"My bet is that it's both."
I second this. See Guess who didn't look after his brain?
Cheers, Nige.

Dr. Grimes is a great man. He took a bit of time out to answer a few of my questions by email.

Thank you for the great site. I have learned much from coming here. I recently purchased some vitamin D3 and krill oil. What would be the proper dose per day?
Thank you.

Dear Dr Davis,

I had no idea that fish contained a lot of vitamin D, I knew they contained some but I didn't think it was a lot - maybe this explains my continuing over high 25(OH)D results  - currently 250 nmol/L (100 ng/dl). I only take 2,000 IU D3 per day but I eat lots of oily fish ! I eat a can of sardines every day and large portions of salmon and seabass several times per week. If this is why my 25(OH)D is so high that would be something important to inform my endocrinologist about.

Anne

Ummm, but vitamin D elevates HDL cholesterol and statins do not elevate HDL. This analogy is confusing for me at this point, isnt it?

It has been great to find this blog, I support time ago Omega3 EPA DHA and Vitamin D3 supplementation and also I am LEF member time ago, in whose magazine I have read great articles by Dr Davis. Congratulations from Europe.

Thinking about that analogy, well statins could active vitamin D receptors with no increase in vitamin D in blood.

For example, resveratrol can activate vitamin D receptors at least in cancer cells and obviously resveratrol does not increase HDL nor vitamin D (of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, february 2003)

Yes, I think that trying to attribute ALL statins' effects to an increase in vitamin D is a stretch. But I believe there's credible evidence to suggest that at least some of the statin effect is due to D.

Personally, I'd rather take vitamin D and use little or not statin.

Great post! This seems to be another example of what can happen when nutrients are taken/studied on their own, instead of in their original context.  I don't discount the credibility of supplements, but so often it seems whole foods are the best.

Had Dr Grimes spent two minutes researching the facts he would have realised his theory is highly implausible. Fish oil contains negligible Vitamin D. You would need to consume a whopping 100g of sardine oil every day to get a mere 332iu of vitamin D. http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fats-and-oils/633/2 (based on USDA data). However eating large quantities of fish would supplement vitamin D levels.

Rural Scots and Inuits would have obtained ample vitamin D (up to 8000iu/day) by spending time outside during Spring-Summer-Autumn. The body stores vitamin D for 3-4 months.

The effects of fish oil and vitamin D are almost certainly separate although some synergistic effect may be present.

One of my university biochemistry lecturers said to me many years ago  'nutritional epidemiology is BS because it doesn't account for genetic differences'.

Inuits don't need high intakes of vitamin D because most of them have the bb allele of the vitamin D receptor. This mutation is also common in other Asian populations This means they use vitamin D extremely efficiently. People with the bb allele have a significantly lower incidence of rickets, osteoporosis and prostate cancer (and presumably depression and heart disease).

Nocturnal mammals have extremely low vitamin D needs due to extremely efficient vitamin D metabolism. Fruit bats have no detectable serum vitamin D.

Hi, Blogblog--

I believe Dr. Grimes is referring only to consumption of fish, not fish oil capsules.

I wasn't aware of the VDR polymorphism in Inuits. Thanks for that insight.

When the Scots moved from coastal fishing villages to industrial cities such as Glasgow, they became seriously deficient in vitamin D, and so the emergence of rickets. This was followed by a variety of other diseases resulting from vitamin D deficiency: tuberculosis, dental decay, coronary heart disease, and even multiple sclerosis and depression (the Glasgow syndrome).

If you would like to know a bit more about Vitamin D, you could look at 3 three recent lectures that I gave in London in the Spring of 2011. They are available on You Tube :

Vitamin D clinical experience
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_mCewkvoFc

Vitamin D and cancer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoXZHhKjVvU&feature=related

Vitamin D and pregnancy – inheritance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIo9a56nOwI&feature=related

David Grimes

Sometimes I get confused when people say "wheat". Do you think this also applies to other grains? What about rice and oats?

Thanks,
David

Received so much valuable advice from Dr Davis blog(Vit D,Fish Oil, Thyroid,Niacin) that even though I love wheat(the thicker the crust on anything the better)That I decided to trust him on this one too. I had 10 days of misery ie:no energy,grumpy,and hungry. My wife said bad words about Dr D.... threatened to force feed me donuts because I was so nasty tempered. Now 2 months later I dropped the 15 lbs I needed to, feel better and have found it easy to stay off the stuff. Thanks Dr Davis (my wife says she is sorry!)

Or rye, perhaps?

I was listening to a CD version of the book "1491". It talked about the uniquely Native American ("Indian") invention of agriculture combining maze (corn) and squash and other beans. This provides all the essential amino acids.

It somewhat paralleled the Western invention of agriculture based on wheat and other grains(barley, oats,...).

The comment of significance was that the Native Americans were considerably taller than the newcoming European settlers.

I wonder if that is a "wheat thing" as well.

I read not long ago that when Lafayette and the French soldiers joined forces with the new Americans during the Revolutionary war, it was noted that the new Americans were also taller than the French soldiers.

I wonder.

