Vitamin D3 Cholecalciferol
For the last few years I've been following the latest research on Vitamin D3 and become somewhat obsessed by the failure of the medical profession to become as excited as I am about these new discoveries.
If you would like to learn how improving your vitamin d status can improve your health prospects by lowering your cancer risk then the place to start is The Vitamin D Council This site also has in it's links section some links to US suppliers (the only place you can buy an effective strength). They are very cheap and efficient, though the cheapest one has a poor website and you have to fax your order but because it is cheap it's worth the effort.
The first important paper you really need to read is Human serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol response to extended oral dosing with cholecalciferol which shows Healthy menuse 3000–5000 IU cholecalciferol each day. As this amount is considerably more than currently recommended it isn't surprising that even those who use supplements are Vitamin D insufficient in the winter.
This Risk assessment for vitamin D3 shows how supplementing at this level will cause no problems.
This paper The Case Against Ergocalciferol D2 shows why you have to be careful to read the label to ensure you buy the most easily absorbed form of the Vitamin.
In order to learn about this vitamin and why we in the UK have lower than ideal status during the Winter may I suggest you listen to the hour long presentation here at Direct MS org Reinhold Vieth: Prospects for Vitamin D Nutrition
Raising vitamin D intake could lower breast, colorectal cancer risk
Calcium, vitamin D may reduce stress fracture risk
Answers:
These free downloadable booklets have lots of interesting information about those conditions which thrive in low vitamin d status bodies and also explains about the need to obtain the maximum possible amount of Vitamin d in the summer from Sunshine.
You need to know a bit about how Vitamin d is made in the skin. Although is set up to ensure lizards get sufficient Vitamin d from UVB radiation exactly the same process occurs in human skin.
The main point we need to know are that the maximum amount of vitamin d is made in the first 20 minutes and there is a danger than longer exposure in hot sun will damage any more that is made so it is counterproductive, and risks burning (that leads to increased skin cancers) so providing you've had your 20 mins then you are best advised to cover up, go inside or put on sunscreen then. At the moment it's still really to grey and cold but from next month this shows the best time to be out is around midday.
You won't be needing this up to date information about the risk of burning where you live until June or July but hopefully we will get some warmer weather sometime.
I should also point out that this information is for while you are in the UK. If you go to Australia for the Winter you have to take note of the fact that Aus is a lot nearer the Equator than we are and The sun shines brighter in the Southern hemisphere (less pollution and the elliptical path of the Earth brings it nearer to the sun.
Answers:
How can my diet help protect me from sunburn?
provides some of the ways your skin can be prepared to be better able to withstand the damaging effects of sunshine.
Further support for the World's Healthiest Foods suggestion for Tomatoes can be found in this entertaining Video from the Truth about Food series. Is there is there something we can do all year round to give added protection to our skin from harmful UV rays?
Omega 3 status, particularly EPA, is important for the manufacture of Vitamin d3 in the skin so keeping your intake of oily fish high (3 times a week) will help protect you from burning. See Photoprotective and anti-skin-aging effects of eicosapentaenoic acid in human skin in vivo
You also need to understand that Vitamin d3 isn't just made in the skin but also as soon as it's made it acts as part of your skin's protection mechanism. See In vivo relevance for photoprotection by the vitamin D rapid response pathway. and Photoprotection by 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 is associated with an increase in p53 and a decrease in nitric oxide products. So it really isn't a good idea to simply get your vitamin d from tablets or capsules. It needs to be made in the skin to assist in your skins protective function. See The AntiBiotic Vitamin and the links at the end of this article to understand how this works.
I ought also to mention the protection given to the skin by GREEN TEA I've been drinking this now as my main beverage for some time. I've really grown to prefer it. I like it black, made with real tea leaves (although Tesco's Green Tea bags are OK) using water that's slightly off the boil. Leave it for slightly less time than brown tea to infuse and also use rather less. Doing this means it's not so harsh and contains less caffeine. I sometimes add a slice of lemon to the cup or a sliver of ginger. These both make a nice change.
Answers:
has links to the cheapest source I'm aware of for high strength Vitamin D3 Cholecalciferol.
As I've pointed out in message one of this thread your body uses on average 4000iu a day. From the link to the best supply in the above list you will find they supply 5000iu and 50,000iu capsules. In the UK you can only buy 400iu or 1000iu so taking 4x1000iu or 10x400iu would be not only expensive but a nuisance.
