Vitamin D Deficiency

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imp

Senior Member
It's been said as many as 40% of American adults are deficient in "D". If so, may be likely our neighbors to the north may be also. Elsewhere? Do not know. At any rate, Sunshine, the old Ultraviolet radiation producer, causes our bodies to create D just beneath our outer skin layer. Whereas years back, sunlight was viewed dismally, today Medicos recommend it, with due consideration for skin hue and darkness, of course.

"A diet deficient in vitamin D in conjunction with inadequate sun exposure causes osteomalacia (or rickets when it occurs in children), which is a softening of the bones. In the developed world, this is a rare disease.[SUP][17][/SUP][SUP][18][/SUP] However, vitamin D deficiency has become a worldwide issue in the elderly and remains common in children and adults.[SUP][19][/SUP][SUP][20][/SUP] Low blood calcidiol (25-hydroxy-vitamin D) can result from avoiding the sun.[SUP][21][/SUP] Deficiency results in impaired bone mineralization and bone damage which leads to bone-softening diseases."

"The effects of vitamin D supplementation on health are uncertain.[SUP][6][/SUP][SUP][61][/SUP] A 2013 review did not find any effect from supplementation on the rates of disease, other than a tentative decrease in mortality in the elderly.[SUP][62][/SUP] Low vitamin D levels may result from disease rather than cause disease."

"Adequate amounts of vitamin D can be produced with moderate sun exposure to the face, arms and legs, averaging 5–30 minutes twice per week without sunscreen. Vitamin D overdose is impossible from UV exposure; the skin reaches an equilibrium where the vitamin degrades as fast as it is created."

The quotes above are from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D Are you among the 40% lacking enough? imp
 

Lack of vitamin D has implication for bones. Without vitamin D calcium is not absorbed and bones become weaker. Sunlight produces the vitamin but it must be direct. Sunlight that is filtered by glass doesn't work. In Sydney just 10 minutes a day will suffice but these days I'm not outside very much at all and blood tests were showing a deficiency. I take a daily Vitamin D3 tablet to maintain bone density.
 

I have read the Vit D is beneficial with depression as well as calcium absorption. I usually take one 1000 mg capsule a day, as well as the small amount of Vit D in my multivitamin and some sun exposure.
 
Deaths Due to Deficiency

Full article here...http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/13-us-deaths-attributed-low-vitamin-d-levels?page=1


There was a time when vitamin D was considered the "skeletal" vitamin. Low levels were linked to rickets and osteoporosis. But vitamin D may be an issue of life and death.

A group of researchers from the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Harvard School of Public Health, and seven other institutions have concluded that low vitamin D levels are responsible for almost 13% of deaths in the U.S. That equates to about 97 deaths per 100,000 Americans per year.

That rate compares to 20% of deaths attributable to smoking, 11% to lack of exercise, and 9% to alcohol consumption. In Europe, 9.4% of all deaths were attributed to vitamin D deficiency.

The researchers defined a vitamin D deficiency as having a blood concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D less than 30 ng/mL. They estimated 69.5% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. In Europe they estimate that 86.4% of the population is deficient.

In addition, the researchers estimated that 15% of the U.S. population is severely deficient. A severe deficiency is defined as having blood concentrations of less than 10 ng/mL.
The researchers drew their conclusions from data covering almost 900,000 study participants in 26 nations. Their results were published in the BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal)


Low Vitamin D Increases Risk of Cardiovascular and All Cause Death by 35%

Their review and meta-analysis covered 73 observational cohort studies that reported serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and cause of death over follow-up periods ranging from .3 to 29 years.

Compared to subjects whose vitamin D levels were in the highest one-third, those with levels in the lowest one-third of the study population had a 35% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease or from any cause, including coronary disease, lymphoma, upper digestive cancer, and respiratory disorders.

Those with the lowest levels also had a 30% higher risk of death from non-vascular, non-cancer deaths, and a 14% higher risk of death from cancer.
They also found that each 10 ng/mL decline of 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood concentration was associated with a 16% increased risk of all cause mortality.


Vitamin D3 Supplements Reduce Risk of Premature Death By 11%

The international team of researchers also discovered that vitamin D3 supplementation reduced the risk of premature death by 11%.
They analyzed 22 randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplements. The studies involved a total of 30,716 participants over three to seven years of follow-up. Vitamin D supplementation was compared to placebo or no treatment.

But vitamin D2 supplementation had no effect on overall mortality. In fact, in studies using a dose of 600 to 2000 IU/day of vitamin D2, the researchers observed an increased risk of mortality.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which we (and most plants and animals) produce through exposure to the sun. There are two major forms.
 
Am relieved to see you folks already have a "heads-up" (hate that new-fangled term) on "D" I have a few theories, regarding "D" as related to "Mens' health". Concerning prostate gland trouble (ugh). Scientific studies have indicated that prostate well-being may be directly associated with "D" in the prostate area. That area is most difficult to access, in the case of surgical intervention. Have not seen any literature of "D" being directly placed in the prostate area.

