Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 9/5/07.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Study links low-GI kids' breakfast to less calories - Nutra USA, 9/4/07 - "The children ate on average 61 kcal less over the days they were given the low-GI breakfast, compared with the days when they ate a high-GI breakfast"

Avocados May Help Prevent Oral Cancer, Study Shows - Science Daily, 9/4/07 - "Nutrients taken from avocados are able to thwart oral cancer cells, killing some and preventing pre-cancerous cells from developing into actual cancers"

More vitamin D could mean fewer cancers: study - Reuters, 9/4/07 - "They argue that, based on their data, if Americans were able to maintain a vitamin D level of at least 55 ng/mL, 60,000 cases of colon cancer and 85,000 cases of breast cancer could be prevented every year. Worldwide, those figures could be 250,000 and 350,000, respectively ... Garland and his colleagues recommend that, in addition to modest sun exposure, adults get 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day -- which is the "tolerable upper intake level" set by U.S. health officials"

Fat Transforms Vitamin C From 'Good Cop' Into 'Bad Cop' - Science Daily, 9/4/07 - "Nitrites, which are present in human saliva, and in certain preserved foodstuffs, may be converted to cancer causing compounds called nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are formed in acidic conditions, such as those afforded by stomach acid, but vitamin C inhibits their formation, by converting nitrite to nitric oxide ... Without fat, vitamin C curbed the levels of two nitrosamines by a factor of between five and 1000. And it completely eliminated the production of the other two ... But when 10% fat was added, vitamin C actually boosted the production of nitrosamines between 8 and 140-fold"

Red Wine Compound Shown To Prevent Prostate Cancer - Science Daily, 8/31/07 - "n the study resveratrol-fed mice showed an 87 percent reduction in their risk of developing prostate tumors that contained the worst kind of cancer-staging diagnosis ... Other mice in the study, those fed resveratrol but still developed a less-serious form of prostate cancer, were 48 percent more likely to have their tumor growth halted or slowed when compared to mice who did not consume the compound ... A cancer prevention researcher lives for these days when they can make that kind of finding" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Heavy Drinking Raises Blood Pressure In Older Men Regardless Of 'Good' Cholesterol - WebMD, 8/31/07 - "When looking at men of all ages, those with the lowest level of good cholesterol had the highest blood pressure in all three groups: nondrinkers, moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers. However, high levels of good cholesterol HDL did not do as much for the heavy drinkers"

Human Papilloma Virus Vaccines May Decrease Chances Of Oral Cancer - Science Daily, 8/30/07 - "oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OOSCC) have been linked to high-risk HPV strains, the same strains that cause cervical cancer ... It's possible that oral and oropharyngeal cancers could be reduced if vaccination were more widespread; however, additional research is needed"

Antioxidant To Retard Wrinkles Discovered - Science Daily, 8/30/07 - "Antioxidants operate against free radicals which cause a breakdown of many tissues in the body, including the skin. When found in small quantities in the body, free radicals are not harmful and are even involved in various physical processes. When there is an excess of free radicals, however, as occurs during normal aging or as a result of excessive exposure to ultra-violet radiation from the sun, the result, among other things, is a breakdown of the collagen and elastin fibers in the skin. When this happens, there is a loss of skin elasticity and the formation of wrinkles ... A problem with many of the commercial antioxidants found today in the market that are said to retard the aging process is that they oxidize quickly and therefore their efficiency declines with time"

High Hostility Linked with Poor Ability to Cope With Stress, Low HDL Levels - Medscape, 8/30/07 - "individuals who were very hostile were more likely to perceive problems as stressful and to cope with stress by using interpersonal hostility, self-blame, and social isolation; they also tended to have lower levels of HDL"

Flaxseed Shows Potential To Reduce Hot Flashes - Science Daily, 8/29/07 - "The frequency of hot flashes decreased 50 percent over six weeks, and the overall hot flash score decreased an average 57 percent for the women who completed the trial. Participants also reported improvements in mood, joint or muscle pain, chills and sweating; which significantly improved their health-related quality of life" - See flax seed at Amazon.com.

Household Mold Linked To Depression - Science Daily, 8/29/07 - "Shenassa said that given the results of the current study, he wouldn’t be surprised if there is a cause-and-effect association. Molds are toxins, and some research has indicated that these toxins can affect the nervous system or the immune system or impede the function of the frontal cortex, the part of the brain that plays a part in impulse control, memory, problem solving, sexual behavior, socialization and spontaneity"

Ovary removal may cause dementia risk - USA Today, 8/29/07 - "women who'd had one or both ovaries removed showed about a 50% increase in risk of the later mental problems"

Who Should Get the HPV Vaccine? - Time Magazine, 8/28/07 - "From a public health standpoint, that logic seems to makes sense. Since 80% of women who have sex will acquire the virus by age 50 (in most cases it causes no health problems and clears the body within two years), it accomplishes little to give the vaccine to older, sexually active women, who may already have HPV or have already spread it within the community. But humanpapillomavirus isn't a single virus; rather, it's a family of viruses that includes at least 100 strains, more than 30 of which are transmitted sexually. About 10 of those can cause cervical cancer; others may cause genital warts. So even if a woman has been exposed to one strain of HPV, there may well be others that she is still vulnerable to. HPV also poses a threat to men because genital warts can develop into oral cancer, and a new study in the medical journal Cancer suggests that young men be vaccinated against HPV"