While the US supplier is a pain in that the website doesn't have a direct secure connection and you have to order by fax of phone the capsules do come by return post and will probably arrive in the same time as a UK online mailorder vitamin supplier.
It is up to you which suits your lifestyle best.
During the Winter,(assuming you live in the UKor above latitude 45)when food is your main (but relatively trivial) source of Vitamin D3 (unless you take a tsp ofCod Liver Oil) you really need, in orderto keep your vitamin d status (and cancer risk) at a safe level to consume a total of 4000iu a day.
You can do this using the 5000iu capsules by taking them on 5 days a week and leaving the weekends free. 5x5000=25,000/7=3571iu a day (slightly under but leaves room for you to eat some sardines/tuna/salmon or other oily fish.
If you decide to buy the 50,000iu then ONE capsule every OTHER week 50,000/14days=3571iu a day
The 50,000iu work out cheaper but the 5000iu give you more flexibility during the summer. You really do not need to both take Vitamin d supplements and sunbathe at the same time. But there are periods when in the UK we get a series of very grey weather and in these periods it would be fine to use a 5000iu to top up but where using both 50,000 and then sunbathing could provide more than was needed. The half life of Vitamin d once in the blood is around 3 weeks so if you take the larger capsules fortnightly you will not lose out through natural depletion.
There are advantages to have both the 5000iu & 50,000iu at hand. I'll explain about Stoss therapy in a separate post later but for someone needing to raise status quickly it's much easier with the larger capsules. For SAD for example shows that 100,000 I.U was more effective than SADLIGHTS in treating this condition, as I have personally found. So taking just a couple of these initially and then one a fortnight may be all you need to see you through the Winter.
Answers:
I haven't so far in this thread discussed some of the other roles Vitamin D plays in the body. So today I'd like to draw your attention to it's role in controlling your immune system.
This article probably sets out the story better than I can.
Since that article was published there have been several new papers such as this that explain how the presence of Vitamin d on the skin is the very first line of defence for your body.
When considering how to obtain Vitamin D we have to take account of the fact that the skin actually needs Vitamin D on it's surface in order to enable it to heal if wounded and to deal with those microbes that may cause problems. While taking supplemental vitamin d is a safe and effective way during the Winter, it doesn'tput the vitamin d cholecaciferol actually on the skin surface. Direct exposure to sunlight does that and is the cheapest option from now until the end of September in the UK. But you may want to consider Sunbedseither at a commercial sun tan palours or home solaria between October and March.
has a detailed description of how vitamin d is synthesised by the skin. The process is the same for human as in lizard skin.
The information provided there on is also helpful for considering the problems of Suntan beds either at home or commercial.
If you ensure you buy a home solaria with UVB emitting tubes and keep a careful log of how many hours you have used them then you can be assured you will not just be tanning but also your skin will be creating Vitamin d3. Similarly if youpurchase a UVB light monitor then there is no problem with home tanning. You can make sure your skin never burns andthe tubes you are using are still emitting a reasonable ratio of UVB<>UVA.
The problem with commercial sunbeds is that unless the owner also has a UVB lightmeter it is difficult to see how the UVB (vitamin d producing spectrum) can be guaranteed. If the tubes are more than 500hrs old, if they are not the guaranteed high UVBemmittingvariety then the amount of UVByour skin is receiving and thusVitamin D your skin will be generating will be questionable.
That said, if I knew I was due for a stay in hospital in the UK in the next month I would definitely book myself a course at a suntan palour. Not because I would want the nurses to envy my suntanned body but because I'm concerned about the amount of hospital acquired infection and would prefer my skin to be fully primed with as much natural antibiotic as it could possibly generate before I go anywhere near the place.
There is more about the role of Vitamin D and your immune system here
Answers:
It may help some understand the basics of Vitamin D3 and it's role in health if you listen to this presentation by one of the World's leading experts on the topic. The lecture does take an hour and a half so only click on this link if you've time to spare.
Reinhold Vieth: Prospects for Vitamin D Nutrition
Although the talk is hosted by the organisation DirectMS.org it is not specific to that condition, so is of general interest.
Answers:
Hypovitaminosis D in British adults at age 45 y: nationwide cohort study of dietary and lifestyle predictors take note thatthis report was using 75 nmol/L as the cut off point. The ideal level which we should all be aiming for is 125nM/L.