Now, cancer, as related to Vitamin D levels, is a whole 'nuther" concern. Strong evidence suggests that men having years-long high levels of Vitamin D in their systems, experienced much lower incidences of prostate cancer, for example.

No cancer is "fun". But the rare prostate type which proliferates rapidly is deadly. One victim coming to mind was Frank Zappa.

Evidently, as I understand it, (am open to direct bombardment here) certain chemical compounds, Calciferol (D) included, carry in their inherent metabolic process (How the body uses and eliminates them), certain nuances related to fighting and eliminating early cancer-cell proliferation.

I am more a QUACK, than a dr., practitioner, researcher, or person knowledgeable in such biological processes which utilize these newly-described chemical factors which some profess will end 'disease".
 
Red said:
I heard that if your Vit D is low, you can feel very depressed. Don't know how true that is though, anybody know?
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Yes, there have been some studies that show depression from low vitamin D levels. I take between 1,000-4,000 IUs of D3 daily. It's good to take it with a good quality omega 3 fish oil like NOW liquid lemon flavor, which is also good for depression. Magnesium and vitamin k2 are important too for bones, which were mentioned here, k2 keeps calcium in your bones and out of your arteries (stroke).

Lots of people suffer from SAD disorder, seasonal depression due to lack of sunlight which is a source of vitamin D. I never had my levels checked, but the doses up to 5,000 IUs a day should be safe from all I have read and heard.

 
imp said:
Am relieved to see you folks already have a "heads-up" (hate that new-fangled term) on "D" I have a few theories, regarding "D" as related to "Mens' health". Concerning prostate gland trouble (ugh). Scientific studies have indicated that prostate well-being may be directly associated with "D" in the prostate area. That area is most difficult to access, in the case of surgical intervention. Have not seen any literature of "D" being directly placed in the prostate area.

Now, cancer, as related to Vitamin D levels, is a whole 'nuther" concern. Strong evidence suggests that men having years-long high levels of Vitamin D in their systems, experienced much lower incidences of prostate cancer, for example.

No cancer is "fun". But the rare prostate type which proliferates rapidly is deadly. One victim coming to mind was Frank Zappa.

Evidently, as I understand it, (am open to direct bombardment here) certain chemical compounds, Calciferol (D) included, carry in their inherent metabolic process (How the body uses and eliminates them), certain nuances related to fighting and eliminating early cancer-cell proliferation.

I am more a QUACK, than a dr., practitioner, researcher, or person knowledgeable in such biological processes which utilize these newly-described chemical factors which some profess will end 'disease".
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I think you're right, the vitamin D helps with inflammation, which is one of the causes of prostate cancer. From what I hear though, senior men usually die with prostate cancer, not from it.

BY GARTH SUNDEM IN IN THE LAB, LATEST NEWS · OCTOBER 22, 2014
James Lambert, PhD, Scott Lucia, MD, and CU Cancer Center colleagues show that downregulation of the gene GDF-15 may cause inflammation and thus drive prostate cancer

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study recently published in the journal Prostate offers compelling evidence that inflammation may be the link between Vitamin D and prostate cancer. Specifically, the study shows that the gene GDF-15, known to be upregulated by Vitamin D, is notably absent in samples of human prostate cancer driven by inflammation.

“When you take Vitamin D and put it on prostate cancer cells, it inhibits their growth. But it hasn’t been proven as an anti-cancer agent. We wanted to understand what genesVitamin D is turning on or off in prostate cancer to offer new targets,” says James R. Lambert, PhD, investigator at the CU Cancer Center and associate research professor in the CU School of Medicine Department of Pathology.

Since demonstrating that Vitamin D upregulates the expression of GDF-15, Lambert and colleagues, including Scott Lucia, MD, wondered if this gene might be a mechanism through which Vitamin D works in prostate cancer. Initially it seemed as if the answer was no.

“We thought there might be high levels of GDF-15 in normal tissue and low levels in prostate cancer, but we found that in a large cohort of human prostate tissue samples, expression of GDF-15 did not track with either normal or cancerous prostate tissue,” Lambert says.

But then the team noticed an interesting pattern: GDF-15 was uniformly low in samples of prostate tissue that contained inflammation.

“Inflammation is thought to drive many cancers including prostate, gastric and colon. Therefore, GDF-15 may be a good thing in keeping prostate tissue healthy – it suppresses inflammation, which is a bad actor potentially driving prostate cancer,” Lambert says.

The study used a sophisticated computer algorithm to analyze immunohistochemical (IHC) data, a task that in previous studies had been done somewhat subjectively by pathologists. With this new technique, Lambert, Lucia and colleagues were able to quantify the expression of the GDF-15 protein and inflammatory cells by IHC staining on slides taken from these human prostate samples.