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds:

Dietary fiber intake and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer defined by estrogen and progesterone receptor status-A prospective cohort study among Swedish women - Int J Cancer. 2007 Aug 31 - "estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR)-defined breast cancer risk ... When comparing the highest to the lowest quintile, we observed non-significant inverse associations between total fiber intake and the risk of all tumor subtypes; the multivariate-adjusted RRs were 0.85 (95% CI: 0.69-1.05) for overall, 0.85 (0.64-1.13) for ER+PR+, 0.83 (0.52-1.31) for ER+PR- and 0.94 (0.49-1.80) for ER-PR-. For specific fiber, we observed statistically significant risk reductions for overall (34%) and for ER+PR+ (38%) for the highest versus lowest quintile of fruit fiber, and non-significant inverse associations for other subtypes of cancer and types of fiber. Among ever-users of postmenopausal hormone (PMH), total fiber intake and especially cereal fiber were statistically significantly associated with approximately 50% reduced risk for overall and ER+PR+ tumors when comparing the highest to the lowest quartile, but no association was observed among PMH never users"

ApoB/apoA-I ratio: an independent predictor of insulin resistance in US non-diabetic subjects - Eur Heart J. 2007 Sep 1 - "In the US population, apoB/apoAI ratio is significantly associated with insulin resistance in non-diabetic subjects"

Use of Statins and Blood Pressure - Am J Hypertens. 2007 Sep;20(9):937-941 - "Compared with people not using statin medication, significantly more statin users had their blood pressure under control (52.2% v 38.0%). After adjustment for demographic factors, statin users were two times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.46 to 2.72) more likely to have their blood pressure under control (<140/90 mm Hg) than nonusers. After further adjustment for body mass index, diabetes, smoking, exercise, low-salt diet, and antihypertensive medications, the likelihood of having blood pressure under control remained more likely among statin users (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.05)"

The red clover (Trifolium pratense) isoflavone biochanin A inhibits aromatase activity and expression - Br J Nutr. 2007 Aug 29;:1-8 - "Biochanin A is an isoflavone isolated from red clover (Trifolium pratense) ... Isoflavones resemble the structure of oestrogen, and display agonistic and antagonistic interactions with the oestrogen receptor. Overexposure of oestrogen is a major contributing factor in the development of breast cancer ... In the present study the effect of biochanin A on the gene regulation and enzyme activity of aromatase was investigated. By assaying MCF-7 cells stably transfected with CYP19, biochanin A inhibited aromatase activity and hampered cell growth attributing to the enzyme activity" - See red clover at Amazon.com.

Liver dysfunction in paediatric obesity: a randomized, controlled trial of metformin - Acta Paediatr. 2007 Sep;96(9):1326-32 - "In obese adolescents fed ad libitum, metformin (a) prevented the rise in ALT concentrations that were observed in placebo-treated subjects at the 3 to 5 month time-points (p < 0.05); (b) reduced (p < 0.01) the percentage of all ALT values exceeding 40 U/L; and (c) caused a modest (10%) but statistically significant (p < 0.05) reduction in serum ALT in Caucasian subjects. Metformin had no effect on ALT levels or the ALT to AST ratio in the five African American adolescents enrolled in the study ... metformin might reduce the rates or severity of liver dysfunction in selected high-risk adolescents"

Effect of long-term treatment with rosiglitazone on arterial elasticity and metabolic parameters in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a 2-year follow-up study - Diabet Med. 2007 Aug 24 - "In patients treated with rosiglitazone for 2 years: the large artery elasticity index (LAEI) increased from 10.0 +/- 4.6 to 13.9 +/- 4.7 ml/mmHg x 100 after 2 years (P = 0.003). The small artery elasticity (SAEI) index increased significantly from 3.2 +/- 1.2 to 5.1 +/- 1.9 (P < 0.0001). In patients who discontinued rosiglitazone: LAEI did not change after 6 months, but decreased from 12.1 +/- 5.4 to 8.9 +/- 3.9 ml/mmHg x 10 (P < 0.0001) at the end of 2 years. SAEI increased during the first 6 months of treatment, from 3.9 +/- 1.8 to 5.1 +/- 1.5 ml/mmHg x 100 (P < 0.0001) and decreased after discontinuation of rosiglitazone (P = 0.042)"

Nutritional intervention to reduce the n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio increases adiponectin concentration and fatty acid oxidation in healthy subjects - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug 15 - "Dietary intervention was associated with significant reductions in TNF-alpha (baseline: 2.2 (s.d. 0.3), post-intervention: 1.5 (s.d. 0.3) pg/ml, P=0.01) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (baseline: 2.5 (s.d. 0.2), post-intervention: 2.3 (s.d. 0.1) mmol/l, P=0.03) and increased adiponectin (baseline: 6.5 (s.d. 0.7), post-intervention: 7.6 (s.d. 0.6) mug/ml, P=0.02). Fasting lipid oxidation was increased (baseline: 0.7 (s.d. 0.1), post-intervention: 0.9 (s.d. 0.1) mg/kg.min, P=0.01), whereas glucose oxidation decreased in both fasting (baseline: 1.6 (s.d. 0.1), post-intervention: 1.3 (s.d. 0.1) mg/kg.min, P=0.02) and hyperinsulinaemic conditions (baseline: 3.6 (s.d. 0.1), post-intervention: 3.3 (s.d. 0.1) mg/kg.min, P=0.04). Insulin sensitivity was not affected by the intervention.  Conclusion: A decreased n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio can be achieved with simple dietary counselling, resulting in multiple, potentially favourable effects on the metabolic and inflammatory profiles"