As 87% were insufficient at this low level it is almost certain that it would be approaching100% of the population (excluding those who have just returned from 3 weeks winter holiday in the tropics or regularly use sunbeds). Still with a bit of luck people will start raising their levels by getting OUTSIDE at MIDDAY and getting plenty of sun on as much bare skin as possible.
Answers:
Vitamin D deficiency is common among older people, and can cause mineralization defects, bone loss, and muscle weakness...........Serum 25-OHD concentrations <20ng/ml are associated with poorer physical performance and a greater decline in physical performance in older men and women. Because almost 50% of the population had serum 25-OHD<20ng/ml, public health strategies should be aimed at this group.
When reading research on Vitamin d status you have to note the units that are being used. In this case it's ng/ml above I've used 125nmol/L 50ng/mL is the equivalent of 125nmol/L so these older people have less than half the ideal amount of vitamin d in their systems. Not surprising when you consider the insufficiency state of British Adults shown in the previous post. If the ideal amount of air pressure in your tyres is 50psi and you ran then on 20psi would you expect performance problems and reduced life expectancy?
If you've got an elderly relative then making sure they get outside into the sunshine for an hour at midday, without any sunscreen/spf cosmetics on their skin, is probably the best thing you can do to keep them physically and mentally healthy.
The links page of have sources of high strength cholecalciferol that comesin capsules that can be slid apart. You may like to know that cholecalciferol is fat soluble, so can be incorporated into biscuits/cakes etc if you are not able to take your relative out into the sunshine maybe you could consider adding some sunshine by sliding apartsome Vit d3 capsulesand incorporating thepowder into some home baking.
You will see from the best way of keeping your relative out of a nursing care home is by keeping Vitamin D status high or at least above 75 nmol/L remember the ideal level is 125nmol/L
Answers:
Potentially modifiable determinants of vitamin D status in an older population in the NetherlandsThis is more research showing how bad is in the Netherlands. It confirms the UK levels.
Again they were only looking at the White population. Is there a deliberate policy not to consider the particular needs of those with darker skins living at this latitude? Surely they know that darker skins are less good at making vitamin d3.
In the winter period, 51% of the subjects had 25(OH)D concentrations <50.0 nmol/L. Greater body fatness and less time spent on outdoor physical activity were associated with worse vitamin D status
If you would like to learn how improving your vitamin d status can improve your health prospects by lowering your cancer risk then the place to start is The Vitamin D Council This site also has in it's links section some links to US suppliers (the only place you can buy an effective strength). They are very cheap and efficient, though the cheapest one has a poor website and you have to fax your order but because it is cheap it's worth the effort.
The first important paper you really need to read is Human serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol response to extended oral dosing with cholecalciferol which shows Healthy menuse 3000–5000 IU cholecalciferol each day. As this amount is considerably more than currently recommended it isn't surprising that even those who use supplements are Vitamin D insufficient in the winter.
This Risk assessment for vitamin D3 shows how supplementing at this level will cause no problems.
This paper The Case Against Ergocalciferol D2 shows why you have to be careful to read the label to ensure you buy the most easily absorbed form of the Vitamin.
In order to learn about this vitamin and why we in the UK have lower than ideal status during the Winter may I suggest you listen to the hour long presentation here at Direct MS org Reinhold Vieth: Prospects for Vitamin D Nutrition
Raising vitamin D intake could lower breast, colorectal cancer risk
Calcium, vitamin D may reduce stress fracture risk
Answers:
These free downloadable booklets have lots of interesting information about those conditions which thrive in low vitamin d status bodies and also explains about the need to obtain the maximum possible amount of Vitamin d in the summer from Sunshine.
You need to know a bit about how Vitamin d is made in the skin. Although is set up to ensure lizards get sufficient Vitamin d from UVB radiation exactly the same process occurs in human skin.
The main point we need to know are that the maximum amount of vitamin d is made in the first 20 minutes and there is a danger than longer exposure in hot sun will damage any more that is made so it is counterproductive, and risks burning (that leads to increased skin cancers) so providing you've had your 20 mins then you are best advised to cover up, go inside or put on sunscreen then. At the moment it's still really to grey and cold but from next month this shows the best time to be out is around midday.
You won't be needing this up to date information about the risk of burning where you live until June or July but hopefully we will get some warmer weather sometime.
