Older Adults Need More Vitamin D

Not only do older people require more vitamin D, but so do people of color, people who do not go in the sun, those wearing clothing that fully covers the body from head to toe, but those dealing with obesity (this group may need up to 5x greater doses).

Find our many articles on Vitamin D using the search box.  You can also order the vitamin D test and your quality vitamin D supplements to help support Natural Health News.

By Mike Stones, 18-May-2010

Older adults suffering vitamin D deficiency need higher remedial doses than younger adults, according to a new research review.

The study, Correcting poor vitamin D status: Do older adults need higher repletion doses of vitamin D3 than younger adults?, concluded that: “The doses and total time for repleting older adults with vitamin D3 appeared to be greater than for younger adults, in part due to the lower starting baseline vitamin D status.”

Oral supplementation

To ensure almost all patients receive sufficient vitamin D, a daily dose of 125 mcg (5000 IU) is required for older people, aged 65 and above, while for younger patients, below the age of 65, a rate above 50 mcg (2000 IU) was sufficient.

The results applied whether Vitamin D was taken daily or as a bolus oral supplementation. Adults classed as deficient were those with levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D less than 75 nmol/L.

The researchers further concluded that several regimens, such as loading with a high dose (12500 mcg) of vitamin D3 and then giving 1250 mcg monthly, provide enough vitamin D3 for most patients to achieve and maintain 25(OH)D levels at or above 75 nmol/L.

According to the research review, a promising loading regimen is to provide calcidiol (25(OH)D) itself.

Since information on repletion with vitamin D2 has been published recently, the researchers decided to focus on the use of vitamin D3 from dietary supplements, prescriptions for large oral doses, and bolus dosing or injections.

Most published dosing regimens failed to achieve 75 nmol/L in almost all subjects, whether young adults (below 65 years) or older adults (above 65 years).

The authors, Susan Whiting, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, and Mona Calvo, US Food and Drug Administration, noted many differences among studies, including baseline levels, endpoints, study duration, and compliance.

Adverse effects

All the studies reviewed reported that subjects were free of adverse effects, indicating that the vitamin D3 protocols were safe during the observed dosing periods.

Meanwhile, the researchers noted that: “Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency is at epidemic proportions worldwide. In temperate countries more than half of the population is at risk and worldwide, even in tropical countries, vitamin D deficiency is a very serious concern due to changes in living and working conditions.”

Vitamin D has been shown convincingly to have many functions beyond its role in calcium and bone health, they added.

In addition to maintaining normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. Recently, research also suggests vitamin D may provide protection from osteoporosis, hypertension, cancer, and several autoimmune diseases.

Source: Molecular Nutrition and Food Research -

Title: Correcting poor vitamin D status: Do older adults need higher repletion doses of vitamin D3 than younger adults? Authors: S. Whiting, M.Calvo

Older adults need higher remedial doses of vitamin D deficiency: Study: "Older adults suffering vitamin D deficiency need higher remedial doses than younger adults, according to a new research review."

Vitamin D and Fatigue

It never ceases to amaze me when these multiple reports about the benfits of Vitamin D always seem to overlook the issue of deficiency directly related to faulty information promulgated since the late 70s and early 80s to cut all fat out of your diet.

If you do not have healthy saturated in your diet your diet you CANNOT absorb Vitamin D, nor can you use calcium or have good support for healthy cholesterol levels and hormone production.   


Please eat unsalted-organic butter (you can make "spread" by blending one stick of butter with 1/2 cup olive oil), and any dairy products MUST contain at least 2% butter fat.

Vitamin D deficiency associated with chronic fatigue in brain injured patients

ScienceDaily (2010-04-28) -- New evidence has shown that vitamin D deficiency is closely associated with the chronic fatigue that often follows post traumatic brain injury (TBI). ... > read full article
Vitamin D testing and supplements are available from our organization. Profits and donations help us help your health through education.

Better Function with Vitamin D

More good news about the benefits from vitamin D.

Vitamin D improves elderly mobility

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., April 27 (UPI) -- Elderly study participants with the highest levels of vitamin D had better physical function and mobility than others, U.S. researchers found.

Dr. Denise Houston of the Sticht Center on Aging at Wake Forest University and colleagues studied vitamin D status and physical function in a group of relatively healthy seniors, mean age 75, in Memphis and Pittsburgh.

The study tracked 2,788 seniors for four years and assessed vitamin D status by analyzing each person's blood for 25-hydroxyvitamin D -- a precursor activated vitamin D.

