458 Vitamin D, Colds and Flu [12 Feb 2018]

This has been an unusually bad year for influenza and severe colds, collectively called upper respiratory infections or URIs. Many observational studies have found that low levels of vitamin D are associated with increased risk for URIs. But the few random controlled studies testing to see if supplementing with D could lower the risk had conflicting results.

A meta-analysis published in February 2017 in the British Medical Journal combined the data from 25 randomized controlled trials to look at the effect of vitamin D supplementation on incidence of acute respiratory tract infection. It concluded that vitamin D supplementation was safe and offered some protection against acute respiratory tract infections, but only with frequent dosing (daily or weekly – not monthly or longer).

A study in Toronto published in JAMA in 2017 compared 2000 IU and 400 IU vitamin D (daily as oral drops) in 700 children over one respiratory season. Infections averaged slightly more than 1 per child with no significant difference between the two groups. Incidence of influenza infections was reduced 50% in the high dose group but there were too few (10% of infections) to be conclusive.

Last month a recent study of infants from China reported that high dose vitamin D reduced the risk of URIs and also improved symptoms. A random controlled clinical trial published in January 2018 in Pediatr Infect Dis J studied 400 healthy infants between 3 and 12 months of age. Half were given 400 IU and half 1200 IU vitamin D daily as oral drops. The infants were monitored for symptoms of fever, cough and wheezing for four months.

Over the four months 121 cases of influenza A infection occurred – 78 in the low dose group and 43 in the high dose group. As well as having fewer occurrences, the duration of the symptoms (fever, coughing and wheezing) were all significantly shorter in the high dose group. The authors concluded “High-dose vitamin D (1200 IU) is suitable for the prevention of seasonal influenza as evidenced by rapid relief from symptoms, rapid decrease in viral loads, and disease recovery. In addition, high-dose vitamin D is probably safe for infants.”

The Vitamin D Council recommends vitamin D supplementation of 5,000-10,000 IU per day for adults and 1,000 – 2,000 for infants. Vitamin D supplementation is especially important during the winter season when URIs are most common and of course when we cannot obtain vitamin D from the sun.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

456 Cognitive Dissonance [29 January 2018]

An article on the Vitamin D Council’s website inspired this column. It begins with two quotes. “All progress requires change; those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” (George Bernard Shaw) and “Science progresses one funeral at a time” (Max Planck).

Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort or psychological stress occurring when new information conflicts with long held beliefs. To relieve the tension people usually reject or ignore the new information in favor of the original belief.

The article’s author, founder and current medical director of the Vitamin D Council, John Cannell, is expressing his frustration at the lag time for medical discoveries to be put into the practice of saving lives. Specifically he mentions Vitamin D as a treatment for preeclampsia of pregnancy and autism. There are more than one hundred peer-reviewed published studies showing the effectiveness (and safety) of vitamin D for each of these two conditions (and many more) which are being ignored by the medical industry. Almost without exception these studies end with a call for more and larger studies before making any recommendations. This is especially true for pregnancy. But how much grant money and how many dead women are required? Are the 46,000 deaths from preeclampsia in 2015 not enough?

We know from many studies that optimum vitamin D levels in pregnant mothers reduce the risk of their baby developing autism. Why aren’t all pregnant women tested for vitamin D in their first trimester and supplemented when indicated to bring their levels up? There is no risk in doing so and a terrible risk in not.

Cannell blames the lag time on cognitive dissonance. Those in the medical industry responsible for developing and carrying out treatment protocols can’t fit the growing pile of new information on natural health products with what they have been taught to believe, so they ignore it. And all we can do is wait for their funerals.

The notion that natural health products are somehow “unscientific” makes it easier to ignore them. Why synthetic chemicals should be considered more scientific than vitamins and minerals is perplexing. The problem as I see it is not that they are “natural” but rather that they are not patentable. Without the profit from patent protection few corporations are willing to cover the cost of getting these products approved. I see a strong role here for governments and charities to fund the necessary research, since it is the people, and governments paying for health care, who will benefit from safer, more effective, and less expensive treatments.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

447 Vitamin K2 Update [20 Nov 2017]

Back in 2012 I wrote a series of columns on vitamin K2 [#148-151] and in June 2015 [#323] showed that taking statin drugs inhibits the synthesis of K2 making supplementation even more critical. It’s time for a review and update.

Vitamins K1 and K2 are different nutrients with entirely different functions. K1 is found in leafy green vegetables and plays a role in blood clotting. K2 is found in fat products (including egg yolks and butter) from grass fed animals. K2 activates two different proteins: osteocalcin to attach to calcium and move it into our bones and teeth; and matrix Gla protein (MGP) to keep calcium out of our arteries, kidneys, heart, breasts and brain.

K2 works with calcium, magnesium and vitamin D to promote strong bones and teeth. Studies from Japan and the Netherlands found that K2 supplementation reduced bone fractures by 60-80% and actually reversed bone loss in people with osteoporosis.

