Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

.........it calulates my exposure time and sets a timer.

While the timer is running the meter will beep telling me the UV level has changed and the timer has adjusted to the change.

At this point you will begin to see the variability of UV from an apparent cloud free sky at noon. Natural clouds of ozone pass over not visible to the naked eye, clouds of smog not visible to the naked ey pass over, and water vapor not thick enough to make visible clouds pass over. All change the UV penetrating to the ground....

Can this device account for the variability due to extreme latitudes.

.

 

[tropicalgirl]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Good news,

D vitamin at Oprha's website. This msg will reach a lot of people

http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/product/pkgswimwear/200906-omag-vitamin-d

 

[ming]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Is there a danger of bumbling along all your life with a set level of vit D, and then suddenly taking a high dose of supplements now ?

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

...... Note the thermal aspect of 25C just prior to conversion to D3.

Thermal isomeriztion is just using heat to achieve the isomer.

This has to be why surfers and lifegueards vary in their serum vitamin D. The reduced skin temperature of surfers due to cool water immersion for hours on end disrupts the thermal isomerisation of D to activated D3 delivered to the serum....

So the 77F skin surface temperature is critical.

That may add to the reasons people in extreme latitudes get less vitamin D from the sun. If the outside temperature is in the 40s or 50s (or less), then despite the fact that the UV zone is over 3.5, they may not be manufacturing Vitamin D.

Now we need a skin surface thermometer!

.

 

[Lizw]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

So the 77F skin surface temperature is critical.

That may add to the reasons people in extreme latitudes get less vitamin D from the sun. If the outside temperature is in the 40s or 50s (or less), then despite the fact that the UV zone is over 3.5, they may not be manufacturing Vitamin D.

Now we need a skin surface thermometer!

Hm, I wonder how that varies with high altitudes and cooler temperatures. Do we have data about people at higher cooler altitudes but where sufficient UVB is still available?

 

[Lizw]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Hi,
Go to your doctor and have your vitamin D checked and get the numbers. Do not settle for "good" or "bad" becasue those classifications are changing. Or join a huge vitamin D research project here (cost $40);

http://www.grassrootshealth.net/

I joined when you first linked to them. Haven't gotten the test kit yet, but I'm looking forward to it. One thing I've wondered about, however, is how the test results should be interpreted for someone who is spending a lot of time in the sun now (garden, etc.), but who was probably severely deficient earlier. If the test comes back with a good level now, does that mean I've dodged the bullet, so to speak, in spite of my earlier lack of vitamin D, or should the level be averaged (or integrated) back over some previous period of time?

 

[Lizw]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Hello,

Even the experts combine some sun exposure with supplements.

According to Dr. Michael Holick there are other photo bio-products produced in the skin and they do not know what they do yet, or if they are important.

Lots of good stuff there. Thank you for the research you've done and everything you have shared with us.

I've known about the hazards of sunscreen for years (really, all anyone has to do is read the list of ingredients). I don't use any commercial skin preparations, not even so-called organic lotions. There are no standards for what can be called organic or natural in the cosmetic industry, so it doesn't matter what the label claims. You have to read what's in the stuff, and check out each item for yourself.

 

[tropical]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

One thing I've wondered about, however, is how the test results should be interpreted for someone who is spending a lot of time in the sun now (garden, etc.), but who was probably severely deficient earlier. If the test comes back with a good level now, does that mean I've dodged the bullet, so to speak, in spite of my earlier lack of vitamin D, or should the level be averaged (or integrated) back over some previous period of time?

To make reliable results, first must be taken individuals who already are on low levels of sunshine for a considerable period, measure their initial D levels, and than start the D additional consumption.

Measure the D levels in regular periods, and look at the final results after several months.

The final result is supposed to be in the scientific med world established min-max level (or this initiative is aimed to change this levels in higher ...)

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

HHS HealthBeat (July 29, 2009)

Lower on D


<table style="margin-right: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px;" align="left" border="1" bordercolor="#185198" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td>

Listen to Tip

Interested?
Take the Next Step​

</td></tr></tbody></table>From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I?m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
Vitamin D is good for a lot of things, and one study indicates girls who get enough D are more likely to grow taller as opposed to wider.
Researcher Richard Kremer of McGill University in Canada, with Dr. Vicente Gilsanz at the University of Southern California, found that in data on California girls. Kremer says girls with normal levels of vitamin D had more height. He says girls with insufficient vitamin D were heavier, especially with belly fat.
[Richard Kremer speaks] ``The difference was about 7 kilos, which I believe would be about 17 or 18 pounds.??
Kremer says his study can?t prove the variation in vitamin D made the difference. But he notes lack of D can cause fat to accumulate.
The study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Learn more at hhs.gov.
HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I?m Ira Dreyfuss.
Last revised: July, 29 2009



http://www.hhs.gov/news/healthbeat/2009/07/20090729a.html

 

[tropical]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Possible it does.

#127: "But he notes lack of D can cause fat to accumulate."


There are also other possibilities which could be present for creating adiposity, if the fat is not metabolic driven.