Inflammation, Metabolic Syndrome, Erectile Dysfunction, and Coronary Artery Disease: Common Links - Eur Urol. 2007 Aug 13 - "Increased circulating levels of inflammatory and endothelial-prothrombotic compounds are related to the presence and severity of ED"

Supplement Focus (Vitamin D):

1. See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
2. Understanding Vitamin D Cholecalciferol - Vitamin D Council
3. 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"
4. 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"
5. 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.
6. 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"
7. 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"
8. 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"
9. 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"
10. 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]
11. 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"
12. 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"
13. 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"
14. 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"
15. 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"
16. 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"
17. 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"
18. 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"
19. 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"
20. 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"
21. 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"
22. 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"
23. 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"
24. 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"
25. 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"
26. 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"
27. 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"
28. 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"
29. 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"
30. 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"
31. 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"
32. 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"
33. 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"
34. 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)"
35. 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"
36. 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"
37. 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"
38. 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"
39. 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"
40. 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,""
41. 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"
42. 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"
43. 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"
44. High Vitamin D Serum Levels Associated with Decreased Risk of Breast Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 4/10/06
45. 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"
46. Food Antioxidants, Vitamin D Fight Breast Cancer - HealthDay, 4/7/06 - "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"
47. 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"
48. 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"
49. 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)"
50. 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"
51. 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"
52. 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"
53. 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"
54. 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"
55. 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.”"
56. 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"
57. 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"
58. 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"
59. 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]
60. 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"
61. 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"
62. 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"
63. 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"
64. 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"
65. 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"
66. 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"
67. 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"
68. 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"
69. 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"
70. 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,""
71. 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"
72. 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"
73. Report highlights the importance of vitamin D for teeth - Nutra USA, 9/22/05
74. 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"
75. 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"
76. 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"
77. 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.
78. 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"
79. 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"
80. 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"
81. 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"
82. 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"
83. 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"
84. 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"
85. 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"
86. 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"
87. 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"
88. 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"
89. 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"
90. 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"
91. 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"
92. 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"
93. 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"
94. 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"
95. 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"
96. 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"
97. 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"
98. 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"
99. 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"
100. 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"
101. 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"
102. 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"
103. 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"
104. 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"
105. 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"
106. 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"
107. 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"
108. 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"
109. 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"
110. 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"