Vitamins D and K2 are both needed for MGP which prevents calcium deposits on the lining of our arteries. A 2015 study showed that taking 180mcg of K2 prevented and even reversed hardening of the arteries. A previous 10 year study from the Netherlands found that increased consumption of K2 significantly lowered risk of cardiovascular disease and death from all causes.

Another role of K2 is in activating a protein that controls cell growth and helps protect us from some cancers. Research is also investigating potential roles of K2 in preventing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and MS.

K2 deficiency is very common in Canada as very little is found in our diets and only a small amount is synthesized by our gut bacteria. There is still no readily available lab test for K2 levels but researchers estimate that an “overwhelming majority” of adults in North America get only about 10% of the vitamin K2 needed to prevent osteoporosis and cardiovascular heart disease. We don’t need to wait – every adult should be supplementing with 100-200 mcg (I take 200 daily). And it’s non-toxic so we needn’t worry about taking too much – just too little. We certainly shouldn’t be taking calcium and vitamin D supplements without also supplementing K2. One caution – anyone taking a blood thinning drug like warfarin should talk to their doctor before starting K2 as the drug’s dosage will need to be adjusted.

There are two forms of K2 available in supplements: MK-4 and MK-7. MK-4 is the one found in animal fats but has a short biological half-life (the length of time it stays active in our bodies) so needs to be taken several times a day. MK-7 is only found in certain (awful-tasting) fermented foods so is best taken as a supplement. It has the advantage of a longer half-life so only needs to be taken once a day. Some of the better calcium-magnesium supplements have added vitamins D3 and K2.

Source: Mercola 13 Nov 2017 Vitamin K2 for Heart Bone Health

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

444 Pain & Inflammation Protocol [30 Oct 2017]

A webinar by Philip Rouchotas ND of Bolton Naturopathic Clinic in Ontario described his treatment protocol for pain and inflammation. He also explained in some detail the rationale and science behind each item. Most of his patients with pain and inflammation have an autoimmune disease where the body produces antibodies which attacks its own tissues. And a common factor in most autoimmune disease is a hyperpermeable intestinal wall, also known as a “leaky gut”.

Here is a summary of his protocol:
• Eliminate dietary proteins that promote leaky gut and the autoimmune response. Gluten and gliadins from grains and casein from dairy are the most common culprits. Human studies show significant improvements with elimination diets for many autoimmune diseases. Because of the inconvenience, Dr. Rouchotas doesn’t recommend everyone eliminate grains and dairy, but anyone with an autoimmune disease is advised to do a trial even with negative allergy tests. He describes it as “the single most effective intervention for autoimmune disease I know”.
• Vitamin D acts as an immunomodulator, reducing the autoimmune process by increasing production of regulatory T cells (Tregs), while at the same time improving the immune system’s ability to fight infections [see #363 March 2016]
• Probiotics help restore a healthy gut microbiome, reducing the production of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) which cross the leaky gut inducing an autoimmune reaction
• Fish oil (at least 2,000 mg/day of EPA+DHA) replaces some of the arachidonic acid in the (COX) and (LOX) pathways, reducing production of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes. A meta-analysis found that fish oil reduced joint pain, morning stiffness, and need for NSAIDS.
• Curcumin and Boswellia are the only herbals known to block both the COX and LOX pathways, thus providing double anti-inflammatory protection (Tylenol blocks only COX)
• Egg shell membrane (500mg /day) is another natural anti-inflammatory which has shown significant improvement in joint pain and stiffness after 1 or 2 months
• Glucosamine [see #63 March 2011] and chondroitin (1500 and 1200 mg/day) help rebuild cartilage in osteoarthritic joints [see #63 May 2010]
• Enzymes like bromelain and serrapeptase [see #442] taken between meals reduce inflammation

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

416 Vitamin D & Cancer [17 April 2017

A randomized clinical trial of 2,300 postmenopausal women in Nebraska looked at the effects of vitamin D supplementation on all types of cancer. The test group received 2,000 IU of D3 and 1,500 mg calcium while the control group was given placebos. After four years 109 of the women had developed cancer, 3.9% in the treatment group; 5.6% in the control group. While this amounts to a 30% decrease in the vitamin D group, the small numbers made the finding not statistically significant.

A similar study by the same researchers published in 2007 found a 77% decrease in cancer incidence in the vitamin D group (statistically significant that time!). [see #367]. Other studies have found similar results [#254].

It was interesting to see how different online journals reported this current study. Medical News Today headline reads “Clinical trial finds that vitamin D, calcium, have no effect on cancer risk”. Predictably Mercola’s headline reads “Higher Vitamin D Levels Lower Cancer Risk”. A more honest headline appeared in Science Daily which simply posed the question “Does Vitamin D decrease risk of cancer?”

What do the authors themselves say about the study? The principal author Joan Lappe, a professor of medicine at Creighton University, Omaha, said “This study suggests that higher levels of [vitamin] D in the blood are associated with lower cancer risk. These results contribute to a growing body of scientific findings…that vitamin D is a critical tool in fighting cancer.”

