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Home > Anti-aging Research > Vitamin D

Vitamin D

Where to purchase:

• Vitamin D products at iHerb
• 2,500 IU on vitamin D at iHerb
• Vitacost vitamin D products

General Information:

• Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol) - Vitacost Health Library
• Rickets/Osteomalacia - Vitacost Health Library
• Vitamin D - The Natural Pharmacist
• Understanding Vitamin D Cholecalciferol - Vitamin D Council
• A New Look at Vitamin D - thenutritionreporter.com

News & Research:

• Diagnosis and treatment of vitamin D deficiency - vitamindcouncil.org - "It is important to understand that neither the regular consumption of recommended amounts of vitamin D (e.g., 100 IU/8-oz glass of milk) effectively prevents vitamin D deficiency [79,80]. Furthermore, 2000 IU/day for 1 year failed to achieve a 32 ng/ml target 25(OH)D concentration in 40% of 104 African-American women studied [81]. Even the administration of 4000 IU/day for > 6 months to middle-age Canadian endocrinology out-patients, resulted in average 25(OH)D levels of 44 ng/ml and produced no side effects other than an improved mood [70]. Heaney estimated that ~ 3000 IU/day of vitamin D is required to assure that 97% of Americans obtain levels > 35 ng/ml [43]. Healthy adult men use between 3000 and 5000 IU of vitamin D/day, if it is available [82]"
• News - Vitamin D Status During Pregnancy Affects Baby's Dental Health - Doctor's Guide, 7/3/08 - "Low maternal vitamin D levels during pregnancy may affect primary tooth calcification, leading to enamel defects, which are a risk factor for early childhood tooth decay"
• Some Seek Guidelines to Reflect Vitamin D's Benefits - washingtonpost.com, 7/4/0 - "A flurry of recent research indicating that Vitamin D may have a dizzying array of health benefits has reignited an intense debate over whether federal guidelines for the "sunshine vitamin" are outdated, leaving millions unnecessarily vulnerable to cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other ailments"
• Vitamin D May Up Colon Cancer Survival - WebMD, 6/18/08 - "patients with colon cancer who were among the top 25% in levels of vitamin D before being diagnosed were less likely to die during the study period than those who were among the 25% with the lowest levels of the vitamin" - [Science Daily] - See 2,500 IU on vitamin D at iHerb
• Adults still risk vitamin D deficiency - USA Today, 6/16/08 - "She began screening all of her patients last year and says 95% have come up deficient. "I'm even seeing it in twenty- and thirty somethings," she says"
• Lack of vitamin D rampant in infants, teens - USA Today, 6/16/08 - "Vitamin D deficiency is much more of a health problem than anyone realized ... 40% of infants and toddlers tested below average for vitamin D. In a previous study, Gordon and fellow researchers discovered that 42% of adolescents were vitamin D deficient ... Current recommendations by the Institute of Medicine suggest 200 IUs of vitamin D a day for children and 400 IUs for adults, but Callahan, who serves on an institute committee that aims to update those guidelines, says she suggests higher levels to many of her patients, at least 800 to 1,000 IUs a day"
• Vitamin D: New Way To Treat Heart Failure? - Science Daily, 6/11/08 - "treatments with activated vitamin D prevented heart muscle cells from growing bigger – the condition, called hypertrophy, in which the heart becomes enlarged and overworked in people with heart failure. The treatments prevented heart muscle cells from the over-stimulation and increased contractions associated with the progression of heart failure"
• Low Vitamin D Ups Heart Risk in Men - WebMD, 6/9/08 - "men who had vitamin D levels of 15 ng/mL or less in their blood samples -- an indication of vitamin D deficiency -- had an increased risk for heart attack compared to those whose vitamin D level was considered sufficient (30 ng/mL). The twofold increased risk remained significant even when adjusting for other factors known to contribute to heart disease, such as high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of heart disease"
• Sun Exposure And Vitamin D Levels May Play Strong Role In Risk Of Type 1 Diabetes In Children - Science Daily, 6/5/08 - "This research suggests that childhood type 1 diabetes may be preventable with a modest intake of vitamin D3 (1000 IU/day) for children, ideally with 5 to 10 minutes of sunlight around noontime, when good weather allows"
• Vitamin D Promising Against IgA Nephropathy - Medscape, 6/3/08 - "The patients were given oral calcitriol 0.5 mcg twice weekly for 12 weeks. The team found a progressive decrease in urine protein-creatinine ratio from 1.98 g/g to 0.81 g/g during the first 6 weeks. This persisted throughout the study period ... There was a simultaneous decrease in serum TGF-beta level, and the percentage of decrease in serum TGF-beta level significantly correlated with percentage of change in proteinuria"
• Maternal Vitamin D Deficiency May Increase Risk for Preeclampsia - Medscape, 6/3/08 - "Compared with controls, women who subsequently developed preeclampsia had lower adjusted serum 25(OH)D concentrations in early pregnancy (geometric mean, 45.4 vs 53.1 nmol/L; 95% confidence interval [CI], 38.6 - 53.4 vs 47.1 - 59.9 nmol/L; P < .01) ... After adjusting for potential confounders, a 50-nmol/L decrease in 25(OH)D concentration was associated with twice the risk for preeclampsia (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1 - 5.4). Compared with control newborns, those of women with preeclampsia were twice as likely to have 25(OH)D concentrations less than 37.5 nmol/L"
• Babies, Tots Low on Vitamin D - WebMD, 6/2/08 - "Forty percent of those kids had suboptimal blood levels of vitamin D, including 12% who had vitamin D deficiency. And X-rays showed that a third of kids with vitamin D deficiency had bone demineralization, a sign of thinner bones ... Breastfed babies were particularly likely to be low in vitamin D"
• Current Vitamin D Recommendations Fraction Of Safe, Perhaps Essential Levels For Children - Science Daily, 5/27/08 - "The current recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin D for children is 200 International Units (IUs), but new research reveals that children may need and can safely take ten-times that amount ... Only children given the equivalent of 2,000 IUs a day of vitamin D increased 25-OHD levels from the mid-teens to the mid-thirties (ng/ml)--the level considered optimal for adults. None of the children in either trial showed any evidence for vitamin D intoxication"
• Supplement Your Knowledge of Vitamin D - WebMD, 5/19/08 - "That's not enough, Boston University vitamin D expert Michael Holick, MD, PhD, tells WebMD. Holick recommends a dose of 1,000 IU a day of vitamin D for both infants and adults -- unless they're getting plenty of safe sun exposure ... The Vitamin D Council recommends that healthy adults take 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily -- more if they get little or no sun exposure ... some recent studies suggest that healthy adults can tolerate more than 10,000 IU of vitamin D per day. John Jacob Cannell, MD, executive director of The Vitamin D Council, notes that the skin makes 10,000 IU of vitamin D after 30 minutes of full-body sun exposure. He suggests that 10,000 IU of vitamin D is not toxic"
• Aggressive Vitamin D Treatment for Osteoporosis - Medscape, 5/19/08 - "Singh called the findings "alarming" and said that although many physicians believe vitamin D deficiency is not a problem, with 41% of study patients found to have a vitamin D level of less than 30 ng/mL, "most likely that is not true," he said"
• Link Between Vitamin D Status And Breast Cancer Illuminated - Science Daily, 5/15/08 - "This is the first study, to our knowledge, to show that higher serum levels of vitamin D are associated with reduced incidence rates of breast cancer worldwide"
• Prostates protected by vitamin D: study - Nutra USA, 5/14/08 - "In this study, we have demonstrated that 1,25-(OH)2D can protect nonmalignant human prostate epithelial cells against H2O2-induced cell death through modulating the ROS defense systems, suggesting a possible role of 1,25-(OH)2D in prostate cancer prevention"
• Hypovitaminosis D Appears Common Among Skin Cancer Population - oncologystat.com, 5/12/08 - "Nearly all patients undergoing Mohs surgery for nonmelanoma skin cancer were found to be vitamin D deficient"
• Vitamin D Protects Cells From Stress That Can Lead To Cancer - Science Daily, 5/13/08 - "By inducing a specific gene to increase expression of a key enzyme, vitamin D protects healthy prostate cells from the damage and injuries that can lead to cancer"
• Vitamin D and cancer: maintaining levels key to protection? - Nutra USA, 5/12/08 - "After adjusting for various potential confounding factors, the researchers report that people with the highest level of 25(OH)D (76.3 nanomoles per litre) were 55 per cent less likely to die form fatal cancer than those with the lowest levels (18.1 nmol/L)" - [Abstract]
• Vitamin D Linked to Reduced Mortality Rate in Chronic Kidney Disease - Doctor's Guide, 5/7/08 - "For patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), treatment with activated vitamin D may reduce the risk of death by approximately one-fourth"
• Many Depressed Older Adults Lack Vitamin D - WebMD, 5/6/08 - "Researchers reporting in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry have linked low blood levels of vitamin D -- the "sunshine vitamin" -- and increased parathyroid hormone levels to depression among older adults"
• Vitamin D3 for 1 Year Is Safe in Adolescents - Medscape, 5/5/08 - "Vitamin D3 at doses equivalent to 2000 IU/day for 1 year is safe in adolescents and results in desirable vitamin D levels"
• A Too-Good-to-Be-True Nutrient? - washingtonpost.com. 4/29/08 - "Among the more intriguing findings is a recent review of 18 studies involving nearly 60,000 people that showed those who took Vitamin D supplements had a 7 percent reduction in mortality from all causes compared with those who didn't take the supplements"
• Low Vitamin D, High CRP Linked to Poorer Function in Heart Failure Patients - Medscape, 4/28/08 - "Lower vitamin D levels and higher C-reactive protein levels are associated with poor aerobic capacity and greater frailty in elderly patients with heart failure"
