The Vitamin D Cure Blog

The Vitamin D Cure is now available in paperback! Now your healthy new lifestyle manual will cost you even less. It’s a great gift idea as well.

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com). If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .

This month’s recipe is not exactly Paleolithic. It has peas which were not routinely consumed by primitive cultures. However, it is loaded with chlorophyll and is a great compliment to a lean piece of meat either on the side or chopped up and put directly into the soup. And, it tastes fantastic!

Green Pea Soup with Tarragon & Pea Sprouts.

Ingredients

2 16-oz. packages frozen sweet green peas, divided
2 Tbsp. canola oil
3 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 qt. vegetable stock
3 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped and divided
Pea Sprouts
1 Avocado

Preparation:

1. Place 1 cup of peas in a bowl and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat and sauté shallots until golden and tender. Add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute.
3. Add remaining peas, vegetable stock, and 2 Tbsp. of chopped tarragon; bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat and continue simmering until the peas are tender and the flavors have developed, about 10 minutes.
5. Either with an immersion blender or in small batches in a blender, purée the soup until completely smooth.
6. Return the soup to the saucepan and bring back to a simmer, adjusting consistency with more stock if desired.
7. Stir in remaining tarragon and season with salt and pepper.
8. Mash avocado and mix with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
9. To serve, top with whole peas (heated in microwave for 1 minute), pea sprouts and a dollop of guacamole, if desired.

Vitamin D in the News

Do Melanoidins Induced by Topical 3% Dihydroxyacetone Sunless Tanning Spray Inhibit Vitamin D Production? A Pilot Study. Photochem Photobiol. 2009 May 28.
Osteoporosis Research Center, Creighton University, Omaha, NE.

They report preliminary study data of the effect of sunless tanning spray with 3% dihydroxyacetone (DHA) on 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] serum levels in volunteers exposed to controlled amounts of UV-B radiation during April/May in Omaha, NE, 41 degrees N latitude. They found that DHA-induced melanoidins in skin act as a topical sunscreen reducing the formation of vitamin D (25(OH)D).

Vitamin D nutritional status of exclusively breast fed infants and their mothers. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Mar;22(3):241-6. Department of Pediatrics, Kalawati Saran Hospital, New Delhi, India.

As I said in the Vitamin D Cure, vitamin D has a profound effect on the development of an infant. It follows then that the vitamin D status of mothers and their infants are tied together. Studies in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have shown wide spread deficiency in mother-infant pairs at 42 degrees north latitude. This study shows us that even in equatorial regions of the globe deficiency is wide spread. Study Design: 180 healthy lactating mothers and exclusively breast fed infants, 2-24 weeks old had clinical, biochemical and hormonal evaluation for calcium-vitamin D-PTH axis. Results: The average serum vitamin d 25(OH)D values in lactating mothers was 27.2 +/- 14.6 nmol/l (10.9 +/-5.8 ng/ml), while that of their infants was 28.9 +/- 20.8 nmol/l (11.6 +/- 8.3 ng/ml). Remember 80 nmol/L or 32 ng/mL is the bottom end of the normal range for vitamin D levels. Serum 25(OH)D levels <25 nmol/l (10 ng/ml) were found in 47.8% of the mothers and 43.2% of the infants. Among these, elevated PTH levels (>54 pg/ml) were seen in 59.3% of the mothers and 69.6% of the infants. A highly significant negative correlation was found between serum 25(OH)D and PTH in mothers (r = -0.480, p = 0.01) and their infants (r = -0.431, p = 0.01). A strong positive correlation was seen of vitamin D 25(OH)D levels in mother-infant pairs (r = 0.324, p = 0.001). Conclusions: A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was found in lactating mothers and their exclusively breast fed infants. Infants born to mothers with low vitamin D had 3.8 times higher risk of developing low vitamin D as compared to those born to mothers with normal vitamin D levels.

Dietary vitamin D and cancers of the oral cavity and esophagus. Ann Oncol. 2009 Jun 1. International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, MD.

