Hello Dr. Davis, I had no idea about either you or your book 2 1/2 years ago when I entirely removed gluten from my diet but I wanted to say I experienced all of the positive responses you spoke about. No more migraines, acid reflux, sore painting shoulder, lost 35 lbs without feeling I was dieting. I was also able to incorporate a morning Yoga program every morning and find that I'm naturally more disciplined in thought and action. I would bet that I'm effectively 20 years younger. Thanks for speaking out, it will be worth it if we can do anything about diabetes!

I heard this interview!  The "debate" was pathetic. The argument by Dr. Whiting amounted to "but what you are talking about is an Atkins diet, so your conclusions don't matter.  Nothing matters except that you are promoting an Atkins diet"  She had NO new information, and nothing to back up her asertions that you can't be right.  I was embarassed for her, but more convinced than ever that there is no sound arguement to spport eating wheat.
I gave up wheat in April of this year.  I have lost 35 pounds, and 5 1/2 inches on my waist.  I have been eating more, not less calories.  I went from being almost couch bound several days of the week from severe "fibromyalgia" symptoms, to forgetting I even had problems which left me in a fog most days. I see no reason to eat wheat.  After the fact, I am reading your book and discovering the "why" behind my miracle.  I purhcased your book so I can read it, pass it around to everyone I know, and tell them to buy one and do the same!  
Thank you, Dr. Davis!

I'm rather chuckling mentioning this, but as you probably picked up I enjoy the 90s group Nirvana.  What originally attracted me to the group was the band's song writer having a bad stomach problem, similar to mine.  I recall reading after he committed suicide, and by the note he left that was due to the stomach problem and drugs being taken to deaden the pain,  that Kurt had worked on avoiding different foods.  He did this with the hope of improving the condition.  Never did see him mention avoiding wheat.  Oranges were a concern of his as "they made his gums bleed."  There were other items he stayed away from too.

I recall even then, middle 90s, thinking that Kurt probably was a celiac, could have found some pain relief avoiding wheat, and probably would be with us today if he had done so.  Looking back I should have taken my own advice!  I had tried eating wheat free back then, found some relief, but never enough to continue eating that way I thought.  What I didn't realize was that it took more than a month to find significant gut relief.  And it probably would have helped if I had support encouraging me to continue from doctors and family.    

So, anyway!   This is the 20th anniversary year of when Nirvana's famous album came out.  And with that has come a release of digitally remastered album plus new songs.  I was laughing at the lyrics to this tune, School.  I can relate when witnessing internet debates!    

Nirvana - School
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xCgwXWEQ10

Yes, sad when the solution may have been so simple: Just avoid the food that all "official" agencies tell us to eat more of.

That's great, Arlene! 5 1/2 inches off your waist is fabulous.

I, too, was kind of embarassed for her. I don't think she knew what she was getting into!

Hi, Tracey--

I'm happy you've found this solution. However, you and I remain in the minority. There are people struggling with all manner of health problems, sometimes disabling, not getting answers from their doctors . . . and the solution can be as simple as removing all wheat. So this is a message worth repeating over and over and over again.

Dr Davis

Read your book with great interest. I am a type 2 diabetic and have taken all the steps to control levels. (exercise, weight loss, low carb, etc). My one concern is the elimination of oats. I have received excellent H1N results while consuming my favorie morning oatmeal porridge. Should I stop?