Although i have reduced my wheat intake by 90% now, but it is not always easy to follow this diet. specially when you also have to avoid few other grains because of the hypothyroid issue. even though it has been said that iodine sufficiency shouldn't let goiter foods do any harm but, i can still feel the effects of these foods with in minutes after consuming, cooked or uncooked.
Few years ago i had bloody stomach every time i went to the bathroom. tired of doctors wait game and suggested operation date 3.5 months away, that's when i decided to become my own doctor and basically started studying my self. i was lucky that with in 3 days i was able to stop the bleeding with simple usage of Aloe (not the regular aloe it is high dose of Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharides) and manuka honey. but i learned later on that, all of this started with hypothyroid. while studying this stomach issue i went through this made sense notes from this alternative mental health site.
http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/walshMP.htm
where the author talked about oxidative stress and said,
"factor to consider is the high incidence of oxidative stress in the G.I. tract. This environment can destroy key digestive enzymes such as DPP-IV (needed to break down casein & gluten)..... This condition is especially common in autism-spectrum disorders. Failure to correct the oxidative stress would doom supplemented enzymes to an early death. The result can be similar to Pickett's Charge at the battle of Gettysburg.... The digestive enzymes are mowed down as soon as they enter the G.I. tract. The casein-free, gluten-free diet often results in rapid striking improvements. However, nutritional supplements which overcome G.I. tract oxidative stress can make the CF/GF diet unnecessary.
Normalization of zinc, metallothionein, and glutathione in the G.I. tract isn't difficult to accomplish. It's a lot easier to take a couple of capsules daily than this difficult diet. It takes about 6-8 weeks for the G.I. tract to get "fixed" using this therapy.
We've had many patients who were extremely sensitive to dairy and wheat.... and did marvelously after the CF/GF diet. Many of these same patients completely lost their sensitivity to casein and gluten after the antioxidant supplementation..... and now can eat a normal diet without a problem".
the reason that i am bringing this discussion that i have seen people in certain communities where wheat is their at least 40% of the total diet. yet some individuals in that same community are still got no wheat belly and no major health issues what so ever.

"Mental fog" seems very ambiguous.  Is there any kind of scientific data or quantifiable means by which one can measure the effect of wheat on "brain fog?"

Any studies, or is it all anecdotal evidence?

Please read about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and the book "Gut and Psychology Syndrome" by Natasha Campbell McBride. Very interesting and nothing we learned in medical school.

There are some who propose that we shouldn't eat any grains at all, because all grains have some particular proteins (particularly defence peptides) which provide protection to the grain plant, but which are harmful to the human immune system. This includes rice, corn, maize, etc.

Check out this article: "Cereal Grains - Humanity's double-edges sword" http://www.thepaleodiet.com/articles/Cereal%20article.pdf

Although I don't doubt the health benefits of eliminating wheat, I am interested in how the Mediterranean diet is considered healthy, yet includes pasta.

Fruits/veggies/grapes mitigate the damage wheat does, or is there some other mechanism? Perhaps genetics play a role, where certain individuals have a much bigger problem with wheat (as to heart disease) than others?

Wheat is the enemy. Ah well....that explains the Italians; and for that matter, the French.  But wait, they are, on average, more healthy than Americans,...... So what about those Japanese and other Asian cultures who consume vast amounts of Omega 6 from soy....maybe their delta-6 desaturase is higher than the average American, and maybe, just maybe they have more exercise in their daily routine.

Dear anonymous, it is a myth that Asians eat vast amounts of soy. They actually eat very little each day. Our food manufacturers have sold us that bill of goods so that we will buy products (franken-foods) with "healthy soy" which is actually the waste product of the soy oil industry--yet another bad for you food.

No disrespect to the French and the Italians - I love to visit both countries and know many natives - but the French and Italians are just "less sick" than we are, they aren't necessarily good examples of abundant health, esp the Italians.  They don't eat as much pasta as we are led to think, but wow, they do eat a lot of bread and sugar.  I saw lots of signs of diabetes among the locals when I was in Italy last summer.  

Overall, my impression from my visits to friends and family of my husband's (for nearly 15 years) is that Europe seems to be heading down a similar  sorry path we've already trodden; they are just a few years behind behind us.  Some European countries are following at a slower pace or a slightly different route, but the signs are there that the industrial food culture is permeating and doing damage, esp in the younger generations.  I think it's happening in industrial parts of Asia, too.

Celiac disease research is very active in Italy because  of the high rate of celiac incidence there.  Check Pub Med, you'll see a high number of Italian papers.

Anna,
You have more personal experience than I do from visits and I respect you observations.  I have not been to either country for over 10 years.

Take a look at the stats on Nationmaster:-

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_hea_dis_dea-health-heart-disease-deaths

Italy and France are low on the list for heart disease deaths.

Also on Nationmaster you can find stats for a whole host of other things EG wine consumption..... France and Italy top this list. On soft drink consumption, they are at the bottom. Obesity stats also show them at the bottom and USA is #1 but USA is not #1 for heart disease deaths, it is in the mid tier.

In my copy of Lao-Tzu's Te Tao Ching, which was found in a Chinese Han era tomb dated 168BC, it states that one of the other documents found in the tomb was a treatise on "the health benefits of grain avoidance".

