D intakes, I also believe that the advice it gives regarding sun exposure is likely to be doing more harm than good.

http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/0...out-of-the-sun/




Quote:
Higher vitamin D levels linked with speedier weight loss

Posted By Dr John Briffa On June 15, 2009

Recently a couple of blogs have focused on the potential role that vitamin D may play in the regulation of body weight (see here and here). One of these blogs concerns a study which found that low. Levels of vitamin D were associated with increased body weight and waist circumference. This does not mean that vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency definitely causes fatty accumulation, but this possibility exists.

As a follow-on from this, I was interested to read about a study (as yet, unpublished) which assessed the relationship between vitamin D levels and weight loss on a reduced calorie diet (you can read about it here). In this study, conducted at the University of Minnesota in the USA, 38 obese men and women were put on a reduced calorie diet (750 calories less per day than their daily requirement) for 11 weeks. The researchers looked at the relationship between vitamin D levels and extent of weight loss in the study participants.

The report linked to above states that vitamin D insufficiency was noted in many of these individuals, which possibly reflects the previous research which suggests that vitamin D deficiency might have some part to play in the development of overweight/obesity.

However, perhaps more telling that this was the finding that there was a relationship between the vitamin D levels and the extent of weight loss: the higher the vitamin D levels, the greater the weight loss. Again, this study also cannot be used to conclude that vitamin D can assist weight loss. But it is another piece of evidence which ties vitamin D to body weight control.

What is required now are intervention trials in which the effect of supplemental vitamin D on body weight is assessed, either on its own, or as part of some weight-reducing regime (e.g. diet). If such studies show that vitamin D can promote weight loss, then we will have unearthed a potentially important factor in obesity. It will also help to explain why individuals can often find themselves lighter in the summer than in the winter.

http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/0...er-weight-loss/
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