111. 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"
112. 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"
113. 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"
114. 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"
115. 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"
116. 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"
117. 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"
118. 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"
119. 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"
120. 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.
121. 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"
122. 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"
123. 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"
124. Breastfed Babies Need Vitamin D Supplements - WebMD, 4/7/03
125. 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"
126. 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"
127. 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%"
128. 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"
129. 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"
130. 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"
131. 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"
132. 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"
133. 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"
134. 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"
135. Study Shows Benefits of Adding High-Dose Vitamin D to Chemotherapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer - Doctor's Guide, 5/21/02
136. 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"
137. 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"
138. Vitamin D Has Heart Benefits - WebMD, 4/23/02
139. 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"
140. 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"
141. 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"
142. 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"
143. 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"
144. 'D' Good News for Stroke Patients - WebMD, 7/9/01 - "These patients often have dramatic responses to vitamin D therapy ... Patients who are so weak that they are in a wheelchair will gain significant muscle strength and walk in a few months."
145. Too Many Elderly Lacking in Vitamin D, Study: Deficiency All Too Common, Could Be Cause of Muscle Weakness - WebMD, 5/16/01 - "many elderly patients who are bedridden or in wheelchairs may actually be suffering from muscle weakness caused by severe, but easily treatable, vitamin D deficiencies ... The researcher suggests that even twice that amount may not be enough in chronically ill and even healthy older patients, because absorption of the vitamin tends to be impaired with age"
146. Elderly Lack Adequate Levels of Vitamin D - Medscape, 5/8/01 - "Despite the fact that most of patients were daily receiving multivitamins containing 400-800 IU of vitamin D, investigators found that the majority had low levels of the nutrient ... Vitamin D increases calcium absorption by 30% to 80% and is therefore crucial in order to maintain strong bones"
147. Childhood Rickets Makes A Comeback - Intelihealth, 3/30/01 - "Rickets, a vitamin D deficiency that causes bones to soften and bend and often results in bowlegs, was once a major health problem ... The government attributes the comeback to the popularity of milk substitutes like soy that lack certain nutrients; the failure to supplement breast milk with vitamin D; and a lack of childhood exposure to sunlight. Sunlight stimulates the body to produce vitamin D."
148. Food for Thought: Rickets on the Rise? A Smattering of Cases Is Raising Eyebrows -- and Questions - WebMD, 3/29/01 - "Rickets is a disease typically caused by vitamin D deficiency; the classic symptom is weakened or deformed bones. The disease was common a century ago during the Industrial Revolution when children went malnourished and without regular exposure to the sun, which triggers the body to make vitamin D. But now, thanks to a better understanding of nutrition, and fortification of certain foods, rickets is preventable and extremely rare in the U.S."
149. Canceling Cancer: New Cancer Prevention Strategies on the Horizon - WebMD, 3/26/01 - "Huerta and his team used a compound similar to vitamin D but with some different properties. Sure enough, this compound, which they call Ro 26-9114, reduced the growth of colon tumors in mice to a similar degree as regular vitamin D but without the problematic side effects"
150. Vitamin D Is For Cancer Defense - Nutrition Science News, 3/00 - "Few vitamins can provide such an array of health benefits as vitamin D"
151. Vitamin D levels and early mortality among incident hemodialysis patients - Kidney Int. 2007 Aug 8 - "Compared to patients with the highest 25D or 1,25D levels who received therapy, untreated deficient patients were at significantly increased risk for early mortality"
152. Sun exposure, vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma - Cancer Causes Control. 2007 Jul 25 - "Our results suggest that the inverse association between UV exposure and NHL risk may be mediated by the vitamin D pathway"
153. A Nested Case-Control Study of Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations and Risk of Colorectal Cancer - J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007 Jul 10 - "Our data provide additional support for the inverse association between vitamin D and colorectal and, in particular, colon cancer risk"
154. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with the metabolic syndrome in morbid obesity - Clin Nutr. 2007 Jul 9 - "Vitamin D deficiency is associated with the metabolic syndrome in morbidly obese patients"
155. Prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy in European postmenopausal women - Curr Med Res Opin. 2007 Jul 12 - "In the whole study population, the prevalence of 25(OH)D inadequacy was 79.6% and 32.1% when considering cut-offs of 80 and 50 nmol/L, respectively and when considering patients aged less than 65 years, the prevalence reached 86% (cut-off of 80 nmol/L) and 45% (cut-off of 50 nmol/L)"
156. A Nested Case-Control Study of Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations and Risk of Colorectal Cancer - J Natl Cancer Inst. 2007 Jul 10 - "we observed a non-statistically significant inverse association between higher plasma 25(OH)D concentration and risk of colorectal cancer and a statistically significant inverse association for colon cancer (highest versus lowest quintile: odds ratio [OR] = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.24 to 0.89; P(trend) = .005). After pooling the results from the HPFS and NHS, higher plasma 25(OH)D concentrations were statistically significantly associated with decreased risks of both colorectal cancer (highest versus lowest quintile, OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.42 to 1.05; P(trend) = .01) and colon cancer (highest versus lowest quintile, OR = 0.54"