Pasta is made from Durhum wheat which has a slightly different genetic profile from baker's wheat.
Even a single amino acid difference in a gluten or casien sequence can change the way it breaks under pepsin digestion, altering or blocking the production of any given exorphin. In my experience the Durhum gluten exorphin is not as vicious as the baker's wheat gluten exorphin, but it is still nasty.
This is paralleled in milk chemistry - beta-casien from A2 milk has a proline residue where beta-casien from A1 milk has a histidine residue; this means that A1 milk forms the potent exorphin beta-casomorphin 7 in amounts approximately 100x that of A2 milk. A1 and A2 are genotypes of common milk bearing cows. Many people who cannot tolerate A1 milk (normal cows milk) can tolerate A2 cow's milk, or goat's milk, which has A2 properties. (Milk can create other exorphins, but BCM-7 is especially potent and well-researched)
This is all linked to the use of low-dose naltrexone to stimulate and harmonise immunity by elevating endorphin levels. LDN can be seen as a drug that undoes the harmful effects of exorphins.
Also, large amounts of digestive protease enzymes are heavily relied on by many alternative canmcer therapists (as is LDN); these will tend to digest exorphins before they enter the bloodstream. This is not the actual rationale for enzyme-based cancer therapy, but to my mind it makes far more sense than the out-dated traditional explanation (the Beard hypothesis). Use of morphine after cancer surgery is associated with a significantly lower rate of remission - morphine is the classical exorphin.
The exorphins only enter the blood if two conditions are met - inadequate pancreatic digestive enzymes (proteases), and/or excessive intestinal permeability (or stomach ulcer) - "leaky gut" (because exorphins, like classic opiates, act directly on the gut, a lack of pancreatic enzymes can eventually lead to leaky gut. Aspirin abuse (even 1 a day, which has increased the rate of Crohn's disease five-fold in a population study - I use ginkgo or reishi instead), antibiotics, and many other drugs can contribute to leaky gut. Probiotics and good nutrition (adequate protein annd fats) are protective against it.

Andrew, there are scientific studies online done on rats in mazes that show orally administered gluten exorphins affect standard tests of learning, memory, etc (mazes and the like) without affecting "swim time" or other more physical parameters. That equates to "brain fog" (cognitive impairment) in humans, I reckon. This is one of the 15 references on PubMed:

[Delayed effect of exorphins on learning of albino rat pups]
[Article in Russian]

Dubynin VA, Malinovskaia IV, Beliaeva IuA, Stovolosov IS, Bespalova ZhD, Andreeva LA, KamenskiÄ­ AA, Miasoedov NF.

Abstract
The delayed effect of food-derived opioid peptides (exorphins) after chronic administration on postnatal days 1-14 on the learning of albino rat pups has been studied. Heptapeptide YPFPGPI (beta-casomorphin-7), pentapeptide YPLDL (rubiscolin-5) and pentapeptide YPISL (exorphin C) improved the development of the conditioned foraging reflex in a complex maze. Hexapeptide PFPGPI lacking the N-terminal tyrosine proved inefficient. Only beta-casomorphin-7 had an effect (negative) on passive avoidance conditioning. The obtained data confirm that exorphins (particularly, milk-derived beta-casomorphins) can have significant and long-term effects on the environmental adaptation of young mammals.

Among the many devastating effects of celiac disease , the immune disease that develops from wheat gluten exposure, are mental and emotional effects, such as anxiety, fatigue, mental "fog," depression, bipolar illness, and schizophrenia, that disappear with removal of gluten. Many parents of autistic children also advocate wheat-free diets for similar reasons.

Good post! I respect you observations. Pasta is made from Durhum wheat which has a slightly different genetic profile from baker's wheat. I am interested in how the Mediterranean diet is considered healthy, yet includes pasta.
Boxing/MMA Supplies

While the term "mental fog" is really vague and unscientific, thinking in more specific terms one can see that , yes it is well documented.  The protein in wheat gluten is very difficult to digest, and in the case of certain autistics, schizophrenics, celiacs, people with wheat gluten enteropathy etc. it is not completely broken down, forming long chains of peptides that have a chemical composition similar to opiates.  These people are all known for their resistance to dietary change and extreme addiction to wheat gluten and often dairy, the protein of which has a chemical composition similar to that of wheat gluten and therefore, is also may form similar peptides.  The symptoms such individuals display might be described in similar terms, dazed, spaced out, the appearance of opium addicts, or "mental fog."  There is research on this phenomenon.

Dr. Davis,

I have spent about 6 months taking daily HRV measurements using a Suunto t6d watch and analyzing the output with a software tool from Kubios.  From my n=1 experience, the most meaningful long-term impact to improved HRV has been regular exercise.  A lot of the research studies I looked at are in agreement with the other factors you mentioned above; however some of the factors tend to be more transitory (breathing, meditation, etc. ) and create a change during the time that you are working on them vs. the more lasting effects from exercise.

I would be happy to share more specifics from my experience if you are interested.

...Tim

Dear "Dr. Davis"

i'd love to read more !

warmly
interested one

The folks at Heart Math have had this mastered for years.  Books, classes, seminars, and they sell a portable and a computer based biofeedback device for training "coherence".  I am not affiliated with them in any way and do not sell their products but I do think it is a pretty good way to get into the whole arena of meditation and of very directly training HRV.