Ad example the modern way of live where the mass of childs/teens/workers sit on in face of an computer the whole day (some even nights ...), drove cars instead walking, and eat mostly at the evening before going to sleep ...

 

[the doctor]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

To update this thread, here is what I am now recommending to everyone without contraindications to use of vitamin D.

Basically to take Vitamin D3 2500iu daily each morning.

This dose is predicted to bring your 25 OH vit D3 level up to 50 ng/ml assuming you have no other sources of vitamin D and no sun exposure.

I advise having your 25 OH vitamin D3 level checked two months after beginning this dose. What you want to see is a 25 OH Vit D3 level of between 50 ng/ml and 80 ng/ml. If your post supplement level is lower than this range, increase your dose. If it is above this level, decrease your dose.

If you need to change your dose, recheck the 25 OH vit D3 level after a couple of months. Further adjustments might be needed.

What I suggest is obtain your vitamin D3 supplement from a reliable good health food store. The best products are capsules where the vitamin D3 is dissolved in sesame seed oil.

The reason to take it first thing in the morning has to to with the potential interaction of vitamin D3 and melatonin. Thanks to Tom for pointing this data out to me.

Melatonin, the sleep hormone is released by the pineal gland, deep within the brain. This gland releases melatonin on a schedule that is somehow related to the sun. How? We don't know but being located deep within the brain, there is no way this small gland could "see" the light.

When a person goes into the sun, vitamin D3 is formed in the skin and this is released into the blood. It is a fat soluble substance meaning it can gain entry into the brain including the pineal gland.

The hypothesis then is that rising vitamin D3 levels in the blood due to sun exposure might be the factor that resets the pineal gland and shuts off its release of melatonin for a given period of time, about 12 hours after wards the gland begins it stereotypical diurnal release of melatonin. If changing vitamin D3 levels control melatonin release, then taking vitamin D3 in the morning may well correct pineal gland dysfunction that might well underlie the epidemic of insomnia seen in modern people, especially our seniors.

These notions are very interesting but truth of nothing. I though am advising patients to take their vitamin D3 the first thing in the morning. It will be interesting to see how well they sleep, especially those who suffer from chronic insomnia. For those of you that follow this suggestion who also suffer from insomnia, please let me know what you experience. I want to hear from those whose insomnia resolves as well as from those whose insomnia persists. Thanks.

GW

 

[kiwibird]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Thank you Doctor. That would also explain why girls grow taller when they have sufficient Vitamin D - the growth hormone is only released during deep sleep. (I have been getting my children to bed early for years with this little nugget!)

 

[Lizw]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

The hypothesis then is that rising vitamin D3 levels in the blood due to sun exposure might be the factor that resets the pineal gland and shuts off its release of melatonin for a given period of time, about 12 hours after wards the gland begins it stereotypical diurnal release of melatonin. If changing vitamin D3 levels control melatonin release, then taking vitamin D3 in the morning may well correct pineal gland dysfunction that might well underlie the epidemic of insomnia seen in modern people, especially our seniors.

These notions are very interesting but truth of nothing. I though am advising patients to take their vitamin D3 the first thing in the morning. It will be interesting to see how well they sleep, especially those who suffer from chronic insomnia. For those of you that follow this suggestion who also suffer from insomnia, please let me know what you experience. I want to hear from those whose insomnia resolves as well as from those whose insomnia persists. Thanks.

That is certainly intriguing. I'm going to talk to my grandson, who suffers from insomnia, about taking vitamin D first thing in the morning. Nothing else has worked. If it gets better, we'll know that vitamin D had something to do with it, because he has given up trying to treat it.

 

[the doctor]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

That is certainly intriguing. I'm going to talk to my grandson, who suffers from insomnia, about taking vitamin D first thing in the morning. Nothing else has worked. If it gets better, we'll know that vitamin D had something to do with it, because he has given up trying to treat it.

Thanks. It is an interesting question and one that might have a simple answer.

GW

 

[kiwibird]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Do you have a rough weight to dose ratio?

 

[DataMom]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

If the following has already been mentioned, then I apologize, but I have read that if one is using the sun to make vitamin D, then if that person bathes or showers within several hours following this, they may lose the benefit. If I remember correctly, this is because some of the synthesis depends on oils that are naturally on the skin surface. I read this quite some time ago when I was first starting to optimize my D (between 2 and 3 years ago) and I do not have a clue about a reference. Has anyone else seen information about this?

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

If the following has already been mentioned, then I apologize, but I have read that if one is using the sun to make vitamin D, then if that person bathes or showers within several hours following this, they may lose the benefit. If I remember correctly, this is because some of the synthesis depends on oils that are naturally on the skin surface. I read this quite some time ago when I was first starting to optimize my D (between 2 and 3 years ago) and I do not have a clue about a reference. Has anyone else seen information about this?

While one study (I posted) proposed that problem, I believe it's been debunked - thanks to Tom.

.

 

[Lizw]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Hello,

Attention dog lovers... Does your dog get suffcient vitamin D?

Dogs do not produce vitamin D in the skin as well as humans. Their lifestyles have changed from outdoor to indoor. They once ate vermin getting vitamin D from the livers of the prey they ate.