Jim

I get sad thinking about how so many people in my life have suffered.  My Mother had Parkinsons with dementia diagnosis and suffered terribly for 7 years til she died.
I suspected Diabetes because she had peripheral vascular disease and poor wound healing but the blood test always showed her sugar within normal ranges.
She craved pastries and acted like a crack addict begging for them, then would spend hours in a carb induced coma after eating them.  She died at 89 but suffered many years of her life, she tried to commit suicide before I was born and spent a year in hospital getting electric shock treatments.  She had yearly seasonal depression after that, crying for months in the winter.
My father lived to be 94 but he had 4 major heart diseases and needed 4 nitroglycerine tabs just to get dressed in AM.  He always said he felt best when he didn't eat.  Now in hindsight I know better.  I have struggled my whole life with stomach pain.  I had a small bowel biospsy 15 years ago but it was negative for celiac.  I facilitated a support group for celiac at a local hospital and lived gluten free for several years but was never one hundred percent better, now I realize because I was drinking soda and gaining weight eating all the gluten free products.  I had surgery this past December and had great difficulty recovering, symptoms of fatigue and chronic muscle pain returned to my life again.   Thanks for your book Dr. Davis, it has reminded me to go wheat free for good.  I know I feel better wheat free, dairy free and sugar free.  I gained 20 lbs after my surgery
due to inactivity from muscle pain and eating fast food carb meals.  I was caught in a vicious cycle of feeling aweful.  Fibromyalgia symptoms to the extreme, my thyroid function is low and my Vitamin D was at 14.  I have started wheat free for a week now, lost 4 lbs and feeling much better but still residual muscle pain.  I have a doctors appointment to persue thyroid treatment, I have been seeing a Natropath who gave me thyroid and adrenal gland supplements and I feel better but not 100% after 2 months of taking them.  Is it possible for thyroid function to return to normal after a time period of staying strictly wheat free?  I hate the thought of taking medicine the rest of my life.
Everyday I think of a friend, family member or celebrity that has died who might have been spared by going wheat free.  RIP...Mom, Dad, my husband Joe(non smoker lung cancer, major sugar/wheat addiction) Chris Farley, Steve Jobs (an article I read said he didn't eat animal products).Patrick Swazy. Linda McCartney (vegetarian frozen meals).  I know many of these people have had other vices like drugs and alcohol but I strongly believe that wheat is a gateway substance that can lead to addiction.  My husband drank beer every evening and ate ice cream everyday for 26 years that I knew him.  He was thin and worked hard everyday thus didn't ever see he had a problem.  He had chronic pain, allergies, skin rashes. Addicted to beer, could not stop drinking it even with cancer diagnosis and chemo treatments.  Finally quite when radiation tx damaged his throat but was too late for him.  Sorry to ramble on but just am overwhelmed with all the connections I'm suspecting.  Thanks for having a place to vent.

Dr. Davis,
Go get 'em!   Maybe you can get on the Dr. Oz show!  You and Gary Taubes can sit on the couch while Dr. Oz eats whole grain cereal with Soy Milk!

Dr. Davis--

I think someone has taken you up on your book.  Her name is Melissa McEwen.  I read her article this morning.  You might find it interesting: http://huntgatherlove.com/content/wheat-belly

Take care,
Kane

I struggled my way through this review ... a bewildering rambling rant that goes nowhere with plenty of distracting irrelevant fillers thrown in for good measure. The pervasive derisive mocking tone is also off-putting. It’s this kind of “noise” that blurs and dilutes an important message unfortunately.  One case in point (amongst a myriad) in the review is the dismissive incoherent treatment of the high glucose and high insulin impact of wheat. Personally this is the one key aspect of Dr Davies thesis that really impressed me, after seeing how one slice of wheat bread caused my blood sugar level to go through the roof. I also have plenty of anecdotal evidence (and growing) that Dr Davies is onto something.

"Attributes" which get cured......

Have you seen unintended consequences?

Maybe it has nothing to do with any modification of the plant but maybe the plant itself???

http://www.livescience.com/14194-egyptian-mummy-heart-disease.html

I've been a Registered Dietitian for 7 years and I'm appalled when I look back at my incredibly biased education.  An hour on PubMed disproves a majority of the conventional "wisdom" I was force fed, especially the ongoing demonization of saturated fat.  Its a joke. I'm glad to see more medical practitioners like yourself speaking out.  The studies showing the damaging effect of gliadin on the intestenial wall in supposedly health, non-celiac individuals is alarming to say the least. Keep it up!

The USDA has just published an evaluation that the "new varieties" of broccoli have the same vitamin and mineral content of the older ones.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2011/111013.htm

The headline and first paragraph of the web page are given below. When will they do "wheat"?

USDA Research Demonstrates New Breeds of Broccoli Remain Packed with Health Benefits
By Sharon Durham
October 13, 2011

WASHINGTON—Research performed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and published recently in the journal Crop Science has demonstrated that mineral levels in new varieties of broccoli have not declined since 1975, and that the broccoli contains the same levels of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium and other minerals that have made the vegetable a healthy staple of American diets for decades.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2011/111013.htm

Good for you, Daniel!

