Looks like this is real. I have several websites I will list below for you own research. It seems the brain looses the ability to properly metabolize glucose and  plaques form in the brain as a consequence. But there is another source of energy that the brain can use. It is ketones and ketones are formed by the metabolism of coconut oil. So the Alzheimer patient gets better and better!
It also looks like this "maybe" a treatment for other Dementia's and even MS.
The incidence of Alzheimer Disease is around nine percent in the elderly population. I think nearly everyone knows some one who could be potentially helped by this oil. Btw, you will not find this promoted by the Alzheimer association or drug companies. No money in it is there!

http://www.altmeds.com/alzheimers-disease/articles/if-coconut-oil-fights-dementia-why-isnt-it-prescribed

www.anh-usa.org/coconut-oil-and-alzheimer%E2%80%99s-disease/

www.naturalnews.com/030919_coconut_oil_Alzheimers.html

www.ehow.com/facts_5660985_coconut-oil-alzheimers-disease

www.healthyfellow.com/208/coconut-oil-and-alzheimers-disease/

www.coconutdiet.com/alzheimers.htm
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By David Liu, PHD


Saturday Jan 7, 2012 -- A new study released recently in the joournal Clinical Endocrinology suggests that maintaining a high level of serum vitamin D may increase the level of testosterone, the major male sexual hormone.

The study led by Katharina Nimptsch at Havard School of Publich Health and colleagues shows that men whose vitamin D levels in their blood were in the highest quintile have 8 percent higher levels of total testosterone, compared to those whose vitamin D levels were in the lowest quintile.

Nimptsch et al in their report say that a small trial has already suggested that vitamin D might boost the production of testosterone in men and experimental studies in animal models and at least one cross-sectional study also show a positive link between plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D or 25(OH)D and testosterone.

A similar association was also observed between levels of serum vitamin D and free testosterone.


Study results show that once the plasma vitamin D level reached about 75 to 85 nmol per liter, then vitamin D does not seem to have an effect on testosterone anymore.  At low levels, the association between vitamin D and testosterone was linear.

The researchers concluded "This study supports previously reported positive associations between vitamin D and testosterone although we did not observe parallel seasonal variation patterns. Possible causality and direction of the vitamin D-testosterone association deserve further scientific investigation."

It is unknown whether low vitamin D leads to low testosterone or vice versus. 

There is a good possibility that men have high levels of vitamin D have high levels of the male hormone in the first place.  If you have more testosterone, you are more aggressive and physically active and you will do more outdoor activities and get more sun-exposure (more vitamin D).  That is probably the reason behind the association.

Testosterone, which is also found, but low in women, is very important for men.  Low testosterone or or testosterone deficiency or medically known as hypogonadism, can lead to decreases in muscle mass, changes in cholesterol levels, decrease in hemoglobin and possibly mild anemia, fragile bones, decrease in body hair.

Low vitamin D levels during pregnancy may be linked to language problems in children 13 February 2012

Women who have low levels of vitamin D in their blood during pregnancy increase their odds of having a child with language problems.

A new study from Australia suggests that white women who had the lowest stores of vitamin D during their second trimester were nearly twice as likely to have a child with language difficulties than women with the highest blood concentrations.



Having good stores of vitamin D, the so-called "sunshine vitamin," in the blood while pregnant -- especially during the second and third trimesters -- is needed since this is when certain parts of the fetal brain involved in language-learning develop.

This is also a critical time for the creation of brain pathways and structures that play a role in a child's emotional and behavioral development.

It's been shown that many pregnant women do not have enough vitamin D in their blood. People can get the vitamin from food, such as salmon, milk, eggs, beef liver, and cheese, or the skin can produce it from sunlight.

But many people don't get enough vitamin D in their diets. And the sun may be a less reliable source for women who limit sun exposure and use sunscreen.

The study, which is published online in the journal Pediatrics, looked at 743 pregnant white women in Western Australia. Their blood levels of vitamin D were measured at their 18th week of pregnancy.

Then researchers tracked their children to see if any emotional, behavioral, or language problems turned up. Parents completed a child behavior checklist at ages 2, 5, 8, 10, 14, and 17, and children's language skills were measured at ages 5 and 10 with a picture vocabulary test. 

Women with the lowest amounts of vitamin D in their blood during their second trimester of pregnancy had nearly a twofold increase in risk of having a child with language difficulties compared to women with the highest levels of the vitamin.

These findings held true even when researchers took into account other factors that could have influenced the results, such as the mother's age during pregnancy and whether she smoked, as well as family income.