We discussed the relationship between diet and vitamin D and colon cancer in The Vitamin D Cure. This study looks at that relationship with esophageal and oral cancer Methods: The researchers examined the relation between dietary vitamin D intake and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE; 304 cases) and oral/pharyngeal cancer (804 cases) in two case-control studies in Italy. Odds ratios(ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by multiple logistic regression. Results: Adjusted ORs for SCCE and oral/pharyngeal cancer were 0.58 (95% CI 0.39-0.86) and 0.76 (95% CI 0.60-0.94), respectively, for the highest tertile of vitamin D intake. Compared to the highest tertile of vitamin D who were never/former smokers, ORs were 8.7 (95% CI 4.1-18.7) for SCCE and 10.4 (95% CI 6.9-15.5) for oral/pharyngeal cancer among heavy smokers in the lowest vitamin D tertile; similarly, compared with those in the highest tertile of vitamin D who drank <3 alcoholic drinks/day, corresponding ORs were 41.9 (95% CI 13.7-128.6) for SCCE and 8.5 (95% CI 5.7-12.5) for oral/pharyngeal cancer, among heavy alcohol drinkers in the lowest vitamin D tertile. Conclusion: They observed an estimated 25-40 percent reduction in risk for oral/pharyngeal cancer and SCCE respectively with greater risk reductions in the absence of alcohol use or smoking.

Does vitamin d reduce the risk of dementia? J Alzheimers Dis. 2009 May;17(1):151-9.
Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center (SUNARC), P.O. Box 641603, San Francisco, CA 94164-1603, USA.

In the Vitamin D Cure we talk about how vitamin D is important for brain development, how it facilitates learning and protects the brain from injury. This article develops the hypothesis that vitamin D can reduce the risk of developing dementia, presenting the evidence from observational and laboratory studies. The observational evidence demonstrates that low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] has been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, depression, dental caries, osteoporosis, and periodontal disease, all of which are risk factors for dementia or precede the development of dementia. The laboratory evidence includes several findings on the role of vitamin D in neuroprotection and reducing inflammation. This is a great review of the current data linking vitamin D and risk for dementia.

Vitamin D Success Story

Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating others to change their lifestyle.

This month’s success story comes from Tom with seasonal allergies.

Hello,
I have a question about allergies.
I have suffered from seasonal allergies in May and June all my life. Until I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and had to wear a mask when I slept I just put up with them. However, constant sneezing and a runny nose were intolerable while wearing a CPAP mask. I finally went to an allergist and had scratch tests done and I had the strongest ranked reactions to all three types of grasses tested. However, due to glaucoma in one eye the allergist could not treat me. I then just used prescription antihistamine during my allergy season.

Now that I am taking vitamin D and eating a modified paleo/chimpanzee diet my allergies are gone this season for the first time. (I modify the Paleolithic diet by eliminating red meat from my diet for male chimpanzees suffer from interstitial myocardial fibrosis and the only difference between male and female chimps is that males hunt red meat, eat red meat, and as a rule do not share it with female chimps.) Is this grass allergy elimination possible or simply a coincidence? In short it is a miracle. Part of me thinks, “Wheat is a grass and you are allergic to grass so cutting out wheat only made sense in retrospect.”

Do other people with grass allergies find good results by going paleo and taking the vitamin D cure? I am shocked it could work so fast.

Thank you,
Tom

The simple answer is yes. The explanation is unclear and involves many variables. Allergies are determined likely in the first 24 months of life based on vitamin D levels, passive immunity from breast feeding, and exposure to other plant and animal proteins in our diet. Higher vitamin D intakes during pregnancy appear to lower the risk for asthma later in childhood. Heliotherapy in adults with eczema seems to have a clearing effect on this skin disease. However, some studies of vitamin D intake in childhood seem to point to higher likelihood of developing allergies. The science is still up in the air. I suggest following Mother Nature’s lead. We should be in the sun more than we are now, we should all be breast fed as infants, and we should not consume grain or dairy as adults.

Get your copy of The Vitamin D Cure, lay out in the sun and have a good read!

Remember the type of suns rays that are necessary for vitamin D production (UVB) are only available between spring blossoms and fall colors. This season is long in the Southern United States but here in Michigan late April to May marks the beginning of the vitamin D season. Allergies come with springtime as well. In this issue you will see that severity of asthma and allergies is related to low vitamin D levels. And, when you bend down to pick those flowers or weeds, your knee pain may be associated with low vitamin D levels. So take your vitamin D and get some sun for your arthritis and allergies.

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com). If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .

Lemon-Honey Roasted Chicken
with Warm Cucumber, Fennel and Fingerling Potato Salad

For the chicken:
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 T. Honey
• 3.5-4 lb. chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 t. salt
• 4 sprigs of thyme
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees
2. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, chicken broth and honey.
3. Rub the chicken pieces with oil and sprinkle with salt.
4. Place the chicken, skin-side down, in a roast pan just large enough to make a single, snug layer of chicken. Pour the seasoned broth over the chicken and tuck the thyme sprigs among the chicken pieces.
5. Roast for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken skin-side up and roast for another 20 minutes or until chicken reaches 160 degrees.