I am waiting for your and your colleagues to stage a revolt. Let me know and I will hold up the placards and yell with you!

Hi, Cynthia--

If you mean unintended consequences of wheat removal, yes: the withdrawal phenomenon. This affects somewhere around 30% of people. It is harmless, though no fun to experience.

Hi, Kane--

I found this about as interesting as saying to someone, "I don't like your face."

I've stumbled on her blog from time to time and found it interesting and insightful. I was surprised by this blatant "I don't like it because it's stupid" kind of criticism with no real substance. Maybe she had a bad day.

It is absolutely ovewhelming, isn't it, Mary, when you stop and think how many people may have had serious brushes with the wheat demon, yet nobody ever suspected?

My prediction: Wheat will prove to be among the most powerful provokers of gastrointestinal cancers. Everyone was falsely lulled by comparing whole grains to white flour that showed a relative reduction in risk. Replace something bad with something less bad, the less bad thing looks good. Flawed logic.

Well, it depends on what you mean by excellent H1N (HbA1c?).

I aim for HbA1c of 5.0% or less, a level at which glycation is not occurring faster than the normal endogenous rate.

There is a theory that the glutamates in wheat fill a crutial roll in wheat related intestinal porosity .....glutamate prepares epithelial tTg for attachment by wheat-surfafe HWP1.

Do you have an opinion?

Hi, Cynthia--

Not being a biochemist, I believe that is true, though I don't believe it is an effect unique to wheat, but shared by other foods.

Boy, I hope that didn't sound like I was defending wheat!

Dear Dr :

We have been vegans culturally - born and brought up in a Lacto-ovo Vegan society.  Recently, during routine annual blood tests, my husband has been diagnosed with more number of smaller particle sized LDL cholestrol.  He is at 95% level with very high risk.  Rest of the factors - triglycerides, HDL/LDL, overall cholestrol are all normal.  Also, sugar levels are normal.  He has been advised to take the suppressants due to high risk of particle size.  We have never tested this parameter before though.  Wheat, rice and burritos, pizzas and all the stuff you mention here are a part of our daily diet! We also eat Eggs, drink lots of full fat milk, homemade yoghurt .   I also use Coconut oil for most of the cooking which is for most part oil free!  We are worried about whether to wait and watch or start the medication.  If we wait - what is the optimal period to wait and what do we do during the wait period....

Thanks for any help and a wonderful blog - helps many people like us!

Hi, Vasu--

The solution for excessive quantities of small LDL particles is diet, not drugs. Please search "small LDL" on this blog and you will see dozens, if not more, posts on just this issue.

I had been trying for a full year to shake free of wheat, but couldn't do it because my fix was always available in the kitchen. My husband, though he has a small wheat tummy, didn't want to quit eating wheat.

Then we both came down with a gastrointestinal complaint, maybe something we ate? Nausea and loose stools and lack of appetite meant that for several days we drank lots of fluids and only ate to live. We both feel fine now, but thanks to the short period of illness during which time we COULDN'T eat wheat or sugars, we basically skipped the withdrawal period, and we no longer crave wheat.

I highly recommend quitting wheat during a gastrointestinal illness; for us it was incredibly easy.  

Dr. Davis:  After reading Wheat Belly and being wheat/glute-free for 2 months.  I've definately noticed less inflammation with my moderate osteoartritis of the knees & less abdominal bloating.  Friend, recently told me about UC Berkeley's Health Newsletter that disputes Wheat Belly.  WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THEIR RESPONSE?  Here's the article:

Wheatophobia: Will Avoiding Wheat Really Improve Your Health?
  
Wheat has long been a dietary pariah for the millions of people who have jumped on the low-carb-diet bandwagon or who think they’re allergic (or at least sensitive) to the grain. Now even more people are hesitating about eating wheat after reading the claims made by Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist and author of the bestseller Wheat Belly, which is subtitled “Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health.” Not only does wheat make us fat, he says, it is addictive and causes everything from heart disease, diabetes, and obesity to arthritis, osteoporosis, cognitive problems, and cataracts. In fact, it has caused “more harm than any foreign terrorist can inflict on us.”
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a single villain behind the chronic health problems plaguing us, and if all it took to reverse them was to stop eating wheat? Don’t bet on it.