157. Bone mineral density and bone markers in patients with a recent low-energy fracture: effect of 1 y of treatment with calcium and vitamin D - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jul;86(1):251-9 - "A 1-y intervention with calcium and vitamin D reduced bone turnover, significantly increased BMD in patients younger than 70 y, and decreased bone loss in older patients. The effect of treatment was related to physical performance"
158. Correlation between vitamin D(3) deficiency and insulin resistance in pregnancy - Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2007 Jul 2 - "Total prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<25 nmol/L) was found in 70.6% of pregnant women ... These results show that a positive correlation of 25(OH) vitamin D concentrations with insulin sensitivity and vitamin D deficiency could be a confirmative sign of insulin resistance"
159. Vitamin D and Parkinson's disease--a hypothesis - Mov Disord. 2007 Mar 15;22(4):461-8 - "We hypothesize, based upon several lines of evidence, that documented chronically inadequate vitamin D intake in the United States, particularly in the northern states and particularly in the elderly, is a significant factor in the pathogenesis of PD. This hypothesis implies that dietary aid for prevention and therapy for PD is possible"
160. Vitamin D and calcium supplementation reduces cancer risk: results of a randomized trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jun;85(6):1586-91 - "Improving calcium and vitamin D nutritional status substantially reduces all-cancer risk in postmenopausal women"
161. Vitamin D intake and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women: the Iowa Women's Health Study - Cancer Causes Control. 2007 Jun 5 - "Vitamin D intake of >800 IU/day appears to be associated with a small decrease in risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women"
162. Association Between Vitamin D and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988 Through 1994 - Arch Ophthalmol. 2007 May;125(5):661-669 - "The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for early AMD among participants in the highest vs lowest quintile of serum vitamin D was 0.64 ... This study provides evidence that vitamin D may protect against AMD"
163. Calcium plus vitamin d supplementation and the risk of postmenopausal weight gain - Arch Intern Med. 2007 May 14;167(9):893-902 - "Calcium plus cholecalciferol supplementation has a small effect on the prevention of weight gain, which was observed primarily in women who reported inadequate calcium intakes"
164. Two-year randomized controlled trial of vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) and vitamin D3 plus calcium on the bone health of older women - J Bone Miner Res. 2007 Apr;22(4):509-19 - "women who took combined vitamin K and vitamin D plus calcium showed a significant and sustained increase in both BMD and BMC at the site of the ultradistal radius"
165. Low Vitamin D Status Despite Abundant Sun Exposure - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Apr 10 - "sample of adults in Honolulu, HI, (latitude 21 degrees ) ... These data suggest that variable responsivity to UVB radiation is evident among individuals, causing some to have low vitamin D status despite abundant sun exposure"
166. Vitamin d and reduced risk of breast cancer: a population-based case-control study - Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2007 Mar;16(3):422-9 - "We found strong evidence to support the hypothesis that vitamin D could help prevent breast cancer. However, our results suggest that exposure earlier in life, particularly during breast development, maybe most relevant"
167. Hypovitaminosis D in female patients with chronic low back pain - Clin Rheumatol. 2007 Mar 22 - "Chronic low back pain (LBP) is an extremely common problem in practice ... Patients with LBP had significantly lower 25 OHD levels (p < 0.05) and significantly higher PTH (p < 0.05) and ALP (p < 0.001) than controls"
168. Vitamin D and outcomes in chronic kidney disease - Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2007 Mar;16(2):77-82 - "Data currently suggests that the administration of vitamin D confers a survival benefit to patients on dialysis. There is no clear mechanism, however, to explain this association"
169. The Effects of Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation on Blood Glucose and Markers of Inflammation in Non-diabetic Adults - Diabetes Care. 2007 Feb 2 - "Among participants with IFG at baseline those who took combined calcium-vitamin D supplements had a lower rise in FPG at 3 years compared to those on placebo"
170. Role of ultraviolet B irradiance and vitamin d in prevention of ovarian cancer - Am J Prev Med. 2006 Dec;31(6):512-4 - "Solar UVB irradiance was inversely associated with incidence rates of ovarian cancer in this study, adding new evidence to the theory that vitamin D might play a role in the prevention of ovarian cancer"
171. Calcitriol and genistein actions to inhibit the prostaglandin pathway: potential combination therapy to treat prostate cancer - J Nutr. 2007 Jan;137(1):205S-10S - "the combination of calcitriol and genistein is an attractive therapeutic option for the treatment of PCa"
172. Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis - JAMA. 2006 Dec 20;296(23):2832-8 - "high circulating levels of vitamin D are associated with a lower risk of multiple sclerosis"
173. Two randomized vitamin D trials in ambulatory patients on anticonvulsants: Impact on bone - Neurology. 2006 Dec 12;67(11):2005-14 - "In ambulatory adults on antiepileptic drugs, high-dose vitamin D therapy substantially increased bone mineral density at several skeletal sites"
174. Vitamin D status and cancer: new insights - Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2007 Jan;10(1):6-11 - "Sun exposure and indicators of high vitamin D status were found to be associated with improved survival for cutaneous melanoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and cancers of the lung, breast, prostate and colon. Therapeutic trials of vitamin D are especially prominent in the treatment of prostate cancer"
175. How to select the doses of vitamin D in the management of osteoporosis - Osteoporos Int. 2006 Dec 7 - "The dose of vitamin D in the management of osteoporosis should be no less than 700-800 IU per day ... Today, desirable serum 25(OH)D levels of at least 75 nmol/l may only be reached in about one third of US older individuals and even fewer European older individuals"
176. Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With Low Mood and Worse Cognitive Performance in Older Adults - Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006 Dec;14(12):1032-1040 - "In a cross-section of older adults, vitamin D deficiency was associated with low mood and with impairment on two of four measures of cognitive performance"
177. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations and carotid artery intima-media thickness among type 2 diabetic patients - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2006 Nov;65(5):593-597 - "The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D (i.e. 25(OH)D </= 37.5 nmol/l) was higher in diabetic patients (34.0 vs 16.4%, P < 0.001) than in controls. Among diabetic patients, those with hypovitaminosis D (n = 130) had a marked increase in common carotid IMT (1.10 +/- 0.15 vs 0.87 +/- 0.14 mm, P < 0.001) when compared with their vitamin d-sufficient counterparts (n = 260). These patients also had significantly higher haemoglobin A1c, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations. In multivariate regression analysis, low 25(OH)D concentrations independently predicted carotid IMT (P < 0.001) in people with type 2 diabetes after adjustment for classical risk factors, diabetes duration, HbA1c, calcium, renal function tests, inflammatory markers, use of medications, and presence of the metabolic syndrome"
178. Vitamin d status in a rural postmenopausal female population - J Am Coll Nutr. 2006 Oct;25(5):395-402 - "Approximately two-thirds of this rural population fell below 80 nmol/L, a value considered to be the lower end of the optimal range. Based on the slope of 25(OH)D on supplement dose observed in these women, it would require an additional vitamin D input of nearly 2000 IU/d to reach the goal of an RDA for vitamin D, i.e., to bring 97.5% of the cohort to levels of 80 nmol/L or higher"
179. A system for improving vitamin D nutrition in residential care - Med J Aust. 2006 Aug 21;185(4):195-8 - "Vitamin D(3) 100 000 IU given orally 3 monthly is a practical, safe, effective and inexpensive way to meet the vitamin D(3) requirements of aged-care residents"
180. Vitamin D deficiency in breastfed infants in Iowa - Pediatrics. 2006 Aug;118(2):603-10 - "Vitamin D deficiency, including severe deficiency, was common among breastfed infants in Iowa who did not receive preformed vitamin D. Deficiency occurred mostly during winter but was not completely absent during summer ... Vitamin D supplementation should be provided to all breastfed infants"
181. Estimation of optimal serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D for multiple health outcomes - Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jul;84(1):18-28 - "For all endpoints, the most advantageous serum concentrations of 25(OH)D begin at 75 nmol/L (30 ng/mL), and the best are between 90 and 100 nmol/L (36-40 ng/mL). In most persons, these concentrations could not be reached with the currently recommended intakes of 200 and 600 IU vitamin D/d for younger and older adults, respectively ... An intake for all adults of >/=1000 IU (40 mug) vitamin D (cholecalciferol)/d is needed to bring vitamin D concentrations in no less than 50% of the population up to 75 nmol/L"
182. Vitamin D and calcium intake in relation to type 2 diabetes in women - Diabetes Care. 2006 Mar;29(3):650-6 - "A combined daily intake of >1,200 mg calcium and >800 IU vitamin D was associated with a 33% lower risk of type 2 diabetes with RR of 0.67 (0.49-0.90) compared with an intake of <600 mg and 400 IU calcium and vitamin D, respectively"
183. A positive dose-response effect of vitamin D supplementation on site-specific bone mineral augmentation in adolescent girls: a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled 1-year intervention - J Bone Miner Res. 2006 Jun;21(6):836-44 = "Bone mineral augmentation in the femur was 14.3% and 17.2% higher in the groups receiving 5 and 10 microg of vitamin D, respectively, compared with the placebo group, but only 10 mug increased lumbar spine BMC augmentation significantly"
184. Evaluating vitamin D status. Implications for preventing and managing osteoporosis and other chronic diseases - Joint Bone Spine. 2006 Feb 17 - "recent review articles indicate that current reference ranges for serum 25-OH-vitamin D are too low. An appropriate lower normal limit may be between 50-100 nmol/l (20-40 ng/ml). Standard supplement dosages may fail to provide concentrations above this range"
185. Effect of cholecalciferol plus calcium on falling in ambulatory older men and women: a 3-year randomized controlled trial - Arch Intern Med. 2006 Feb 27;166(4):424-30 - "Long-term dietary cholecalciferol-calcium supplementation reduces the odds of falling in ambulatory older women by 46%, and especially in less active women by 65%"
186. Prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy in osteoporotic hip fracture patients in London - Curr Med Res Opin. 2005 Dec;21(12):1891-4 - "This study confirms almost universal vitamin D inadequacy among 103 patients admitted to hospital with hip fracture in London, although the prevalence of inadequacy is slightly lower than that seen in a similar study carried out in Glasgow"
187. Low Levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes - Horm Metab Res. 2005 Nov;37(11):680-683 - "Mean levels of both 25OHD (3) and 1,25-(OH) (2)D (3) were significantly lower in patients compared to controls ... These findings suggest that vitamin D (3) may be an important pathogenic factor in type 1 diabetes"
188. Vitamin D: important for prevention of osteoporosis, cardiovascular heart disease, type 1 diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and some cancers - South Med J. 2005 Oct;98(10):1024-7 - "Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of many common cancers, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, cardiovascular heart disease, and type I diabetes"
189. The High Prevalence of Inadequate Serum Vitamin D Levels and Implications for Bone Health - Curr Med Res Opin. 2005; 21 (4): 579-585 - "Vitamin D toxicity has not been reported from excessive sunlight exposure, and has only been associated with dietary intake when daily doses exceed 10 000 IU (250 µg) ... Vitamin D is of paramount importance for mineral homeostasis and skeletal health, and maintaining adequate vitamin D nutrition is an essential component of management strategies for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Nevertheless, inadequate serum vitamin D is currently a highly prevalent, global health issue, especially among elderly adults and osteoporosis patients"
190. Should older people in residential care receive vitamin d to prevent falls? Results of a randomized trial - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005 Nov;53(11):1881-8 - "Older people in residential care can reduce their incidence of falls if they take a vitamin D supplement for 2 years even if they are not initially classically vitamin D deficient"
191. Low-Dose Vitamin D Prevents Muscular Atrophy and Reduces Falls and Hip Fractures in Women after Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial - Cerebrovasc Dis. 2005 Jul 27;20(3):187-192 - "48 patients received 1,000 IU ergocalciferol daily ... Vitamin D treatment accounted for a 59% reduction in falls ... There were increases in the relative number and size of type II muscle fibers and improved muscle strength in the vitamin D-treated group"