The researchers looked at how quickly each participant could walk a short distance about, six yards, and rise from a chair five times, as well as balance tests.

The study found physical function declined during the study period, but it remained significantly higher among those with the highest vitamin D levels at the beginning of the study.

However, Houston said it is possible those with better physical function had higher vitamin D because they were able to go outside more often and get the vitamin through exposure to sunshine.

The findings were presented at the American Society for Nutrition at the Experimental Biology meeting in Anaheim, Calif.

And it is certainly better for osteoporosis, that also can impact physical function and mobility -

Causes of osteoporosis include a decrease in osteoblast function, a change in parathyroid activity as a compensatory factor for decreased calcium absorption, and usually a combination of either less sun exposure and/or a decreased ability to synthesize Vitamin D, or insufficient dietary intake of Vitamin D.

Additional causes include sedentary lifestyles, which play a significant part, there are genetic factors, which are less-common, while insufficient sex hormones and body weight (anorexia), various stimulants and drugs (caffeine, alcohol, glucocorticoids [cortisone, prednisone, dexamethasone] , Lupron [GnRHagonist to lower hormones], Depo-Provera [a form of progesterone]...), hyperthyroidism, and kidney
disease are also contributing factors.

Yes, you do need more D

It is heartening to see more good coverage about the importance of Vitamin D to health in MSM.
You'll see a comment in this story about D and diabetes.  For decades we have been recommending low dose zinc with vitamin D 3 for Type 1; this combination may help reverse it.

Many people fall short in consumption of vitamin D, studies show
By Michael Hastings, Winston-Salem Journal
August 15, 2010

Vitamin D fortifies a lot of foods, including milk, cereal and orange juice. And it's naturally found in wild-caught oily fish such as salmon and tuna.
That suggests that most people get plenty of Vitamin D.
But that's wrong.
Vitamin D deficiency is a widespread problem.
"Probably 90 percent of my patients are low," said Dr. Victoria Nnadi, a physician at Forsyth Internal Medicine Kernersville, owned by Novant Health.
Dr. Michael F. Holick, a Vitamin D expert at the Boston University School of Medicine, has been quoted as saying that Vitamin D is the most common nutritional deficiency and probably the most common medical problem in the world.
Getting adequate Vitamin D would seem easy. We need to spend only a few minutes a day in the sun.
In general, 5 to 10 minutes a day between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. with minimal clothing is considered good. But cloud cover, sunscreen, skin pigmentation and even northern latitudes can reduce the penetration of ultraviolet-B rays.
And with sedentary lifestyles and concerns about skin cancer, many people never get enough sun to provide adequate amounts of Vitamin D.
Similarly, most people don't eat enough food with Vitamin D. Kathie Sigler, a registered dietitian with Diabetes and Nutrition Services at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, said that someone would have to drink a quart of milk a day to get the 400 IUs (International Units) for people from birth to age 50. This the current amount recommended by the Institute of Medicine, an independent organization.
That leaves supplements as the best alternative. But experts disagree about the optimum level of Vitamin D. The National Institutes of Health currently considers 15 nanograms per millimeter of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood as adequate. But last year, the Institute of Medicine started a 24-month review of current recommendations.
The 2000-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the federal government, acknowledged the disagreement by publishing results for three different levels of Vitamin D. The survey found that 50 percent to 78 percent of all three groups surveyed (whites, Hispanics and blacks) fell below the highest level (30 ng/ml).
The nonprofit Vitamin D Council says that the level considered good should be 50 ng/ml. And many doctors, including Nnadi, agree.
Nnadi typically sees people with chronic illnesses, and many of them have multiple illnesses. And Vitamin D affects every part of the body. It is associated with the health of bones, the heart, muscles, the immune system and the prevention of cancer.
"I often will see (Vitamin D deficiency) in people who come in all achy, with low-back pain, arm pain or pain all over," Nnadi said.
Sigler said that Vitamin D is involved with the onset of diabetes. "It helps the pancreas make insulin. It helps the cells use that insulin," she said. "If the cells can't use that insulin, if there's not enough Vitamin D there, then diabetes can develop."
Sigler also said that improved Vitamin D can help people manage the complications of diabetes. For instance, the pain of neuropathy, a burning sensation in the feet, can be eased when Vitamin D levels are improved.
Sigler also said that good Vitamin D levels can promote healing after radiation therapy and help with fatigue and mild forms of depression.
It is possible to take too much Vitamin D, but that rarely happens, Nnadi and Sigler said. The NIH currently recommends a maximum of 1,000 IU of Vitamin D for infants and 2,000 IU for anyone age 1 or older.
"I would not start taking supplements (beyond a multivitamin) without getting your blood tested and without talking to your doctor," Sigler said.
Still, studies clearly show that many of us could use more Vitamin D -- and the many health benefits it can provide.
"The take-home message," Nnadi said, "is to get the Vitamin D level checked."