• High Blood Levels Of Vitamin D Protect Women From Breast Cancer, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 4/22/08 - "Women with a very low blood level of 25(OH)D have a considerably increased breast cancer risk. The effect was found to be strongest in women who were not taking hormones for relief of menopausal symptoms"
• Vitamin D Important In Brain Development And Function - Science Daily, 4/21/08 - "there is ample biological evidence to suggest an important role for vitamin D in brain development and function, and that supplementation for groups chronically low in vitamin D is warranted"
• Vitamin D May Protect Against Peripheral Artery Disease - Science Daily, 4/20/08 - "When the researchers adjusted for age, sex, race and co-existing health problems, they found that PAD was 64 percent more common in the group with the lowest vitamin D levels compared with the group with the highest levels"
• Vitamin D status linked to artery health: study - Nutra USA, 4/17/08 - "Data from 4839 participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) showed that the prevalence of PAD was 4.4 per cent lower in people with blood levels of vitamin D above 29.2 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL) than in people with blood levels below 17.8 ng/mL"
• Vitamin D And Calcium Influence Cell Death In The Colon, Researchers Find - Science Daily, 4/13/08 - "We were pleased that the effects of calcium and vitamin D were visible enough in this small study to be significant and reportable"
• Vitamin D Deficiency May Be To Blame For Soft Bones In Baby's Skull - Science Daily, 3/26/08 - "Softening of the skull bones in normal-looking babies might reflect vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy"
• Vitamin D May Cut Child Diabetes Risk - WebMD, 3/12/08 - "giving infants vitamin D supplements cuts their risk of type 1 diabetes by 29% ... infants in wintry Finland are 400 times more likely than a child in sunny Venezuela to have childhood diabetes"
• The vitamin D miracle: Is it for real? - globeandmail.com, 3/8/08 - "... Researchers in Australia are testing this hypothesis by studying the brains of rats born to pregnant mothers deprived of vitamin D - with alarming results. The vitamin-D-deprived rodent brains had more cell proliferation, enlarged ventricles and less of a protein necessary for nerve growth ..." - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• A Ray Of Sunshine In The Fight Against Cancer: Vitamin D May Help - Science Daily, 2/13/08 - "It sounds too good to be true … a little inexpensive pill that could block the development of some cancers, strengthen bones, prevent multiple sclerosis and alleviate winter depression ... But it’s not science fiction. The “new aspirin” could be Vitamin D ... during the winter, Canadians take at least 1,000 units a day of Vitamin D"
• Vitamin D Appears to Cut Breast and Colorectal Cancer Risk - Medscape, 2/12/08 - "Compared with a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level less than 10 ng/mL, a level of 50 ng/mL reduced the risk for breast cancer by 50%. This level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D would require an average intake of 4000 IU of vitamin D per day, although the authors note that intake of 2000 IU per day combined with sun exposure of approximately 12 minutes per day with 50% of the skin exposed could also help patients achieve a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of 50 ng/mL ... Compared with a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level less than 12 ng/mL, a level of at least 33 ng/mL or more was associated with a 50% reduction in the risk for incident colorectal cancer ... vitamin D intake of 1000 to 2000 IU per day would confer an appropriate balance between protection against colorectal cancer and adverse events related to hypervitaminosis"
• Lack Of Vitamin D May Increase Heart Disease Risk - Science Daily, 1/7/08 - "those with blood levels of vitamin D below15 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) had twice the risk of a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack, heart failure or stroke in the next five years compared to those with higher levels of vitamin D ... Overall, 28 percent of individuals had levels of vitamin D below15 ng/mL and 9 percent had levels below10 ng/mL. Although levels above 30 ng/mL are considered optimal for bone metabolism, only 10 percent of the study sample had levels in this range"
• Sunlight: Good for Bad for Cancer Risk? - WebMD, 1/7/08 - "In populations with similar skin types, the incidence of all kinds of skin cancer increases from north to south, they found ... The incidence of internal cancers -- colon, lung, breast, and prostate -- also increased from north to south. But Setlow's team found that those who lived in southern latitudes -- and who made more vitamin D from sun exposure -- were much less likely to die from those cancers than were the northern latitude residents"
• Lung Cancer Rarer in Sunny Countries? - WebMD, 12/18/07
• Vitamin D2 just as good as D3? - Nutra USA, 1/4/08 - "Previously, researchers from Creighton University in Omaha reported in 2004 that while both forms of the vitamin do produce similar rises in serum concentration of the native vitamin, indicating equivalent absorption, only vitamin D3 sustained 25(OH)D levels over a 14 day period. However, serum 25OHD fell rapidly in the D2-supplemented subjects and was not different from baseline at 14 days"
• Vitamin D2 Is As Effective As Vitamin D3 In Maintaining Concentrations Of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 1/2/08 - Note:  That contradicts previous studies.  I err on the safe side.  See:
  • Vitamin D2 is much less effective than vitamin D3 in humans - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Nov;89(11):5387-91 - "Vitamin D(2) potency is less than one third that of vitamin D(3). Physicians resorting to use of vitamin D(2) should be aware of its markedly lower potency and shorter duration of action relative to vitamin D(3)"
• Vitamin D Supplementation Reduces Fatigue and Muscle Pain in Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 12/17/07 - "Treatment of low levels of vitamin D in women with early stage breast cancer appears to reduce fatigue and muscle pain associated with aromatase inhibitor therapy"
• Lung cancer 'link to lack of sun' - BBC News, 12/18/07 - "Cancer results when cells start to divide in an uncontrolled fashion ... vitamin D stimulated the release of chemicals which, in combination with calcium, formed a glue-like substance which bind these cells tightly together, and put a brake on their division"
• Vitamin D dose study adds weight to intake increases - Nutra USA, 12/12/07 - "Doses of vitamin D3 of 2,000 International Units (IU) - the current tolerable upper intake level (UL) in Europe and the US - are needed to ensure blood levels of the vitamin amongst post-menopausal African-American women ... A recent review of the science reported that the tolerable upper intake level for oral vitamin D3 should be increased five-fold, from the current tolerable upper intake level (UL) in Europe and the US of 2000 International Units (IU), equivalent to 50 micrograms per day, to 10,000 IU" - [Abstract]
• Vitamin D Deficiency Highly Prevalent Among Epilepsy Patients - Medscape, 12/6/07 - "the study showed 44.5% of epilepsy patients — 45.3% of men and 43.7% of women — were vitamin D deficient, putting these patients at potential increased risk for a wide variety of conditions, including osteoporosis, autoimmune disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and infectious disease, among others"
• Higher Vitamin D Levels May Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk - Medscape, 11/19/07 - "During a 17-year follow-up of a Finnish cohort of approximately 4,000 men and women, researchers demonstrated that individuals with a higher serum vitamin D level had a 40% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with lower values"
• Can Calcium & Vitamin D Reduce Diabetes Risk? - Physician's Weekly, 11/19/07 - "found a relatively consistent association between low vitamin D status, calcium or dairy intake, and prevalent type 2 diabetes based on the utilization of vitamin D and/or calcium supplementation ... a combination of vitamin D and calcium supplements may play a role in type 2 diabetes prevention particularly in high-risk populations"
• Low Vitamin D Levels May Worsen Osteoarthritis Of The Knee - Science Daily, 11/15/07 - "Researchers studied 65 women and 35 men in their sixties who showed signs of having knee OA by measuring blood levels of vitamin D, their baseline knee pain, the time needed for arising several times from a chair, and the time needed to walk 20 meters ... Of the 100 participants, 47 percent were vitamin D deficient, with vitamin D levels below 30 ng/ml. This deficiency contributed to increased pain and difficulty walking among the participants" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Deficiency In Exposure To Sunlight Linked To Endometrial Cancer - Science Daily, 11/14/07 - "In general, endometrial cancer incidence was highest at the highest latitudes in both hemispheres ... This is the third environmental paper from this research team to show a strong association between vitamin D and cancer using global incidence data (GLOBOCAN). The first paper, which illuminated a similar pattern for kidney cancer, was published Sept. 15, 2006, in the International Journal of Cancer. The second, on ovarian cancer, was published Oct. 31, 2006, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine"
• Low Vitamin D Raises Pain and Functional Impairment in Osteoarthritis - Doctor's Guide, 11/12/07 - "Low levels of vitamin D are associated with more knee pain and walking difficulty in persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA)" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Live longer with vitamin D, study says - Nutra USA, 11/9/07
• Vitamin D 'may help slow ageing' - BBC News, 11/8/07 - "those with higher vitamin D levels showed fewer ageing-related changes in their DNA ...women with higher levels of vitamin D were more likely to have longer telomeres in these cells, and vice versa" - " See Vitamin D products at iHerb.