This is really interesting, because it goes along exactly with what I learned in studying midwifery - that hearing an absolutely regular/non-variable heartbeat on a fetoscope is a sign of a seriously compromised baby. Interesting that that carries on into the adult world!

(The FASEB Journal. 2011;25:971.10)
© 2011 FASEB
________________________________________
971.10
Daily apple consumption promotes cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women
Sheau C Chai, Shirin Hooshmand, Raz L Saadat and Bahram H Arjmandi
Nutrition, Food & Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
Animal findings suggest that apple and its components, e.g. apple pectin and polyphenols improve lipid metabolism and lower the production of proinflammatory molecules. To our knowledge, the present study is the first that evaluated the cardioprotective effects of daily consumption of apple for one year in postmenopausal women. Qualified women (160) were randomly assigned to one of the two dietary intervention groups: dried apple (75g/day) or comparative control dried fruit. Fasting blood samples were collected at baseline, 3-, 6-, and 12-month to measure various parameters. Our findings indicate that the additional daily caloric intake of ~240 from dried apple not only do not increase body weight but rather lower it by 1.5 kg without altering habitual dietary intake. In this study, apple consumption significantly reduced serum levels of TC and LDL by 14% and 23%, respectively. The daily apple consumption also profoundly improved atherogenic risk ratios in addition to lowering serum levels of lipid hydroperoxide (33%) and C-reactive protein (32%). In conclusion, incorporation of apple into regular diet is encouraged because of its highly favorable effects in reducing the risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Grant Funding Source: Partly supported by USDA
Table of Contents
This Article
1.  FASEB J. April 2011 25 (Meeting Abstract Supplement) 971.10
1.  Â» Meeting Abstract

Effects on Thyroid
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) note that although little scientific data is available about the effects of flax on the thyroid, some experts in natural medicine advise that patients avoid flaxseed in cases of hypothyroidism. (See Resource 2) The Univeristy of Maryland Medical Center also suggests that patients with thyroid disorders stay away from flaxseed and other foods that may interfere with thyroid function. (See Reference 3)
Goitrogens
Thiocyanite, a substance found in flax products and other foods, such as apricots, rye, millet and broccoli, might act as a goitrogen-that is, it may block the uptake of iodine in the thyroid gland. When your diet is too rich in goitrogens and too low in iodine, it can cause the thyroid gland to swell and form a lump, or goiter. However, the typical diet in the United States contains enough iodine that problems like goiter have been practically eliminated, so goitrogens should not be a concern for the average American. (See Reference 2, pages 100-101)
Read more: Flaxseed and Thyroid Disease | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5629982_flaxseed-thyroid-disease.html#ixzz1Z0N1SV8j

I didn't know that, Diana!

That's very interesting, a phenomenon consistent in widely variable situations.

Hi, Geoffrey--

My experience with HeartMath goes back around 15 years, long ago that I still remember using Holter monitors, shipping the tape to LA, and waiting for the analysis to come back--long delay, no real-time feedback.

The new do-it-yourself device really changes the entire equation: real-time feedback, much faster results.

Hi, Tim--

I'd love to hear more! Specifically, what is the heart rate feedback like on your watch? Is it a visible signal?

You are absolutely correct: Many effects are transitory. However, the more you do it, the more you habituate the response, the more likely it becomes "coherence" occurs spontaneously.

HeartMath exercises are more than regular breathing.  They advocate activating a positive feeling, such as gratitude or appreciation, during the breathing exercises.  This helps maintain the increased heart rate variability.  Here is a link to one of their techniques.  

http://www.heartmath.com/personal-use/quick-coherence-technique.html

This is a summary of some of the scientific concepts of HeartMath.  It is an older publication, but still interesting to read.

http://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/introduction.html

More research studies are listed here.

http://www.heartmath.org/research/research-library/research-library.html#educational-research

While the computer programs and gadgets are helpful, they are not essential to learning and being successful with the techniques.

Teresa

P.S.  I am not affiliated with HeartMath in any way except that I have a relative who works for them.  I don't make any money off of them.

With regard to your play on "being regular", apart from being grain free with not one lapse for 4 years, I have been squatting for 5 years and believe it's natural and very beneficial. Strongly recommend!

Hi, Teresa--

Yes, there are many ways to achieve enhanced parasympathetic tone, HeartMath coherence being one of them.

You could meditate for months to years, you could perform thermal biofeedback. What I like about HeartMath is its immediate accessibiity.

This is just a housekeeping issue. I used to get your posts via email but not for months now. When I try to re-subscribe, Feedburner says I am already subscribed, but still no posts come to email. Can you get this fixed? Thanks.

Dr. Davis - OT question:

When is WB showing up in the Kindle store? Looking forward to giving it a read.

This is very interesting information.  It parallels the test they do for Diabetic Neuropathy.  

If the heartbeats are the same on inhale and exhale you have it pretty bad.  The closer they are to the same, the worse the Neuropathy is found to be.  They use an EKG test and compare the peaks... If I understand correctly.  This sounds like it relates to what you are discussing Dr. Davis... am I correct

hmmm did you read the article?  LOL  This is not about constipation but heartbeats.