There are some limitations to the study that need to be discussed. The participants in both Nebraska studies were menopausal women so the findings can’t be extrapolated to men or to younger women. Also most of the participants were Caucasian so results for people with darker skin may be different. Also some adverse effects were noted in the treatment group that may be related to the vitamin D and calcium supplementation: 16 of the treatment group vs 10 of the control group developed kidney stones, and 6 vs 2 developed high serum calcium levels.

And, as always, the authors conclude with a call for more research: “The results of this study lend credence to a call for more attention to the importance of vitamin D in human health and specifically in preventing cancer”.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

404 Vitamin D News [23 Jan 2017]

The days are slowly getting longer but we are still months away from even beginning to get any vitamin D from sunlight which will start mid-April. This week I will share several news items about this critical vitamin.

A large multi-ethnic cohort study published in Molecular Psychiatry found that maternal vitamin D deficiency (less than 25 nmol/L) during pregnancy was associated with a 3.8 times higher rate of autism-related traits in the children at 6 years of age. Other studies have shown vitamin D deficiency to nearly double the risk of premature birth.

An animal study published in Frontiers in Physiology suggests that vitamin D could play a role in preventing Metabolic Syndrome by modulating gut microbiota. Previous studies have shown an association between D deficiency and obesity, insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), all part of Metabolic Syndrome. Mice fed a high fat, low D diet developed unhealthy gut flora, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, NAFLD, and elevated levels of inflammatory markers compared to the high fat, adequate D diet group.

In a randomized clinical trial, relapse rates for Crohn’s Disease patients were 33% for those receiving 10,000 IU vitamin D and 69% for those taking 1,000 IU. This strongly suggests that Crohn’s sufferers do better with higher D levels.

In a randomized controlled trial published in the journal Medicine, 120 adults with fatigue and vitamin deficiency (less than 50 nmol/L) received either a single dose of 100,000 IU vitamin D or placebo. The vitamin D group reported more significant improvement of fatigue than the placebo group.

Finally, William Grant of the Vitamin D Council calculated the benefits of raising the vitamin D levels of all Canadians to at least 100nmol/L. Levels currently vary with age and season but average 61 nmol/L with 92% (summer) and 96% (winter) below the target level. Based on published studies, Grant estimated reductions in incidences of cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes, MS, respiratory infections and musculoskeletal disorders. He then calculated a reduction in annual premature deaths of 23,000 and a saving of $12 billion per year. New evidence of stronger effects of D on the risk of Alzheimer’s and clinical depression would push these numbers even higher. What are we waiting for??

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

397 Vitamin D Deficiency Pandemic? [28 Nov 2016]

With the evidence piling up that the RDA for vitamin D is too low and the concern about the increasing deficiencies of the world’s population (a 2010 article in International J of Health Sciences estimated 1 billion people worldwide), it was inevitable that there would be some pushback. It came earlier this month in a paper published in the NEJM “Vitamin D Deficiency – Is There Really a Pandemic?”

This paper argues that vitamin D deficiencies are overestimated because they are based on the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 600iu per day for ages 1-70 and 800iu for 70+ which correspond to a blood status of 20ng/ml (75 nmol/L in Canada). Instead (the authors argue) they should use the Estimated Average Intake (EAR) of 400iu and 600iu respectively, which brings half the population to 16 ng/ml, the minimum level to maintain adequate bone health.

A critique of this paper was published on the Vitamin D Council’s website November 18 by A. Tovey and Dr. J.J. Cannell. They made the following points:
• Even for bone health, the RDA is based on faulty statistics and is set too low
• Studies have shown that vitamin D provides many other benefits at much higher levels, so the RDA should be increased significantly
• A March 2013 paper in the Eur J Nutr concluded that vitamin D levels should be over 30 ng/ml to achieve the beneficial effect on chronic diseases.
• People living outdoors near the equator produce levels of 40-80 ng/ml which appears to be the optimum level for good health
• Blood levels of >40 ng/ml are associated with a 65% lower cancer risk
• A 2016 study found that raising blood levels of MS patients from 28 to 84 ng/ml by taking 10,000 iu per day resulted in significant improvements in quality of life scores
• Vitamin D supplementation of 6,400 iu/day safely supplied breast milk with adequate D for the nursing infant
• Raising D levels from 16 to 36 ng/ml improved depression in Swedish adolescents
• The latest data from the US shows that 70% of the population fails to meet even the very conservative 16 mg/ml.

So rather than being overestimated, the rates of vitamin D deficiencies are likely still highly underestimated. Do you know what your blood vitamin D level is?

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

394 Many Benefits of Sunlight [7 Nov 2016]

This week we will explore the many health benefits of sunlight. A rather ironic topic since we are entering the season of lowest sunlight here in Saskatchewan. Sunlight provides us with a broad spectrum of radiation in the 300 – 2,000 nm wavelength range, of which only 400 – 780 nm is visible. And most of that range is proving to be beneficial, if not essential, to our health.

The most well-known and studied benefit of sunlight is vitamin D synthesis in the skin from ultraviolet B (UVB) wavelengths. I have written many times [#179, 328] on how to optimize vitamin D synthesis while minimizing risk of skin cancer.