I should also point out that this information is for while you are in the UK. If you go to Australia for the Winter you have to take note of the fact that Aus is a lot nearer the Equator than we are and The sun shines brighter in the Southern hemisphere (less pollution and the elliptical path of the Earth brings it nearer to the sun.
Answers:
How can my diet help protect me from sunburn?
provides some of the ways your skin can be prepared to be better able to withstand the damaging effects of sunshine.
Further support for the World's Healthiest Foods suggestion for Tomatoes can be found in this entertaining Video from the Truth about Food series. Is there is there something we can do all year round to give added protection to our skin from harmful UV rays?
Omega 3 status, particularly EPA, is important for the manufacture of Vitamin d3 in the skin so keeping your intake of oily fish high (3 times a week) will help protect you from burning. See Photoprotective and anti-skin-aging effects of eicosapentaenoic acid in human skin in vivo
You also need to understand that Vitamin d3 isn't just made in the skin but also as soon as it's made it acts as part of your skin's protection mechanism. See In vivo relevance for photoprotection by the vitamin D rapid response pathway. and Photoprotection by 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 is associated with an increase in p53 and a decrease in nitric oxide products. So it really isn't a good idea to simply get your vitamin d from tablets or capsules. It needs to be made in the skin to assist in your skins protective function. See The AntiBiotic Vitamin and the links at the end of this article to understand how this works.
I ought also to mention the protection given to the skin by GREEN TEA I've been drinking this now as my main beverage for some time. I've really grown to prefer it. I like it black, made with real tea leaves (although Tesco's Green Tea bags are OK) using water that's slightly off the boil. Leave it for slightly less time than brown tea to infuse and also use rather less. Doing this means it's not so harsh and contains less caffeine. I sometimes add a slice of lemon to the cup or a sliver of ginger. These both make a nice change.
Answers:
has links to the cheapest source I'm aware of for high strength Vitamin D3 Cholecalciferol.
As I've pointed out in message one of this thread your body uses on average 4000iu a day. From the link to the best supply in the above list you will find they supply 5000iu and 50,000iu capsules. In the UK you can only buy 400iu or 1000iu so taking 4x1000iu or 10x400iu would be not only expensive but a nuisance.
While the US supplier is a pain in that the website doesn't have a direct secure connection and you have to order by fax of phone the capsules do come by return post and will probably arrive in the same time as a UK online mailorder vitamin supplier.
It is up to you which suits your lifestyle best.
During the Winter,(assuming you live in the UKor above latitude 45)when food is your main (but relatively trivial) source of Vitamin D3 (unless you take a tsp ofCod Liver Oil) you really need, in orderto keep your vitamin d status (and cancer risk) at a safe level to consume a total of 4000iu a day.
You can do this using the 5000iu capsules by taking them on 5 days a week and leaving the weekends free. 5x5000=25,000/7=3571iu a day (slightly under but leaves room for you to eat some sardines/tuna/salmon or other oily fish.
If you decide to buy the 50,000iu then ONE capsule every OTHER week 50,000/14days=3571iu a day
The 50,000iu work out cheaper but the 5000iu give you more flexibility during the summer. You really do not need to both take Vitamin d supplements and sunbathe at the same time. But there are periods when in the UK we get a series of very grey weather and in these periods it would be fine to use a 5000iu to top up but where using both 50,000 and then sunbathing could provide more than was needed. The half life of Vitamin d once in the blood is around 3 weeks so if you take the larger capsules fortnightly you will not lose out through natural depletion.
There are advantages to have both the 5000iu & 50,000iu at hand. I'll explain about Stoss therapy in a separate post later but for someone needing to raise status quickly it's much easier with the larger capsules. For SAD for example shows that 100,000 I.U was more effective than SADLIGHTS in treating this condition, as I have personally found. So taking just a couple of these initially and then one a fortnight may be all you need to see you through the Winter.
Answers:
I haven't so far in this thread discussed some of the other roles Vitamin D plays in the body. So today I'd like to draw your attention to it's role in controlling your immune system.
This article probably sets out the story better than I can.
Since that article was published there have been several new papers such as this that explain how the presence of Vitamin d on the skin is the very first line of defence for your body.
