The Vitamin D-Link to Health
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My supplementation regime

7/26/2013

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Over the years my self education has lead me to empathize different aspects of vitamin D and supplementation. It all started in 2004 when I started dosing and found my dermatitis of over 40 years went away. No medical person told me to do this and to this day I see that few medical people recommend it for dermatitis, but others say it is worth considering. For me I know with my particular type of dermatitis was cured by vitamin D. That was nine years ago and still no dermatitis. Double blind, no. Convincing to me, yes!

I get constant feed back from people who have tried the following supplements.  I know these people personally and their reactions have been very positive. To the point when they run out of some of them they are distressed and quickly try to remedy the situation. I get very few comments on line. I would like to hear more from you as we both can learn from your experience.

These are the supplements I use. One they are very safe and the side effects are non existent if used in the ways I suggest. I am 73 years old and do not have the time to wait for double blind studies and I believe the drug companies will not suggest them for the following reason. Money! FDA also, money!

First of all magnesium. I take it every day in the form of magnesium malate. I am not sure I feel better with it, but I do know that vitamin D depletes magnesium and a magnesium deficiency is not a place you want to go as it has cardiac implications. All people tolerate it as long as you have normal kidney function.

Krill oil. I take it every day. It has made a difference in my ability to move my joints with out pain. For many years my joints where pain free with just vitamin D, however of late it has not been enough. It is a anti inflammatory substance. Avoid fish oil. Fish oil frequently is contaminated with heavy metals and has its therapeutic effect due to eating krill. Cut out the middle man and just take krill, one a day and they have no contamination as they don't live long enough to become contaminated.

Almost forgot to mention. Co-enzyme Q 10. It is deficient in old age and strengthens muscles, including the heart.

Turmeric. It is a anti inflammatory substance and is extremely safe without the concerns of NSAID like advil etc or the liver implications of Tylenol. I take a preparation which is the concentrated form of turmeric called Curcumin bcm 95. It is a concentrated form of turmeric that has at least twenty times the potency of plain Turmeric. I take at least one a day. Helps with pain and of course reduces inflammation.

After all this my joints where better, but still not as good as I would like. So I went back to a old standby. Glucosamine with MSM. 1500 mg a day. It works, and now stairs are comfortable and walking is pain free. If you do start this supplement double up on the dose the first week. They are large pills. It may take a month to start working.

All these things are to reduce pain and inflammation. Studies of late are saying reduce inflammation and reduce the process of aging. I am all for that. I would like to live to a ripe old age, but not one in which I am in constant pain and discomfort. So far I am successful. I will keep you informed.

It seems our bodies are set up to aggressively attack any insult, infection etc to our bodies. That is a way to a cure, but in the process this excess inflammation attacks tissue that suffer some damage. Limiting the inflammation limits the damage and reduces pain.

Do I take a multivitamin. No I do not, but I do take B vitamin complex with vitamin C. These vitamins are all water soluble meaning they need to be replaced daily. Anything else. Yes I avoid bread and sweets.
Bread and sweets (sugar and fructose) cause your insulin levels to go up and then the blood level of glucose drops leaving your insulin high. That causes inflammation. Multivits tend to contain to much vitamin A and that can interfere with vitamin D absorption.
I also take cinnamon. It helps control blood sugar and reduces LDL. I take two caps a day. Control insulin levels and you control some of the inflammation. I do not worry about LDL and would never consider taking a statin drug. The statins actually can cause depression and there are number of people who have significant life threatening events related to this drug. The side effects are not inconsequential. I suggest your read about it on line as there are excellent sources of information on this subject.
If you are fifty years old and/or take a drug to reduce acid reflux you most likely need B 12. It is very poorly absorbed as a pill and needs to be absorbed in a acid environment which is reduced by the anti reflux medications. Also keep in mind Alzheimer disease and B 12 deficiency look the same. I wonder how many people diagnosed with Alzheimer disease actually have a B12 deficiency. Dose is about one mg a day. You need to take a huge dose to compensate for the poor absorption. Taking too much has no side effects! So it is very safe. Also keep in mind that as we age less and less acid is produced in the stomach. A set up for B12 deficiency. I think everyone over age fifty should consider this very safe supplement.

Now the big one. Fermented foods. Sauer kraut is the best one and cheapest to ingest. Don't want to bother with making that food? Take a probiotic pill first thing in the morning on a empty stomach. Don't eat or drink for twenty minutes. I would take at least a five billion colony multi stain probiotic ( I am not sure less would work. Let me know your experience and I will pass it along without your name). It will seed you alimentary canal. It works. For all the benefits you felt from vitamin D there is another step up which will make you feel at least as good as vitamin D did. That is probiotics! If you are on a anti coagulant or blood thinner, do not do this without checking with your doctor. Fermented foods will counter act the thinning effect of your medicine!

Probiotics. The natural anti depressant and reducer of anxiety. Probiotics seem to reduce stress and this maybe the mechanism that causes many people to lose weight after starting them. Seems those good guys ( the probiotic bacteria) communicate with the brain via the vegus nerve and say good things). They reduce inflammation and pain. It works. Never constipated again. Bowel bacteria is replaced with up to 85% with probiotics and your immune function is improved accordingly.  85% of your immune function is in the gut. No more urinary tract infection. The source of UTI's is bowel bacteria. Friendly bacteria do not cause infection. Simple and it works. It needs to be taken every day. Our refined diet is fatal to the probiotic bacteria.

I am not interested in anything that is dangerous or does not work. Hope you consider these changes as they can change your life as it has mine and many many others. I do this without compensation. There are no adds on my website. Hearing from you and your experiences would be a encouragement and perhaps we both can learn more.
Live life and prosper,
BB
--
A little feed back suggest that I mention sources of these supplements and K2.
So sources first. I suggest you look in your favorite big box store and if you don't find them there go to a on line source. I do not like to endorse or name brands, but in the interest of advancing the cause I will mention a few. Walmart has a good selection, Amazon on line is available to everyone. There are individual companies that you maybe comfortable using also. Of course you can use a search engine and see what that says.
I do not recommend that you keep switching brands of vitamin D. Different manufactures tend to be poor in putting the correct amounts of vitamin D in their brands. Sticking with one brand may at least make your intake of vitamin D consistent and perhaps have more predictable results.
If you are starting vitamin D keep in mind that it takes three months of steady dosing to achieve a steady state when tested for blood levels of vitamin D. This fact also means you may not get full benefits from vitamin D for three months. I am also seeing that at some point, perhaps a year or so, the fat will become saturated with vitamin D. At this point the vitamin D instead of going into the fat will go into the blood stream and your blood level will rise. I have seen this happen several times with different people.
I do not see a advantage and do not recommend that you go over 100 ng. That is not toxicity but does get into some areas that have not been investigated.  I will say however if I was seriously ill or going to have a operation, I would consider raising my blood level into those areas. There is no doubt that vitamin D causes peptides to be formed that fight infection and insult to your body. One last thing. That number you get for a vitamin D level is important. Write it down and educated your self about this important subject. The quality of your life may depend on it and I consider it more important than a cholesterol reading.

K2. A extremely important vitamin. If you eat fermented foods like sauer kraut or take a probiotic pill as instructed above, you are generating k2. There is no blood test for k2. K2 has the very important function of telling calcium where to go and you want calcium to go to your bones. It works with vitamin D and magnesium. It is important to understand that these things work together and using just one is not appropriate.
What causes your arteries to plug up or the cause of a heart attack. There are essentially three ways this happens. One is uncontrolled inflammation. As a example a soft plaque in your coronary arteries breaks off and floats down stream and causes the artery to plug the artery. One third of people die. The rest recover to some degree.
So to prevent this you must control inflammation and plaque formation. First inflammation. Vitamin D, fermented foods, krill oil and turmeric are very strong anti inflammatory products. Do you see where I am coming from? In the process of reducing inflammation you reduce pain. Not a bad thing at all and a lot of good side effects like improved mood and out look on life.
An other mechanism is plaque formation. So a question. What is the leading indicator of heart attack? It is calcium in the arteries. If a study is done and they find calcium in your heart arteries you are at very high risk of a heart attack. It is more important than cholesterol. When you consider what I have just mention you see that cholesterol becomes a minor problem despite all the advertisement for statins that you hear.
 Very simply K2 tells calcium to go to the bones. One study I read stated that within six months of starting  k2 supplementation fifty percent of the calcium in the coronary arteries was removed and sent to the bones. Therefore any plaques would start going away!  Keep in mind that vitamin k2 will prevent any blood thinner that you are on from working well. Do not consider fermented foods or vitamin k2 unless you are in consultation with your doctor, if you take a blood thinner.
So what do Statins do. There are even studies that show some people benefit from them ( though not many). For one thing they increase the level of vitamin D. The mechanism how it does this is unknown. Side effects ( despite what the medical people say) is as high as fifteen percent. The side effects include muscle aches ( a big warning sign), depression, and insult to your kidneys. My view is just take vitamin D and get the same benefit without the risk. I will say right up front most health providers do not agree with me, but in my defense I will say I do not believe they have not researched this like I have.
Now the third mechanism of heart attack. It is a rhythm disturbance which cause the heart to beat in a inefficient manner. One of the major causes of this is a lack of magnesium. If you recall vitamin D uses magnesium to make hormones. So take magnesium. It is important. Well water is a important source of magnesium and of course magnesium can be obtained as a supplement. Avoid magnesium oxide. It is primarily a laxative.
 I never did considered a heart attack a desirable out come and now feel I am actively preventing it with my regime.
BB

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VDC News Letter

7/24/2013

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Vitamin D Council Members Blog Sunlight and vitamin D, do they trigger rosacea?
July 23, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
We know sunlight and sunburn makes rosacea worse. So does supplemental vitamin D do the same? Continue reading → (open access) Case reports: Severe hypocalcemia in infants
July 22, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Recently, physicians in Portugal wrote that an old disease in infants is reappearing. And no, it’s not just rickets we’re talking about. Continue reading → (membership required) New review on vitamin D and athletic performance
July 20, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Drs Dana Ogan and Kelly Pritchett of Central Washington University recently reviewed the topic of vitamin D and athletes and published their findings in the journal Nutrients. Continue reading → (membership required) The mixed findings of eczema and vitamin D
July 19, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Observational data on vitamin D and eczema, also called atopic eczema, is mixed. Some studies show low 25(OH)D levels are associated with less eczema and some studies show the opposite. Continue reading → (open access) RCT: Different levels during pregnancy
July 17, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
How much vitamin D does a pregnant woman need to ensure her and her baby’s vitamin D levels are sufficient? Let’s find out. Continue reading → (membership required) The rise in type I diabetes: A look at the theories behind the increase
July 16, 2013 -- Brant Cebulla
Type I diabetes has increased steadily for over 50 years. But why? We take a look at all the hypothesis and how they might be interrelated. Continue reading → (membership required) Low vitamin D linked to frailty and mortality in older men
July 13, 2013 -- Kate Saley
Research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reports that vitamin D deficiency is associated with frailty and all-cause mortality in older men. Continue reading → (membership required) New study shows link between sun exposure and breast density
July 12, 2013 -- Brant Cebulla
New research out of Hong Kong suggests that sunlight across the lifespan may decrease the risk of breast cancer. Continue reading → (membership required) Valley Fever linked to vitamin D status?
July 11, 2013 -- Tom Weishaar
A disease called Valley Fever has recently made a curious comeback in the southwestern US. Could vitamin D be involved? Continue reading → (open access) Surprisingly low vitamin D awareness in Australia
July 10, 2013 -- Kate Saley
Findings from research conducted in Australia suggest that people at risk of vitamin D deficiency have limited awareness and understanding about vitamin D. Continue reading → (membership required) A closer look: Common misconceptions about vitamin D
July 9, 2013 -- Dr William Grant

Dr William Grant responds to a recent paper that defends the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations on vitamin D. Continue reading → (membership required)
Vitamin D News Room Vitamin D deficiency common in Oman
July 22, 2013 -- Vitamin D News
New research out of Oman reports that vitamin D deficiency is very common in Omani’s. Continue reading → Low vitamin D linked to disability in older adults
July 18, 2013 -- Vitamin D News
For people who are 55 and older, vitamin D deficiency may increase the likelihood of having trouble performing daily activities. Continue reading → Vitamin D status decline during heart surgery linked to bypass machine
July 15, 2013 -- Vitamin D News
A significant decline in vitamin D status among children undergoing heart surgery was associated with the use of a machine that takes over heart function, according to recent research. Continue reading → Vitamin D deficiency accelerates bone aging
July 12, 2013 -- Vitamin D News
Normal bone aging is significantly accelerated with vitamin D deficiency, according to researchers at University of California Berkeley. Continue reading → Link between low vitamin D and heart disease varies by race
July 10, 2013 -- Vitamin D News
The link between low vitamin D and increased risk of heart disease varies by race and ethnicity, according to new research. Continue reading → New study set to get underway on vitamin D and gestational diabetesh
July 9, 2013 -- Vitamin D News
A new study in Europe is set to get underway examining the effect of vitamin D and lifestyle interventions on gestational diabetes. Continue reading → The Vitamin D Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, working to educate the public on vitamin D, sun exposure and health.

Research on vitamin D is pouring out and it’s hard to keep up with the latest information. Recommendations on vitamin D and sun exposure are confusing, conflicting and inconsistent.

We’re here to help both the public and health professionals sort through everything. The Vitamin D Council serves as a center for evidence-based vitamin D research and is a reliable source for the general public.
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Controlling inflammation and therefore ageing

7/15/2013

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I have been saying of late....control inflammation and you control ageing. Of course controlling inflammation also means you control pain too.
A interesting article on this subject with a paragraph from it....

They say aging is one of the only certain things in life. But it turns out they were wrong. In recent years, gerontologists have overturned much of the conventional wisdom about getting old. Aging is not the simple result of the passage of time. According to a provocative new view, it is actually something our own bodies create, a side effect of the essential inflammatory system that protects us against infectious disease. As we fight off invaders, we inflict massive collateral damage on ourselves, poisoning our own organs and breaking down our own tissues. We are our own worst enemy.
http://discovermagazine.com/2007/dec/can-we-cure-aging#.UeQdCeEju1E

So optimize your vitamin D, take your krill oil ( did you know that heavy metals have to be removed by manufactures of fish oil and some don't!), stay away from sugar and carbs, eat fermented foods or take a probiotic pill on a empty stomach and start thinking about using or taking turmeric ( the spice) everyday. These all reduce inflammation.
BB
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Probiotic and VDC News Letter

7/11/2013

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Several people have reported to me that they are feeling much better since starting a probiotic pill! The significance of this is that sauer kraut does not need to be used to obtain most of the benefits of pro biotics. The important thing when taking a pro biotic pill is to take one that has a high colony count ( over 5 billion..I have not heard less), take it on a empty stomach and do not eat or drink for 20 minutes. This seeds the gut to grow even more colonies.
It is important to know that gastric juices and bile kill these pro biotic bacteria and that is the reason to avoid eating. Food stimulate these "juices" and that is why I believe a good yogurt does not work well for seeding purposes.
BB


Vitamin D Council Members Blog Vitamin D supplementation in primary hyperparathyroidism, not a bad idea?
July 1, 2013 -- Brant Cebulla
Research suggests that vitamin D supplementation in the condition primary hyperparathyroidism might not be such a bad thing. Continue reading →  (no membership required) Obesity and vitamin D deficiency, which causes which?
July 6, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Observational studies have consistently reported an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency in those who are obese. Continue reading → (membership required) Case study: High dose vitamin D helps treat platelet disorder
July 8, 2013 -- Brant Cebulla
In the most recent issue of Journal of Medical Case Reports, Dr. Barry Bockow reports on two new cases of ITP in which vitamin D played a large hand in treating and managing. Continue reading → (membership required) D deficiency associated with disease activity in autoimmune disorders
July 2, 2013 -- Kate Saley
Recent research suggests that vitamin D deficient patients with autoimmune diseases have a higher risk of disease activity compared to those with higher vitamin D levels. Continue reading → (membership required) Experimental therapy increases length of survival in elderly AML patients
July 3, 2013 -- Brant Cebulla
A new study reports that vitamin D and the drug deferasirox may help increase length of survival in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Continue reading → (membership required) Member spotlight: Dr Kenneth Merriman on life, work, and vitamin D awareness
July 4, 2013 -- Vitamin D Council
This is a new type of blog post. From now on, each month we’ll publish a blog highlighting a member, putting them in the spotlight. Continue reading → (no membership required)
Vitamin D News Room When prescribed by mail, vitamin D compliance is low
July 3, 2013 -- Vitamin D News
Only one fourth of patients who were prescribed vitamin D by mail achieved sufficient vitamin D levels 6 months later, according to research presented in San Francisco. Continue reading →
Study: Vitamin D levels predict pregnancy following IVF
June 2, 2013 -- Vitamin D News
Women undergoing in vitro fertilization may want to increase their vitamin D levels to up their chances of getting pregnant, according to new research. Continue reading →
Prenatal vitamin D supplementation did not improve child respiratory health
June 8, 2013 -- Vitamin D News
In a new randomized controlled trial, researchers have found that low dose vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy had no effect on their children’s respiratory health in early childhood. Continue reading →
Help the Council Today Like Tweet Fo Copyright © 2013 The Vitamin D Council, All rights reserved.
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The Vitamin D Council1241 Johnson Ave. #134San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 -- Its all about inflammation. Reduce inflammation...live longer and feel better. www.brucebennettblog.com....

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Vitamin D News Letter

7/3/2013

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Subject matter on the VDC News Letter this week. Seasonal affects on vitamin D blood levels. Ever wonder why people get sick in the winter? Guess. Low vitamin D levels linked to kidney disorders. Women who take vitamin D, calcium and hormones have less fractures. Pediatric heart surgery patients are seen to have low vitamin D levels. Nothing surprising here if vitamin D is low to start off with. Also all that I read suggest that vitamin D is utilized by the body at a higher rate when the body is stressed. Seeing as vitamin D is effects up to 3,000 genes ( some say 2,000, but who is counting) it should not be surprising that our health is effected in a positive way by vitamin D.
Then to top it off you get a good probiotic count in the gut and your immune function and general mood is also positively effected. All these things you can feel the difference. There will be no doubt in your mind that you are feeling better.
Final thought. How do you know what feeling better is if you have never experienced it?
BB


Vitamin D Council Members Blog Study looks at seasonality of vitamin D levels in the United States
June 29, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Researchers wanted to see if seasonal variation still existed for vitamin D levels in the years after sun avoidance advice and to see if seasonality is changing over time. Continue reading → (no membership required) Vitamin D testing: Then vs now
June 26, 2013 -- Tom Weishaar
Tom Weishaar discusses the dramatic increase in vitamin D testing during the past 10-15 years. Continue reading →  (membership required) Meta-analysis: Vitamin D supplementation may prevent respiratory tract infections
June 25, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Dr Cannell discusses the latest meta analysis examining 11 randomized controlled trials on vitamin D and respiratory tract infections. Continue reading → (membership required) Meta-analysis and systematic review: Low vitamin D linked to cognitive decline
June 28, 2013 -- John Cannell, MD
Dr Cannell discusses the latest systematic review and meta-analysis on vitamin D and cognitive function. Continue reading → (membership required)
Vitamin D News Room Low vitamin D linked to early signs of kidney disease
July 1, 2013 -- Vitamin D News
Vitamin D status may predict early kidney disease, according to a study published in the July issue of American Journal of Kidney Disease. Continue reading →

Women on hormone replacement therapy and vitamin D, calcium have lower risk of fracture
June 26, 2013 -- Vitamin D News
Women on hormone replacement therapy who also took daily supplements of calcium and vitamin D had a significant reduction in hip fractures. Continue reading →

Study: Low vitamin D levels following pediatric heart surgery
June 28, 2013 -- Vitamin D News
Research shows that vitamin D levels are low following pediatric heart surgery, most likely due to children’s D deficiency prior to surgery. Continue reading →

Help the Council Today Like Tweet Forward to Friend Copyright © 2013 The Vitamin D Council, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this because you signed up for the Vitamin D Newsletter.

Our mailing address is:
The Vitamin D Council1241 Johnson Ave. #134San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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    I am a CRNA (Nurse Anesthetist) who gave anesthesia for over 40 years. I find I am curious about a lot of things and what will improve the quality of my life and those I care about! I can feel the difference.

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