DrGreger talked about heart rate variability in 2009 once
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK0PHQLpw4U&feature=BFa&list=PL53AA35449C7DD652&lf=PlayList#t=4m
-
http://tinyurl.com/drgregerPDF

Yes, indeed, MaryB: Absolutely correct.

Diabetes, in particular, can lead to a marked lack of heart rate variability and its health consequences.

Hi, Makro--

It should already be there. Are you outside the U.S.?

Hi, Rita--

Sorry. Thought this was fixed.

I'll have it looked into.

Any info on stopping PVC's? I don't do caffiene, very little sugar, i do deep breathing and meditation. I'm dairy free and don't eat gluten.

The question I have, is 60-70 ng/ml enough? Are we being too conservative?

I'm thinking a target of 80 ng/ml might eventually pan out.

There is also Melamed's study showing a sharp increase in mortality above 50ng/ml or so.  Small sample size and residual confounding probably, but worth considering nonetheless.

I wonder if it is really true that Vitamin D production decrease is really a function of aging, rather than a consequence of eating the SAD for so long.

It would be very useful to have a properly conducted study to address this question. Could elimination of gluten, excess fructose, correcting O-6/O-3 imbalance, and other hyperinsulinemia/inflammation sources in even the aged allow large amounts of D3 production?

Progress report:
Over about 5 years I have gradually ramped up vitamin D3. Initially, tablet form. Last 18mo capsule form.
Started noticing cold/virus improvements over entire period.
Finger/prick Lab work: (GrassRootsHealth.com)
Results:
Mar 2009  50ng/dL  prior dose 4000iu 3mo.
Sept2009  60ng/dL  6mo dose   6000iu

Current dose for H1N1 Winter 8000iu. Target: 70-80ng/dL by next fall.
Age 73
Weight 190
Race W.
Sex  M
Meds. Armour Thyroid.
Colds: Only hints lasting two days
early in the season. Otherwise cold/flu/infection free.
Hospitalizations: None.  
Vaccinations none in five years.

Hope some one finds this useful.

In my carefully considered (but not so humble) opinion, if most people would follow Dr Davis's recommendations, most US health care cost and availability problems would disappear in less than a generation, Bill or no Bill.

Mike

Supplements can be of great help in getting rid of free radicals  to our body.  A good source of vitamins and antioxidants to suffice what we lack from food intake.

I take 10,000iu in winter and 5,000iu other seasons.

My last grassroots test: 79 ng/ml.

Age 70

Never get colds or flu but have medium grade prostate cancer.  Doing "watchful waiting".  May get foreign "HIFU" treatment.

The perfect blood range will proove to be that of people wearing little clothing in a sunny climate who are tanned and avoiding being burnt ie 80-100ng/ml. Looking at it through the lens of evolution (since animals can out of the sea and forwards)- it has to be that this is what we will be best adapted too.

I like it! I had the 76ng/ml last month when I checked (first time in my life actually checking).

I have been taking at least 5000 IU every day (liquid) for the past year and a half. But have recently increased it to 11000 IU once or twice a week. I can feel the winter is coming.

Thanks for a much important post as we are getting closer to winter and flu season.

6 months of supplementing with 5000IU D3 gelcaps daily has gotten my D up to a level of 58 (it was 46 after 8 weeks of supplementing)so I'm getting there. I'm just trying to decide if I should bump the dose. It's just trying to establish priorities now that I know I'll be losing my job, my income and my reasonable health insurance sometime in the next few months.

And I was just diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease this WEEK, so now have to contend with getting my thyroid sorted out too. Always some darn thing or another. :-D

Scall0way:
I empathize with you in you situation.
If you require thyroid medication, ask your doctor for for Armour Thyroid.
Continue to follow Dr D's recommendations regarding Vitamin D3, fish oil, iodine.
Consider curcumin/turmeric, quercetin, NSAIDS. Avoid omega 6 etc
Hope you get Hashimoto under control before insurance ends.
Maintain vitamin D3 at all costs. Should help to regulate autoimmunity. Best bang for the healthcare buck.
Good luck!
Mike V
Visit drbganimalpharm.blogspot.com

March 2007 D test was 7 ng/ml, and after supplementing with 8000 units Carlson's D3 per day, my grassrootshealth test is 94.  Yahoo! Going to keep it there as I have had SAD (the seasonal kind and the dietary kind in the past) for over 60 years, and the vitamin D supplementation has helped with the seasonal kind of SAD (along with bright full-spectrum light in the morning and blue blocking glasses at night).

Vitamin D and homeostasis " a homeostatic mechanism keeps the level of vitamin D in our bloodstream within a certain range. When UV-B light is always intense, as in the tropics, the level seems to be 50-75 nmol/L in young adults and progressively lower in older age groups. The more sunlight varies seasonally, the more the body will produce vitamin D in summer in order to maintain at least 50 nmol/L in winter—a level well below the recommended minimum of 75 nmol/L and even further below the 150 nmol/L now being advocated by vitamin-D proponents.