Now we have them on standard ration diets, not based in meat but ceral grains.

Interesting that you should bring this up, because I've been wondering how other primates acquire vitamin D, and that led to the same thought about cats and dogs. We had outside cats all the time my kids were growing up, and needed exactly one vet visit in twenty-some years, for a cat that was hit by a car. Now I hear friends swap stories about their cats' illnesses the same way people talk about their own, and make statements to the effect that "all cats get sick a lot."

Huh? What changed? The obvious conclusion is that most pet cats now are never allowed to go outside, not to mention the horrendous diet they get.

This is completely off topic for this forum, but I'm glad to find out I wasn't the only one thinking about it.

 

[Evelyn]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

I ran across this study today. Apologies if someone else has posted it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31491531/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

Fish oil, vitamin D to be scrutinized in big study
Study will see if either supplement lowers risk of cancer, heart disease
updated 11:21 a.m. PT, Mon., June 22, 2009

Two of the most popular and promising dietary supplements ? vitamin D and fish oil ? will be tested in a large, government-sponsored study to see whether either nutrient can lower a healthy person's risk of getting cancer, heart disease or having a stroke.

The study will be one of the first big nutrition experiments ever to target a specific racial group ? blacks, who will comprise one quarter of the participants.

People with dark skin are unable to make much vitamin D from sunlight, and researchers think this deficiency may help explain why blacks have higher rates of cancer, stroke and heart disease.

"If something as simple as taking a vitamin D pill could help lower these risks and eliminate these health disparities, that would be extraordinarily exciting," said Dr. JoAnn Manson. She and Dr. Julie Buring, of Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, will co-lead the study.

"But we should be cautious before jumping on the bandwagon to take mega-doses of these supplements," Manson warned. "We know from history that many of these nutrients that looked promising in observational studies didn't pan out."

Vitamins C, E, folic acid, beta carotene, selenium and even menopause hormone pills once seemed to lower the risk of cancer or heart disease ? until they were tested in big studies that sometimes revealed risks instead of benefits.

In October, the government stopped a big study of vitamin E and selenium pills for prostate cancer prevention after seeing no evidence of benefit and hints of harm.

Vitamin D is one of the last major nutrients to be put to a rigorous test.

Cancer rates higher where sun is weaker
For years, evidence has been building that many people are deficient in "the sunshine vitamin." It is tough to get enough from dietary sources like milk and oily fish. Cancer rates are higher in many northern regions where sunlight is weak in the winter, and some studies have found that people with lower blood levels of vitamin D are more likely to develop cancer.

Fish oil, or omega-3 fatty acid, is widely recommended for heart health. However, studies of it so far have mostly involved people who already have heart problems or who eat a lot of fish, such as in Japan. Foods also increasingly are fortified with omega-3, so it is important to establish its safety and benefit.

"Vitamin D and omega-3s have powerful anti-inflammatory effects that may be key factors in preventing many diseases. They may also work through other pathways that influence cancer and cardiovascular risk," Manson said.

However, getting nutrients from a pill is different than getting them from foods, and correcting a deficiency is not the same as healthy people taking large doses from a supplement.

20,000 people to be studied
The new study, which will start later this year, will enroll 20,000 people with no history of heart attacks, stroke or a major cancer ? women 65 or older and men 60 or older. They will be randomly assigned to take vitamin D, fish oil, both nutrients or dummy pills for five years.

The daily dose of vitamin D will be about 2,000 international units of D-3, also known as cholecalciferol, the most active form. For fish oil, the daily dose will be about one gram ? five to 10 times what the average American gets.

Participants' health will be monitored through questionnaires, medical records and in some cases, periodic in-person exams.

"We're hoping to see a result during the trial, that we won't have to wait five years" to find out if supplements help, Manson said.

Researchers also plan to study whether these nutrients help prevent memory loss, depression, diabetes, osteoporosis and other problems, Buring said.

The $20 million study will be sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and other federal agencies. Pharmavite LLC of Northridge, Calif., is providing the vitamin D pills, and Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd. of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is providing the omega-3 fish oil capsules.

 

[Evelyn]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

What I suggest is obtain your vitamin D3 supplement from a reliable good health food store. The best products are capsules where the vitamin D3 is dissolved in sesame seed oil.

This is good to know. I always have concerns about rancidity with oil-based capsules, though. I think it's extra important to be sure that you're getting fresh capsules, to shield them from light, and probably to refrigerate them. Do you agree?

The reason to take it first thing in the morning has to to with the potential interaction of vitamin D3 and melatonin. Thanks to Tom for pointing this data out to me.

And thank you for mentioning this. I just bought some vitamin D (tablet form) not long ago and have started taking it, but at night. I don't eat breakfast and was concerned about absorption if I took a fat-soluble vitamin without food. (I know it'd be better if I ate breakfast, but I have reasons, and that behavior is unlikely to change in the near future.) It sounds like using oil-based capsules in the morning might be a reasonable workaround. I can certainly use all the help I can get with sleep.

I looked around a little to find out whether there were other factors that would interfere with or optimize absorption of ingested vitamin D, and I didn't find much. Do you have opinions on this?

Thanks much!

Evelyn