Kernels of half-truth
Here are some of Dr. Davis’s key points—and our counterpoints:

Claim: Most grains are bad, but modern wheat is the worst because it has been altered over the years via selective breeding and is now a virtual “Frankengrain.” It is loaded with amylopectin A (a starch unique to wheat), which is “worse than table sugar,” Dr. Davis says, boosting blood sugar dramatically and stimulating appetite. Modern wheat also contains other components with adverse effects, and its gluten (a protein) is more likely to trigger reactions than that in older wheat.

Fact: For well over a century, food scientists have developed hybrid varieties of wheat to be sturdier and have higher yields, better quality, and greater resistance to disease and insects. That’s true of most food crops. There’s no clinical evidence that differences between today’s wheat and older varieties have adverse effects on our health. It’s all supposition on Dr. Davis’s part, and feeds into pervasive fears of modern agricultural methods. We think this particular fear is unfounded.

Claim: Wheat is the main culprit behind the obesity epidemic.

Fact: Wheat is a staple in most parts of the world, and there’s little or no correlation between regional intakes (as a proportion of daily calories) and rates of obesity. Per capita wheat consumption in the U.S. has actually dropped since 2000, but there’s no sign that is slowing the expansion of our waistlines. In fact, a century ago Americans ate much more wheat than we do today, and very few were obese (granted, diets and lifestyles differed in many ways then). In any case, the obesity epidemic certainly can’t be attributed to any single factor.

What about Dr. Davis’s claims that when he told his patients to avoid wheat they lost weight and become healthier? As with nearly all diet books, this is only anecdotal evidence, but it’s not surprising. Had he told his patients to cut out all meat or all sugary snacks, for instance, they might have done as well or better. Nearly all diets work for a while (especially in supervised settings), usually by getting people to avoid whole categories of foods and thus tricking them into cutting calories. Keep in mind, too, that Dr. Davis basically recommends a low-carb diet, and well-designed studies have found that such diets work no better than other diets in the long term.

Claim: Wheat has played an outsized role in surging rates of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic disorders.

Fact: There’s no evidence that wheat bears special blame for these. Blood sugar does rise after eating bread, pasta, and other wheat products. But that’s true of any foods containing carbohydrates—even those in gluten-free products—especially if the grains are refined.
The effect of carbohydrate-rich foods on blood sugar, which is ranked by the “glycemic index” (GI), depends on many factors, including how much fiber is in the food, how the food is processed and prepared, and what else is in the meal. Wheat ranks moderately high on the GI. But research looking at the effect of a high-GI diet on weight control and the risk of diabetes and heart disease has had inconsistent results.

Refined wheat, like other starchy or sugary foods, can also have adverse effects on blood cholesterol and triglycerides—for instance, increasing levels of the small, dense LDL cholesterol particles that are most damaging. To avoid this, you needn’t avoid all wheat or go on a very-low-carb diet. Just choose healthier wheat products that are minimally refined or unrefined, and don’t go overboard.

Claim: Whole wheat isn’t much better than refined wheat, so overweight people and those with chronic diseases should avoid it as well.

Fact: Many studies have linked higher intakes of whole grains (including whole wheat) with a reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, as well as improvements in blood cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar control. Other studies have found that whole wheat can help people control their weight and/or lose body fat, especially when they eat it in place of refined-wheat products. Thus, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and most nutrition experts recommend foods made from 100% whole grains.

BOTTOM LINE: Unless you have celiac disease or another type of gluten intolerance or sensitivity (see box above), there’s no reason to avoid wheat. No doubt many Americans eat too much refined wheat, usually in the form of cakes, cookies, pizza, and other foods loaded with added sugar and/or fat (which can double or triple the calorie count), as well as lots of sodium. Cutting down on such wheat products can help people lose weight and improve their overall diet, provided they substitute lower-calorie foods. But 100% whole-wheat and other whole-grain products can fit well into a healthy diet, as can many refined-wheat dishes that include nutritious ingredients, such as pasta with vegetables. As with so many dietary matters, moderation is the key.