Copyright © 2010, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Oprah and Oz: Maybe their answers are missing something

I happened to notice a link to the Oprah show bulletin broad and their Q & A for Dr Oz having to do with vitamin D, Fosamax, cell phones and irregular heart beat.

What stuck me is that one of the queries posted was by a woman who had been told by her doctor that her vitamin D level at 38.4 was good.

Hopefully her doctor tested for 25 OH or Vitamin D3.  If you'd like to know the range for results, please see this excerpt from my recent issue of herbalYODA Says! - If you're not a subscriber, request a copy with your donation to CHI (www.leaflady.org)

" The base level for vitamin D for both adults and children is 50 nanograms/mL If your level is below 50 then you will use it as fast as it is made, and you may be at risk for deficiency. This is more of a concern for people of color, those who do not go in the sun, those who are confined or live in climates where it is darker in winter, and those who wear clothing that covers the entire body.

Blood serum levels above 80 ng/mL allow for reserve storage. Levels above 200 ng/mL are thought to be toxic. The optimal range at all times is between 50 and 80ng/mL for adults and children."

Often you find that today's doctors are remiss in their ability to interpret lab results according to the most current research. Old levels for Vitamin D are 30, and even our own misguided FDA is considering raising the daily intake to 1000 mg.

This lack is virtually universal for thyroid testing, especially made worse because of the failure to order the correct tests.

Irregular heart beat associated with Fosamax may be related to the fluoride content of the drug which has a negative effect on thyroid function.  Thyroid dysfunction is often a symptom of excessive exposure to fluoride, because fluoride displaces iodine which is a key nutrient for a healthy thyroid. Iodine is also displaced by chlorine and bromine (halogens).

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) created by cell phones do now show that there is a alteration of thyroid function.  This can be linked to irregular heart beat either from EMF (especially when exposed to WIFI) or thyroid dysfunction. This also has implications for an increased risk of breast cancer.

You can order both the vitamin D test and thyroid panel, or other tests, from CHI.  And many states allow you to order your own.  We also provide a service that includes interpretation of what lab results mean for your health.

NB: Our upcoming herbalYODA Says! program on BTR for April will be about thyroid.

Vitamin D Important for Parkinson's

Low vitamin D levels 'linked to Parkinson's disease'

Vitamin D test Kit and High Quality D3 supplements can be ordered through CHI

Having low vitamin D levels may increase a person's risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life, say Finnish researchers.

Their study of 3,000 people, published in Archives of Neurology, found people with the lowest levels of the sunshine vitamin had a three-fold higher risk.

Vitamin D could be helping to protect the nerve cells gradually lost by people with the disease, experts say.

The charity Parkinson's UK said further research was required.

Parkinson's disease affects several parts of the brain, leading to symptoms like tremor and slow movements.

30-year study

Having low vitamin D levels may increase a person's risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life, say Finnish researchers.

Their study of 3,000 people, published in Archives of Neurology, found people with the lowest levels of the sunshine vitamin had a three-fold higher risk.

Vitamin D could be helping to protect the nerve cells gradually lost by people with the disease, experts say.

The charity Parkinson's UK said further research was required.

Parkinson's disease affects several parts of the brain, leading to symptoms like tremor and slow movements.

30-year study

The researchers from Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare measured vitamin D levels from the study group between 1978 and 1980, using blood samples.

They then followed these people over 30 years to see whether they developed Parkinson's disease.

They found that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were three times more likely to develop Parkinson's, compared with the group with the highest levels of vitamin D.

Most vitamin D is made by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight, although some comes from foods like oily fish, milk or cereals.

As people age, however, their skin becomes less able to produce vitamin D.

Doctors have known for many years that vitamin D helps calcium uptake and bone formation.

But research is now showing that it also plays a role in regulating the immune system, as well as in the development of the nervous system.

