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Vitamin D is necessary not just to prevent MS

Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2005 4:06 pm
by Nick
MS is not the only disease associated with vitamin D deficiency. A few days past there was a news release regarding a Harvard study of 50,000 men and how adequate vitamin D levels would result in a 30 risk reduction of all cancers.
Other studies have suggested that higher vitamin D levels help protect against colon, prostate, and breast cancer, but a long-term study of 50,000 men by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health suggests vitamin D may reduce the risk of all cancers. The study, which is still under review for publication, found that men who consumed higher levels of vitamin D reduced their overall cancer risk by at least 30 percent, according to lead author, Ed Giovannucci. The findings were statistically significant, he said, and a separate study of women is expected to produce similar results.
Earlier this year Ascherio et al found that 400 IU/d of vitamin D3 endowed female users with a 40% risk reduction from MS.

Merlino et al found that a greater intake of vitamin D was inversely associated with risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Andjelkovic et al showed vitamin D therapy had a positive effect on disease activity in 89% of the patients (45% or 9 pts. with complete remission and 44% or 8 pts. with a satisfactory effect). Only two patients (11%) showed no improvement, but no new symptoms occurred. [/quote]

This study of identical twins has uncovered a previously unknown gene with strong associations to both MS and rheumatoid arthritis.

Hypponen et al published their findings that babies who received at least 2,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily were nearly 80% less likely to develop type 1 diabetes over the next three decades compared with infants who had lower intakes of the vitamin, according to findings published in the November 3rd issue of The Lancet.

Juvenile diabetes a.k.a. Type I diabetes or IDDM is skin to MS. It has been demonstrated by Winner et al that Type I diabetes and MS share the same disease process with the difference being which self-tissue is targeted. In Type 1 diabetes, the GAD proteins and consequent islets on the pancreas are targeted while in MS the CNS issue is assailed.

If you combine the results of these observational studies with the recent recognition of human physiological tolerance to higher levels of vitamin D than the current dogma, then it is fair to assume even greater levels of prevention can be expected from D3 observance.

So if you don’t take vitamin D3 for your MS, RA or IDDM you might want to consider it for cancer prevention.

Cheers and HNY
Nick

PS

A company in Nevada, Advanced Nutritional Innovations, wants to give persons with MS in Canada and the USA free Ca/Mg/VitD supplements. Direct-MS has put up a notice of this and a link to the application form on our website. To get the free supplement all you have to do is fax in the form. We have recently received the our vitamins from ANI and spoken with the company president on the phone; it is all legitimate.

Prospects for Vitamin D Nutrition

Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 6:37 pm
by Nick
DIRECT-MS would like to offer their latest presentation, Prospects for Vitamin D Nutrition. The format is a Voiced PowerPoint presentation (‘Webcast’) and the discussion is narrated by Reinhold Vieth of the departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto.

Dr. Vieth addresses the topics of:
Vitamin D and Human Evolution
Clinical relevance of higher vitamin D intakes
Toxicology of Vitamin D

Cheers
Nick

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 5:49 am
by Melody
Thanks it's long but well worth the watch. I wonder why the neurologist is not running vitamin D level blood test.

Re: Prospects for Vitamin D Nutrition

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 9:59 pm
by NHE
Thanks Nick! I found some of the slides difficult to read (even when I used the full screen option) and I was wondering if there's anyway to obtain the presentation in PDF, PowerPoint, or some other format?

Thanks again, NHE

Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2005 5:02 am
by Melody
As per the link we were watching it says even these levels are inadequate at the bottom of the scale as in order to have sufficient your level should exceed 80 nmol/L I believe. I also found out our GP can run the test for me and is going to next week. It's just a blood test. I will be interested in hubby's results as he started D3 in June of this year so with luck he is in an acceptable range without being toxic. Will keep you posted.I've actually decided boosting till he hits around 150 nmol/L but that is just my opinion

How is vitamin D deficiency determined?

The serum 25-OH vitamin D3 level is the best initial test for vitamin D deficiency. If there is a high level of clinical concern for vitamin D deficiency and a low-normal 25-OH vitamin D3 level is found, serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentration and a 24-hour urine calcium should be checked.

Although experts differ, the following definitions have been proposed (1):

Vitamin D sufficiency: 25-OH vitamin D3 is 20 to 80 ng/mL (50 to 200 nmol/L) and there is normal calcium homeostasis/bone metabolism.