The study did not find that a mother's vitamin D levels were connected to her child's emotional and behavioral development.

Scientists suspect that reduced levels of vitamin D in the mother during this critical time in the brain's development appear to be linked with language learning problems when a child reaches school age. 

Researchers conclude that "maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy may reduce the risk of developmental language difficulties among their children."

I continue to meet people who say they feel a lot better since starting Vitamin D. That is very gratifying to me and encouraging at the same time. Then I ask, " how about your family,"? I get a blank look many times". They just don't think of encouraging their children ( how about your Doctor? Bet he doesn't know as much about vitamin D as you do) etc to take it also. I have yet to meet anyone who had a optimized blood level of vitamin D ( really a pro hormone not a vitamin). This means everyone, your family, co workers, and those you meet everyday are extremely likely to be deficient. All it takes is a little education on you part to make them a better and healthier person. It is sort of like compound interest. Tell them about this website and they can do their own research. The numbers of people grow and grow. They become healthier and happier people. The world changes for the better, one person at a time!
One final note. I think it is important to always buy your vitamins at one place. A study was done a few years ago of ten different vitamin D products. One had as little as one third the amount as stated on the label. This could have significant effects on some one who buys by price in different places. Don't do it. I buy from one place a product that I consider to be very good and it is cheap.  I have followed test results of vitamin D with many people who took this brand and they correlate well with expected potency. If you meet me or e mail me I will tell you where I get that product. I will not sponsor any product on this website. I own no stock in the company.
This is a hobby of mine. A very gratifying one. I receive no money from anyone. I think this would reduce my creditability. If you get a test done ( how else will you know how effective you are in dosing) let me know your numbers and how much vitamin D you have been on. It should be one amount for a total of three months for the test to be a stable indication of your blood level. Adjust your blood level to between 70 and 100 ng for maximum pain relief and especially if you or your family has a history of heart disease or cancer! Don't go over 100 ng!

All this from the vitamin D council website

Vitamin D news Doctor wants to put vitamin D to work 14 February 2012

An Abbott Northwestern doctor wants corporate America to snap to attention, saying low levels of the inexpensive vitamin are costing billions of dollars in lost productivity and preventable health costs.

Dr. Greg Plotnikoff has spent more than a decade evangelizing about the health benefits of vitamin D to his medical colleagues across the globe.

Now the Allina Health doctor is turning to corporate America, hoping his message will have new resonance amid soaring medical costs and a fragile economic recovery.



Because vitamin D is believed to be effective at treating or preventing such conditions as low-back pain, allergies, migraines, high blood pressure and depression, Plotnikoff argues that the inexpensive pills can play a key role in reducing "presenteeism," where employees show up for work but don't get much done. Some studies say the problem costs U.S. employers more than $150 billion a year.

In a soon-to-be published study, Plotnikoff, an internist and pediatrician, argues that companies can save $112 to $370 per employee per year in preventable illness and improved productivity simply by encouraging workers to boost their vitamin D.

"Vitamin D may represent the single most cost-effective medical intervention we have today," he said.

Vitamin D has long been considered essential to helping the body absorb calcium, which is important for strong bones. But Plotnikoff and other researchers have argued in recent years that higher doses could also help protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, mental illnesses and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.

Not everyone is convinced. A report by the Institute of Medicine in November 2010 noted mixed results in more than 1,000 published studies. But the group said the possible health benefits warrant further investigation.

Boston's Dr. Ravi Thadhani, who is researching the role of vitamin D in heart and kidney disease, said "it's very attractive" to hang medical hopes on vitamin D. But robust scientific evidence isn't there yet.

"Only now are rigorous studies going on to formally test whether any of this is actually true," said Thadhani, an associate professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School and director of Clinical Research and Nephrology at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Over the next few years, we'll finally and formally test this potential link, and we'll have a much better understanding of where we may have benefit and where clearly there is no benefit."

Plotnikoff hopes his study will take the discussion in a new direction. Businesses, he said, "just want to know what works and what doesn't."

The study in the March issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine was based on data from more than 10,600 workers at Minneapolis-based Allina Health, which operates the Center for Health Care Innovation and the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, which Plotnikoff leads.

He coauthored the report with fellow Allina researcher Jeffery Dusek and Michael Finch of the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.

Vitamin D is known as the sunlight vitamin -- about 10 minutes of sun exposure a day produces sufficient amounts. It also is found in fish, eggs, fortified milk and cod liver oil. Elderly, obese and dark-skinned people, as well as those who live in northern climates, such as Minnesota, often don't get enough of the vitamin, especially in the winter.