When considering how to obtain Vitamin D we have to take account of the fact that the skin actually needs Vitamin D on it's surface in order to enable it to heal if wounded and to deal with those microbes that may cause problems. While taking supplemental vitamin d is a safe and effective way during the Winter, it doesn'tput the vitamin d cholecaciferol actually on the skin surface. Direct exposure to sunlight does that and is the cheapest option from now until the end of September in the UK. But you may want to consider Sunbedseither at a commercial sun tan palours or home solaria between October and March.
has a detailed description of how vitamin d is synthesised by the skin. The process is the same for human as in lizard skin.
The information provided there on is also helpful for considering the problems of Suntan beds either at home or commercial.
If you ensure you buy a home solaria with UVB emitting tubes and keep a careful log of how many hours you have used them then you can be assured you will not just be tanning but also your skin will be creating Vitamin d3. Similarly if youpurchase a UVB light monitor then there is no problem with home tanning. You can make sure your skin never burns andthe tubes you are using are still emitting a reasonable ratio of UVB<>UVA.
The problem with commercial sunbeds is that unless the owner also has a UVB lightmeter it is difficult to see how the UVB (vitamin d producing spectrum) can be guaranteed. If the tubes are more than 500hrs old, if they are not the guaranteed high UVBemmittingvariety then the amount of UVByour skin is receiving and thusVitamin D your skin will be generating will be questionable.
That said, if I knew I was due for a stay in hospital in the UK in the next month I would definitely book myself a course at a suntan palour. Not because I would want the nurses to envy my suntanned body but because I'm concerned about the amount of hospital acquired infection and would prefer my skin to be fully primed with as much natural antibiotic as it could possibly generate before I go anywhere near the place.
There is more about the role of Vitamin D and your immune system here
Answers:
It may help some understand the basics of Vitamin D3 and it's role in health if you listen to this presentation by one of the World's leading experts on the topic. The lecture does take an hour and a half so only click on this link if you've time to spare.
Reinhold Vieth: Prospects for Vitamin D Nutrition
Although the talk is hosted by the organisation DirectMS.org it is not specific to that condition, so is of general interest.
Answers:
Hypovitaminosis D in British adults at age 45 y: nationwide cohort study of dietary and lifestyle predictors take note thatthis report was using 75 nmol/L as the cut off point. The ideal level which we should all be aiming for is 125nM/L.
As 87% were insufficient at this low level it is almost certain that it would be approaching100% of the population (excluding those who have just returned from 3 weeks winter holiday in the tropics or regularly use sunbeds). Still with a bit of luck people will start raising their levels by getting OUTSIDE at MIDDAY and getting plenty of sun on as much bare skin as possible.
Answers:
Vitamin D deficiency is common among older people, and can cause mineralization defects, bone loss, and muscle weakness...........Serum 25-OHD concentrations <20ng/ml are associated with poorer physical performance and a greater decline in physical performance in older men and women. Because almost 50% of the population had serum 25-OHD<20ng/ml, public health strategies should be aimed at this group.
When reading research on Vitamin d status you have to note the units that are being used. In this case it's ng/ml above I've used 125nmol/L 50ng/mL is the equivalent of 125nmol/L so these older people have less than half the ideal amount of vitamin d in their systems. Not surprising when you consider the insufficiency state of British Adults shown in the previous post. If the ideal amount of air pressure in your tyres is 50psi and you ran then on 20psi would you expect performance problems and reduced life expectancy?
If you've got an elderly relative then making sure they get outside into the sunshine for an hour at midday, without any sunscreen/spf cosmetics on their skin, is probably the best thing you can do to keep them physically and mentally healthy.
The links page of have sources of high strength cholecalciferol that comesin capsules that can be slid apart. You may like to know that cholecalciferol is fat soluble, so can be incorporated into biscuits/cakes etc if you are not able to take your relative out into the sunshine maybe you could consider adding some sunshine by sliding apartsome Vit d3 capsulesand incorporating thepowder into some home baking.
You will see from the best way of keeping your relative out of a nursing care home is by keeping Vitamin D status high or at least above 75 nmol/L remember the ideal level is 125nmol/L
Answers:
Potentially modifiable determinants of vitamin D status in an older population in the NetherlandsThis is more research showing how bad is in the Netherlands. It confirms the UK levels.
Again they were only looking at the White population. Is there a deliberate policy not to consider the particular needs of those with darker skins living at this latitude? Surely they know that darker skins are less good at making vitamin d3.
In the winter period, 51% of the subjects had 25(OH)D concentrations <50.0 nmol/L. Greater body fatness and less time spent on outdoor physical activity were associated with worse vitamin D status