Another benefit is in preventing and treating depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder [#041] caused by the shorter days of winter can be effectively treated with special sun lamps. Other types of depression also respond to light therapy [#347]. Lamps designed for this light therapy usually lack the UVB necessary for vitamin D synthesis – the only vitamin D lamp I am aware of is the Sperti Sun Lamp at $650.

Sunlight regulates our circadian rhythms, helping us to stay alert during the day and sleep at night. Blue wavelength light in the evening is especially bad for keeping us awake. Wearing orange tinted sunglasses in the evening, even in the house, should help you sleep better.

Full spectrum fluorescent lighting has been found to reduce stress hormones, improve behavior problems, and calm hyperactivity in school children. Workplaces installing full spectrum lighting report improved employee morale, greater productivity, reduced errors and decreased absenteeism [#012].

Recent research has shed light (pardon the pun) on the benefits of near infrared (IRA) light on our health. This is the light that is just beyond red – we can’t see it and do not feel it as heat (the far infrared IRB and IRC do produce heat). Infrared A is not produced by non-thermal light sources (fluorescents and LCDs) and is filtered out by window glass, so the only sources are incandescent lights, fire and, of course the sun. IRA penetrates through clothing and skin, deep into the tissue where it activates an enzyme, cytochrome C oxidase, in the mitochondria which increases ATP energy production. And who couldn’t use more energy? Unfortunately most infrared saunas emit the far IR and lack the beneficial IRA.

There is no substitute for sunlight. All artificial light sources are lacking in some vital spectra that we need for optimal health, referred to as “biological darkness”. Those of you who can go south for the winter can continue to obtain these benefits; the rest of us are left behind in the biological dark.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

393 Vitamin D-Day [31 Oct 2016]

This Wednesday, November 2, is international Vitamin D Day (see www.vitamindday.net). It was created to highlight the estimated one third of the world (over 1 billion people!) that is deficient in this essential vitamin. This incredibly high deficiency rate is caused by two factors – people living in northern countries and people living a mostly indoor lifestyle.

It wasn’t stated but I suspect the date was chosen to reflect the beginning of the season where most Americans can no longer obtain any vitamin D from the sun. In Saskatchewan the date should be September 2. By mid-August we’d have to spend a half hour naked at noon to absorb enough UVB rays to synthesize sufficient vitamin D, so from September on we are dependent on supplements or sunlamps.

Why is vitamin D so important? Its role in calcium metabolism – essential for strong bones – is well known. More recently, research has shown that D deficiency is a risk factor for many different diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and infectious diseases like influenza. Vitamin D deficiency also makes some diseases more severe including respiratory diseases, and autoimmune diseases like MS and lupus. And researchers are finding that vitamin D can play an important role in the treatment of certain diseases including MS, cystic fibrosis, asthma and many more.

So vitamin D is probably the most important supplement you can take, and it’s inexpensive – about $.30 a day for 5,000 IU (if 5,000 seems like a high number, it’s really only 0.125 mg).

Ideally you should have your blood levels monitored, as people vary considerably in their ability to absorb and utilize the vitamin. Optimum levels are 100-150 nmol/L with anything below 75 considered deficient. If you don’t know your D levels, a supplement range of 5-10,000 IU daily should keep most people close to optimum. Make sure your vitamin D is the more effective D3 form.

There are two other options for winter vitamin D: holidays and sunlamps. A fun way to get your winter vitamin D is to spend several months down south where the sun is high enough. Remember to expose maximum skin at midday, without sunscreen, for 10 to 15 minutes, then cover up before the skin turns pink. The use of sunlamps for vitamin D synthesis will have to wait for another column.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

374 Vitamin D & Heart Disease [20 June 2016]

I have previously written about vitamin D and cancer, MS, Alzheimer’s, fetal brain development, autism, preventing fractures, and preventing falls in elderly. Studies on vitamin D in preventing heart disease have been equivocal (inconclusive or conflicting) with some studies showing benefit and others not.

In January 2014 I wrote several columns on the importance of correct study methodologies for nutrients, which are different than for drugs for a number of reasons. In his blog Dr. Cannell of the Vitamin D Council has explained the failures to find benefit with many vitamin D studies as due to poor study design. In 2005 Cannell and colleagues published a list of guidelines for vitamin D studies in order to obtain meaningful results.

The guidelines included:
• use the D3 form with daily dose of 3,000 – 10,000 IU
• ensure that blood levels reach 40-65 ng/ml in the test group, and
• run the study for at least 5 – 9 months.
Additional guidelines mentioned in his blog post:
• use subjects that are D deficient for both test and placebo groups
• test blood levels before, during, and at the end of the study
• use objective measurements of improvement.

So what happens when researchers follow these guidelines? In a June 2016 blog post Dr Cannell reported on a study by the Leeds Institute in England, published March 24 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, which followed their guidelines. What did they learn?

Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) is a common heart condition with a 50% five-year mortality rate. Approximately 90% of patients with CHF are vitamin D deficient. The randomized controlled study divided 223 subjects with CHF who were already on “optimal standard treatment” into a test group given 4,000 IU daily and a placebo group. The average vitamin D levels at the beginning was 10 ng/ml; the treatment group increased to an average of 46 ng/ml during the study. Small but significant improvements in cardiac function were measured in the test group for heart size and blood volume pumped by the left ventricle. The authors concluded:

“We have demonstrated that high-dose vitamin D3 supplementation is safe, well-tolerated, and associated with a clinically relevant improvement in cardiac function in CHF patients …”

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

367 Vitamin D, Cancer & MS [25 April 2016]

Two recent vitamin D studies emphasize the importance of maintaining sufficient levels of this crucial vitamin.

In the most recent study, researchers combined the data from two previous studies – the Lappe cohort from Nebraska and the GrassrotsHealth cohort from San Diego – to examine the risk of cancer at different blood levels of vitamin D. They found that women with Vitamin D concentrations of 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/L) or more had a 67% lower risk of all types of cancer than women with concentrations less than 20 ng/ml (50 nmol/L). As previously reported in these columns, 100 - 150 nmol/L is now considered by many vitamin D researchers to be the optimum level for health. Both these studies looked at white women over 55 years of age, so the results can’t be extrapolated to the general population.

A study published in December 2015 in Neurology compared the effects of standard dose (800 IU) and high dose (10,400 IU) vitamin D in 40 patients with relapsing/remitting MS. The researchers found that the high dose group had lower blood levels of interleukin-17 T cells, which play a role in MS pathogenesis, than did the low dose group. Each 5 ng/ml rise in blood vitamin D levels above 18 ng/ml corresponded with a 1% fall in the percentage of interleukin-17 T cells. There was no reduction in the interleukin-17 T cell percentage in the low dose group.

Although 10,000 IU seems a very high dose, it is the blood level that counts. Previous research has found that MS patients often require extremely high intake of D to maintain normal blood levels. It is critical for people with MS to monitor their blood levels and supplement accordingly. A Rosetown customer told me she has had to take 30,000 IU daily just to maintain her D level at the low end of normal.

Vitamin D likely also plays a significant role in the prevention of MS. A study from Finland published in JAMA Neurology on March 7 of this year found that children of mothers with severe vitamin D deficiency (less than 12 ng/ml) during early pregnancy are at 90% higher risk of later developing MS.

With the rising costs – both financial and in human suffering – of cancer and diseases like MS, we must move swiftly to implement public programs with safe and effective treatments like vitamin D. Every Canadian should be screened for D deficiency and encouraged to supplement (or sunbathe) to achieve optimum levels.

Sources
D & Cancer study PLOSOne
D & Cancer study review by Vitamin D Council
High dose D MS treatment Science Daily Review
High dose D MS treatment MDLinx Review
Maternal D & MS EurekAlert Review

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

363 Vitamin D & Pregnancy #2 [28 March 2016]

Rhonda Patrick, PhD, in an interview on mercola.com (14 March 2016) described three locations where vitamin D regulates serotonin production. Last week (#362) I discussed two of these – the brain and the gut. The third location is the placenta of a pregnant woman. Here, as in the gut, D turns off the gene that produces the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) which converts the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin.

In the gut vitamin D prevents overproduction of serotonin which activates T cells and could lead to inflammatory bowel disease. In the placenta, as I showed last week, serotonin is essential for normal brain development (in mouse studies serotonin deficiency causes autistic-like behavior). But excess serotonin is even more devastating for fetal development because of maternal autoimmunity. Patrick explains:

“Mothers of autistic children are four times more likely to have autoantibodies against fetal brain proteins in their blood. Studies have shown that a very strong autoimmune response in pregnant monkeys leads to abnormal fetal brain development.”

What happens is the mother’s immune cells attack the fetal brain tissue, resulting in brain damage or even miscarriage. This autoimmune response is prevented by a special type of immune cell called T regulatory (Treg) cells. Formation of Treg cells requires a molecule called kynurenine which is made from tryptophan. The problem is that tryptophan binds so strongly to the TPH enzyme that there is little or none available for the kynurenine pathway. Vitamin D slows the TPH enzyme leaving enough tryptophan for the production of Treg cells. Again, Vitamin D to the rescue.

This is in addition to the well-known role of vitamin D in fetal bone formation. A recent study found that supplementing with 1,000 IU of vitamin D increased bone mass in babies born in the winter. The bone mass increase may have been significant in all seasons had they used a higher dose like 4,000 IU. A 2012 study found 4,000 IU was safe during pregnancy and resulted in fewer premature births, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or infections than 400 or even 2,000 IU.

Note that based on old data, RDAs and prenatal vitamins are often limited to 400-600 IU. It is critical for pregnant women to have their D levels tested and to supplement as needed to maintain levels of 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/L).

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

362 Vitamin D & Pregnancy #1 [March 21 2016]

In April 2012 (#160) I reported on a study showing that maternal supplementation of 4,000 IU vitamin D daily was still too low to achieve sufficiency (20ng/ml) in all newborns. Recent findings show how important maternal D levels are to the developing fetus.