192. Vitamin d for health and in chronic kidney disease - Semin Dial. 2005 Jul-Aug;18(4):266-75 - "In addition to its role in maintaining calcium and phosphorus homeostasis, vitamin D is now being recognized as important for maintaining maximum muscle strength and for the prevention of many chronic diseases, including type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, cardiovascular heart disease, and many common cancers"
193. Vitamin D and calcium supplementation prevents severe falls in elderly community-dwelling women: a pragmatic population-based 3-year intervention study - Aging Clin Exp Res. 2005 Apr;17(2):125-32 - "female residents who followed the Calcium and Vitamin D Program had a 12% risk reduction in severe falls"
194. Fracture prevention with vitamin D supplementation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - JAMA. 2005 May 11;293(18):2257-64 - "Oral vitamin D supplementation between 700 to 800 IU/d appears to reduce the risk of hip and any nonvertebral fractures in ambulatory or institutionalized elderly persons. An oral vitamin D dose of 400 IU/d is not sufficient for fracture prevention"
195. Osteoporosis: the role of micronutrients - Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 May;81(5):1232S-9S - "Higher doses than the current US recommendation (600 IU) of vitamin D in the elderly (age >/= 65 y) may actually be required for optimal bone health (800-1000 IU/d)"
196. Vitamin D and calcium deficits predispose for multiple chronic diseases - Eur J Clin Invest. 2005 May;35(5):290-304 - "calcium and vitamin D deficits increase the risk of malignancies, particularly of colon, breast and prostate gland, of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (e.g. insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis), as well as of metabolic disorders (metabolic syndrome, hypertension)"
197. Failure of High-Dose Ergocalciferol to Correct Vitamin D Deficiency in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis - Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005 Apr 28 - "In the 33 CF adults who also completed the recommended second course of 800,000 IU of ergocalciferol over two months, none demonstrated correction of their deficiency" - I threw this in because ergocalciferol is vitamin D(2), with is not absorbed as well as vitamin D(3) (cholecalciferol).  If your taking supplements containing the D(2), you might want to change.
198. Pilot Study: Potential Role of Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol) in Patients With PSA Relapse After Definitive Therapy - Nutr Cancer. 2005;51(1):32-6 - "Fifteen patients were given 2,000 IU (50 mug) of cholecalciferol daily and monitored prospectively every 2-3 mo. In 9 patients, PSA levels decreased or remained unchanged after the commencement of cholecalciferol. This was sustained for as long as 21 mo. Also, there was a statistically significant decrease in the rate of PSA rise after administration of cholecalciferol (P = 0.005) compared with that before cholecalciferol. The median PSA doubling time increased from 14.3 mo prior to commencing cholecalciferol to 25 mo after commencing cholecalciferol. Fourteen of 15 patients had a prolongation of PSA doubling time after commencing cholecalciferol. There were no side effects reported by any patient"
199. Why we should offer routine vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy and childhood to prevent multiple sclerosis - Med Hypotheses. 2005;64(3):608-18 - "Prevention of MS by modifying an important environmental factor (sunlight exposure and vitamin D level) offers a practical and cost-effective way to reduce the burden of the disease in the future generations"
200. Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin d levels indicative of vitamin d sufficiency: implications for establishing a new effective dietary intake recommendation for vitamin d - J Nutr. 2005 Feb;135(2):317-22 - "The current adult recommendations for vitamin D, 200-600 IU/d, are very inadequate when one considers that a 10-15 min whole-body exposure to peak summer sun will generate and release up to 20,000 IU vitamin D-3 into the circulation ... Recent studies reveal that current dietary recommendations for adults are not sufficient to maintain circulating 25(OH)D levels at or above this level, especially in pregnancy and lactation"
201. The effects of postmenopausal Vitamin D treatment on vaginal atrophy - Maturitas. 2004 Dec 10;49(4):334-7 - "The mean physical findings score in Vitamin D treatment (VDT) group was significantly lower than the mean physical findings score in the group without treatment ... As maturation indices: in VDT group, superficial cells proportion was significantly higher and basal, parabasal cells proportion was lower than in the group without treatment"
202. Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease - Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Dec;80(6):1678S-88S - "Vitamin D deficiency is an unrecognized epidemic among both children and adults in the United States. Vitamin D deficiency not only causes rickets among children but also precipitates and exacerbates osteoporosis among adults and causes the painful bone disease osteomalacia. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with increased risks of deadly cancers, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes mellitus"
203. Functional indices of vitamin D status and ramifications of vitamin D deficiency - Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Dec;80(6):1706S-9S - "For typical older individuals, supplemental oral intakes of approximately 1300 IU/d are required to reach the lower end of the optimal range"
204. Vitamin D requirements: current and future - Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Dec;80(6):1735S-9S - "Upper levels of vitamin D intake were set at 50 mug/d (2000 IU/d) for all ages. Some individuals would require higher levels than these to achieve serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations for optimal calcium absorption. So much new information on vitamin D and health has been collected since the requirements were set in 1997 that this nutrient is likely the most in need of revised requirements"
205. 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)"
206. Vitamin D insufficiency and fracture risk - Endocrinology & Diabetes. 11(6):353-358, December 2004 - "There is a growing body of evidence for the alarming prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency among healthy adolescents, adults, and elders"
207. Vitamin D in Australia. Issues and recommendations - Aust Fam Physician. 2004 Mar;33(3):133-8 - "In cases of established vitamin D deficiency, supplementation with 3000-5000 IU per day for at least 1 month is required to replete body stores"
