Vitamin D advice please....

[corlis]

We are recent (3 months) readers and followers of the information in "The China Study". Things are going very well with this exception...

Bob has developed a Vitamin D deficiency.
We would like to hear your comments and advice.
He takes a daily multi vitamin.

Thanks

Corlis

[DianeR]

Here is what Dr. McDougall recently said on the subject:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/sep/vd.htm

What does Bob's doctor say?

You could always email Dr. McDougall.

[David Lux]

I've been having a bad cold / sinusitis for 6 weeks now. No way it clears up. Ditto last year and the year before. I suspect a vit D deficiency as well.
Here's why:
- It always occurs in Q4, entrance of the winter
- Two years ago, my condition improved twice after I twice ate out of the Mc Dougall diet (eg fish).
- Two years ago, and last year, the condition cleared up after a few days when I started vit D supplementation.
- This year, I've been to the doctor last Thursday and we discussed possible vit D deficiency. He doesn't believe in it because it's rare in my age group (late 40s). Of course people eat fish and butter or margarine and all that is rich in vit D. Not me. So no or almost no vit D from the diet.
- Of course in spring / summer the problem doesn't show up as I then get enough sunshine.
In automn / winter I clearly doesn't get enough sun, as it's dark when I get to and from work and, even if I get out during the day, it's likely to be fully dressed as the weather is cold. Of course, we live in Luxembourg (50° lat north) and not in California.
I agree with Dr McDougall that the real problem is not enough sun, but I can't do much about it. This year the summer has been really poor and that may be why the deficiency shows up so early.
- Back to the doctor, he ordered a blood test so that we should find out if I had deficiency. I went to the lab on Friday and should get the results today or tomorrow. Meanwhile I started to supplement last Saturday and am already feeling better.
- What can we do to get more sun ? Should we take winter holidays and fly to some sunny location ? Should we buy an UV lamp ? Should we take one tablespoon per day of Cod Liver Oil, like in good old times ?

If somebody has solved this problem I'm interested to hear about it.

[alias]

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA400033

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA358211

Here is a link for Dr. Weil. The first one is on cod liver oil. The second on Vit. D.

I take a D supplement. I've read that it may help prevent breast cancer. I've also read that it is good to take it if you are taking calcium supplements which I also take.

Here is another link to the Vitamin Shoppe. I use this web site to get info on vitamins. I know they sell products, but they seem to be mainstream in their recommendations.

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/content/en/healthguide/hncontent.jsp?org=VSI&intsource=skudetail&ContentID=2930006&category=Supp&title=Vitamin%20D&type=

I would note it says on the site that vegetarians who avoid fortified dairy sometimes are deficient in Vit. D. If you drink soy milk, is it fortified?

The page also notes the possible diseases that vit. D. deficiency may be a symptom of.

Anyway, the web page give you a starting point for questions for your Dr. and your research.

Good luck, and I hope you solve your problem quickly.

[banana]

This is not a very "scientific" response; however, I started taking a vegan vitamin D supplement last year, and I, too, noticed a difference in my health almost immediately---as I had always gotten fall sinus issues, too. (I am 34 years old). To me it makes perfect sense: how all of the sudden, when the weather cools, we get much, much less sunlight---and very abruptly. I live in Washington DC, and work indoors, and it's possible that it's all in my head, but I do think taking a D supplement has been quite beneficial to my heath.

[Casey]

Is one form of Vit D supplement better than another? Say, Ionic Fizz (you drink it) vs. caplets?

[DianeR]

I remember on some board I'm on seeing a link to a study that the D3 form is better assimilated or something like that.

How's that for a vague suggestion? I do remember reading the study abstract and concluding that if I were to take Vitamin D I would look for the D3 form.

[margiereilly]

I went to the Advanced Study Weekend Program at McDougall's some time back where he had an expert in Vitamin D research. I believe this has been mentioned on the site by me before.

Anyway, there is a light meter that one can get to monitor light exposure the sun every day. It is different for everyone. One can obtain "Super Vitamin D" from this sun exposure. The researcher indicated much higher levels of Vitamin D intake than the RDA.

I think his name was Kendrall something. Let me know, I would have to look up my notes. We need some exposure to the sun daily if possible otherwise, we can supplement but I believe natural sunlight in moderation is most beneficial to our bodies for anti cancer, etc. protection.

[banana]

It's fine to take vegan D as a supplement; one simply needs to take more than the RDA. Dr. Furhman sells a vegan D that is terrific, I think.

[DianeR]

The derivation of the different sources of Vitamin D is new to me. I guess it is a successful day at the computer when I learn something!

I found this description:
"The two forms of vitamin D used in dietary supplements are ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3). Ergocalciferol is sometimes considered a vegetarian source of vitamin D, since it can be plant-derived. However, yeast is also commonly used as a source of D2, as are other fungi (like ergot). Some individuals would regard these microbially produced forms of D2 as animal-based, while others would not. There's also one "synthetic versus natural" issue involved with supplemental vitamin D. When the plant building block for vitamin D2 (ergosterol)is used to produce vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol),it's usually irradiated in a chemistry lab in order to produce this D2 form.

Cholecalciferol, the D3 form of the vitamin, can be obtained from animal or microbial sources. A common source for the D3 in supplements is sheep's wool. (Since the fur of animal's typically blocks the ability of their skin to make vitamin D, the fur itself often has a capacity to make this vitamin). Many practitioners prefer to supplement with the D3 source of vitamin D, since it is better absorbed and also closer to the naturally-occurring form of the vitamin in humans. However, both forms of vitamin D can be effective in boosting health, and both forms can produce toxicity if overconsumed."
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tnam ... t&dbid=110

Sheep's wool, huh? Isn't Google a wonderful thing?

[David Lux]

It was 8.5 ng/ml (normal 30-80).

[Rita]

What are your symptoms of Vit. D deficiency? Thanks.

[David Lux]

For me it showed up as an infection that didn't cured up. It started as a common cold, then changed into sinusitis. I had suffered for 6 weeks without much improvement. After I started supplementation, it was gone after 3 days.
What I read is that vit D is necessary to manufacture white blood cells (not sure of the English word), which are key elements of the immune system. When the immune system is weakened, the infections just come and don't go.
At other times I've had an unexplained muscle pain in the legs. The first year it came in January and cleared up by itself in April. The second year it came in January again and disappeared shortly after I started supplementation.
Amazingly, those 2 symptoms are not mentioned in the mainstream books. They tend to concentrate on severe symptoms, eg rickets.

[Rita]

Thanks, David. My lab report for Vit. D was 19 (normal is 20-100). I hope to have it higher by the next time I'm tested.

[David Lux]

Sorry I had to be very brief in previous posts because we were about to leave for a short vacation . Now we're back.
While doing a blood test, the doctor wanted to test other parameters. I asked for a B12 check and he asked for cholesterol and the like.
Everything was in the normal range, even B12. The cholesterol was 128. Only the HDL was flagged a little low but I know that it is not meaningful.

So the only problem is that vit D.