For the Salad:
• 1.5 lbs. fingerling potatoes, halved (larger ones cut in quarters)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 lb. haricot verts, steamed
• 3 medium stalks celery, trimmed and sliced
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
• 1 medium bulb fennel, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees and place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet; toss with 1 T. olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast until tender, about 25-30 minutes and let cool slightly.
3. To serve combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat evenly with olive oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve with roasted chicken.

Vitamin D in the News

Serum levels of vitamin D, sunlight exposure, and knee cartilage loss in older adults: The Tasmanian older adult cohort study.
Arthritis Rheumatism. 2009 Apr 29;60(5):1381-1389
University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, and Monash University Medical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

In the vitamin D Cure we talk about optimizing vitamin D to prevent osteoarthritis or loss of cartilage. This study is confirmation of its importance over time. A total of 880 randomly selected subjects (average age 61 years, 50% women) were studied at baseline, and 353 of these subjects were studied 2.9 years later. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) were assessed, and sunlight exposure was assessed by questionnaire. MRI of the right knee was performed to determine knee cartilage volume and defects. Knee x-rays and knee pain were also assessed. RESULTS: The mean 25(OH)D serum level was 21.1 ng/mL (52.8 nmoles/liter) at baseline. Winter sunlight exposure and serum 25(OH)D level were both positively associated with medial and lateral tibial cartilage volume (the lower the D level the less the cartilage volume), and a serum 25(OH)D level <20 ng/mL was associated with more medial joint space narrowing (all P < 0.05). Over time, baseline serum 25(OH)D level predicted change in cartilage volume (P < 0.05), and change in serum 25(OH)D level was positively associated with change in medial tibial cartilage volume. These associations were consistent in subjects with radiographic OA and knee pain and/or in women, but not in men or in subjects without radiographic OA or knee pain. CONCLUSION: Less sunlight exposure and lower serum 25(OH)D levels are both associated with loss of knee cartilage (assessed by radiograph or MRI). This implies that achieving vitamin D sufficiency may prevent and/or retard cartilage loss in knee OA.

Serum vitamin D levels and markers of severity of childhood asthma in costa rica.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009 May 1;179(9):765-71.
Channing Laboratory, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Higher vitamin D intake during pregnancy has been associated with a lower likelihood of asthma symptoms in early childhood. This study looks at vitamin D levels as a marker of asthma severity in childhood. The researchers examined 616 Costa Rican children between the ages of 6 and 14 years. RESULTS: Of the 616 children with asthma, 175 (28%) had insufficient levels of vitamin D (<30 ng/ml). Vitamin D levels were significantly and inversely associated with total IgE and eosinophil count (the higher the D level the lower the IgE and eosinophil count). Statistics showed that a higher vitamin D level was associated with reduced odds of any hospitalization in the previous year (P = 0.03), any use of antiinflammatory medications in the previous year (P = 0.01), and increased airway responsiveness (P = 0.05]). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that vitamin D insufficiency is relatively frequent in an equatorial population of children with asthma. In these children, lower vitamin D levels are associated with greater allergy and asthma severity.

Maternal Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with Bacterial Vaginosis in the First Trimester of Pregnancy.
J Nutr. 2009 Apr 8.
Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA 15261.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a highly prevalent vaginal infection that is associated with complications of pregnancy. Vitamin D exerts an influence on the immune system and may play a role in BV. This study examined the association between maternal vitamin D and the prevalence of BV in early pregnancy. Women (n = 469) enrolled in a pregnancy study at <16 wk of pregnancy underwent a pelvic examination and provided a blood sample for determination of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. RESULTS: Approximately 41% of women had BV and 52% had a serum 25(OH)D concentration <15 ng/mL. The average serum 25(OH)D concentration was lower among BV cases compared with women with normal vaginal bacteria (P < 0.001). There was less BV as vitamin D levels increased (P < 0.001). Approximately 57% of the women with a serum 25(OH)D concentration <8 ng/mL had BV compared with 23% of women with a serum 25(OH)D concentration >32 ng/mL. There was a dose-response association between 25(OH)D and the prevalence of BV. The prevalence declined as 25(OH)D increased to 80 nmol/L, then reached a plateau. Remember from the Vitamin D Cure that you want your level to be at or above 35 ng/mL. Compared with a serum 25(OH)D concentration of 30 ng/mL, there were 1.65-fold and 1.26-fold increases in the prevalence of BV associated with a serum 25(OH)D concentration of 8 and 20 ng/mL, respectively, after adjustment for race and sexually transmitted diseases. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with BV and may contribute to the strong racial disparity in the prevalence of BV.