This homeostatic mechanism breaks down if we daily ingest 10,000 IU of vitamin D or more (Vieth, 1999). It seems that the human body has never naturally encountered such intakes, at least not on a continual basis.

In a recent review article, Robins (2009) presents evidence for a second homeostatic mechanism. Even when the level of vitamin D varies in the bloodstream, the second mechanism ensures that these divergent levels will translate into the same concentration of the biologically active 1,25-(OH)2D metabolite."

Dear Dr. Davis,
   Are you still recommending Vitamin D for Aortic Valve Stenosis? Do you have any updates on whether it helps the calcification to regress, as you mentioned in your articles from 2007? I just found out I have a very severe case of this, and your blog is the first place I've seen any hope of improving it other than heart valve replacement. But I also saw that some people say Vitamin D makes it worse! It's so hard to know what to do. So could you let me know how it's going on this since 2007? Have your patients gotten better from the Vitamin D and the calcification regress? At the moment I don't take any Vitamin D at all. Tx very much.

Hi, Valerie-

I am definitely continuing to advise vitamin D normalization for nearly everybody, including those with aortic valve disease.

I now have about 30 people who have normalized vitamin D and have aortic valve disease. The overall trend is a dramatic slowing of deterioration. Vitamin D does NOT cause worsening unless you take it to toxic levels. That is what is causing the confusion: Rat studies in which toxic levels of vitamin D were used to cause aortic valve disease.

Dr. Davis,
Do you know whether D3 supplementation can affect the BU/CR Ratio on a CBC? I read that steroids can cause a rise in BUN and that D3 is considered a steroid?

I finally got my D3 levels up to 57 ng/mL with daily 6,000 IU d3 (from mid September)and also added fish oil a month later. Had blood levels checked end of October and got a flag on the BU/CR ratio of 25.0, lab range 6-22. BUN was 17 and Creatinine was 0.68. No other chemistry components outside normal range.

I should mention that I am also post-menopausal and on HRT - (Divigel transdermal & Prometrium) -- and mildly hypothyroid (Synthroid 50 mcg).

I'm 30yrs old from London, England with naturally tanned skin and have a maternal history of primarily bone and heart problems.
My pre-supplement D value was just 10nmol/L. 5000IU took me to 76nmol/L, whereas 10000IU took me to an acceptable 141nmol/L.
Not only has my PTH decreased but my second ever DEXA scan (I am given them as precaution) showed a 7% increase in bone density even though it was fine before and my cholesterol profile changed to show an increase in HDL and a reduction in cholesterol ratio. Of course particle size isn't measured here but I'm sure vit D isn't dis-servicing me by what I've observed so far.

Dr. Davis,

I've tried 3 different forms of supplemental Vitamin D(dry tabs, gel caps and now liquid ddrops). For some reason I seem to experience slight tightness of chest and shallow breathing after I take any form of vitamin D. The higher the dose, the more pronounced the side effects are and for a longer duration(last weekend I took 4000iu's and it seemed to last for most of the day).

Would you advise I stop supplementation? I was considering taking it before bed so that any minor side effects wouldn't be as noticeable when I sleep.

Mike

Hi, Mo--

Great results. I wished that I'd known about vitamin D at your age.

I'm grateful that we finally have come to appreciate what an extraordinary thing vitamin D is.

Mike-

Once in a while, I'll see somebody with sternal (breastbone) awareness of vitamin D deficiency or replacement, both resulting in pain. While harmless, it can be very frightening.

However, you might still want to consult your doctor about this. Hopefully, he/she understands how important vitamin D replacement is.

Thank you Dr. Davis.

Unfortunately my current physician isn't too receptive to the increasing popularity of Vitamin D these days.

Heike-Bischoff-Ferrari et al. (2008):

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/84/1/18/F1


As you can see, over 50 year old white-skinned persons who had higher than 100 nmol/l had _lower_ bone mass density than those about at 100 nmol/l.

I think this should be taken into consideration when determining optimal 25(OH)D levels, don't you think ?

Full text here:
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/84/1/18

Dr. Davis, I've been supplementing 10k iu per day for nearly 1 year using a gel cap supplement. I still only managed to achieve a level of 52 ng/ml. Is it safe to take a higher dosage. In your practice have you found this to be common. I have had my gallbladder removed and use nexium for GERDs. Otherwise im healthy 50 year old male. Thanks for taking the time to read.

Hi Dr. Davis:
I had an unnecessary hemithyroidectomy about 5 years ago for a benign goiter after my second pregnancy (both winter pregnancies) and have felt unwell ever since.  I could never find a dose of synthroid that would work well.  I would need a dosage adjustment upwards in the late fall and then in the spring I would feel hyper and need to lower the dose.  This went on for 3 years in a row and I finally asked my Dr. if this could be due to Vitamin D since it's the only seasonal variation that made sense to me.  She of course said that was unlikely.