• Relationship between vitamin D and muscle size and strength in patients on hemodialysis - J Ren Nutr. 2007 Nov;17(6):397-407 - "Treatment with active vitamin D was associated with greater muscle size and strength in this cohort of HD patients"
• Exposure To Sunlight May Decrease Risk Of Advanced Breast Cancer By Half - Science Daily, 10/18/07 - "We believe that sunlight helps to reduce women's risk of breast cancer because the body manufactures the active form of vitamin D from exposure to sunlight ... It is possible that these effects were observed only among light- skinned women because sun exposure produces less vitamin D among women with naturally darker pigmentation"
• Vitamin D deficiency linked to greater pain - Nutra USA, 10/15/07 - "Of these patients, 26 per cent had vitamin D inadequacy and needed almost twice the dose of morphine of the group with adequate vitamin D levels"
• Prostate Cancer Survival Varies by Season - washingtonpost.com, 10/7/07 - "Summer and autumn months correspond to times when vitamin D is highest (in Norway). Although the study does not prove vitamin D is the determining factor, it does suggest that this possibility should be studied further ... Compared with men diagnosed in the summer and fall, those diagnosed in the winter and spring were 20 percent more likely to die within three years after diagnosis"
• Vitamin D Deficiency Prevalent, Minimum Recommended Dose May Be Too Low - Doctor's Guide, 9/26/07
• Low Vitamin D Linked To Higher Risk Of Hip Fracture - Science Daily, 9/20/07 - "The risk of hip fractures was 77 percent higher among women whose 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels were at the lowest concentrations ... most experts think that people need at least 800 to 1,000 international units a day"
• As Vitamins Go, D, You Are My Sunshine - washingtonpost.com, 9/18/07 - "the study found no "negative surprises" from taking vitamin D, as long as doses were kept between 300 to 2,000 international units (IU) per day"
• Vitamin D Supplements Appear To Be Associated With Lower Risk Of Death - Science Daily, 9/10/07
• Take Vitamin D, Live Longer? - WebMD, 9/10/07 - "People taking vitamin D were 7% less likely to die during the studies. The precise reason for their lower death rate isn't clear, and the reviewers aren't recommending a specific vitamin D dose"
• Low Vitamin D During Pregnancy Linked To Pre-eclampsia - Science Daily, 9/7/07 - "Low vitamin D early in pregnancy was associated with a five-fold increase in the odds of preeclampsia"
• Vitamin D for Cancer Prevention? - WebMD, 9/5/07 - "The 2,000-IU daily dose of vitamin D suggested by the reviewers is currently considered the "tolerable upper limit" for vitamin D ... a projected 50% reduction in colon cancer incidence would require a universal intake of 2,000 IU per day of vitamin D3 ... A similar reduction in breast cancer incidence would require 3,500 IU per day"
• The Impact of Low Vitamin D on Cardiovascular Outcomes - Physician's Weekly, 8/27/07 - "serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, or vitamin D, appears to be associated with important cardiovascular disease risk factors in adults ... The adjusted prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and high serum triglyceride levels was significantly higher for patients with lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D"
• Low Plasma Vitamin D Linked to Increased Risk of Rectal Cancer - Medscape, 8/22/07 - "We calculated the rectal cancer risk of the lowest quartile compared with the combined category of other quartiles in men and women ... These odds ratios were 4.6 in men and 2.7 in women"
• Study Shines More Light On Benefit Of Vitamin D In Fighting Cancer - Science Daily, 8/21/07 - "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 ... 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" - See vitamin D products at iHerb.
• One Dose of Vitamin D Enhances Immunity to Mycobacteria - Medscape, 8/2/07 - "In healthy people who have been in contact with tuberculosis patients, a single oral dose of vitamin D enhances antimycobacterial immunity"
• Sunshine 'protective' against MS - BBC News, 7/28/07 - "An earlier study found women who took vitamin D supplements were 40% less likely to develop MS ... Depending on the activity, the twin who spent more hours outdoors had up to a 57% reduced risk of developing MS"
• Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Elevated Blood Pressure - Medscape, 7/24/07 - "Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures in subjects in the highest 25OHD quintile (85.7 mmol/L or greater) were 3.0 mm Hg and 1.6 mm Hg lower, respectively, compared with patients in the lowest 25OHD quintile"
• Vitamin D Deficiency: Common And Problematic Yet Preventable - Science Daily, 7/19/07 - "Studies have shown people living at higher latitudes (where the angle of the sun's rays are unable to sufficiently produce adequate amounts of vitamin D in the skin) are more likely to develop and die of Hodgkin's lymphoma, colon, pancreatic, prostate, ovarian, breast and other cancers ... both prospective and retrospective epidemiologic studies have also shown an association between low levels of vitamin D and an increased risk for Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, hypertension and cardiovascular disease ... Holick believes the current recommended Adequate Intakes for vitamin D need to be increased to 800 -- 1000 IU vitaminD3/d"
• Low vitamin D levels may increase metabolic syndrome risk - Nutra USA, 7/17/07 - "The most relevant finding in our study was the association of vitamin D concentrations with lipid levels. Our results are in concordance with the concept that vitamin D appears to be necessary to maintain adequate apolipoprotein A-I concentrations, the main component of HDL cholesterol - [Abstract]
• National Osteoporosis Foundation's Updated Recommendations for Calcium and Vitamin D3 Intake - Doctor's Guide, 7/16/07 - "adults aged 50 years and older should have 1200 mg of calcium/day and 800 to 1,000 I.U. of vitamin D3/day"
• Vitamin D Fights Colon Cancer - WebMD, 7/10/07 - "The findings support a number of previous studies that link vitamin D to colon cancer protection, to protection against breast and ovarian cancer, to protection against pancreatic cancer, and to overall reduction of cancer risk"
• Kids' Bones at Risk From Low Vitamin D - WebMD, 7/9/07 - "55% of the children had lower than recommended vitamin D levels ... Overall, 68% of children had inadequate stores of the vitamin in their blood during the colder months when they spent more time indoors"
• Vitamin D Level May Be Low Despite Adequate Sun Exposure - Medscape, 6/29/07 - "Despite this abundant sun exposure, 51% of the subjects had serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations below 30 ng/mL, defined as "low vitamin D status ... Overall, vitamin D level did not correlate with age, skin color, or sun exposure"
• Low Vitamin D Linked to Increased CV Risk Factors - Medscape, 6/15/07 - "Adults with low serum levels of vitamin D are more likely to have hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and high triglycerides than are adults with higher vitamin-D levels"
• Cancer Benefit From Vitamin D? - WebMD, 6/8/07 - "Women in the four-year study took 1,500 milligrams of calcium supplementation either alone or with 1,100 International Units (IU) of vitamin D each day ... women who took both supplements wound up with nearly 60% less risk of cancers at the end of the study compared with women who took placebo"
• Study: Vitamin D Reduces Cancer Risk - washingtonpost.com, 6/8/07 - "Only 13 women, or 3 percent, developed cancer over four years of calcium and vitamin D supplements. With calcium alone, 17 women, or 4 percent, got cancer. With dummy pills, cancer appeared in 20 women, or 7 percent ... That shows a 60 percent lower cancer risk over four years in the group taking both supplements, compared to patients taking placebos"
• Decreased Vitamin D Levels Linked to Shorter Telomeres - Doctor's Guide, 6/5/07 - "Investigators found the difference in TRFL between the highest and lowest tertiles of vitamin D was 92.6 base pairs (P =.006). That result was equivalent to 4.2 years of telomeric aging"
• Calcium/Vitamin D Slows Weight Gain - WebMD, 5/14/07 - "Half the women took 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D every day ... Women not taking enough calcium were getting the greatest benefit. They were 11% less likely to gain weight and more likely to remain weight-stable or lose weight"
• Higher Intake Of Fish And Vitamin D Levels Linked To Lower Risk Of Age-related Macular Disease - Science Daily, 5/14/07 - "When participants were split into five groups based on level of vitamin D in the blood, those in the highest group had a 40 percent lower risk of early AMD than those in the lowest group"
• Nutrients may cut macular degeneration risk - CNN, 5/14/07 - "Taking vitamin D and eating fish -- especially those high in omega-3 fatty acids -- may reduce the risk of the most common cause of blindness among the elderly"