Vitamin D Success Story
Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating others to change their lifestyle.

This months success story comes from Angel at …..@arosurf.com

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Dowd and his book/blog/efforts! Hoo RA!

After a lifetime of trials and challenges I was finally diagnosed with celiac disease at the age of 44. My doctor had the right mind to check my vitamin D level (21ng/mL) and gave me an Rx. This led me out of my lifelong depression. Much body pain subsided; daily pain was nonexistent, yet pains were great and hard to recover when I went to the gym to work off my 100 excess pounds with a trainer 3x/week. (I didn’t know what fibromyalgia was though had experienced it for years).

After I thought my gut healed with a gluten-free diet, I decided to stop supplements. By the next winter my vitamin D had gone down to 17ng/mL, and I was a depressed mess and in pain again.

After reading a few websites, listening to a fibro sufferer on You Tube and reading your book, I finally realized how important the supplements were to my diet. I started taking them earnestly since May of last year, got one to two hours daily sunshine, and my November tests last year was 64 ng/mL. My pain is gone and when I exercise I am sore for one day, which is normal and reasonable!

I weighed around 250 lbs at the time of my celiac diagnosis, gained 22 pounds trying all the gluten-free grained products and/or when I didn’t know what to eat, I’d eat Yoplait, sometimes up to 5 a day (can you say HFCS?!) before figuring out what pre-diabetes was. I’ve lost 50 lbs now, and being able to exercise routinely has changed my life. THANK YOU SO MUCH for being part of my life! I try to tell everyone about your book, and what a difference it has made to me….

…I had my immediate family members vitamin D levels tested and my husband’s vitamin D was 13!!!!! My daughter’s was 23. My hubby has gout, high blood pressure, stiffness, and metabolic syndrome. Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen! HE resisted my efforts for heaven’s sake. “We” likely saved his life. No doctor ever thought to do this simple test. Both family members are taking supplements now. (BTW, I’ve also read Loren Cordain’s, Daniel Amen’s, and Jack Challem’s books! and also Carolyn Dean’s The Magnesium Miracle + many more — your book was a great compilation of much of the info I’ve read elsewhere!)

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU etc. I eat up your blog! (no calories!)

The short answer is Not D2.

There are two forms of vitamin D you can purchase as supplements, vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol, Drisdol the RX form of D) and D3 (cholecalciferol, no RX version paid for by insurance).

D2 comes from plants. D3 is made by mammals from cholesterol with the assistance of UVB radiation and heat. The biological half life of D2 in humans has been determined to be about 3-5 days with complete elimination occuring in 1-2 weeks. The biological half life of D3 as determined by submarine mariners is about 10 weeks. There has been no studies looking at how long it takes to deplete a human to zero D3, although I have seen such patients. The decay of vitamin D or conversion to an inactive form is not a linear process so vitamin D does not follow normal pharmacokinetics.

Normal pharmacokinetics state that in 4 half-lives you reach steady state at a given dose or you reach near complete elimination in the absence of drug. Vitamin D2 would have to be dosed about every 3 days for there to be any sort of steady state because of its very short half life in humans. This is why patients replaced with vitamin D2 once a week or less frequently see variable increases in their vitamin D levels. In general weekly or monthly dosing of D2 will not produce significant rises in vitamin D levels or vitamin D effect. A recent meta-analysis on the effects of vitamin D on bone confirms the inefficacy of vitamin D as it is commonly prescribed. Vitamin D2 to be effective must be dosed about every 3 days. Unfortuanately, there is only one dose of D2 readily available and that is 50,000 IU. That is like trying to do eye surgery with a screw driver and hammer. It is the wrong tool for the job.

Vitamin D3 replacement at a given dose will reach steady state in 10 weeks the same as its half-life in submariners. The long half life of vitamin D3 allows for missed doses without a tremendous drop in blood level. It allows for make up doses and weekly or monthly dosing while still maintaining a steady blood level. Moreover, vitamin D3 is available over the counter at very low cost. Carlson Labs is a reputable manufacturer in business since the mid 1970s. A year’s supply of vitamin D3 gel caps by Carlson Labs costs about 25 dollars. The copay for a Drisdol (D2) prescription is likely to be as much for every month’s supply. You can get Carlson Labs vitamin D at many online retailers for very low cost including shipping.