I did lots of reading on the topic and found that many people that have half a thyroid don't need supplementation, so I asked her if I could try going off the meds to see if my thyroid could make enough hormone on it's own.  Other than being tired and having heavy periods I felt not too bad.  At 3 months I was iron deficient so I started consuming liver once or twice per month for about 3 months and started feeling ill with joint pain, digestive problems, fatigue, insomnia.  It took me another 6 months to figure out that people who have familial hyperlipidemia have a tendency to overdose on levels of vit A that would be fine for most people.  Here's are a few of the papers that finally gave me some answers:
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/105/6/877

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/71/4/878#R25

And again the symptoms worsened in the fall.  I developed a cold that lasted 4 months!  Finally I insisted my DR. check my vitamin D level and in September it was 72 nmol/L.  She was surprised and put me on 1000 IU of vit D3.  Over the next year I waffled between taking synthroid or Armour and going off it because I felt so awful and didn't know what was wrong.  I think the Vitamin A was confounding the recovery process.  A major breakthrough came a couple of months ago.  I was on the lowest dose of synthroid (in the fall of course), my thyroid function had improved enough over the past 2 years that the lowest dose was enough, and I started taking 5000 IU of vitamin D.  Within 2 weeks, I started having severe hyperthyroid symptoms.  I told my Dr. that I thought the vit D was improving thyroid function and that I wanted to go off the synthroid yet again.  Within 2 weeks the hyper feeling slowly subsided and I am waiting 3 months before having my thyroid levels and vit D checked.  My only remaining symptoms are joint pain (less now than a year ago), mild fatigue, insomnia, and constant hunger despite being on a low carb diet (which made me feel great before the surgery).  My mood is much better and my mental clarity has improved.  Over the past year my TSH off medication has dropped from 12 to 4.  I am hoping that in 3 months or so it will be almost normal.

Here is one of a few papers I found about low levels of Vitamin D following a hemithyroidectomy:
http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Doi=182696

I had my iodine levels tested and they were found to be normal.  I wonder now if the nodule was cause by low levels of vit D during two winter pregnancies along with a prenatal supplement which was high in Vitamin A relative to Vitamin D in a Vitamin A toxicity susceptible person.  I found a few papers on-line which suggest vit A can be a cause of thyroid goiter.
Thanks for this excellent blog.

How or what may I take to get adequate iodine? Tks.

Hi Bumper:

The best methods of getting iodine are Lugol's iodine, Iodorol, or Kelp.  Salt isn't really a good source, the iodine is volatile and eventually dissipates.  You should have an iodine loading test done to determine if you are in fact iodine deficient.  You can order one on-line yourself, or go to a naturopathic Doctor who can order one.  I hope this helps.

I am so pleased to have found this blog! I was diagnosed with mild arotic valve stenois and afraid there was no treatment approach, until reading about Vitamin D here. I have am taking between 1,000 - 2000 i.u. of D3 per day for reducing fatigue and improving calcium absorption(I also have osteopenia and take Fosomax once a week; am age 59.) Dr. Davis, how much more Vit D can I safely take? I do not know how to to calculate the ng/ml levels that I am reading about here. How would you suggest I get started with this approach?

The only way to tell how much Vitamin D3 supplement you need to take is by a blood test - either via your doctor or take a look at this website www.grassrootshealth.net/ which offers cost price blood tests.

I have put together a summary of current advice on Vitamin D blood levels and guidance on response to supplement intake: www.stargateuk.info/vitamind/Blood_Levels.htm

For a general overview of Vitamin D health benefits take a look at my website: www.stargateuk.info/vitamind

Excellent article

You can find in-depth information at http://www.henrylahore.com/VitD.html.  

Actively creating a wiki where everyone can share vitamin D information.

Okay, I am totally new to the Vitamin D issue.  My sister had a full workup and her dr found that she had very low levels of Vit D (19).  She's always extremely tired.  I have been working out with a personal trainer and decided to go to the dr to get a full physical (I'm also tired often but thought it was because I have a 3yr old).  I specifically asked about Vit D and the dr said they don't normally test it.  I told him I was tired often and he said that was a symptom and ordered blood work.  Well, apparently mine is a little lower than my sister's.  The dr said my Vit D levels should be between 35-100 and mine was 16.  Now, what should I do???  Where should my levels be (I'm almost 40, white, healthy).  Appreciate any help!

This is the most comprehensive info re: vitamin D levels I've found on line. Most posts are 50-70ng/ml and bumping up, but my D Total is 19. My dr's asked me to see her, but can she prescribe anything I haven't already learned: take 1-2000 iu's D, cod-liver oil/more fish & sun? Thx!

I'm concerned that my vitamin d is too high! It's 84.9 ng/ML. I'm a 27 year old female and take 2000 IU per day (along with whatever vitamin d is in two citrical pills). Should I back off? Thoughts?

We also know that a vacation on a Caribbean beach in a bathing suit will increase vitamin D blood levels to the 80-110 ng/ml range without ill-effect (at least in young people who maintain the capacity to activate vitamin D in the skin, a phenomenon that declines as we age).

What if spaghetti sauce is NOT made with HFCS? I love my spaghetti sauce over my chicken.......in moderation.

Nice find.... this really demonstrates the insidious nature of HFCS, on multiple fronts.

Dr. Ron Krauss again.  Any research with his name on it is superb in my book.  I wonder if he knows Dr. Lustig (UCTV Fructose lecture).  They are neighbors.  So is BG.  Thanks for the whole reference.