Rhonda Patrick, PhD, was interviewed on mercola.com (14 March 2016) on the role of D in the developing fetal brain. One of the more than 1,000 physiological processes regulated by vitamin D is the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) which converts the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin. Patrick discovered we have two different TPH genes – one in the brain and another in the gut which work independently – the serotonin they produce does not cross the blood-brain barrier. About 90% of our serotonin is produced in the gut, where it enables blood platelets to begin the clotting process that heals our cuts and bruises. The 10% of serotonin produced in the brain lifts our mood, enables impulse control, calms anxiety, and boosts memory.

Vitamin D regulates genes by attaching to the vitamin D receptor and either activating or deactivating the gene, depending on the receptor. Curiously vitamin D regulates the two different TPH genes in opposite ways. In the brain it turns the gene on, causing it to produce more TPH and therefore more serotonin. This is good. Insufficient serotonin in the brain results in impulsive behavior, depression, anxiety, and the inability to filter sensory stimuli (think ADHD).

In the gut, however, vitamin D turns the TPH gene off or slows it down. This is also good – we need some serotonin in the gut but not too much. Excess serotonin in the gut activates T cells which causes inflammation that can lead to inflammatory bowel disease. Vitamin D helps control this and clinically has been found to reduce inflammation in diseases like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

In the developing fetus serotonin plays a much more important role. It acts as a brain morphogen, shaping the structure and wiring of the neurons in the developing brain. The fetus is completely dependent on the mother’s vitamin D levels for serotonin production. A maternal deficiency in vitamin D can have severe consequences for the fetal brain development, including autism. Low maternal D and serotonin levels have been linked to autism by many different researchers. More on this next week.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

349 Three Vitamin D Studies [14 Dec 2015]

The Vitamin D Council recently reported on three important studies on Vitamin D published in 2015.

Alzheimer’s: An 8 year study of 382 elderly participants was published in JAMA in September. It found that low D levels in older adults was associated with accelerated declines in cognitive ability of up to three times faster.

Autism: A meta-analysis of 11 studies from the Netherlands was published in October in Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry. The researchers reported that 8 of the 11 studies found lower D levels in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ADS) than other children. The report reviewed the many ways that vitamin D is involved in brain development and function, and showed that low D levels causes brain malfunctions similar to those occurring with autism. The researchers concluded that lower vitamin D levels might be a risk factor for ASD.

A case study of a 32 month old boy with ASD and vitamin D deficiency published in January 2015 in Pediatrics reported that his “core symptoms of autism improved significantly after vitamin D supplementation”. So it appears that vitamin D may also play an important role in the treatment of ASD.

Breast cancer survival: A four-year study looked at women diagnosed with breast cancer and found that higher D levels significantly increased their survival time. A previous study from 2011 by the same researcher found that vitamin D levels of 125 nmol/L (50 ng/ml in the USA), which required supplementation of 4,000 IU per day to achieve, nearly doubled survival times. An earlier study by Lappe et al, 2007, in Am J Clin Nutr found a 77% reduction in risk of all cancers for the group taking 1100 IU D3 and 1500 mg calcium.

While the best way to increase our vitamin D is from safe sun exposure, that doesn’t work in Canada from September to April leaving supplementation as our only option. Dr. Cannell of the Vitamin D Council recommends supplementing with 5,000 IU daily (which is what I take) to maintain natural levels of 100-125 nmol/L. Even this is considered conservative by some. Dr. Joseph Mercola, who has studied vitamin D extensively, considers anything below 125 to be deficient and recommends 125-175 for optimum health and up to 250 for fighting cancer or heart disease. To achieve these levels, however, requires much higher supplementation – due to the law of diminishing returns – so is impractical for most of us. Winter supplementation of vitamin D of 4,000-5,000 IU seems optimal.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

341 Vitamin D for Breastfeeding [19 Oct 2015]

Human breastmilk is known to be extremely low in vitamin D, so supplementation of 400 IU vitamin D is recommended for exclusively breastfed babies in Canada and the USA. But is this an inherent flaw in mother’s milk or an inadequate dietary recommendation of the vitamin for the mother? A randomized controlled trial recently published in the prestigious journal Pediatrics set out to answer that question.

The study started with 334 mother-infant pairs who were exclusively breastfeeding. In Group 1 both mother and infant were given 400 IU of vitamin D; in Groups 2 and 3 the mother was given 2,400 or 6,400 IU respectively and the infants none. Blood levels were tested at baseline, 4 months and 7 months. Interestingly the 2,400 IU group was stopped by the ethics committee after 4 months because too many of the infants were still D deficient. At the end of the study the infants from Group 3 had D levels equal to those in Group 1 who were supplemented with 400 IU.

The study concludes:

“Maternal vitamin D supplementation with 6400 IU/day safely supplies breast milk with adequate vitamin D to satisfy her nursing infant’s requirement and offers an alternate strategy to direct infant supplementation.”

Maternal supplementation has the added benefit of ensuring the mother has adequate D levels too.

I previously wrote about vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy [#160], referring to a study that found that its highest dosage (4,000 IU) was still insufficient to prevent the baby from being born with a D deficiency. I earlier wrote [#117] about cases of infantile rickets misdiagnosed as child abuse where babies with broken bones are taken into custody and the parents charged with abuse.