208. Vitamin D Insufficiency and Deficiency in Chronic Kidney Disease. A Single Center Observational Study - Am J Nephrol. 2004 Sep 22;24(5):503-510 - "In the group undergoing maintenance hemodialyis, we found that 97% of the patients had vitamin D levels in the suboptimal range ... vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are highly prevalent in patients with CKD and may play a role in the development of hyperparathyroidism"
209. Randomized comparison of the effects of the vitamin D3 adequate intake versus 100 mcg (4000 IU) per day on biochemical responses and the wellbeing of patients - Nutr J. 2004 Jul 19;3(1):8 - "winter wellbeing/depression scores improved with both doses of vitamin D"
210. Supplementation with oral vitamin d3 and calcium during winter prevents seasonal bone loss: a randomized controlled open-label prospective trial - J Bone Miner Res. 2004 Aug;19(8):1221-30 - "Supplementation with oral vitamin D(3) and calcium during winter prevents seasonal changes in bone turnover and bone loss in healthy adults. It seems conceivable that annually recurring cycles of low vitamin D and mild secondary hyperparathyroidism during the winter months contributes, at least in part and over many years, to age-related bone loss. Supplementation with low-dose oral vitamin D(3) and calcium during winter may be an efficient and inexpensive strategy for the primary prevention of bone loss in northern latitudes"
211. Association between serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and periodontal disease in the US population - Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Jul;80(1):108-13 - "Low serum 25(OH)D(3) concentrations may be associated with PD independently of BMD. Given the high prevalence of PD and vitamin D deficiency, these findings may have important public health implications"
212. Prevalence of vitamin d deficiency among healthy adolescents - Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004 Jun;158(6):531-7 - "Seventy-four patients (24.1%) were vitamin D deficient"
213. Why the optimal requirement for Vitamin D(3) is probably much higher than what is officially recommended for adults - J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2004 May;89-90:575-9 - "If 70nmol/L is regarded as a minimum desirable target 25(OH)D concentration, then current recommendations of 15mcg per day do not meet the criterion of an RDA"
214. Vitamin D deficiency: new perspectives on an old disease - Endocrinology and Diabetes, 2/04 - "Even though vitamin D deficiency has been thought to be obsolete in developed countries such as the United States, recent data suggest that this diagnosis may exist in epidemic proportions. Chronic vitamin D deficiency may be associated with a susceptibility to hypertension, multiple sclerosis, and various malignancies, problems beyond the more commonly recognized skeletal manifestations"  - See iHerb or Vitacost vitamin D products.
215. Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis - Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar;79(3):362-71 - "Vitamin D deficiency is often misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia ... Studies in both human and animal models add strength to the hypothesis that the unrecognized epidemic of vitamin D deficiency worldwide is a contributing factor of many chronic debilitating diseases ... The recommended adequate intakes for vitamin D are inadequate, and, in the absence of exposure to sunlight, a minimum of 1000 IU vitamin D/d is required to maintain a healthy concentration of 25(OH)D in the blood" - See iHerb or Vitacost vitamin D products.
216. Vitamin D and prostate cancer prevention and treatment - Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Nov;14(9):423-30 - "The association between either decreased sun exposure or vitamin D deficiency and the increased risk of prostate cancer at an earlier age, and with a more aggressive progression, indicates that adequate vitamin D nutrition should be a priority for men of all ages"
217. Prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in elderly women in Italy: clinical consequences and risk factors - Osteoporos Int. 2003 Jul 11 - "Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common among elderly Italian women ... Hypovitaminosis D is associated with worsening of the ability to perform activities of daily living and higher hip fracture prevalence. This finding should lead to an urgent population-based strategy to remedy this condition"
218. Vitamin D Deficiency Masquerading as Pseudohypoparathyroidism Type 2 - Journal of The Association of Physicians of India, 6/03 - "Phenytoin and phenobarbitone are well known to cause vitamin D deficiency by decreasing intestinal absorption and increasing metabolism of 25 (OH) D in liver ... vitamin D deficiency can mimic PHP-II and therefore before considering this rare diagnosis vitamin D deficiency must be excluded"
219. Oral vitamin D3 decreases fracture risk in the elderly - J Fam Pract. 2003 Jun;52(6):431-5 - "Despite a seemingly large dose averaging 800 IU per day, this regimen is a safe, cheap (<$2 per year), and effective therapy for primary prevention of fractures"
220. Vitamin D in preventive medicine: are we ignoring the evidence? - Br J Nutr 2003 May;89(5):552-572 - "European children and young adults often have circulating 25(OH)D levels in the insufficiency range during wintertime. Elderly subjects have mean 25(OH)D levels in the insufficiency range throughout the year. In institutionalized subjects 25(OH)D levels are often in the deficiency range. There is now general agreement that a low vitamin D status is involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Moreover, vitamin D insufficiency can lead to a disturbed muscle function. Epidemiological data also indicate a low vitamin D status in tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel diseases, hypertension, and specific types of cancer. Some intervention trials have demonstrated that supplementation with vitamin D or its metabolites is able: (i) to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients; (ii) to improve blood glucose levels in diabetics; (iii) to improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. The oral dose necessary to achieve adequate serum 25(OH)D levels is probably much higher than the current recommendations of 5-15 &mgr;g/d."
221. Calcium, vitamin D, milk consumption, and hip fractures: a prospective study among postmenopausal women - Am. J. of Clin. Nutr., 2/03 - "Women consuming 12.5 µg vitamin D/d from food plus supplements had a 37% lower risk of hip fracture (RR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.42, 0.94) than did women consuming < 3.5 µg/d. Total calcium intake was not associated with hip fracture risk (RR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.68, 1.34 for 1200 compared with < 600 mg/d). Milk consumption was also not associated with a lower risk of hip fracture (P for trend = 0.21)"

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