Vitamin target

Writing in an editorial in the US journal Archives of Neurology, Marian Evatt, assistant professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, says that health authorities should consider raising the target vitamin D level.

"At this point, 30 nanograms per millilitre of blood or more appears optimal for bone health in humans.

"However, researchers don't yet know what level is optimal for brain health or at what point vitamin D becomes toxic for humans, and this is a topic that deserves close examination."

Dr Kieran Breen, director of research at Parkinson's UK, said: "The study provides further clues about the potential environmental factors that may influence or protect against the progression of Parkinson's.

"A balanced healthy diet should provide the recommended levels of vitamin D.

"Further research is required to find out whether taking a dietary supplement, or increased exposure to sunlight, may have an effect on Parkinson's, and at what stage these would be most beneficial."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/10601091.stm

http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2008/06/parkinsons-and-drug-pesticides.html

Vitamin D is Critical

UPDATE: 9 March

Vitamin D lifts mood during cold weather months, researchers say

ScienceDaily (2010-03-08) -- A daily dose of vitamin D may just be what people in northern climates need to get through the long winter, according to researchers. This nutrient lifts mood during cold weather months when days are short and more time is spent indoors. ... > read full article

Remember that vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which means you need to have adequate, healthy fats in your daily diet.

Order your Vitamin D test from us*, and your vitamin D and help us continue our important work.

* Send $100 via PayPal to Creating Health Institute, indicate vit D test.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, March 8 (UPI) -- University of Copenhagen researchers report vitamin D is crucial to activating immune defenses to fight off serious infections in the body.

Carsten Geisler said when specialized immune cells -- T cells -- are exposed to a foreign pathogen, it extends a signaling device or "antenna" known as a vitamin D receptor, with which it searches for vitamin D.

"T cell must have vitamin D or activation of the cell will cease," Geisler said in a statement. "If the T cells cannot find enough vitamin D in the blood, they won't even begin to mobilize."

Identifying the role of vitamin D in the activation of T cells has been a major breakthrough, the research team said.

"Scientists have known for a long time that vitamin D is important for calcium absorption and the vitamin has also been implicated in diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis, but what we didn't realize is how crucial vitamin D is for actually activating the immune system -- which we know now," Geisler said.

Vitamin D is produced as a natural byproduct of the skin's exposure to sunlight and is also found in fish liver oil, eggs and fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel or a dietary supplement.

The findings are published in Nature Immunology.

Sunshine for health - A spot of sunshine doesn't just lift your spirits, it also boosts your immune system.

Research shows that vitamin D, made when our skin is exposed to sunlight, plays a key role in activating white blood cells that protect the body from flu, food poisoning and even cancer.

Without the 'sunshine vitamin', the cells do not join the fight against disease.
Source

Warning for People who have had Bariatric Surgery

The very high incidence of vitamin D deficiency noted in participants of this study indicates that an urgent effort to educate patients about this critical health issue must be undertaken. And more effective methods of supplying vitamin D in this population must be found in the very near future.

This may have implications for anyone with pancreatic dis-orders or for those who have had other types of bariatric surgery.

72.3% of patients had 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels less than or equal to 30 ng/mL (insufficient), and 46.8% of patients had 25(OH)D levels less than or equal to 20 ng/mL.

High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Biliopancreatic Diversion Patients

Reference:"Prevalence and Persistence of Vitamin D Deficiency in Biliopancreatic Diversion Patients: A Retrospective Study," Khandalavala BN, Fang X, et al, Obes Surg, 2010 May 7; [Epub ahead of print]. Department of Family Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.

Summary: In a retrospective study involving 219 patients who underwent biliopancreatic diversion (a form of bariatric surgery), results showed a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency. 72.3% of patients had 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels less than or equal to 30 ng/mL (insufficient), and 46.8% of patients had 25(OH)D levels less than or equal to 20 ng/mL. Thus, the authors conclude, "This study gives evidence that vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is prevalent in BPD patients. Despite excess weight loss and oral vitamin D supplementation, the data shows that vitamin D levels continue to decrease over time in BPD patients. Since the current method of vitamin D supplementation is not producing ideal results, other protocol needs to be developed."

Clear association between obesity and vitamin D deficiency

Calcium, parathyroid health, and obesity

Endocrinology: http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/jc.2009-2822v1

More on a study conducted at Uppsala University has demonstrated that obese people often suffer from serious vitamin D deficiency and poor calcium metabolism. The findings have been published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. According to the researchers, the problem is under appreciated by the health care establishment.