This study shows that the Canadian RDA for vitamin D at 600 IU for both pregnancy and lactation is an order of magnitude (10X) too small. The upper limit is set at 4,000 IU, and warns of possible adverse effects beyond that. Is there really evidence for this concern? In the Discussion section of this study the authors state:

“...during the past decade [in] several studies…involving several thousand patients… not a single adverse event has been attributed to vitamin D supplementation at the doses ranging from 2000 to 6400 IU/day".

Government organizations like Health Canada have been slowly raising the recommended levels of vitamin D as evidence mounts. This well-designed study should nudge this movement along another notch.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

336 Alzheimer’s & Vitamin D [14 Sept 2015]

A few weeks ago I listed nine things you could do to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Here is a tenth item to add to the list: keep your vitamin D levels up.

In honor of the 4th annual World Alzheimer’s Month this September the Vitamin D Council [vitamindcouncil.org] re-published the top five studies they had covered evaluating the link between vitamin D and Alzheimer’s. I will summarize them here:

1. A meta-analysis published last month in Nutrition Journal found people with vitamin D deficiency (level less than 50nmol/L) had a 21% greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
2. Researchers in Argentina found that vitamin D treatment slowed progression from mild to more severe stages of Alzheimer’s disease by about one year.
3. A 2014 Canadian study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that supplementation with vitamin D reduced amyloid-beta plaques in the brain and improved learning and memory in mice.
4. A 2013 systemic review of 31 studies found statistically significant lower outcomes in cognitive function tests, or a higher frequency of dementia, with lower vitamin D levels in 22 of the studies (no association was found in 9 of the studies).
5. Medical researchers from UCLA published a small pilot study in February 2013 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. They identified specific genes regulated by vitamin D and the omega-3 DHA that reduce inflammation and clear amyloid-beta plaques from the brain.

No one of these studies by itself proves that taking vitamin D supplements will reduce your risk of dementia, but together they provide a fairly strong indication. There are many other reasons to supplement with vitamin D, this is just one more (but an important one). Remember that at this latitude we are now past the season where we can synthesize vitamin D in our skin from sun exposure, even at noon.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

328 The Sunshine Vitamin [20 July 2015]

This is a compilation from several previous posts on Vitamin D. We’re getting some hot sunny days now so optimizing D synthesis while protecting from sunburn is important.

The best way to get vitamin D is from the sun. But for most of the year in Saskatchewan, unless you use a safe sunlamp or take a holiday in the tropics, supplementation is the only way to keep your D levels up.

The UVB rays necessary for vitamin D synthesis can only penetrate the atmosphere when the sun is at 50° or more above the horizon. For our latitude this occurs only from mid-April to mid-August. At the beginning and end of this period there is about a half hour “window” centered on 1:15 pm (which is the “sun-noon” for Rosetown’s longitude). For most of June the “window” extends from 11:00 am to 3:30 pm. On sunny days outside these time “windows”, and on cloudy days, you can still get a sunburn (and increase your risk of skin cancer) from UVA, but you can’t make any vitamin D.

How can we optimize our vitamin D while protecting ourselves from sunburn and possible skin cancer? Expose as much skin area as possible, without SPF sunscreen, for 10-15 minutes during the peak UVB window. Stop before the skin turns pink. As you tan throughout the summer the length of exposure can gradually increase. Don’t wash exposed skin with soap for 48 hours after exposure to allow the vitamin D to be absorbed (washing with plain water is fine).

Cover up with a hat and clothing or use sunblock the rest of the time. The two safest and effective ingredients for blocking the more harmful UVA rays are zinc oxide and titanium oxide which block both UVA & UVB radiation. Remember glass and clouds block UVB but not UVA so you can get a sunburn in your car or on a cloudy day but you can’t make vitamin D.

Regular low intensity sun exposure does not increase the risk of melanoma and actually lowers the risk of many other cancers. Studies have linked higher exposure to UVB with lower rates of 20 different cancers. Optimum vitamin D levels also appear to protect against sunburn – many people (myself included) find that since taking D supplements they don’t sunburn as easily.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

323 Statins & Vitamin K2 [15 June 2015]

Back in April 2012 I wrote about the effect of statin (cholesterol lowering) drugs on Co-enzyme Q10 and muscle pain [#159]. Later, in December 2014 [#299] I showed that vitamin D along with CoQ10 relieves statin-induced myalgia (SIM). In the conclusion I wrote “If I was taking a statin drug, in addition to supplementing with Q10, I would make sure my D levels were adequate”. New research indicates that statin users should add K2 to their list of supplements as well.

A recent discovery, discussed by Okuyama et al in the March 2015 Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, is that statin drugs inhibit the synthesis of vitamin K2. I have previously discussed [#149] how K2 is essential for directing the calcium from your diet and supplements into your bones instead of your joints and arteries. A 2009 study from Utrecht, Netherlands, had shown that a high intake of K2 reduced the risk of coronary heart disease. It now appears that, ironically, statins, by inhibiting K2 synthesis, could be promoting atherosclerosis, the very condition they are supposed to prevent. The same study (Okuyama et al, 2015) added that statins also inhibit the synthesis of glutathione peroxidase, the essential antioxidant I discussed in two columns in May. Another study published in June 2011 in JAMA concluded that high dose statin therapy increases risk of diabetes compared to moderate dose therapy.