• Vitamin D Supplements May Offer Cheap And Effective Immune System Boost Against TB - Science Daily, 5/14/07 - "a single 2.5mg dose of vitamin D may be enough to boost the immune system to fight against tuberculosis (TB) and similar bacteria for at least 6 weeks"
• The Vitamin D Pandemic and its Health Consequences - Michael Holick, 5/7/08
• High Calcium And Vitamin D Intakes Associated WIth Higher Risk Of Cognitive Impairment In Elderly - Science Daily, 5/1/07 - "we do not know if high calcium and vitamin D intake are involved with the causation of brain lesions, but the study provides support to the growing number of researchers who are concerned about the effects of too much calcium, particularly among older adults, given the current emphasis on promoting high intakes of calcium and vitamin D"
• Low Vitamin D Levels Linked To Poor Physical Performance In Older Adults - Science Daily, 4/23/07 - "physical performance and grip strength were about five to 10 percent lower in those who had low levels of vitamin D ... Current recommendations call for people from age 50 to 69 to get 400 international units (IUs) of vitamin D per day and for those over age 70 ... Higher amounts of vitamin D may be needed for the preservation of muscle strength and physical function as well as other conditions such as cancer prevention"
• Higher Dose of Vitamin D May Reduce Risk for Falls in Nursing Home Residents - Medscape, 3/2/07 - "Compared with residents taking placebo, those taking 800 IU had a 72% lower adjusted-incidence rate ratio of falls during the 5-month study"
• Vitamin D Deficiency Widespread During Pregnancy - Doctor's Guide, 3/1/07 - "Our study shows that current vitamin D dietary intake recommendations are not enough to meet the demands of pregnancy"
• Vitamin D May Reduce Falls In Elderly Nursing Home Residents - Science Daily, 2/22/07 - "seniors taking a high daily dose of vitamin D experienced 72 percent fewer falls compared to those taking a placebo ... The dose that was most effective, 800 International Units per day, is higher than the dose typically prescribed to seniors"
• Vitamin D Appears to Cut Breast and Colorectal Cancer Risk - Medscape, 2/12/07 - "Compared with a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level less than 10 ng/mL, a level of 50 ng/mL reduced the risk for breast cancer by 50%. This level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D would require an average intake of 4000 IU of vitamin D per day, although the authors note that intake of 2000 IU per day combined with sun exposure of approximately 12 minutes per day with 50% of the skin exposed could also help patients achieve a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of 50 ng/mL"
• Vitamin D Backed For Cancer Prevention In Two New Studies - Science Daily, 2/8/07 - "Two new vitamin D studies using a sophisticated form of analysis called meta-analysis, in which data from multiple reports is combined, have revealed new prescriptions for possibly preventing up to half of the cases of breast cancer and two-thirds of the cases of colorectal cancer in the United States ... The serum level associated with a 50 percent reduction in risk could be maintained by taking 2,000 international units of vitamin D3 daily plus, when the weather permits, spending 10 to 15 minutes a day in the sun"
• Could Some Sun Be Good for Your Skin? - WebMD, 1/29/07 - "There is a growing body of research suggesting that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk for a host of human cancers, as well as other disorders including type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, and multiple sclerosis"
• Vitamin D May Protect Against MS - WebMD, 12/19/06 - "Compared with whites with the lowest levels, those with the highest were found to have a 62% lower risk for developing the disease ... Most multivitamins contain 400 IU of vitamin D, which has been thought to be a sufficient daily dosage. But Finn argues that most people need between 800 and 1,000 IU a day, especially in the winter"
• Almost Everyone Needs More of the Sunshine Vitamin - US News, 12/18/06 - "A single nutrient that keeps bones strong, wards off diabetes, and protects against tuberculosis, cancer, colds, and the flu ... the rash of new findings suggests to the experts that the guidelines are way too low ... many people suffering symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia actually have a painful softening of the bones that is caused by a D deficiency ... having too little appears to cause the immune system to weaken as well"
• Deficiency In Exposure To Sunlight Linked To Ovarian Cancer - Science Daily, 11/2/06 - "This new global study shows a link between deficiency of vitamin D and increased incidence of ovarian cancer, suggesting that vitamin D supplementation may reduce the incidence of this aggressive cancer"
• New Study Gives Further Hope That Vitamin D Can Fight Breast Cancer - Science Daily, 10/17/06 - "women with early stage disease had significantly higher levels of vitamin D (15 to 184 mmol/litre) than the women in the advanced stages of the disease (16 to 146 mmol/litre)"
• Vitamin D May Slow Breast Cancer - WebMD, 10/17/06 - "women with early-stage breast cancer had much higher levels of vitamin D in their blood than women with more advanced disease"
• Vitamin D May Cut Pancreatic Cancer Risk By Nearly Half - Science Daily, 9/12/06 - "taking the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance of Vitamin D (400 IU/day) reduced the risk of pancreatic cancer by 43 percent ... Vitamin D has shown strong potential for preventing and treating prostate cancer, and areas with greater sunlight exposure have lower incidence and mortality for prostate, breast, and colon cancers"
• Vitamin D May Cut Pancreatic Cancer - WebMD, 9/12/06
• Sun Exposure Cuts Cancer Risk at 16 Sites, Study Says - Medscape, 8/15/06 - "solar ultraviolet B irradiance is associated with reduced risk at 16 sites of cancer through production of vitamin D. These cancers include 6 sites of gastrointestinal cancers, 3 cancers of female sites, 3 urogenital cancers, 2 types of lymphomas, and 2 upper aerodigestive tract cancers"
• Current Recommended Vitamin D Intake May Not Be Optimal - Medscape, 7/19/06 - "An intake for all adults of >/=1000 IU (40 µg) vitamin D (cholecalciferol)/day is needed to bring vitamin D concentrations in no less than 50% of the population up to 75 nmol/L"
• Increasing Dietary and Supplemental Calcium - Medscape, 6/16/06 - "Postmenopausal women, as reported in many studies, tend to have average serum 25(OH)D values ranging from 50 to 55 nmol/L (20 to 22 ng/mL)[8,10] and are therefore absorbing the calcium they ingest with reduced efficiency ... raising serum 25(OH)D from the typical postmenopausal range up to 75 nmol/L resulted in a 33% reduction in all osteoporotic fractures combined"
• Vitamin D Targets Thrombosis in Cancer Patients - Doctor's Guide, 6/15/06
• New Research Clarifies Roles Of Calcium, Vitamin D, And Protein In Bone Health, Fracture Risk - Science Daily, 6/6/06 - "age has little bearing on the degree of deficiency. "Even young post-menopausal women should take some form of vitamin D supplementation,""
• 5 things you need to know about calcium - MSNBC, 5/26/06 - "You may need more vitamin D. Current federal recommendations for adults aged 51 to 70 still call for the 400 IU daily used in these studies. Yet research now shows that 700 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D a day appears necessary to reach the most healthy blood levels of vitamin D. A daily intake of 400 IU is now considered inadequate to prevent fractures"
• Low Vitamin D May Harm Teens’ Lungs - WebMD, 5/23/06 - "35% of the teens consumed less than 200 IU (international units) of vitamin D per day ... The teens who had low levels of vitamin D in their diets (157 IU or less) also had significantly lower lung function"
• Low Vitamin D Common in Elderly and Associated with Physical Function Loss - Doctor's Guide, 5/8/06 - "Vitamin D insufficiency is universally common in older adults and associated with more physical function loss over time"
• High Vitamin D Serum Levels Associated with Decreased Risk of Breast Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 4/10/06
• Vitamin D Reduces Breast Cancer Risk in Case-Control Study - Doctor's Guide, 4/10/06 - "Women who took cod liver oil for 10 years or more had a 34% reduced risk, relative to those who did not"
• High-dose vitamin D supplements act as anti-inflammatory - Nutra USA, 4/10/06
• Food Antioxidants, Vitamin D Fight Breast Cancer - HealthDay, 4/7/06 - "postmenopausal women who consumed high levels of flavonoids, a class of antioxidants found in plants, had a 45 percent lower risk of breast cancer ... Those who had the highest levels of intake of kaempferol had a 38 percent decrease in the incidence of ovarian cancer compared to women with the lowest levels of this flavonoid ... those with the highest blood levels of a vitamin D metabolite known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D had a 50 percent reduced risk of breast cancer"