Vitamin D insufficiency: 25-OH vitamin D3 is 4 to 20 ng/mL (10 to 50 nmol/L) with mild hyperparathyroidism, sub-optimal calcium absorption, and decreased bone density.

Vitamin D deficiency: 25-OH vitamin D3 is 0 to 4 ng/mL (0 to 10 nmol/L) with secondary hyperparathyroidism and malabsorption of calcium, causing osteomalacia.

Controversy over the lower limit of the optimal range of 25-OH vitamin D3 reflects awareness that the "normal range" varies depending on the reference lab. Most normal ranges are based on 95 percent confidence intervals for the general population. For example, in the United Kingdom, where there is relatively less light exposure (higher latitude) and less fortified food than in the United States, the reference range lower limit is 3 ng/mL (8 mM/L). In contrast, the lower limit in some laboratories in the United States is 18 ng/mL (45 mM/L) (2).

This variability has led to recommendations to abandon the lower limit of the normal range for serum 25-OH vitamin D3 and use a "target" concentration of 25-OH vitamin D3 instead, the latter derived from PTH measurements. This would be the 25-OH vitamin D3 concentration at which the mean serum PTH concentration starts to increase in population studies. This method would also eliminate geographical and seasonal variations that affect population-based normal ranges. With this "physiologic" approach, the optimal lower limit of 25-OH vitamin D3 has been found to be around 20 to 35 ng/mL (50 to 88 mM/L).

These recommendations take into account studies showing that some patients with 25-OH vitamin D3 levels in the low end of the "normal range" have clinical and pathologic evidence of vitamin D insufficiency, as indicated by an elevated PTH reflecting increased bone turnover and mild osteomalacia (3).

Although 1,25-(OH)2 vitamin D3 is the biologically active metabolite of vitamin D, it is not a good measure of vitamin D status. When patients are vitamin D deficient, the parathyroid hormone increases and drives the renal 1-alpha-hydroxylase, so that 1,25-(OH)2 vitamin D3 levels increase. It is only with severe vitamin D deficiency, when substrate is depleted, that a deficiency of 1,25-(OH)2 vitamin D3 occurs. Therefore, earlier stages of vitamin D deficiency can be missed by measurement of the level of 1,25-(OH)2 vitamin D3.

* Some experts feel that elderly people and veiled women living in northern latitudes need closer to 1,000 IU per day (5).
<shortened url>

Vitamin D 1,000 IU
Stimulates absorption of calcuim, important for bone maintenance and plays a role in regulating blood pressure. Jamieson uses only vitamin D3. This is the nutrition industry's premium grade natural vitamin D source.
<shortened url>

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 2:04 pm
by pinda
Hi again Melody. Just read after posting to you on another post. Informative and part of what I am looking for. Thank you for your input on this post. Linda

Re: Prospects for Vitamin D Nutrition

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 12:21 pm
by Nick
NHE wrote:Thanks Nick! I found some of the slides difficult to read (even when I used the full screen option) and I was wondering if there's anyway to obtain the presentation in PDF, PowerPoint, or some other format?

Thanks again, NHE
Hi NHE

The entire Powerpoint presentation is prohibitively large. However if you want one or two particular slides, send an email requesting so to info@DIRECT-MS.org.

Cheers
Nick

Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 5:29 pm
by LisaBee
One of the big issues, as I understand it, is that levels needed for normal bones may not be sufficient for the other functions of Vitamin D, with immunomodulation being of particular interest.

I haven't found much information on gradually increasing dosage, but a nutritionist recommended if I was to supplement Vitamin D it is better to gradually "walk Up" Vitamin D intake, perhaps allowing PTH and possibly other hormones involved in calcium homeostasis re-equilibrate. so one doesn't "overshoot". I remember that on the recent calcitriol (1,25-OH D) study in MS patients, some of them had to have dosages adjusted for mild elevated blood calcium levels in certain individuals. Calcitriol is not the same stuff as D3, but I wonder if the same principle might apply.

Gradually increasing dose would sort of make sense, as in nature, the main source of Vtamin D is of course sunlight. People in tropical areas would be acclimated to getting regular doses year-round. People in temperate latitudes would have their sunlight dose gradually increased in the springtime, a combination of spending more time outdoors and a gradual steady increase in UVB radiation. They wouldn't be doing the equivalent of going from no vitamin D to a lot in a very short period of time. I wonder if gradually walking up the Vitamin D dose would prevent the spike in blood calcium levels that happens with some people starting supplementation. This is a separate issue than outright taking too much Vitamin D.