So we have reviewed, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, convenience, and cost all coming down on the side of D3. The final issue is blood testing. Vitamin D2 is only reliably detectable by two current methods of measurement, HPLC dual mass spec and the Diasorin immunoassay. Mayo Clinic performs the mass spec technique with reliable precision but the prescision and reliability of other labs performing this technique is variable. (see my blog Vitamin D Testing Errors Continue) If you test your blood using a method that does not reliably detect D2 and your are taking D2, then you are not going to see a rise in your D level and this could be dangerous. LabCorp uses the Diasorin method to measure vitamin D capturing both D2 and D3 as a single total value. If you are not taking vitamin D2 then there is no concern over the D2 measurement issue only the accuracy of testing.

I hope this clears up all the confusion about D2 and D3. Happy supplementation.

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com). If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .

Sesame Chicken & Snow Peas Rice Bowl

2 tsp. Toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. Fresh ginger, peeled & minced
2 tsp. Fresh lemongrass, peeled & minced (optional)
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 pound Chicken breasts, skinless & boneless, cut into 1-in. cubes
2 cups Fresh snow peas (may substitute shelled or whole edamame (green soybeans))
2 cups Frozen bell pepper stir-fry mix
2 Tbsp. Low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tsp. Toasted sesame oil
¼ tsp. Potato starch (may substitute cornstarch)
½ cup Green onions, cut diagonally into ¼ in. pieces
2 tsp. Dark sesame seeds
½ tsp. Sea salt
2 cups Hot cooked brown or wild rice

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add ginger, lemongrass, and garlic; sauté 1 minute until mixture becomes fragrant.

2. Add chicken; sauté 2 minutes. Add snow peas and stir-fry mix; sauté another 3 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil and potato starch, and whisk to combine. Add to pan; cook another minute.

4. Remove from heat and stir in green onions, sesame seeds and sea salt.

5. Serve over rice.

Yield: 6 servings (2/3 cup chicken mixture and 1/3 cup rice)

Vitamin D and Diet in the News
This month’s Archives of Internal Medicine has three very important articles about vitamin D and diet that further confirm the messages in The Vitamin D Cure. Vitamin D deficiency is becoming more prevalent due to changes in our lifestyle. Supplementation is effective at reducing fractures from vitamin D deficiency. And protein is not the enemy. Lean protein is an ally especially when combined with 2-3 times as much green produce.

Demographic differences and trends of vitamin D insufficiency in the US population, 1988-2004.
The prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency appears to be rising. Comparing serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), collected during 1988 through 1994, with NHANES data collected from 2001 through 2004 (NHANES 2001-2004). The authors sought to evaluate US population trends in vitamin D insufficiency. The mean serum 25(OH)D level was 30 (95% confidence interval [CI], 29-30) ng/mL during NHANES III and decreased to 24 (23-25) ng/mL during NHANES 2001-2004. Accordingly, the prevalence of 25(OH)D levels of less than 10 ng/mL increased from 2% (95% CI, 2%-2%) to 6% (5%-8%), and 25(OH)D levels of 30 ng/mL or more decreased from 45% (43%-47%) to 23% (20%-26%). The prevalence of 25(OH)D levels of less than 10 ng/mL in non-Hispanic blacks rose from 9% during NHANES III to 29% during NHANES 2001-2004, with a corresponding decrease in the prevalence of levels of 30 ng/mL or more from 12% to 3%. National data demonstrate a marked decrease in serum 25(OH)D levels from the 1988-1994 to the 2001-2004 NHANES data collections. Racial/ethnic differences have persisted and may have important implications for known health disparities. These findings are consistent with the digitalization of our society, lack of sun exposure, and inappropriate use of sunscreen discussed in The Vitamin D Cure.

Prevention of nonvertebral fractures with oral vitamin D and dose dependency: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Antifracture efficacy with supplemental vitamin D has been questioned by recent trials. Dr. Bischoff-Ferrari performed a meta-analysis on the efficacy of oral supplemental vitamin D in preventing nonvertebral and hip fractures among older individuals (≥65 years). She included 12 double-blind randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for nonvertebral fractures (n = 42 279) and 8 RCTs for hip fractures (n = 40 886) comparing oral vitamin D, with or without calcium, with calcium or placebo. Consistently, pooling trials with a higher received dose of more than 400 IU/d resolved heterogeneity. For the higher dose, the pooled RR was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.72-0.89; n = 33 265 subjects from 9 trials) for nonvertebral fractures and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.69-0.97; n = 31 872 subjects from 5 trials) for hip fractures. The higher dose reduced nonvertebral fractures in community-dwelling individuals by 29% and institutionalized older individuals by 15%, and its effect was independent of calcium supplementation. Hence, nonvertebral fracture prevention with vitamin D is dose dependent, and a higher dose should reduce fractures by at least 20% for individuals aged 65 years or older.