Vitamin D, which is more accurately described a hormone, is as important to the body as estrogen and testosterone, and regulates at least 2,000 genes, Plotnikoff said. Vitamin D receptors reside in brain and muscle cells, bone marrow and the immune system.

Plotnikoff said he remains amazed at the pushback from the medical community some 14 years after studies in respected medical journals first began looking at vitamin D's impact on health.

He draws from years of clinical practice in which he saw patients crippled by unexplained pain and weakness quickly regain health and energy after being treated with vitamin D.

"We have no problem ordering a $1,500 MRI or a $90,000 course of Avastin for cancer," he said. "Why wait 10 years for randomized controlled trial ... when you can measure, replenish and see right away if it makes a difference?"

Plotnikoff isn't advocating that companies start requiring workers to pop vitamin D. But he's hoping they will make it easier for workers to get tested. A blood test, which insurers typically don't include in free preventive health screenings, can cost from $50 to $170.

"So many companies say, 'Let's get a cholesterol test or a blood pressure level,'" Plotnikoff said. "That's fine. But it's 20 or 30 years down the road. Vitamin D is something you can replenish and have a return on investment in a couple of months."

Allina's research was conducted between January and February 2010 during its wellness campaign. Allina offered employees $50 to take part. Participants filled out a health risk appraisal form and a questionnaire that measured work limitations caused by physical or emotional problems. Employees willing to have blood drawn received another $25 in gift card.

About 60 percent of the participants -- mostly white women, with an average age of 44 -- had low vitamin D levels, by international standards. About 30 percent were very low, and about 6 percent were profoundly low.

"We were stunned that so many health-care employees were so low," Plotnikoff said.

Todd Dunphy, a substance abuse counselor at Allina's Unity Hospital in Fridley, was stunned too. He got tested almost as a lark, thinking he'd show off.

"I take multi-vitamins, I exercise a half-hour a day, six days a week, I eat really healthy -- fruits and vegetables, meat and potatoes, no fast food," said Dunphy, 59. But his levels were low.

"I started taking vitamin D pills right away," he said. "Within three or four days, I was feeling much better."

Plotnikoff is in the midst of a follow-up study to compare vitamin D levels, health and productivity at Allina in the year since workers were tested. And he'll keep extolling the vitamin's virtues.

"My hope is that businesses will see this as an opportunity to save money and promote health at the same time," he said.

Page last edited: 14 February

I want to thank everyone for taking a look at this website. Last month there were 692 hits. I have seen the numbers grow each month over the past year. It is gratifying to me to realize people are utilizing my website to increase their knowledge to maintain health. After all who is the most important person in maintaining health and the quality of your life? Without a doubt it is you. When the consumer takes charge of their own health progress, good things happen!
Bruce Bennett CRNA

Not to surprising to me. In 2004 I noted my ezema of 44 years went away completely with a low dose of vitamin D.
Now the study. Copy and paste as always.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/241212.php

To those who say, "I feel fine". How do you know what better feels like, if you have not experienced it. Follow through here and you will feel "better".

Vitamin D and fertility in men and women
January 30, 2012 -- Dr John Cannell

Every year, billions are spent in fertility clinics; the result of which is often in vitro fertilization (IVF). About 5 years ago, I began receiving emails from a nurse practitioner in Indiana who works in a fertility clinic. Her experience was dramatic; 5,000 IU/day for both the man and woman frequently resulted in a healthy baby. However, her last email to me was quite sad, she was in danger of losing her job as her boss, a gynecologist, was losing money due to vitamin D. He ordered her to stop advocating it or lose her job.

Today, the Daily Mail and several other newspapers reviewed a lengthy article in The European Journal of Endocrinology that concluded, “Given the high prevalence of infertility as well as vitamin D insufficiency in otherwise healthy young women and men and the possible role of vitamin D in human reproduction, research might lead to new therapeutic approaches such as vitamin D supplementation in the treatment of female and male reproductive disorders.”

Critical to this carefully caged advice is the fact that men need help as frequently as the women do.  “Population-based studies found that in 30-40% of infertile couples the underlying cause is the male factor. In this context it should be mentioned that the overall semen quality of men is decreasing, which might partly be explained by environmental factors. Indeed, as much as 20% of young men have sperm concentration below the WHO recommendation level and 40% present with sperm concentrations below a level that is considered optimal for fertility.” Pretty amazing, especially when you realize these men have normal testosterone levels but that vitamin D levels are steadily decreasing.

Elisabeth Lerchbaum and Barbara Obermayer-Pietsch Vitamin D and fertility-a systematic review. European Journal of Endocrinology January 30, 2012

The authors go onto say, “In northern countries, where a strong seasonal contrast in luminosity (sunshine intensity) exists, the conception rate is decreased during the dark winter months, whereas a peak in conception rate during summer leading to a maximum in birth rate in spring has been observed. Moreover, ovulation rates and endometrial receptivity seem to be reduced during long dark winters in northern countries.”

While no direct studies exist of vitamin D levels and fertility per se, the authors report, “In a study among 84 infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization, women with higher levels of 25(OH)D in serum and follicular fluid were significantly more likely to achieve clinical pregnancy following in vitro fertilization . . .”

If you don’t want to work your way through the entire 42 page paper, read the excellent synopsis in the Daily Mail below.

Carey T.  Sunny break may be alternative to in vitro fertilization: How the sunshine vitamin can help boost fertility. Daily Mail Online, January 30, 2012.

The takeaway message is the same as always, a message so common I should just start saying “ditto.” If you want to get pregnant, make sure you and your partner take 5,000 IU/day. If you don’t want to get pregnant, make sure you and your partner are on 5,000 IU/day plus a reliable method of birth control. I take no responsibility for surprise pregnancies.

Vitamin D deficiency in SIDS
January 27, 2012 -- Dr John Cannell

Dr. Cannell adds his thoughts on a recent BBC report that discusses vitamin D deficiency in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Continue reading →
   
Listen to Dr Cannell on The Healthy Mind podcast
January 30, 2012 -- Dr John Cannell

Dr Cannell talks with Dr. Peter Zafirides of The Healthy Mind on his Jan 24th, 2012 podcast. They discuss the many mechanisms, benefits, and preventative effects of vitamin D. Listen now! Continue reading →
   
   
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Copyright © 2012 The Vitamin D Council, All rights reserved.
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I don't have any difficulty associating reduction in stroke with sunshine. Vitamin D reduces inflammation and inflammation in blood vessels leads to embolism and stroke. When you take vitamin D it reduces pain. The mechanism is a reduction in inflammation.
Now the article from the Vitamin D Council.



Vitamin D news Vitamin D deficiency may increase stroke risk 02 February 2012

People who live in sunny places may have a lower risk of stroke, new research suggests.

The researchers believe it is the first to show an association between sunlight and stroke.



A previous study suggests salmon, eggs, tuna, and other vitamin D-rich foods may help protect against stroke and memory loss.
Two studies on the subject were presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2012.
Leslie McClure, PhD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, says past research has shown a link between sunlight and cognitive impairment. That's a condition marked by greater memory loss than would be expected by normal aging.
"Previous research has shown a strong relationship between cognitive impairment and stroke. So it made sense to look at the relationship between sunlight and stroke," she tells WebMD.
The study involved more than 16,000 men and women involved in a long-term study looking at racial and geographic differences in stroke risks.
They filled out detailed questionnaires asking where they had lived throughout their lives. Then, the researchers used a program developed by NASA that takes into account clouds, smog, and other factors to calculate sunlight exposure based on latitude and longitude.
Every six months, people were contacted and asked about their health. Over the five years they were followed, 351 people had a stroke.
An analysis of the data that took into account a host of factors that can affect stroke risk showed the greater the sun exposure, the lower the stroke risk.
Conversely, people who lived in areas with less than average exposure were at 60% increased stroke risk.
McClure isn't sure of the biologic explanation for the observation. But radiation from the sun is a main source of the body's vitamin D, she notes.
Vitamin D has been previously linked in some studies to heart and blood vessel health, but there has been no conclusive data showing that taking vitamin D supplements helps prevent heart attacks or strokes.
A link between vitamin D and the brain was supported by the second study, also conducted at the University of Alabama.
More than 30,000 people were divided into three groups, depending on how much vitamin D they reported they took in through diet and supplements.
People in the group that took in the most vitamin D were 13% less likely to have a stroke and 25% less likely to have cognitive impairment than those who took in the least.
Again, the researchers took into account other risk factors when performing the analysis. But you can't account for everything, says American Stroke Association spokesperson Mark Alberts, MD, a neurologist at Northwestern University in Chicago.
"People who live in gloomy, rainy areas may be less likely to exercise, and that may account for a higher stroke risk. And getting a lot of vitamin D may be a marker for overall good health," he tells WebMD.
Both studies reveal interesting associations deserving of further study, Alberts says.



Both studies were funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Page last edited: 02 February 2012