The vitamin D miracle: Is it for real?

Globe and Mail ^ | 3-30-09 | Martin Mittelstaedt

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The claims have been sensational. Martin Mittelstaedt checks up on the research behind the hype

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In the summer of 1974, brothers Frank and Cedric Garland had a heretical brainwave.

The young epidemiologists were watching a presentation on death rates from cancer county by county across the United States.

As they sat in a lecture hall at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore looking at the colour-coded cancer maps, they noticed a striking pattern, with the map for colon cancer the most pronounced.

Counties with high death rates were red; those with low rates were blue. Oddly, the nation was almost neatly divided in half, red in the north and blue in the south. Why, they wondered, was the risk of dying from cancer greater in bucolic Maine than in highly polluted Southern California?

*snip*

Exposure to sunshine varies dramatically depending on the latitude. What if that's what was behind the varying cancer rates?

Their hypothesis, painstakingly developed and published six years later in the International Journal of Epidemiology, was that sunlight has a powerful anti-cancer effect through its role in producing vitamin D in bare skin.

Those living at northern latitudes, they theorized, receive less sunlight and make less of the vitamin, which in turn increases their risk of dying from cancer.

Today, with vitamin D so much in the news, it's hard to believe that it took decades for the Garlands' hypothesis to gain traction in the mainstream medical community.

But the benefits of vitamin D are no longer restricted to cancer prevention:

Studies have linked a shortage of the compound to such serious, chronic ailments as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, heart disease, influenza and schizophrenia.

Rest @ link

[Wonder Warthog]

"I’ve read (long ago) that bear liver is VERY high in vitamin D. Polar Bear liver is the highest. In the same article I read that if you eat a Polar Bear liver, you can actually die of a vitamin D overdose."

I believe that that is Vitamin A, not Vitamin D.

From Wikipedia:

"The liver of certain animals — including the polar bear, seal, and husky — is unsafe to eat because it is extraordinarily high in vitamin A."

[oldteen]

I did. I took 60mg of co q and it didn’t help.

[9YearLurker]

Makes sense; thanks again.

[goodnesswins]

Was it true COQ10....ubiquinol?

[goodnesswins]

Was it true COQ10....ubiquinol?

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Thanks for this article - am passing it along to my email list.

I was telling my 88 year old dad about it today. He does take a low dose of Vit D - but I am asking him to increase the dose - ask his doctor if he needs to.

HIs main complaint is that his vision is getting worse - his reading vision especially. (Has has been borderline diabetic for years and was told this year he has full blown diabetes and is on oral medication for it - not having to do the injections.

He also has glaucoma but was recently checked on this condition and was told it is in “good” condition at this time.

Am wondering if there are any miracle vitamins that help vision?

(yes will research it but if any here know of anything that has helped them, just asking for personal experiences).

[oldteen]

It was CO-Q10

[oldteen]

Vitamin C, E, and carrots..lol. That’s all I remember my Dad sayin’ many years ago. Didn’t help me but then I suppose not everyone can be helped by some things.

[djf]

Flax oil is good for the eyes. Good for dry eyes at least, and my vision always seems sharper if I am taking it.

[goat granny]

The only thing that comes to mind is Beta Carotine /sp. But definately research it...its the same as you get in carrots and does help with night blindness.

[goodnesswins]

There’s the real kind and the fake kind....ubiquinone and ubiquinol....supposedly, ubiquinol is better....FWIW

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

These vitamins - you took but they did not help your vision?

Ok - thanks. My dad is big into the right vitamins. I’ll find out what all he is taking....

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Thanks for that advice.

Yes, beta-carotine - I wonder if there is a certain type to take.

And flax oil - he may already be taking that - I’ll find out.

Thanks for both suggestions!

[lonestar]

Niacin (B3) helps treat and prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Too late for my mother for that...

but she hasn't had an upper resp problem since I started her on 5000 IUs of Vit D daily. I also take 5000 per day...and I guess should start Niacin.

[djf]

http://www.ehow.com/about_5162700_benefits-flaxseed-oil-eyes.html

Trouble is, in my mind at least, flax oil tastes like ferret scat gone bad!
But you can buy the gel caps, that are alot easier to take.

[zerosix]

Yes I am. Why do you ask (I also have type B blood.)

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

um - will definitely go with the gel caps...thanks

[blam]

"If Vitamin D was a great cureall then our ancestors would never have died of anything, they were out in the Sun all the time. "

The lack of vitamin D is what made White people white.

[blam]

"Trouble is, in my mind at least, flax oil tastes like ferret scat gone bad!"

I've read that you don't get the 'right kind' of vitamin D from flax. (I don't remember anything more than that about it though)

[Beckwith]

How come the Muslims aren’t all dead?

They’re covered from head to toe.