Meat intake and mortality: a prospective study of over half a million people.
This study was designed to determine the relations of red, white, and processed meat intakes to risk for total and cause-specific mortality. The study population included the National Institutes of Health-AARP (formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons) Diet and Health Study cohort of half a million people aged 50 to 71 years at baseline. Meat intake was estimated from a food frequency questionnaire. Red and processed meat intakes were associated with modest increases in total mortality, cancer mortality, and cardiovascular disease mortality. However, higher white meat intake which included poultry and fish were associated with modest decreases in total mortality, cancer mortality, and cardiovascular disease mortality. These results confirm the results of other studies regarding the benefits of lean meats or fish intake on overall health and longevity.

Vitamin D Success Story
Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating others to change their lifestyle.

I started very painful arthritis in 1987 and was diagnosed with RA in 1991. I went into remission after 4 years of Gold shots, also diagnosed with FMS (Fibromyalgia) in 1995. Then in 2007 was diagnosed with RA again. This time the doctor checked my Vitamin D levels and found I had no Vit D at all. She ordered 50,000 units of vitamin D for 1 month checking regularly, then renewed it another month. Finally the levels have gotten back to normal. I have endured over 20 years of pain, and will always have some pain, but am way better now! I am about 80% free of pain now!
Pete….@aol.com

Do something sexy for your special someone. Give them vitamin D. It will boost their mood, memory, muscle strength, and immune system while reducing their risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and death from all causes.

Recipe of the Month

Milanese-Style Chicken and Arugula Salad

Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette

• ½ C. Red Wine Vinegar
• ¼ C. Basil Leaves
• 4 Plum tomatoes cut into chunks
• 2 t. Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 t sugar
• ½ t salt
• 4 Large garlic clove

1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
2. Pour ½ cup dressing into 2qt glass baking dish, reserve remaining dressing

Salad

• 4 Skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 4 Red bell peppers cut into quarters
• 1 t Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pkg Baby Arugula
• ¼ C Pine nuts, toasted

3. Place chicken in glass baking dish and marinate for 30 minutes
4. Preheat grill or broiler
5. Brush peppers with oil and grill along with chicken until tender and peppers are to desired texture
6. Divide arugula between four plates.
7. Slice chicken and place on arugula with thinly sliced peppers.
8. Drizzle with vinaigrette and top with pine nuts

Serves 4

Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com). If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .

Vitamin D in the News

Muscle weakness is an important symptom of vitamin D deficiency, but it has not been well studied. This study was based in a secondary school. A total of 99, 12- to 14-yr-old girls were included. Median serum 25(OH)D3 concentration was 8 ng/mL. They found a positive relationship between 25(OH)D and jump velocity (P = 0.002), jump height (P = 0.005), power (P = 0.003), Esslinger Fitness Index (P = 0.003), and force (P = 0.05). From these data they concluded that vitamin D was significantly associated with muscle power and force in adolescent girls.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease associated with genes in the tissue typing class (MHC class II) region of our genome. Population data on MS provide strong evidence that environmental factors act to influence the unusual geographical distribution of this disease. Growing evidence implicates sunlight or vitamin D as a key environmental factor in its cause. This study implicates vitamin D as a strong environmental candidate in MS by demonstrating direct functional interaction with a gene that increases susceptibility to disease (HLA DRB1). These findings support a connection between the population data and the genetic features of this disease with major practical implications for studies of disease cause and prevention.

The immune system has long been known to be influenced by essential nutrients in our diet. Vitamins A and D have been shown to have an unexpected and crucial effect on the immune response. This review discusses our current understanding of the essential roles of these nutrients in modulating a broad range of immune processes, such as white cell (T-cell) activation and proliferation, T-helper-cell differentiation, tissue-specific white blood cell homing, the production of specific antibodies and regulation of the immune response. Finally, they discuss the clinical potential of vitamins A and D for modulating immune responses and for preventing and/or treating inflammation and autoimmunity.

Vitamin D Success Story

Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com , or tell your story in a book review, online at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating others to change their lifestyle.

Our success story this week comes from the February issue of Fitness Magazine for which Dr. Dowd was interviewed. Check out this link.