• Vitamin D And Flavonoids Examined For Impact On Breast And Ovarian Cancers - Science Daily, 4/7/06 - "Vitamin D in blood serum equal to 52 nanograms per milliliter was associated with a 50 percent reduced risk of breast cancer. To move closer to a serum concentration of 52 nanograms/milliliter, a typical individual would have to consume no less than 1,000 International Units (IU) of Vitamin D every day, through supplements or vitamin D-fortified foods"
• Vitamin D May Protect Against Cancer - WebMD, 4/4/06 - "At least half of American adults suffer from vitamin D deficiencies that place them at increased risk of cancer ... taking at least 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily can slash the risk of breast, colon, and other cancers"
• Vitamin D linked to lower breast cancer risk - Nutra USA, 4/4/06 - "a serum vitamin D level of 52 nanograms per milliliter was associated with a 50 percent reduction in breast cancer risk. To have such a serum vitamin level would require a daily intake of about 1,000 International Units (IU)"
• Calcium, vitamin D may lower diabetes risk - Nutra USA, 4/3/06 - "A combined daily intake of more than 1,200 milligrams of calcium and more than 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D was associated with a 33 per cent lower risk of type-2 diabetes"
• Vitamin D and Cancer: A Goldilocks Paradox? - Medscape, 3/30/06 - "In laboratory models, vitamin D reduces cell proliferation and increases cell differentiation, improves cell adhesion, and inhibits cancer progression and metastasis"
• Women with Osteoporosis May Need More Vitamin D - Healthwell, 3/16/06 - "More than half of American women receiving drug therapy for osteoporosis are deficient in vitamin D ... The new research suggests that many women with osteoporosis are using drugs to treat a problem that could be helped simply by getting sun more often or by taking a nutritional supplement"
• Researchers Reveal Possibility Of Separating Anticancer Properties Of Vitamin D - Science Daily, 3/18/06
• Maternal Intake of Vitamin D during Pregnancy May Protect against Early Childhood Wheezing Illnesses - Doctor's Guide, 3/6/06
• Kids' Asthma Linked to Maternal Nutrition - HealthDay, 3/4/06 - "expectant mothers who take higher amounts of vitamin D may decrease their child's risk for asthma ... Vitamin D deficiency is common in areas where asthma is also widespread, raising the suspicion that the two are linked"
• Bone Supplements (Calcium and Vitamin D) review - ConsumerLab.com, 3/3/06
• Vitamin D - Cancer Prevention and Other New Uses - Life Extension Magazine, 3/06 - "Once considered little more than a compound that promotes healthy bones, vitamin D is now recognized as an important weapon in the fight against cancer ... While the Institute of Medicine suggests 400-600 IU of vitamin D daily, the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) advises that all men and women over the age of 50 should consume 800-1000 IU of vitamin D each day"
• Vitamin D, calcium supplements could reduce falls in women, not men - Nutra USA, 2/28/06 - "700 IU of cholocalciferol (vitamin D3) plus 500 mg of calcium in the form of calcium citrate malate ... After three years of supplementation the researchers observed: “Long-term dietary cholocalciferol-calcium supplementation reduces the odds of falling in ambulatory (mobile) older women by 46 per cent, and especially in non-active women by 65 per cent.”"
• Calcium Plus Vitamin-D Supplementation Does An Older Body Good - Science Daily, 2/24/06 - "The older the woman, the more likely it is that consistent use of calcium and vitamin-D supplements will play a role in reducing her risk for osteoporosis"
• Vitamin D Protects Against Tuberculosis - Intelihealth, 2/23/06 - "Four years of work led to the finding that the human defense mechanism involves vitamin D"
• Study Finds Calcium Supplements Don't Prevent Broken Bones - New York Times, 2/15/06 - "the participants were randomly assigned to take 1000 milligrams of calcium and 400 international units of vitamin D a day ... When they looked only at the women who took 80 percent of their pills, the supplements reduced hip fractures by 29 percent. The annual rate of hip fractures in adherent women taking the supplements was 10 per 10,000, compared with 14 per 10,000 in adherent women taking placebos"
• Calcium, Vitamin D: Help Women's Hips? - WebMD, 2/15/06 - "Calcium and vitamin D supplements may help protect some older women's hips -- but only when taken regularly"
• Vitamin D Inhibits Progression Of Some Prostate Cancers - Science Daily, 2/8/06 - "vitamin D significantly limits the ability of prostate cancer cells to invade healthy cells by reducing the activity of two enzymes -- proteases called matrix metalloproteinase and cathepsin" [WebMD]
• Vitamin D – sunlight or supplements? - Nutra USA, 2/1/06 - "Supplements and diet, and not sunlight, should be your source of vitamin D, dermatology experts have concluded after reviewing studies from both sides of the on-going debate"
• How to get vitamin D? - USA Today, 1/29/06 - "Adults who consume 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily might lower their risks of colon, breast and ovarian cancers by up to 50% ... Essentially no one in the United States is getting that"
• Epidemiology of Vitamin D and Colorectal Cancer: Recent Findings - Medscape, 1/9/06 - "In vitro, animal and clinical studies strongly indicate that vitamin D may have anticancer benefits, including against progression (such as metastasis) in colorectal cancer and possibly other cancers. Thus improving vitamin D status could be potentially beneficial against either incidence or mortality, or both ... Current recommended intakes of vitamin D (for example, 400 IU/day) may be too low to provide maximal benefits, though the precise optimal dose remains unestablished"
• Pregnant? Vitamin D May Aid Baby's Bones - Doctor's Guide, 1/6/06
• Vitamin D May Lower Some Cancer Risk - WebMD, 12/28/05
• Revealed: the pill that prevents cancer - The Independent, 12/28/05 - "What it can do ... Heart disease ... Lung disease ... Cancers (breast, colon, ovary, prostate) ... Diabetes ... High blood pressure ... Schizophrenia ... Multiple sclerosis ... Rickets and osteoporosis" - See iHerb or Vitacost vitamin D products.
• Vitamin D Needed To Cut Cancer Risk, Researchers Say - Science Daily, 12/28/05 - "Taking 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D3 daily appears to lower an individual's risk of developing certain cancers – including colon, breast, and ovarian cancer – by up to 50 percent"
• Be tenacious about soaking up vitamin D - US News, 12/26/05 - "vitamin D deficiency appears to be fairly common. One study in Boston found that of 307 adolescents tested, 75 were vitamin D deficient ... a shortage could even play a role in cancer, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis"
• Vitamin D May Help Treat Some Asthma - WebMD, 12/8/05 - "vitamin D may help people with steroid-resistant asthma respond better to steroid pills taken for asthma"
• Leading Osteoporosis Experts Reach Consensus on Role of Vitamin D in Bone Health in Americans Over 50 - Doctor's Guide, 11/22/05 - "over 70% of women ages 51-70 and nearly 90% of women over 70 are not getting the recommended adequate intake of vitamin D ... The roundtable panelists expressed concern that current recommendations do not provide for optimal bone health and recommended that intake levels be increased to 800-1,000 IU per day for patients over age 50"
• Vitamin D may cut falls in elderly, further evidence - Nutra USA, 11/22/05 - "According to the report in this month's issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (vol 53, issue 11, pp1881-8), the vitamin D group were between 27-37 per cent less likely to experience a fall compared with the placebo group after two years"
• Vitamin D: Important for Prevention of Osteoporosis, Cardiovascular Heart Disease, Type 1 Diabetes, Autoimmune Diseases, and Some Cancers - Medscape, 11/11/05 - "A multivitamin containing 400 IU of vitamin D is inadequate to satisfy the body's requirement.[32] It is estimated that at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day is needed to satisfy the body's requirement"
• Vitamin D Intake Vital for Bone Health - Intelihealth, 11/8/05
• Adequate Vitamin D Status Appears More Important than High Calcium Intake for Maintaining Calcium Metabolism - Doctor's Guide, 11/8/05 - "vitamin D sufficiency may be more important than high calcium intake in maintaining desired values of serum PTH ... Vitamin D supplements are necessary to ensure adequate vitamin D status for most of the year in northern climates"
• Vitamin D Compounds May Fight Prostate Cancer - WebMD, 11/1/05 - "Vitamin D compounds may help slow or prevent prostate cancer ... Calcitriol "markedly reduced tumor burden over time,""
• Most Postmenopausal Women Are Vitamin D Deficient: Presented at ASBMR - Doctor's Guide, 9/29/05 - "64% of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis have a vitamin D deficiency" - See iHerb or Vitacost vitamin D products.