I don't know if anyone has seen this particular aspect discussed anywhere. Anybody?

Lisa

Re: Prospects for Vitamin D Nutrition

Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 6:34 am
by NHE
Nick wrote:The entire Powerpoint presentation is prohibitively large.
Thanks for the reply. If the file is less than 50 MB or so then I would be willing to download it (I once downloaded a 230 MB file through my 28.8 modem - this took about two days!). I have also taken advantage of a friend's cable modem to download 8 GB of Linux ISO CD's where file size isn't such of an issue. However, I realize that making such a file publicly available would put a strain on your server's bandwidth. Perhaps there might be an alternative server that would host it if file size is an issue with your bandwidth.

Thanks again for the reply, NHE

Re: Prospects for Vitamin D Nutrition

Posted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 11:42 am
by Nick
NHE wrote:
Nick wrote:The entire Powerpoint presentation is prohibitively large.
Thanks for the reply. If the file is less than 50 MB or so then I would be willing to download it (I once downloaded a 230 MB file through my 28.8 modem - this took about two days!). I have also taken advantage of a friend's cable modem to download 8 GB of Linux ISO CD's where file size isn't such of an issue. However, I realize that making such a file publicly available would put a strain on your server's bandwidth. Perhaps there might be an alternative server that would host it if file size is an issue with your bandwidth.

Thanks again for the reply, NHE
You are best to use the email addy I provided to make your request.

Cheers
Nick

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 5:41 am
by Melody
Just got John's vitamin D test back for his levels. Our lab says normal range is between 25 to 200 nmol/L and John is sitting at 142 nmol/L. That is after taking Vitamin D of at least 2300iu per day since June 10/05 I believe. I've recently bumped him to 2700iu due to less sun exposure for winter months. I can't believe there is such a wide window on the normal range. That is a big difference. We will have these levels checked 2-3 times per year now so as not to go into a toxic state. John by the way spent lots of hours in the sun this summer as his body temperature was able to regulate for the first time in years. We live on the lake so we are talking about 4 hours per day. He tans well so very rarely uses sun screen. His levels should have been even higher I would have thought.

Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 8:12 pm
by ljm
Unfortunately my computer kept crashing, I saw about two thirds of the slide show. If anyone watched it to the end...is there indeed a toxic level for D3 according to the presenter? A new GP recommended quite large dosages, I'm a bit uneasy about it.

Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 5:39 am
by Melody
Can't remember if he gave a specific dose that was toxic but the accepted range in your blood is between 25 NMOL/L- 200 NMOL/L. The range is a huge difference IMO I just wish when Dr. O'Connor started John on D3 he had run a test so I'd have a comparison. John started on 2300iu in June of 2005 and after that presentation I had his D levels checked to make sure he wasn't in the toxic range. This was done on Nov 10 2005 and his levels are at 142 NMOL/L. Now I will need to be careful at this point as D is stored by the liver but with it being winter in Canada I will check it again after xmas to see how steady it is holding. I have noted since taking D3 that his emotional health is strong again. He doesn't have the temper flair ups nor the weepy periods. So it seems to help with depression and keep in mind they do prescribe it for SAD the seasonal depression.

Here is a web site that will help you somewhat
<shortened url>

Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 1:52 pm
by Nick
Melody wrote:Our lab says normal range is between 25 to 200 nmol/L and John is sitting at 142 nmol/L.
Hi Melody

When I was having my levels assessed 4 years ago the lab gave the "normal" range as 40 - 100 nmol/L.
Melody wrote:We will have these levels checked 2-3 times per year now so as not to go into a toxic state.
I believe toxicity is expressed as hypercalcemia and to determine this an assessment of one's calcium levels, either via a blood or urine analysis is required.
Melody wrote:We live on the lake so we are talking about 4 hours per day. He tans well so very rarely uses sun screen. His levels should have been even higher I would have thought.
Not necessarily higher. The human body has a self-regulating mechanism in place when it comes to manufacturing vitamin D from UVR exposure. I think Vieth has put the maximum daily production at the equivalent of 10,000 IU/d but this of course is dependant on many variables, not the least of which is latitude.

Cheers
Nick

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:36 am
by Brownsfan
Would a daily dose of 3000 - 4000 IU Vit D3 be 100% safe or do I need to be diligent about getting blood tests for toxicity?

thanks