Dr. Weeks’ Comment: Vitamin D3 is practically identical to cholesterol and along with magnesium, Vit B6, boron, strontium and other macro nutrients (eating enough but not too much protein – whole crushed organic non-GMO seed protein being the best) it is critically important nutrient. To test your vitamin D level ask your doctor to draw blood for 25-OH D3. But if you want to make more vitamin D yourself you need to get out of the light. Sunlight activates cholesterol in the skin and converts it to vitamin D. The role of sunlight and bone metabolism was first discovered in Switzerland with its steep majestic mountain valleys. Rickets, the childhooddisease of malformed bones, was discovered on one side of the valleys, well the children on the other side had a normal well-developed bones. You guessed it. The valleys were so steep that one side got very little sunshine whereas the other side was exposed to ample sunshine. The children who lived on the dark side of the valley were the ones who developed rickets. In their case, there was insufficient sunshine to metabolise cholesterol into vitamin D3 so they became crippled for life.
Now, the longtime readers of “Centsible Health News” see what’s coming next. They know me to be a champion of cholesterol and a vehement opponent of the scientifically defunct, lethal, misdirected war against this essential pre-hormone – in particular, I’m known to froth at the mouth when someone mentions that they’re taking a statin drug. We medical students were only taught half the story of rickets. The vitamin D part. But sunlight, without cholesterol, would make no vitamin D3. As mentioned above, cholesterol is practically identical to vitamin D – the difference being one double bond. (Again, the longtime readers of “Centsible Health News” have read many times at the double bond is evidence of light permeating matter. The double bond is the steppingstone of light which allows it to enlighten and enliven substance.)
This is a powerful wake up call to the role of Vit D3. The typical recommended dose for Vitamin D3 is 200-800 IU but most integrative doctors give 5-10K IU and check blood levels for 25-OH D3 -the normal range is 30-100 but you want your level to be optimal – 80-100.
Aggressive Vitamin D Treatment Suggested for Patients With Osteoporosis
SOURCE Stephanie Doyle of Medscape
May 19, 2008
May 19, 2008 (Orlando, Florida) — A new study shows that a proactive vitamin D treatment plan should be considered when caring for all osteoporosis patients, and that such treatment might help decrease the likelihood of developing vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D deficiency is widespread among patients being treated for osteoporosis, and such deficiency should be treated aggressively, according to the findings presented here at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 17th Annual Meeting and Clinical Congress.
“Our research suggests that vitamin D deficiency is quite prevalent in patients with osteoporosis — much more so than was originally believed,” said Harinder Singh, MD, who led the study, told Medscape Diabetes & Endocrinology.
The research method was a retrospective chart review at an outpatient endocrinology clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada. The inclusion criteria were osteoporosis diagnosed on DEXA scan and documented vitamin D levels, irrespective of race, sex, age, or other underlying diagnoses.
Donald Bergman, MD, clinical professor of medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York and a past president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, pointed out that both young and old are lacking in vitamin D.
“A lot of kids are also vitamin D deficient,” said Dr. Bergman, who was not involved in the study.
Vitamin D is essential for promoting calcium absorption in the gut and maintaining adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations to enable normal mineralization of bone and to prevent hypocalcemic tetany. It is also needed for bone growth and bone remodeling. Sufficient vitamin D prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults and, together with calcium, vitamin D helps protect older adults from osteoporosis. In Dr. Singh’s study, researchers reviewed 328 charts with a diagnosis of osteoporosis. The 71 that had documented 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were included in the study. Patients were taking vitamin D 800 IU and calcium 1200 mg daily; 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was checked during this period.
Researchers also reviewed other risk factors, including family history of osteoporosis, tobacco use, steroid use, and major preexisting medical diagnoses.
The average age of the patients was 62.2 years, and 89% were females. A total of 60 patients (84.5%) were white, 11 (15.5%) were smokers, 5 (7%) had family history of osteoporosis, 2 (2.81%) had a history of at least 1 osteoporotic fracture, 13 (18.3%) were taking steroids for various medical reasons, 13 (18.3%) were found to be vitamin D deficient (<20 ng/mL), 16 (22.5%) were vitamin D insufficient (20–30 ng/mL), and 7 (9.86%) were hypocalcemic (<9 mg/dL).
Singh called the findings “alarming” and said that although many physicians believe vitamin D deficiency is not a problem, with 41% of study patients found to have a vitamin D level of less than 30 ng/mL, “most likely that is not true,” he said.
The study was independently funded. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 17th Annual Meeting and Clinical Congress: Abstract 520. Presented May 16, 2008.