• Vitamin D Linked With Neuromuscular Performance in the Elderly - Medscape, 9/28/05 - "The change in performance scores with increasing serum 25(OH)D was significant for all steps ... This is a very important study because it suggests that vitamin D is not only important for bone health, but is important in neuromuscular stability"
• Report highlights the importance of vitamin D for teeth - Nutra USA, 9/22/05
• Vitamin D, NSAIDS Provide Double Whammy Against Prostate Cancer, Stanford Study Finds - Science Daily, 9/1/05 - "The growth of prostate cancer cells can be halted by combining a form of vitamin D, available only by prescription, with low doses of an over-the-counter painkiller ... The combination reduced prostate cancer cell growth in a laboratory dish by up to 70 percent, according to the findings"
• Taking A Break From Fractures: A Closer Look At Vitamin D - Science Daily, 8/11/05 - "The researchers concluded, though, that higher daily doses, in the range of 700 to 800 IU, may reduce the risk of fracture by approximately 25 percent ... only subjects receiving higher doses of vitamin D supplementation had significantly fewer fractures than did subjects in the comparison groups"
• Do Vitamin D Pills Help Blacks? - WebMD, 7/25/05
• Sunlight Lowers Prostate Cancer Risk - HealthDay, 6/15/05 - "the men with high sun exposure were at half the prostate cancer risk of men with low sun exposure ... the body manufactures the active form of vitamin D from exposure to sunlight"
• Calcium, Vitamin D in Diet May Prevent PMS - WebMD, 6/13/05 - "Those who ate about four servings a day of low-fat dairy or yogurt or fortified orange juice had a 40% lower risk of PMS than those who did not. That is about 1,200 milligrams of calcium or 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D each day"
• Vitamin D Supplementation Appears to Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Development in Women: Presented at ADA - Doctor's Guide, 6/13/05 - "When they compared the highest and lowest quintile cohorts of vitamin D intake from all sources, the researchers found the relative risk (RR) of type 2 diabetes was 0.72" - I read that as a 28% reduced risk.
• Physicians Often Overlook Vitamin D Status in Postmenopausal Women - Doctor's Guide, 5/26/05 - "More than half of postmenopausal women are not getting enough vitamin D"
• Study Reveals a Link Between Vitamin D Markers and Bone Density - Doctor's Guide, 5/25/05
• Scientists: Sunshine May Prevent Cancer - CBS 2 Chicago, 5/21/05 - "vitamin D increasingly seems important for preventing and even treating many types of cancer ... In the last three months alone, four separate studies found it helped protect against lymphoma and cancers of the prostate, lung and, ironically, the skin. The strongest evidence is for colon cancer"
• Vitamin D Deficit: Women's Silent Bone Threat - WebMD, 5/20/05 - "The study included 1,554 postmenopausal U.S. women being treated for osteoporosis ... More than half of the women (52%) had less-than-optimal levels of vitamin D ... Doctors need to pay more attention to vitamin D status"
• Vitamin D Does Prevent Fractures in Elderly - HealthDay, 5/10/05 - "If someone did not have a fracture yet, I would recommend 700 to 800 International Units (IU) of vitamin D a day, with at least 700 milligrams of calcium ... If you have had a fracture, you should discuss with your physician whether you may need more. The National Science Foundation says the safe upper limit is 2,000 units a day, so you can go to 1,500 units or higher, especially if you live in a country like the United Kingdom, where you have little exposure to sunlight"
• Get vitamin D from supplements not sunshine - Nutra USA, 5/4/05 - "Their conclusion was reached after data on the relationship between sunlight, tanning booths and vitamin D was reviewed at a conference convened by the American Academy of Dermatology Association"
• Statins Lower Prostate Cancer Risk - WebMD, 4/18/05 - "looked at 450 men and women with early stage non-small-cell lung cancer ... The high-vitamin D group was more than twice as likely to be alive five years later"
• A Deficiency of D? -  WshingtonPost.com, 4/5/05 - "most adults, especially those over 50, fall short on recommended daily levels of vitamin D, an essential nutrient long known to preserve bones and now increasingly tied to protection against ailments from cancer to rheumatoid arthritis ... the most practical way to increase our vitamin D levels is from supplements ... a growing number of scientists believe that vitamin D intake should be at least 1,000 IU or higher"
• Vitamin D Can Help Most Dialysis Patients - HealthDay, 3/24/05 - "At the end of the two-year study, 76 percent of the patients receiving vitamin D injections were still alive, compared with 59 percent of patients who didn't receive vitamin D"
• Osteoporosis and Bone Health - Physician's Weekly, 3/21/05 - "Calcium and vitamin D intakes are far below recommended levels for all ages, sexes, and races in the United States"
• Vitamin D and the Elderly - Medscape, 3/14/05 - "vitamin D insufficiency is related to a number of other disorders frequently observed among the elderly, such as breast, prostate and colon cancers, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders including hypertension ... 800 IU (20 μg) vitamin D per day in combination with calcium reduces systolic blood pressure in elderly women"
• Vitamin D Injections May Significantly Improve Survival In Dialysis Patients - Science Daily, 3/11/05 - "At the end of the two-year study period, 76 percent of those receiving any form of activated vitamin D were still alive, compared with 59 percent of those not receiving the therapy"
• Getting Enough Vitamin D? - Dr. Weil, 3/8/05
• Dialysis Patients: Longer Lives With Vitamin D? - WebMD, 3/1/05 - "vitamin D injections, given to patients with kidney failure, results in a significantly reduced risk of death compared to those who do not receive the treatment"
• Vitamin D May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk - WebMD, 2/18/04
• Vitamin D May Cut Prostate Cancer Risk - CBS 2 Chicago, 2/17/05 - "men with higher levels vitamin D in their blood were half as likely to develop aggressive forms of the disease than those with lower amounts"
• Sun Exposure May Fight Some Cancers - WebMD, 2/1/05 - "The important message is that that this anticancer effect is very unlikely to be sunlight itself. It is more likely to be vitamin D generated by sun exposure"
• Vitamin D may slow prostate tumour growth - CTV.ca, 1/16/05 - "the vitamin D seemed to cut the rise in PSA rates by more than half. Without vitamin D, PSA rates rose by about five per cent. With vitamin D, PSA rates only rose by two per cent"
• Vitamin D deficiency tied to host of dangers - Boston Globe, 12/30/04 - "adequate vitamin D levels reduce cancer risk by 30 percent ... We absolutely have a huge problem with vitamin D deficiency ... vitamin D is important for muscle performance in older people ... vitamin D researchers such as Dr. Joel Finkelstein of Massachusetts General Hospital suggest people of all ages should get 800 units of vitamin D or more"
• Vitamin D May Prevent Falls in Seniors - Healthwell Exchange, 12/9/04
• Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis May Benefit from Increased Levels of Vitamin D - Doctor's Guide, 10/18/04 - "Higher levels of vitamin D appear to increase muscle strength, improving physical function for knee-osteoarthritis patients who are vitamin-D deficient ... increasing serum vitamin D over 30 months correlated directly with an improvement in WOMAC [Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index] disability measures"
• Vitamin D Found To Reduce Age-Related Falls - Science Daily, 10/12/04 - "Elderly people who get supplemental vitamin D in their diets have stronger muscles than those who don't ... elderly people fell down 22 percent less often if they took vitamin D supplements"
• Vitamin D Often Overlooked When Treating Osteoporosis - Medscape, 10/5/04 - "patients with lower levels of vitamin D did worse in the domains of social activities and mobility on the standard Qualeffo-41 questionnaire ... people who are deficient in vitamin D have aches and pains that impact on their activities of daily living, and that impact is independent of their osteoporosis level ... vitamin D deficiency is associated with diabetes; multiple sclerosis; rheumatoid arthritis; colon, prostate, and breast cancer; and high blood pressure ... I would recommend that both children and adults get about 1,000 IU a day"
• Vitamin D Inadequacy Highly Prevalent Among Women Treated for Osteoporosis in North America - Doctor's Guide, 10/4/04 - "More than half of women currently treated for osteoporosis have suboptimal levels of vitamin D"
