I am taking Vitamin D supplement

[dynodan62]

[quote="Crider"] There are absolutely zero studies showing harm from daily supplementation of a useful amount of D.

I don't consider 'lack of harm' to be a valid recommendation. Still, like nutrition in general, this is a VERY complex issue, of which science is yet only scratching the surface.

This video lecture by Dr. Bruce Hollis describes a model of how vitamin D is used at a cellular level by our bodies for such things as immune function and how its half-life of only 24 hours is another reason why daily doses of vitamin d make so much sense.

There may well be something to the possible extra benefit of DAILY sun exposure, but Vit. D produced by the body is likely NOT the same as a synthetic supplement. It may well function differently, and half-life measurements may not relate. However, the all too common refrain encountered when searching for relevant studies: ("vitamin D deficiency has become a global epidemic"!!) reminds me to remain suspicious on this subject. The vitamin D research industry has apparently become a major employer, and it seems every study ends with: "more research is needed".

Here's a video rundown by Cedric F. Garland

Dr. Garland's body habitus makes it quite obvious that 'dietary health' is not near the top of HIS priorities! It's relationship to disease and (OH)D status is never mentioned. The most interesting aspect of his lecture was the comment at the very end re: a BMJ article supposedly suggesting that inflammatory disease DOES NOT accelerate (OH)D metabolism (which would be contrary to Dr. McD.'s supposition). I found plenty of data online about Vit. D's effect on inflammation, but nothing on the reverse.

[Skip]

I'm with you Katydid...as a Metro-Detroit McDougaller it's next to impossible to get enough sunshine in our area. And like you said, when the sun does come out it can be anywhere from 40degrees to negative -5degrees for easily 6 months of the year. Plus I work in an office 40 hours per week and although I try to get outside on my lunch hour in the summer, there's just no optimal time otherwise to get sun, and I'm not an active winter sports person so I'm not sitting out there. So I supplement.

I disagree. I'm from the same area as you. Today, for example, I was outside in the sun for a good 2 hours (at lunch time hours) with temps in the mid 60's. Furthermore, Dr. McDougall states:

"I encourage people to avoid routine examinations of their blood for vitamin D levels (25-hydroxy vitamin D). There is nothing to be gained; adequate sunshine and eating well are "givens," regardless of blood test results. Various experts consider wide ranges of test values, between 12 and 100 ng/ml, sufficient. People with and without adequate sunshine exposure are commonly found to be deficient based on these blood results. Finally, and most importantly, treating abnormal blood tests with vitamin D supplements hurts people, at least by causing more fractures. Thus, there is no level of vitamin D discovered by a blood test that would cause me as a medical doctor to prescribe vitamin D supplements to one of my patients."

[dynodan62]

I would just like to add: Concerning Dr. McD.'s newsletter article when he says that no 'D' blood level # would cause him to recommend supplements:
Re: the veiled moslem women Dr. Garland mentions with an (OH)D # of '2'. While Dr. McD. would likely prescribe sun exposure, in a radical arab country where women are slaves/prisoners, would he then make an exception? I give the 'D' supplements the VA sends me to a friend who takes a regular medication that absolutely prohibits sun exposure. Blood levels near zero may well encourage disease.

[Librarian]

I was getting really bad muscle aches in my legs. Doctors were clueless. I started taking a Vitamin D supplement and now they are back to normal. So I definitely don't think Vitamin D supplementation is dangerous. I try to spend time in the sun where possible but obviously it wasn't enough.

[arugula]

barbara gilchirst, who was at one time chair of dermatology at boston u. basically fired holick for advocating deliberate sun exposure. i guess that when all you ever do at work is cut growths out of people's faces, that position seems absurd.

http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles. ... oses-post/

holick is still saying more or less that vitamin d is the cure to all ailments and that virtually everyone has a deficiency.

i remain skeptical, although i confess that i do not have the answer. i think that there is much more to this so-called pandemic than what gets out there in papers and press releases. it may be just that inactive people tend to stay inside and being inactive is unhealthy. or there could be something else.

i just find it very hard to believe that it is necessary to destroy the skin in order to be healthy.

[markusos]

I thought I would bump this thread as there is now a quite popular book claiming Vitamin D supplement toxicity is near impossible and the author has been doing high dosing - as much as 100,000 IU / day for months at a time, and in fact, has been very very high dosing for years and claiming all kinds of benefits. There are all kinds of testimonials by people who have also been doing similar high dosing of D3 and reporting all kinds of benefits.

The 'Miraculous Results of Vitamin D3' by Jeff Bowles is the book that I"m referring to.

I listened to a Podcast of him and it was quite compelling.

Any thoughts!

[f1jim]

It's a lot like a lifetime smoker telling me that cigarette smoking is perfectly safe. Yes, in his survey of 1 it is not a substantial risk. I hope we would look beyond that survey of 1 for more evidence.
f1jim

[veg tom]

When a vitamin becomes isolated it becomes a medicine per dr. McDougall [if I remember correctly].