Posted on 11/30/2010 4:19:27 AM PST by decimon
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Vitamin D and calcium have been hailed as a possible antidote for cancer, heart disease and more, but a panel of US and Canadian doctors said Tuesday that the duo's only sure benefit is bone health.
After reviewing about 1,000 studies on the supposed links between low vitamin D levels and higher risk of serious diseases, the panel concluded that they showed inconsistent results, sometimes due to shoddy research methods.
The experts also issued new guidelines -- the first since 1997 -- for North Americans, saying people should take between 700 and 1,300 milligrams of calcium and anywhere from 600 to 800 international units of vitamin D each day.
Most people "probably don't have vitamin D deficiency, that is the first message," said Glenville Jones, a Canadian doctor who was on the 14-member committee for the US-based Institute of Medicine.
"We think there has been an exaggeration of the public's interest in vitamin D deficiency. (People) should be reassured that vitamin D deficiency is quite rare in North Americans at this point in time."
Just by eating a balanced diet and possibly taking a vitamin supplement in the winter, because sun exposure boosts vitamin D levels, most North Americans would have no difficulty meeting the recommended allotment, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Thanks for the ping.
No. I hadn't noticed. I'm glad they're there to point that out to us. We ignerint, unwashed masses might have not ever figured that out otherwise.
The point is that recent cultural changes have rendered those "corrections" inadequate. As recently as 75 years ago, MOST of the population spent most of their time outdoors, and they were consuming very large amounts of food due the the needs of high physical labor. That is no longer the case.
"Clothing has been worn for at least 10,000 years. So, that, too, is hardly a factor with modern humans—it’s part of our evolutionary picture, as is eating cooked food."
And you know that 10,000 years is enough to correct the Vitamin D deficiency?? I don't think so.
"Pill-popping, otoh, has only been around for a few decades. Obviously, the human race survived this long without it."
Mere survival vs. optimal health are two totally different things.
"I could see how pill popping would have an effect on our evolution—where our bodies would increase efficiency of ridding ourselves of these excesses of chemicals, to the point where it would be impossible to maintain physiologically healthy levels of vitamins and minerals without popping supplements. But we have not reached that point yet."
Ridiculous. We don't even know what "physiologically healthy" levels ARE.
"Medical disorders aside, either you are getting enough of the necessary vitamins and minerals in a healthy, balanced diet, or you’re eating an unbalanced diet that no amount of pill popping is going to rescue."
Completely ridiculous. The decision to add Vitamin D to foods to prevent rickets says that most people CANNOT get enough in their diets.
I eat a reasonably healthy diet, but lifestyle, work, and the "beautiful weather" in the Pacific Northwest keeps me indoors most of the time, so I do NOT get much sunlight. My blood tests show that my free Vitamin D levels are at the bitter low end of the statistical range of normal, and that is WITH taking 2000 IU/day of supplements.
As a chemist, I "do" understand about peer-reviewed literature, and the evidence to be found there is convincing to ME (along with the above blood tests), at any rate, that supplementation is desirable in my case. And my physician agrees with me.
Eh. It doesn't even do that.
Vitamin D and Calcium from US Dept of HHS
or A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Vitamin D Supplementation upon Musculoskeletal Health in Postmenarchal Females. "Despite improvements in 25(OH)D status, treatment with vitamin D2 was not shown to increase mineral accretion, bone geometry or strength, muscle force, or power. "
And as a single point, I've been quite D-deficient (<10) for 6 years, and my bone density is sharply up, not down.
And the folks who take it and think they no longer have colds need to worry about whether or not the lack of symptoms just means they've just totally suppressed the immune response to the common cold. Reversing Bacteria-Induced Vitamin D Receptor Dysfunction to Treat Chronic Disease: Why Vitamin D Supplementation Can Be Immunosuppressive, Potentially Leading to Pathogen Increase
Thanks for the information. I like the information about taking D3 in a gel formula.
My daughter is low on Vitamin D due to epilepsy meds sucking it out of her system.
We’ve been supplementing, but it is still low.
I then read that she should take it with food, so we’ve been doing that.
I need to get her levels checked again.
By the way, she’s had so many colds since she went on the anti-seizure meds. Last year, it seemed like she was continually sick all winter long. This year, she’s had 1 cold, and it didn’t go into a bacterial infection (which was the case all last year). She’s also lowering her anti-seizure medication, so that may be having an affect on the vitamin D levels also.
I take 3000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily, plus, 1600 IU Calcium. I was dx’d with Prostate cancer on 2007. Every Dr I have visited has recommended V-D3.
Thank you for the ping.
Lots of good info in that post.
Back in the army, to 'DX' something was to scrap it. Good to see that's not your case.
I supplement with vitamin D but I've no problem with posting articles to balance the pros with the cons.
Excellent synopsis...I can vouge (sp) for what you say about LDL....I was told about 6 yrs ago I had small, dense non-buyoant LDL, and it was “hereditary”....I started eating mostly the CAVEMAN diet...and guess what....that is changing according to my most recent cholesterol test. You can find out if you ask your doc to request a VAP cholesterol test...it isn’t more expensive but gives more info.
The last thing these geeks want id for the general public to become aware of how easy it is to control disease through proper life habits.
It would put them all in the poorhouse.
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Thanks for posting that. I have to admit, this stuff is all confusing even to people who read a lot and have a little bit of educational background in health and nutrition.
Also...did you know...the closer to the equator...the LESS skin cancer there is.....(Vit D!)
Good fast attack for prostate cancer:
Fresh rosemary, ground up in applesauce.
(got that from Bill Henderson’s web site: http://www.beating-cancer-gently.com/ )
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Vitamin D2 is useless
Oh My Gawd...Don't fall for that spurious correlation. Equator ==> more melanin ==> more protection from UV.
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“Here’s what I believe the Institute of Medicine SHOULD have said:
Multiple lines of evidence suggest that there is a plausible biological basis for vitamin D’s effects on cancer, inflammatory responses, bone health, and metabolic responses including insulin responsiveness and blood glucose. However, the full extent and magnitude of these responses has not yet been fully characterized.
Given the substantial observations reported in several large epidemiologic studies that show an inverse correlation between 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels and mortality, there is without question an association between vitamin D and mortality from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all cause mortality. However, it has not been established that there are cause-effect relationships, as this cannot be established by epidemiologic study.”
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Get post, I take Carlton’s Vitamin D, it’s from fish but I don’t know if it’s Cod Liver oil, uggh !!
> “Oh My Gawd...Don’t fall for that spurious correlation.”
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Is it really spurious?
Why then is melanoma so rare in people that work outdoors, compared to those that work indoors?
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This is one reason I totally distrust the medical establishment. I've seen with my own experiences that supplements are far more effective than drugs and without the side effects.
This article reinforces my opinion that most medical doctors are either brainwashed by the pharmaceutical industry and they're too lazy to do alternative research or they're part of the scam.
Since I've upped my intake of Vit D, I've not had a cold. Too bad for the medical profession, they'd rather write a presciption.
People would be healthier if they stayed away from doctors and drugs.
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