Additionally encouraging is that the gene GDF-15 was shown to suppress inflammation by inhibiting another target, NFkB. This target, NFkB, has been the focus of many previous studies in which it has been shown to promote inflammation and contribute to tumor formation and growth; however, researchers have previously been unable to drug NFkB to decrease its tumor-promoting behavior.

“There’s been a lot of work on inhibiting NFkB,” says Lambert. “Now from this starting point of Vitamin D in prostate cancer, we’ve come a long way toward understanding how we might use GDF-15 to target NFkB, which may have implications in cancer types far beyond prostate.”

Supported in part by American Cancer Society grant SG-04-170-01-CN

http://www.coloradocancerblogs.org/f...ostate-cancer/
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After I became disabled my Vit D levels began to plummet. I rarely leave the house much less spend time outside.

I began having palpitations, they finally became non-stop so I visited my doctor. My Vit D level was 8. It should be 40!

I went on 10,000 iu per day for 6 months. Now I take 2,000 and it keeps my numbers up.

I can't speak to depression as I already suffer from it. However my doc said the palpitations could've caused a deadly arrhythmia so I'm glad I caught it!
 
I Take 10,000 units of D3 a day.. which was increased from 5.000 when I last had my level checked... It was 37. My doctor wants to see it up around 50.
 
Phillygal said:
After I became disabled my Vit D levels began to plummet. I rarely leave the house much less spend time outside.

I began having palpitations, they finally became non-stop so I visited my doctor. My Vit D level was 8. It should be 40!

I went on 10,000 iu per day for 6 months. Now I take 2,000 and it keeps my numbers up.

I can't speak to depression as I already suffer from it. However my doc said the palpitations could've caused a deadly arrhythmia so I'm glad I caught it!
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I recently began having these palpitations also. I don't want to go out, feel down. The doc told me to take 2,000 per day as it was low. I think I should be taking more than that.
 
As I said... I take 10,000 units a day, as instructed by my doctor. Talk to yours. It is safe to have vitamin D levels up to 80 before it becomes toxic.
 
I was having some palpitations now and then, but I don't think it had anything to do with vitamin D. Magnesium is important to take for all our muscles, including the heart. I use Magnesium Citrate daily, seems to have helped.
 
Vitamin D is deficiency is caused by misguided doctors who told everyone to decrease their cholesterol. The body uses the sun to convert cholesterol into vitamin D. No cholesterol no vitamin D.
 
Jiminy! I'm glad to have thought to start the thread. Learned a lot! Thank you all for contributions. I will now go check my last few CBC's! imp
 
I went today Quick and he raised it to 5,000 and wants me to take another blood test in 3 weeks. Thanks, I think you got me on the right track.
 
Red said:
I went today Quick and he raised it to 5,000 and wants me to take another blood test in 3 weeks. Thanks, I think you got me on the right track.
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When I was on 5,000 my level went up to 37... which is low normal.. but he wants it up around at least 50 so that's when he up'd it to 10,000.
 
One thing about "D" which is not clear to me: D is inter-related with Calcium. My wife's D was within acceptable range, but her Calcium was quite high. That situation and it's potential consequences we have not resolved. imp
 
Cookie said:
I have read the Vit D is beneficial with depression as well as calcium absorption. I usually take one 1000 mg capsule a day, as well as the small amount of Vit D in my multivitamin and some sun exposure.
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That sums it up. They say cold weather state residents need it the most or others who purposely avoid sun. Or 15 minutes of sun a day should do the trick to. With any fat soluable vitamin be aware they are the easiest to over dose on. I heard to absorb calcium best it must be with magnesium & vitamin D or their proper levels in the body.
 
imp said:
One thing about "D" which is not clear to me: D is inter-related with Calcium. My wife's D was within acceptable range, but her Calcium was quite high. That situation and it's potential consequences we have not resolved. imp
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Elevated serum calcium is a different situation and not related to the level of vitamin D.
 
Q. S., you are the knowledgeable one regarding CBC-related interpretation. Would you be able to tell me if my elevated liver GGT is cause for concern, since the other enzymes, AST, ALT, Bilirubin, etc., are well within range?

My doctor shrugged off the my question of it. imp
 
Please be aware I wasn't "fishing", my doctor didn't really know, either. I'm confused by the fact that a given person's CBC done by two different labs, will have several tested items' acceptable ranges different by as much as 10%, or more. imp
 
imp said:
Please be aware I wasn't "fishing", my doctor didn't really know, either. I'm confused by the fact that a given person's CBC done by two different labs, will have several tested items' acceptable ranges different by as much as 10%, or more. imp
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I think you are confusing a CBC with a BMP... a cbc means "complete blood count" which consists of Wbc, RBc... hematacrit and hemoglobin, and platelets as well as cell morphology.. A BMP is a "Basic metabolic profile" that consists of your electrolytes... your kidney function.. which is your BUN and Creatinine and GFR (glomereular filtration rate) Then it can include your Liver function tests or LFTs..
 

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