Dr. Davis,

Given this information. If someone has a good BMI and good overall diet without grains, how much fruit should they limit themselves to in a day. Should they only eat this fruit with a meal and not eat it alone between meals?

Is Grazing on protein and vegetables also bad?

Thanks,
Penny

Wow. I guess fructose of any source would be bad, not just HFCS but eating an apple as well? It's hard to rationalize why something that is found in nature, is a whole food, and appeals to our sense of taste, would be bad for us. Maybe the fact that the fructose in the the study was in liquid form, versus being held up in some fiber, had something to do with the results but this isn't the first time that I have read that fruit is bad for you.

Keep in mind that the design of studies like this are often meant to yield exagerrated effects for the purposes of clean observations. It does not necessarily mean that every time you eat, you get similar postprandial phenomena.

Nonetheless, I believe there are important lessons from such studies.

This study suggests that a rice cracker or a potato (converted directly to gluclose) might be more healthful than a piece of fruit

I've been able to adapt relatively easily to everything in your TYP program Dr. Davis, but this one seems to be the toughest for me.

I don't think I can eat one meal a day.  I have always been blessed with a fast metabolism and need at least 3,000 (LC) calories even on a moderately active day, or I start to lose weight, which at 5' 9" 165# @ 8% BMI, I don't want to do, and probably shouldn't.

3,000 calories is simply too much for me to eat in one meal.  Plus, it seems so counter-intuitive to good health, like maintaining a good energy/thermogenic/glucose/insulin/nitrogen balance throughout the day.  It just seems a perfect recipe for storing fat at the expense of lean mass, which is the complete opposite of paleolithic man's highly muscular, lean composition. I don't know, maybe just I wouldn't survive well back then...

This is an excellent point- the reverse of intermittent fasting and variation in calorific consumption. Excess macronutirent calories, in the wrong form, at frequent intervals. No surprise there are adverse implications. OB

It rings a bell. My maternal grandfather died not long after a meal.

Re fructose from fruit vs HFCS, I don't think that there's much comparison.

There are benefits to eating fruit (antioxidants, fiber, vitamins).  There is no benefit to consuming HFCS.

Choose your fruits carefully and eat in moderation...

I doubt that eating fruit is the same as eating refined fructose.  Not all fruit is high in fructose, for instance.  Also, the fiber in the fruit slows absorption, and this may give time for the fructose to be fermented by bacteria in the gut, producing, for instance, acetic acid, which may be beneficial to fat deposition patterns. (This is just a personal theory of mine.)  

Furthermore, fruit contains vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and flavoniods, which can benefit glucose metabolism, prevent lipid oxidization, and dampen the tide of free radicals and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) produced by glucose and fructose metabolism.

Those concerned with the effects of fructose from fruit should focus on eating whole fruits only (no juice), and eat mostly berries (low in fructose, high in flavonoids).

I think it would be wise to separate the valid concerns about refined fructose from fruit.  We could be as off-base about vilifying fruit as people were about eggs.

Just because a food contains a substance that can is harmful when it's been refined from its source doesn't mean that it has the same effect when found in a whole food.  The digestion and metabolism of whole foods is far more complex than can be understood by studying a single factor.

If it's something humans have eaten for millennia, and it's safe to say that fruit is, I think it's probably innocent until proven guilty.  Just don't eat refined stuff (including juice), and you'll be fine.

I am now trying to eat a diet that is very low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and high in fats like butter, omega-3 eggs, and cream cheese.

This kind of diet seems to prevent the blood glucose spikes and the very unpleasant tachycardia that I get from high-carb meals.

And it is frequent small meals that best control my blood glucose and the tachycardia.

Pmp--

Eating once a day was not the intended message.

This discussion is simply part of a larger discussion on the effects of various foods on postprandial patterns. We must all eat and preferably do so 3 times a day.

Good one on "Postprandial pile-up with fructose".I'm using the methods from http://debtfreeliving.lose20.com to reduce weight and it really works.

Thanks,
Edwin-   Lose 20 - Losing weight may save your life

Hey, not all  spaghetti sauce has added fructose. Those made with sugar and or fructose cost more, because they are cheating on the ingredients.

And yes, sugar is (half) fructose.

Dr. William Davis, do we have any studies that show 3 times a day is optimal? One could hardly do a double blind study on this.

I ate 50 grams of grapefruit (with extra fiber), with my last meal of the day and it spiked my blood sugar from 120 to 170 in 1 hr and I think I felt the beta cell damage for several hours - fruit is worse than oatmeal WITH sugar! I am pre-diabetic. I am trying to give up all bad things, but I am starving and I have to eat. I have chewing problems, so this complicates things. I tried soymilk, but it seemed to destabilize me, which is not good - I'll try it with fiber next time. I am underweight now. I am in a real bad place. I can't eat fruit anymore and even veggies give me problems. I hope I can avoid scurvy. Does anyone know if vitamin C pills truly prevent scurvy?

I don't think I can eat one meal a day. I have always been blessed with a fast metabolism and need at least 3,000 calories

This website information is very good and helped me, success for you. friends, I have a website about dangerous disease mesothelioma, please visit the http://metastaticmesothelioma.blogspot.com/