Insufficient levels of vitamin D puts elderly at increased risk of dying from heart disease

There is also reason to surmise that vitamin D can be curative of shingles and, by extension, also of many cases of chronic fatigue syndrome.

From PubMed:

While the underlying pathophysiology of herpes zoster infection has been well characterised, many of the mechanisms relating to the subsequent development of post herpetic neuralgia (PHN) remain uncertain. The dorsal horn atrophy and reduction in skin innervation seen in PHN patients does not adequately explain many clinical features or the efficacy of a number of topical treatments. In the central nervous system the glia, their receptors and their secreted signalling factors are now known to have a major influence on neural function. In the peripheral nervous system, schwann cell activation in response to infection and trauma releases a number of neuroexcitatory substances. Activation of the nervi nervorum in the peripheral nervous system also leads to the release of calcitonin gene related peptide, substance P and nitric oxide. Schwann cell and/or nervi nervorum activation could be an additional mechanism of pain generation in PHN. Such a paradigm shift would mean that drugs useful in the treatment of glial cell activation such as naloxone, naltrexone, minocycline, pentoxifyllline, propentofylline, AV411 (ibudilast) and interleukin 10 could be useful in PHN. These drugs could be used systemically or even topically. High dose topical vitamin D would appear to offer particular promise because vitamin D has the ability to both reduce glial inflammation and reduce nitric oxide production.

Med Hypotheses, 2009 Jul 25, "Post herpetic neuralgia, schwann cell activation and vitamin D," Bartley J., The Auckland Regional Pain Service, FRACS, 10 Owens Rd., Epsom, Auckland 1023, New Zealand.

This article posits that infection of the peripheral ganglia causes at least some cases of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), with a neurotropic herpesvirus, particularly varicella-zoster virus (VZV), as the most likely cause of the infection. Virtually all CFS symptoms could be produced by an infection of the peripheral ganglia, with infection of the autonomic ganglia causing fatigue, postural hypotension, and sleep disturbances, and infection of the sensory ganglia causing sensory symptoms such as chronic pain. Furthermore, infections of the peripheral ganglia are known to cause long-term nerve dysfunction, which would help explain the chronic course of CFS. Herpesviruses have long been suspected as the cause of CFS; this theory has recently been supported by studies showing that administering antiherpes agents causes substantial improvement in some CFS patients. VZV is known to frequently reactivate in the peripheral ganglia of previously healthy adults and cause sudden, debilitating illness, making it a likely candidate as a cause of CFS. Moreover, many of the symptoms of CFS overlap with those of herpes zoster (shingles), with the exception that painful rash is not one of the symptoms of CFS. A model is therefore proposed in which CFS is one of the many manifestations of zoster sine herpete; that is, herpes zoster without rash. Furthermore, re-exposure to VZV in the form of chickenpox has become less common in the past few decades; without such re-exposure, immunity to VZV drops, which could explain the increased incidence of CFS. Co-infection with multiple herpesviruses is a possibility, as some CFS patients show signs of infection with other herpesviruses including Epstein-Barr, Cytomegalovirus, and HHV6. These three herpesviruses can attack immune cells, and may therefore promote neurotropic herpesvirus reactivation in the ganglia. The possibility of VZV as the causal agent in CFS has previously received almost no attention; the possibility that CFS involves infection of the peripheral ganglia has likewise been largely overlooked. This suggests that the search for a viral cause of CFS has been far from exhaustive. Several antiherpes drugs are available, as is a vaccine for VZV; more research into such agents as possible treatments for CFS is urgently needed.

Med Hypotheses, 2009 Jun 9, "Does varicella-zoster virus infection of the peripheral ganglia cause Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?" Shapiro JS., 3424 Platt Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, USA.

If you get outdoors enough every day and do not use sunscreen. Otherwise, even in a sunny climate, one is prone to low vitamin D levels.

PIng...(may be of interest) Thanks, grey_whiskers!

Thanks for the ping, Smokin’ Joe.

Another good article to bookmark.

ping

Taking a multi vitamin can help keep things in balance. Your body will discard what it doesn't need.

No, it won't. Water soluble vitamins will be excreted at a faster rate than fat soluble vitamins, but that doesn't mean that only what your body "needs" will have any effect. Vitamins have their vitamin effect in trace amounts (same for minerals). Amounts larger than that will start to have drug (or toxic) effects, depending on the type of vitamin (or mineral), some less adverse, some extremely adverse. The same is true of vitamin D, though it probably has a greater role in the body than just the prevention of deficiency disease associated with its lack or absence.