• Vitamin D May Help Aging Muscles Stay Strong - WebMD, 9/16/04 - "older men and women with the highest levels of vitamin D in their blood were an average of 0.27 seconds, or 5.6% faster in completing the walk test compared with those with the lowest levels"
• Higher Vitamin D Levels Associated With Improved Lower Extremity Function - Medscape, 8/31/04
• Gum health, new target for vitamin D? - Nutra USA, 8/31/04 - "the higher the levels of vitamin D in volunteers' blood, the better their gum health ... the lower their vitamin D serum levels, the greater the risk of tooth loss"
• Vitamin D May Ease Depression - WebMD, 8/3/04 - "Vitamin D supplementation ... may also relieve depression ... Basically, what vitamin D does is increase levels of the [chemical] serotonin in the brain ... About 90% of patients in my hospital are vitamin D deficient"
• Scientists call for calcium, vitamin D fortification - Nutra USA, 7/28/04 - "Americans consume inadequate dietary calcium and vitamin D – far below the recommended levels established by the Food Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences"
• Vitamin D3 more potent than D2, further evidence - Nutra USA, 6/21/04 - "Calculating the difference in potency by measuring the area under the curve revealed an even greater difference with D3 more than nine times more effective than D2"
• Vitamin D Cuts Risk of Falls for Elderly - HealthDay, 4/27/04 - "a daily vitamin D dose of 800 units reduces the incidence of falls in people aged 65 and older by 22 percent ... Previous studies have shown vitamin D reduces the number of fractures caused by falls because it strengthens bones"
• Getting Some Sun May Fight Blood Cancer - WebMD, 3/31/04 - "women and men who got the most sun exposure during their off-work hours had the lowest risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma ... What might be causing it? The obvious answer is that vitamin D synthesized in the skin from sun exposure is causing this effect. There is increasing evidence that vitamin D has protective effects against many cancers. The evidence for colorectal cancer protection is pretty solid"
• Vitamin D to protect women - Nutra USA, 3/23/04 - "Now the researchers believe that a contributing factor to high rates of the cancer may be low levels of vitamin D"
• Vitamin D in boys to avoid schizophrenia in men - Nutra USA, 3/11/04
• Vitamin D Appears Beneficial In Reducing The Risk For Rheumatoid Arthritis - Doctor's Guide, 2/12/04 - "Vitamin D has immunologic activity independent of its role in calcium regulation ... overall, greater intake of vitamin D was inversely associated with risk of RA (relative risk [RR] 0.67"
• Sunscreens can block vitamin D - MSNBC, 1/19/04
• Vitamin D May Prevent MS - WebMD, 1/12/04 - "women who get doses typically found in daily multivitamin supplements -- of at least 400 international units -- are 40% less likely to develop multiple sclerosis compared with those not taking over-the-counter supplements"
• Vitamin D May Prevent Arthritis - WebMD, 1/9/04 - "women whose diets were highest in vitamin D had the lowest incidence of rheumatoid arthritis ... Holick says most people need to take 1000 IU of vitamin D each day. And he says even this amount may be inadequate in people who have no exposure to the sun"
• Vitamin D May Protect Against Rheumatoid Arthritis - HealthDay, 1/9/04 - "The greater the intake of vitamin D, the lower the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disorder involving inflammation in the lining of the joints and sometimes other internal organs as well"
• Lack of Vitamin D Linked to Pain - WebMD, 12/10/03
• People with Undetermined Muscle/Bone Pain May be Vitamin D Deficient - Doctor's Guide, 12/10/03 - "Research conducted at the University of Minnesota found that 93 percent of all subjects with non-specific musculoskeletal pain were vitamin D deficient"
• What Causes, Prevents Colon Polyps - WebMD, 12/9/03 - "Just take an aspirin, a multivitamin, and eat a bowl of fiber-packed cereal with some milk ... In this new report, vitamin D shines -- it's associated with a one-third reduced risk of serious colon polyps that often lead to cancer in men getting at least 645 IUs of this nutrient each day"
• Vitamin D concerns on the rise - MSNBC, 12/5/03 - "Inadequate vitamin D isn’t as obvious in adults, but bone weakening can be significant. In one study of women with osteoporosis, those who consumed the most vitamin D from food and supplements developed 37 percent fewer hip fractures than did women who consumed the least"
• Calcium And Vitamin D Collaborate To Reduce Colorectal Cancer Risk - Intelihealth, 12/3/03
• Calcium Intake Plus Vitamin D May Protect Against Colon Adenomas - Medscape, 12/2/03 - "Calcium supplementation reduces the rate of colon adenomas, but only if vitamin D levels are adequate"
• Could Too Little Sun Cause Cancer? - WebMD, 11/20/03 - "there's growing concern that this advice is contributing to another health problem -- a vitamin D deficiency ... This important nutrient is best known for building strong bones and teeth -- key to preventing osteoporosis -- but low levels have also been linked to an increased risk of type 1 diabetes, muscle and bone pain, and perhaps more frightening, a greater chance of cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, ovaries, esophagus, and lymphatic system"
• Scientists concerned about vitamin D levels in the U.S. - USA Today, 10/28/03 - "Heaney cited one study that men needed 1,000 IUs a day during Nebraska winters to keep their vitamin D levels from dropping ... A study of 2,600 healthy Britons given 800 IUs a day saw their risk of bone fractures drop 33%, he said, suggesting today's doses are insufficient to protect bones"
• Vitamin D Deficiency Common in Residency - Clinical Psychiatry News, 10/03 - "Nutritional assessment showed that roughly two-thirds of the house staff had a total vitamin D intake below the Reference Daily Intake of 400 IU/day. One participant with inadequate vitamin D intake in the fall was taking a daily multivitamin, as were 11 with sufficient vitamin D intake"
• Can vitamin D keep the elderly on their feet? - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 10/03
• Vitamin D Deficiency In Kids - CBS News, 9/29/03 - "Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is important for the development of strong bones ... The latest research shows that some teens may be at increased risk for vitamin D deficiency because they don't get enough milk on a daily basis or enough sunlight in winter"
• Vitamin D Supplementation and Fracture Prevention - Medscape, 9/11/03 - "Bottom line: Vitamin D supplementation is absolutely critical to bone health in the aging population. Although a number of research questions still need to be addressed, there is currently sufficient evidence to show that all women, living in areas of Northern Latitude, should be taking a vitamin D (and calcium) supplement"
• Teens' Vitamin D Deficiency Brings Worry - Intelihealth, 9/2/03 - "Often undetected and untreated, vitamin D deficiency puts them at risk for stunted growth and debilitating osteoporosis later in life ... There's even evidence that chronic deficiency may be linked with some cancers, diabetes and high blood pressure"
• Low Dietary Calcium May be Major Cause of Nutritional Rickets Among North American Infants - Doctor's Guide, 8/12/03 - "New research shows that some North American infants are not receiving enough dietary calcium and, as a result, are developing rickets -- a disease usually attributed to a lack of vitamin D or insufficient exposure to sunlight -- at a higher level than previously thought"
• Sun Exposure May Reduce Multiple Sclerosis Risk - WebMD, 8/6/03 - "Researchers say the findings suggest there may be a link between multiple sclerosis and insufficient ultraviolet radiation or vitamin D -- or both"
• Long-term Haemodialysis Patients Show Survival Advantage When Treated with Paricalcitol Over Calcitriol for Secondary Hyperparathyroidism - Doctor's Guide, 7/31/03
• Vitamin D Supplements for Kidney Failure Not All the Same - HealthDay, 7/30/03 - "Those taking a relatively new form of the substance, paricalcitol, had a 16 percent lower risk of early death than those on the older version, calcitriol"
• Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation Effective for Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis - Doctor's Guide, 7/18/03 - "In women over the age of 65, there is increased risk of osteoporotic fracture of the hip and non-vertebral sites. Daily vitamin D intake between 800 and 900 IU and 1200-1300 mg of calcium for this population results in increased bone density, decreased bone turnover, and decreased non-vertebral fractures ... Studies have linked vitamin D supplementation to a decrease in body sway, suggesting that vitamin D supplementation may protect against fracture by preventing falls" - See drugstore.com/GNC calcium plus vitamin D supplements.