How could it be possible for drugs with side effects like these to be so popular (taken by 1 in 4 Americans age 45 and over)? Are the benefits really worth the risks? An investigation into this question was published by Diamond & Ravnskov in the same March 2015 issue of Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology. They conclude:

“…although statins are effective at reducing cholesterol levels, they failed to substantially improve cardiovascular outcomes… Statin advocates have … [deceptively amplified] the trivial beneficial effects of statins [and] succeeded in minimizing the significance of the numerous adverse effects of statin treatment.”

Please follow the links below, and read these articles for yourself. Then discuss them with your physician and pharmacist. If you decide that statin therapy is still indicated, then consider supplementing with CoQ10, and vitamins D and K2.

Sources:

Okuyama, H et al Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2015 Mar:8(2):189-99 Statins stimulate atherosclerosis and heart failure: pharmacological mechanisms [abstract]

Gast, GC et al Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2009 Sep:19(7):504-10 A high menaquinone intake reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease [abstract]

Diamond DM, Ravnskov U. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2015 Mar:8(2):201-10 How statistical deception created the appearance that statins are safe and effective in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.[abstract]

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

299 Statins, Muscle Pain & Vit. D [22 December 2014]

A commonly reported side effect of statin (cholesterol-lowering) drug therapy is musculoskeletal pain, called statin-induced myalgia (SIM), affecting 10-20% of patients. Another side effect is the blockage of the metabolic pathway that produces coenzyme Q10, necessary for the production of energy in the form of ATP in the mitochondria of our cells. It is generally believed that this reduction in Q10 is responsible for the muscle pain and fatigue experienced by many statin users. And indeed, taking coenzyme Q10 does reduce or eliminate the pain in most people.

Muscle pain is also a symptom of vitamin D deficiency. So it’s not too surprising to learn that studies have found a correlation with vitamin D status and muscle pain in people using statins. Two studies in 2014 examined this relationship.

The first, published in the journal PLOS ONE in March, followed 5,526 adults for 7 years and measured the vitamin D status when they began statin drug therapy. The risk of developing muscle pain was strongly correlated with vitamin D status; 21% higher for those with the lowest levels compared to the highest. The D level at which the greatest change occurred was 15 ng/ml (37.5 nmol/L). Note that this is about half the minimum vitamin D level recommended by some for optimum health – see my post #295 last month. Significantly, some of the participants with low D levels did not experience muscle pain until starting statin therapy, suggesting that it is the SIM that the D prevented, not general muscle pain.

The more recent study, published in the journal Atherosclerosis in December, compared the rate of pain reported in 1,057 statin users and 4,850 non-statin users, for which vitamin D blood levels were available. The researchers found the risk of developing muscle pain was 90% higher (nearly double) for those with D levels below 15 ng/ml. Interestingly there was no significant difference in pain reported between the statin users and non-users for those with D levels higher than 15 ng/ml.

More research is being done but I wouldn’t wait. If I was taking a statin drug, in addition to supplementing with Q10, I would make sure my D levels were adequate.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner. See this article on my website for links to sources and further reading.

295 Vitamin D – How Much? [24 Nov 2014]

How much vitamin D should we be taking? We have a good idea what blood levels are optimum for health. Dr William Grant of the Vitamin D Council states that 75 nmol/L is “the minimum [vitamin D] concentration associated with optimal health”. The Vitamin D Society, a Canadian non-profit organization, recommends Canadians maintain levels between 100 and 150. But what supplementation do we need to achieve this? Pure North S’Energy Foundation of Calgary carried out a study, published this month, to answer just that.

Over 17,000 healthy adult volunteers of varying BMI (Body Mass Index) were supplemented with different levels of vitamin D for a year, and had their serum D levels measured before and after. On average, 5,000 IU daily achieved a level of about 100 nmol/L; 10,000 about 140; and 20,000 about 150. Note the diminishing returns on increased dosage. Results varied considerably according to the person’s BMI. People of normal weight required about 2,500 IU to reach 100 nmol/L and 10,000 to reach 150. Overweight people required 3,000 and 14,000 respectively; obese people 12,000 and somewhere over 20,000; while underweight people needed only 2,000 and 8,000.

Remember, these figures are for healthy people; people with MS or fighting cancer would want to achieve a higher blood level and would likely need to take a higher dosage to achieve it. A Rosetown woman with MS told me that she was taking 50,000 units for a prolonged period just to keep her vitamin D level in the low end of normal.

Keep in mind that these are all averages and individual results vary considerably so it is important to check your baseline vitamin D levels before beginning (or increasing) supplementation and to have your blood levels monitored regularly.

No adverse side effects were observed in this study, despite supplementation at more than 20,000 IU per day. No cases were reported of hypercalcemia, a concern of critics of high dose D supplementation. This is consistent with other studies which showed no adverse effects with supplementation of up to 50,000 IU.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner