I'll admit, I was sceptical.
Since D supports the immune system, how could it be involved in cancer of all things. Isn't that caused by carcinogenic things in our life?
Well the evidence is rolling in! It's no answer to a lifetime of smoking, exposure to chemicals, or too much sun. But for the many, many people who develop cancer for no apparent reason, like my incredibly strong kid sister Katy, maybe this starts to provide some answers.
Study shines more light on benefit of vitamin D in fighting cancer
600,000 cases a year of breast and colorectal cancer could be prevented each year by adequate intake of vitamin D, according to researcher
A new study looking at the relationship between vitamin D serum levels and the risk of colon and breast cancer across the globe has estimated the number of cases of cancer that could be prevented each year if vitamin D3 levels met the target proposed by researchers.
Cedric F. Garland, Dr.P.H., cancer prevention specialist at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and colleagues estimate that 250,000 cases of colorectal cancer and 350,000 cases of breast cancer could be prevented worldwide by increasing intake of vitamin D3, particularly in countries north of the equator. Vitamin D3 is available through diet, supplements and exposure of the skin to sunlight.
“For the first time, we are saying that 600,000 cases of breast and colorectal cancer could be prevented each year worldwide, including nearly 150,000 in the United States alone,” said study co-author Garland. The paper, which looks at the dose-response relationship between vitamin D and cancer, will be published in the August edition of the journal Nutrition Reviews.
The study combined data from surveys of serum vitamin D levels during winter from 15 countries. It is the first such study to look at satellite measurements of sunshine and cloud cover in countries where actual blood serum levels of vitamin D3 had also been determined. The data were then applied to 177 countries to estimate the average serum level of a vitamin D metabolite of people living there.
The data revealed an inverse association of serum vitamin D with risk of colorectal and breast cancer. The protective effect began at levels ranging from 24 to 32 nanograms per milliliter of 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration in the serum. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D level is the main indicator of vitamin D status. The late winter average 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the US is about 15-18 ng/ml. The researchers maintain that increasing vitamin D levels in populations, particularly those in northern climates, has the potential to both prevent and possibly serve as an adjunct to existing treatments for cancer.
The work builds on previous studies by Garland and colleagues (Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular, February 2007) which found that raising the serum 25(OH)D levels to 55 ng/mL was optimal for cancer prevention. This is the first study to recommend optimal vitamin D serum levels which, Garland said, are high enough to provide the needed benefit but which have been found by other scientists to be low enough to avoid health risks.
“This could be best achieved with a combination of diet, supplements and short intervals – 10 or 15 minutes a day – in the sun,” said Garland. It could be less for very fair-skinned individuals. He went on to say that “the appropriate dose of vitamin D in order to reach this level, could be very little in a lifeguard in Southern California… or quite a lot for someone in Northern Europe who tends to remain indoors most of the year.”
The serum level recommended by the study would correspond to intake of 2000 International Units per day of vitamin D3 for a meaningful reduction in colorectal cancer. The researchers recommend 2000 IU/day, plus, when weather allows, a few minutes in the sun with at least 40% of the skin exposed, for a meaningful reduction in breast cancer incidence, unless the individual has a history of skin cancer or a photosensitivity disease.
Garland also recommends moderate sun exposure and use of clothing and a hat when in the sun longer than 15 minutes.
This paper used worldwide data only recently available through a new tool called GLOBOCAN, developed by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer. GLOBOCAN is a database of cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence for 177 countries. Previous studies from this core group have shown an association between higher levels of vitamin D3 or markers of vitamin D status and lower risk of cancers of the breast, colon, ovary and kidney. The researchers underscore their call for prompt public health action to increase intake of vitamin D3 as an inexpensive tool for prevention of diseases that claim nearly one million lives each year world wide.
“The message is, depending on where you live, you may need to consider taking in considerably higher levels of vitamin D3 than those currently recommended,” said Garland. “I’d recommend discussing vitamin D needs with a health care professional, who may order and interpret a simple blood test for a vitamin D metabolite [25(OH)D], and provide a dosage recommendation that’s appropriate for the individual’s needs.”
Still with me? Take an hour and listen to this link from the University of San Diego.
http://www.ucsd.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=16940
Showing posts with label vitamin d deficiency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vitamin d deficiency. Show all posts
Thursday, March 25, 2010
VITAMIN D & DIABETES
This concept is a biggie for me.
I developed type 1, insulin-dependent diabetes when I was 11 months old. It was January, I came down with strep throat, and lo and behold, after the hospital put me into a coma they realized I really was diabetic.
It's become pretty well established that Vitamin D keeps our immune systems running. So it's not a big leap for me to think that we are deficient in the winter, develop illness as a result, and then have our body go overboard and attack the pancreas. The result? Diabetes.
The evidence is especially convincing when you look at how high the rates are of diabetes in the northern latitudes and are going higher as children stay inside all day on video games. Kinda makes a person sceptical of any need for the Diabetes vaccine they are promising in the next few years!
Vitamin D Lowers Risk of Type 1 Diabetes
Posted by Dr. Mercola | November 17 2001
Infants who receive the recommended daily dose of vitamin D may have a lower risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
Babies who received at least 2,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily were nearly 80% less likely to develop type 1 diabetes over the next three decades compared with infants who had lower intakes of the vitamin.
It is not clear how vitamin D may lower the risk of type 1 diabetes, which occurs when the body's own immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. However, vitamin D has been shown to suppress certain cells of the immune system that may play a role in the development of the disorder.
As type 1 diabetes is considered to be an autoimmune disease, it seems likely that vitamin D would be needed in enabling the optimal function of the immune system and in preventing too aggressive attacks against the body's own tissues.
Current guidelines recommend that infants receive 7.5 to 10 micrograms (mcg), or about 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily.
Research on animals has shown an association between vitamin D and a reduced risk of type 1 diabetes. To investigate the relationship in humans, the researchers followed more than 10,000 women who were due to give birth in 1966 in northern Finland.
New mothers recorded whether they gave vitamin D supplements to their children and how much they provided, during the first year of life. Researchers tracked the number of children who developed type 1 diabetes over 31 years.
Nearly 12% of children were given vitamin D supplements occasionally during their first year of life, 88% received regular vitamin D supplements and less than 1% were not given vitamin D. Overall, 81 children were diagnosed with diabetes during the study.
"These findings bring hope that something can be done in order to prevent the disease," Hypponen, from the Institute of Child Health in London, UK, told Reuters Health in an interview.
But while the study may be good news for families with a history of type 1 diabetes, the results may not apply to children in countries that receive more natural sunlight. In northern Finland, there are just 2 hours of sun daily during the month of December.
Ultraviolet light triggers a reaction in the skin that helps the body synthesize its own vitamin D. People with darker skin need more sunlight than their paler counterparts.
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Jill M. Norris from the University of Colorado in Denver adds that children who receive infant formula instead of breast milk, which contains inadequate amounts of vitamin D, may also be less likely suffer from a deficiency of vitamin D.
The Lancet November 3, 2001;358:1476-1478, 1500-1503
Still with me? Take an hour and listen to this video from the University of San Diego:
http://www.ucsd.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=15771
I developed type 1, insulin-dependent diabetes when I was 11 months old. It was January, I came down with strep throat, and lo and behold, after the hospital put me into a coma they realized I really was diabetic.
It's become pretty well established that Vitamin D keeps our immune systems running. So it's not a big leap for me to think that we are deficient in the winter, develop illness as a result, and then have our body go overboard and attack the pancreas. The result? Diabetes.
The evidence is especially convincing when you look at how high the rates are of diabetes in the northern latitudes and are going higher as children stay inside all day on video games. Kinda makes a person sceptical of any need for the Diabetes vaccine they are promising in the next few years!
Vitamin D Lowers Risk of Type 1 Diabetes
Posted by Dr. Mercola | November 17 2001
Infants who receive the recommended daily dose of vitamin D may have a lower risk of developing type 1 diabetes.
Babies who received at least 2,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily were nearly 80% less likely to develop type 1 diabetes over the next three decades compared with infants who had lower intakes of the vitamin.
It is not clear how vitamin D may lower the risk of type 1 diabetes, which occurs when the body's own immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. However, vitamin D has been shown to suppress certain cells of the immune system that may play a role in the development of the disorder.
As type 1 diabetes is considered to be an autoimmune disease, it seems likely that vitamin D would be needed in enabling the optimal function of the immune system and in preventing too aggressive attacks against the body's own tissues.
Current guidelines recommend that infants receive 7.5 to 10 micrograms (mcg), or about 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily.
Research on animals has shown an association between vitamin D and a reduced risk of type 1 diabetes. To investigate the relationship in humans, the researchers followed more than 10,000 women who were due to give birth in 1966 in northern Finland.
New mothers recorded whether they gave vitamin D supplements to their children and how much they provided, during the first year of life. Researchers tracked the number of children who developed type 1 diabetes over 31 years.
Nearly 12% of children were given vitamin D supplements occasionally during their first year of life, 88% received regular vitamin D supplements and less than 1% were not given vitamin D. Overall, 81 children were diagnosed with diabetes during the study.
"These findings bring hope that something can be done in order to prevent the disease," Hypponen, from the Institute of Child Health in London, UK, told Reuters Health in an interview.
But while the study may be good news for families with a history of type 1 diabetes, the results may not apply to children in countries that receive more natural sunlight. In northern Finland, there are just 2 hours of sun daily during the month of December.
Ultraviolet light triggers a reaction in the skin that helps the body synthesize its own vitamin D. People with darker skin need more sunlight than their paler counterparts.
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Jill M. Norris from the University of Colorado in Denver adds that children who receive infant formula instead of breast milk, which contains inadequate amounts of vitamin D, may also be less likely suffer from a deficiency of vitamin D.
The Lancet November 3, 2001;358:1476-1478, 1500-1503
Still with me? Take an hour and listen to this video from the University of San Diego:
http://www.ucsd.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=15771
Vitamin D & Asthma
Have friends or family with asthma?
Check out these findings. Then ask yourself if you are resorting to inhalers more in the winter, when you don't get sunlight on your skin, or in the summer, when you should have very high natural levels of D thanks to sunlight. Of course, if you hide from the sun all day, you do not qualify!
Exposure to sunlight could reduce asthma
Perth medical research team sheds new light on chronic health condition
Australian researchers have found that exposure to measured doses of ultraviolet light, such as sunlight, could reduce asthma.
The research team at Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, through funding provided by the Asthma Foundation of WA, studied the effect of ultraviolet light on the development of asthma-like symptoms in mice, such as inflamed airways and lungs.
The study found:
Exposure to ultraviolet light for 15 to 30 minutes before allergen exposure significantly reduces the development of asthma-like symptoms
This UV exposure produces a cell type that, when transferred into other mice before they're sensitised to an allergen, can prevent the development of some of the asthma-like symptoms.
Associate Professor Prue Hart, leader of the research team, which includes Dr Debra Turner, Dr Shelley Gorman and PhD student Jacqueline McGlade, is excited by the ground-breaking results and possible future applications.
"This research clearly shows that controlled exposure to ultraviolet light markedly limits the development, incidence and severity of asthma symptoms in mice," said Associate Professor Hart.
"It appears that sunlight can suppress specific immune reactions, so we are now working to better understand that mechanism with the aim of generating new ways to prevent and treat this chronic disease.
"Given that overexposure to sunlight can cause skin cancer, it is important that we isolate and separate out the beneficial elements of ultraviolet light if we are to develop a safe and effective asthma therapy."
The Asthma Foundation of WA is committed to finding a cure for the condition and annually provides over $200,000 in research grants. Since 1968 the Foundation has donated more than $3m, helping establish Western Australia as an internationally recognised leader in this field.
John Shave, CEO of the Asthma Foundation of WA, comments: "The Asthma Foundation and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research have a long and close association, and we are both very proud of what researchers in this State have achieved over the years.
"This research, together with other research funded by the Asthma Foundation of WA, has the potential to significantly improve the lives of people with asthma not only in Australia, but around the world."
The Asthma Foundation of WA and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research expect that the asthma and ultraviolet light study will take several years to complete.
Check out these findings. Then ask yourself if you are resorting to inhalers more in the winter, when you don't get sunlight on your skin, or in the summer, when you should have very high natural levels of D thanks to sunlight. Of course, if you hide from the sun all day, you do not qualify!
Exposure to sunlight could reduce asthma
Perth medical research team sheds new light on chronic health condition
Australian researchers have found that exposure to measured doses of ultraviolet light, such as sunlight, could reduce asthma.
The research team at Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, through funding provided by the Asthma Foundation of WA, studied the effect of ultraviolet light on the development of asthma-like symptoms in mice, such as inflamed airways and lungs.
The study found:
Exposure to ultraviolet light for 15 to 30 minutes before allergen exposure significantly reduces the development of asthma-like symptoms
This UV exposure produces a cell type that, when transferred into other mice before they're sensitised to an allergen, can prevent the development of some of the asthma-like symptoms.
Associate Professor Prue Hart, leader of the research team, which includes Dr Debra Turner, Dr Shelley Gorman and PhD student Jacqueline McGlade, is excited by the ground-breaking results and possible future applications.
"This research clearly shows that controlled exposure to ultraviolet light markedly limits the development, incidence and severity of asthma symptoms in mice," said Associate Professor Hart.
"It appears that sunlight can suppress specific immune reactions, so we are now working to better understand that mechanism with the aim of generating new ways to prevent and treat this chronic disease.
"Given that overexposure to sunlight can cause skin cancer, it is important that we isolate and separate out the beneficial elements of ultraviolet light if we are to develop a safe and effective asthma therapy."
The Asthma Foundation of WA is committed to finding a cure for the condition and annually provides over $200,000 in research grants. Since 1968 the Foundation has donated more than $3m, helping establish Western Australia as an internationally recognised leader in this field.
John Shave, CEO of the Asthma Foundation of WA, comments: "The Asthma Foundation and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research have a long and close association, and we are both very proud of what researchers in this State have achieved over the years.
"This research, together with other research funded by the Asthma Foundation of WA, has the potential to significantly improve the lives of people with asthma not only in Australia, but around the world."
The Asthma Foundation of WA and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research expect that the asthma and ultraviolet light study will take several years to complete.
VITAMIND D-MY HERO
Last winter, in 2009, I started taking massive doses of Vitamin D.
Why?
Thanks to my Mom, I had joined an international study on Vitamin D deficiency and discovered I was indeed deficient.
And I'm not alone! The study, available at www.grassrootshealth.org is rapidly revealing that most people in the northern hemisphere are deficient, especially during the winter months when we do not have easy access to direct sunlight.
This fall I put my whole family on large doses of D, and we have had our healthiest winter in my life! No more rib-racking bronchial coughs, endlessly runny noses, and horrible flus. We have had deep coughs but they passed quickly instead of a month later. And we have had some high fevers, but not as bad as classmate's at Mason's school. We are D converts!
The news just keeps coming out on how powerful Vitamin D is, and I'll post a number of those here. For now, how much do we take? The federal recommendations of 400 IU/day are ridiculous. We are on 35 I.U. per pound of weight. That is based on testing our levels and seeing what got us above 50 points, which is where D experts believe your body can begin to store it and use it to strengthen the immune system.
Been working for us!
Why?
Thanks to my Mom, I had joined an international study on Vitamin D deficiency and discovered I was indeed deficient.
And I'm not alone! The study, available at www.grassrootshealth.org is rapidly revealing that most people in the northern hemisphere are deficient, especially during the winter months when we do not have easy access to direct sunlight.
This fall I put my whole family on large doses of D, and we have had our healthiest winter in my life! No more rib-racking bronchial coughs, endlessly runny noses, and horrible flus. We have had deep coughs but they passed quickly instead of a month later. And we have had some high fevers, but not as bad as classmate's at Mason's school. We are D converts!
The news just keeps coming out on how powerful Vitamin D is, and I'll post a number of those here. For now, how much do we take? The federal recommendations of 400 IU/day are ridiculous. We are on 35 I.U. per pound of weight. That is based on testing our levels and seeing what got us above 50 points, which is where D experts believe your body can begin to store it and use it to strengthen the immune system.
Been working for us!
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