• High Incidence of Vitamin D Deficiency Seen in Obese African American Women - Doctor's Guide, 6/23/03
• Vitamin D May Aid Breast Cancer Treatment - HealthDay, 6/6/03 - "a derivative of vitamin D known as EB1089 may yield some powerful anti-cancer properties, particularly when combined with radiation therapy"
• Rickets Rates Rising - Physician's Weekly, 5/26/03
• Vitamin D May Augment Breast Cancer Treatments - Physician's Weekly, 5/19/03 - "treatment with vitamin D was three times more effective in preventing new tumor growth when compared to radiation therapy alone"
• Vitamin D Effective Treatment for Chronic Low Back Pain - New Hope Natural Media, 5/1/03 - "new study in Spine (2003;28:177–9) ... All participants with vitamin D deficiency reported improvement in their back pain after taking vitamin D, whereas 69% of those with normal vitamin D levels improved"
• Vitamin D: New Weapon in Battle Against Breast Cancer? - HealthDay, 4/23/03 - "Other studies have shown vitamin D interferes with tumor growth in both cell cultures and animals ... this has been shown for both breast and prostate cancer ... when they treated breast cancer cells in a laboratory setting with normal doses of a vitamin D analog (ILX 23-7553) before radiation, the response to radiation was enhanced"
• Breastfed Babies Need Vitamin D Supplements - WebMD, 4/7/03
• Babies Need More Vitamin D - HealthDay, 4/7/03 - "the nation's leading group of child doctors is recommending that many infants and children be given daily vitamin D supplements ... women are choosing to breast-feed ... people are avoiding the sun"
• Vitamin D Improves Calcium Intake - HealthDay, 4/3/03 - "The Creighton University studies indicate that vitamin D supplements can increase calcium absorption by as much as 65 percent, even when a person's initial level of vitamin D is normal"
• Vitamin D Plus Calcium Supplements Boosts Calcium Absorption - WebMD, 4/1/03 - "We need calcium for good bones, but vitamin D is equally important -- it helps the body with calcium absorption. In fact, calcium supplements plus vitamin D can increase calcium absorption by up to 65%"
• Vitamin D Can Prevent Fractures In Older People - Intelihealth, 2/28/03
• Vitamin D Bolsters Bone Strength in Elderly - HealthDay, 2/28/03
• Vitamin D Helps Elderly Avoid Fractures - WebMD, 2/27/03
• Is Type 1 Diabetes an Environmental Disease? - Dr. Murray's Newsletter, 2/5/03 - "children who regularly took vitamin D had an 80% reduced risk of developing type 1 diabetes while those that had vitamin deficiency actually had a 300% increased risk of developing the disease"
• Shining a Light on the Health Benefits of Vitamin D - New York Times, 1/28/03 - "His proudest accomplishments, he says, include discoveries that show how activated vitamin D can be used to treat osteoporosis, kidney failure and psoriasis ... this vitamin is critically important for maintaining normal calcium in the blood and for bone health. The vitamin plays a crucial role in most metabolic functions and also, muscle, cardiac and neurological functions ... there is evidence that vitamin D may have subtle but profound effects on regulating cell growth and on our cardiovascular and immune systems ... vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk for Type 1 diabetes. The converse is also true. Adequate vitamin D equals less risk for diabetes ... up to 50, 60 percent of free-living adults over the age of 65 were severely vitamin D deficient"
• Vitamin D for Advanced Prostate Cancer - Physician's Weekly, 1/27/03 - "Calcitriol is an active form of vitamin D. Results from a phase II clinical trial suggest that the combination of calcitriol and the chemotherapy agent docetaxel may be twice as effective as the use of docetaxel alone in men with androgen-independent prostate cancer"
• Postmenopausal Women May Need Supplements To Suppress Parathyroid Hormone Levels - Doctor's Guide, 12/20/02 - "These findings may call for widespread supplementation with calcium and vitamin D may be required in postmenopausal women"
• New Form of Vitamin D Builds Bones - WebMD, 10/3/02
• Low Vitamin D Levels Not Restricted To High-risk Groups - Doctor's Guide, 9/23/02 - "Vitamin D insufficiency is far more common than is generally assumed and is not necessarily restricted to high-risk groups such as the elderly ... Low vitamin D levels were found across diagnostic categories and were identified in 88 percent of patients with hip fractures; 67 percent of patients with wrist fractures; 50 percent of patients with vertebral fractures, and 52 percent of patients with other fractures ... This study demonstrates the high frequency of hypovitaminosis D in a UK specialist bone clinic setting and the clear need for vitamin D therapy may not [be] appreciated without [taking] vitamin D measurements"
• Air Pollution Compromises Vitamin D Status - New Hope Natural Media, 9/19/02
• Sunlight, A Cancer Protector In The Guise Of A Villain? - Intelihealth, 8/6/02 - "Their theory was that vitamin D, which the skin produces when exposed to sunshine, somehow prevents the growth of malignant cells ... researchers are looking into vitamin D as a possible remedy. Clinical trials in people are now under way, testing whether the vitamin or similar compounds can treat tumors or bolster chemotherapy"
• Osteoporosis in Elderly Men Underestimated - Doctor's Guide, 6/24/02 - "As many as 30 percent of men over 65 years old may have osteoporosis ... The serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), although normal, was slightly lower in men with osteoporosis, an average of 1.57±0.74 in comparison to an average of 2.34±1.93 in men with no osteoporosis ... Because both groups of men have low-normal 25-OH vitamin D, and low urinary calcium, the investigators suggest that patients in their situation, could benefit from enhancing their nutritional status"
• People Living In Higher Latitudes Require Fall, Winter Vitamin D Supplements - Doctor's Guide, 6/10/02 - "Given that almost every person in our sample had serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels below 80 nmol/L at one point in the year, and that more than one-third of subjects had levels below the most conservative definition of vitamin D insufficiency, our findings support a recommendation for more aggressive vitamin D supplementation, particularly for elderly people and especially during the fall and winter months ... Low levels of vitamin D metabolites are associated with malabsorption of calcium, which results in bone loss"
• Study Shows Benefits of Adding High-Dose Vitamin D to Chemotherapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/02
• Calcium and Vitamin D3 Effective and Cost-Saving in Preventing Hip Fracture in Elderly European Women - Doctor's Guide, 5/13/02 - "simple dietary supplementation with calcium and vitamin D not only helps prevent hip fracture in institutionalized elderly women, it also saves up to 711,000 Euros (some US $640,000) per 1000 treated ... One group received elemental 1200 mg/day calcium plus 800 IU/day vitamin D3, while the other received a placebo. After three years, 25 percent fewer hip fractures were found among members of the supplemented group ... The savings may even be greater than this: remember, this study only takes into account hip fractures, but supplementation could prevent many other types of fracture as well"
• Calcium, Vitamin D3 Supplementation Reduces Hyperparathyroidism And Hip Fracture - Doctor's Guide, 5/9/02 - "Supplementation with a combination of calcium and vitamin D3 reverses hyperparathyroidism and the risk of hip fracture in elderly women"
• Vitamin D gets an A+ for treating heart disease - americanheart.org, 4/23/03
• Vitamin D Gets High Grade For Treating Heart Disease - Intelihealth, 4/23/02
• Vitamin D Has Heart Benefits - WebMD, 4/23/02
• Exposure To Sunlight Lowers Risks Of Four Cancers - Doctor's Guide, 4/4/02 - "exposure to sunlight contributes to non-melanoma skin cancer. "By contrast, several ecological studies suggest that sunlight may protect against female breast, ovarian, prostate, and colon cancer, all diseases that contribute to a substantially higher proportion of cancer mortality in the western industrialized world." ... Some studies have suggested an association between circulating vitamin D in blood, which is largely derived from sunlight, or dietary vitamin D and colorectal, prostate and female breast cancers"
• Aging Bone Mineral Density Better With High Protein Diet Plus Extra Calcium, Vitamin D - WebMD, 4/1/02
• Sun May Protect Against Some Cancers - WebMD, 3/14/02 - "new findings from an independent researcher suggest that getting too little sun may increase the risk of dying from a host of other cancers ... Sunlight exposure increases the body's production of vitamin D. People who get lower amounts of sunlight exposure therefore manufacture lower amounts of vitamin D. Grant says vitamin D may have a protective effect and taking vitamin D supplements might offer adequate protection to people who get little natural sunlight"
• Vitamin D Supplementation During Infancy Reduces Risk Of Type 1 Diabetes - Intelihealth, 11/8/01 - "Those who regularly took at least the recommended dose of vitamin D (2000 IU daily) during their first year of life had an 80% reduced risk of type 1 diabetes compared to those who received less than the recommended amount"
• Lack of Vitamin D May Cause Juvenile Diabetes - DrMirkin.com, 11/5/01
• Vitamin D Supplements May Protect Against Diabetes in Kids - WebMD, 11/1/01 - "giving vitamin D supplements to children may help protect them from high blood sugar ... Children who had the recommended supplements of vitamin D (usually in the form of cod-liver oil) were found to have an 80% reduction in diabetes risk, compared to those receiving less than the recommended dose"
• Calcium, Vitamin D Help You Hold on to Those Pearly Whites - WebMD, 10/29/01 - "examined 145 healthy men and women aged 65 and older who had taken either calcium plus vitamin D supplements or placebo ... The calcium was given at a dose of 500 mg and vitamin D at 700 IU daily ... 27% of the placebo group, but only 13% of the supplement group, lost one or more teeth during the three-year study ... Once the study was finished, the researchers continued to count teeth for a couple of more years. Again, they found that those taking in at least 1,000 mg of calcium each day were able to hold on to more teeth"
• Rethinking Vitamin D - Nutrition Science News, 10/01
• Vitamin D Prevents Prostate Cancer - drmirkin.com, 9/1/01
• 'D' Good News for Stroke Patients - WebMD, 7/9/01 - "These patients of