Gluten for punishment
There’s one very good reason to avoid wheat: if you are allergic to gluten because of celiac disease, also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy or nontropical sprue. Gluten is a protein in wheat that makes dough elastic and smooth; it’s also in rye, barley, and certain other grains.

In people with this genetic disorder, gluten provokes an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine and may cause symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating, cramps, abdominal pain, weight loss, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Celiac disease has become more common in the past 50 years for largely unknown reasons. It’s now estimated that about 1 in 100 people in the U.S. and Canada have it. If you have a parent or sibling with the disease, your risk rises to 1 in 22; having an aunt, uncle, or grandparent with it increases your risk to 1 in 39.

Celiac disease can begin at any age and occurs more often in people of European descent and in women. Many people with it go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed, however, because there may be no gastrointestinal symptoms—and when there are symptoms, they’re often nonspecific (that is, they could be caused by many disorders). Celiac disease causes malabsorption of key nutrients, notably calcium and iron, so it can lead to osteoporosis, anemia, and other serious health problems. People with it are also more likely to have other autoimmune disorders, such as psoriasis, lupus, Crohn’s disease, and certain types of thyroid disease.

Confusing matters, about 6 percent of Americans are thought to be gluten-sensitive but don’t have celiac disease, according to the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland. There’s much debate about this condition, sometimes called “nonceliac gluten sensitivity,” and about how prevalent it is. Because so many people now believe they are sensitive to gluten, rightly or wrongly, “gluten-free” has become one of the fastest growing sectors of the food industry.

Before giving up gluten, get tested
If you have chronic indigestion or other symptoms suggestive of gluten sensitivity, consult your doctor and get tested for celiac disease before going on a gluten-free diet. (Long-term avoidance of gluten can interfere with the diagnostic tests for celiac disease.) A positive result on the blood test should be followed by a biopsy of the small intestine to confirm the diagnosis. If celiac disease is ruled out and you continue to have problems, you can be tested for nonceliac gluten sensitivity via an “elimination and provocation” diet.

If you have a family member with celiac disease, you should be tested even if you have no symptoms, since diagnosing and treating the disease can help prevent intestinal damage and serious complications. Many gastroenterologists advise initially having a simple genetic test for predisposition to celiac disease.

Few people are properly diagnosed for gluten problems, however, according to a paper in the Annals of Internal Medicine earlier this year, which warned that many are undoubtedly going on highly restrictive diets unnecessarily.

It’s best to consult an experienced registered dietitian if you have celiac disease. You can—and should—eat other healthy grains, including corn, rice, oats, buckwheat, quinoa, and amaranth. Look for “certified gluten-free” on labels, since products can be cross-contaminated with gluten. Keep in mind, most “gluten-free” packaged products are made from refined flour (albeit gluten-free flour) and are not particularly nutritious, and many are junk food.

For more information, you can contact the Celiac Disease Foundation or the Celiac Sprue Association.
Issue: August 2012

Whoever wrote this clearly did not read the book with an open mind. ALL the questions are addressed in the book.

This is the stuff that the dietitians are arguing, a "rebuttal" based on conventional notions of wheat.

Rather that have to pick each argument apart to debate with people who clearly do not want to change their opinions, please just read the book.

I don't know if you're right or wrong (about wheat being worse than other starch sources), but am going to give you the benefit of the doubt, remove it, and see what happens.
P.S. Listened to the debate between you and Timothy Caulfield. What an embarrassing hack he was.

The lowest mortality is correlated with HbA1c between 5.0 and 5.4%.

Effective strength D3 is not available over the counter in the UK. UK readers have to buy from the USA.
http://tinyurl.com/8znjue
Iherb do Now foods 5000iu D3 in olive oil capsules very cheap.
Orders £18 or over are not only subject to Customs duty but our Post Office charges £8 extra to collect the tax.
Using Iherb $5 discount code such as WAB666 reduces the price of 360 to under the tax threshold. Leaving the daily cost including P&P to 5.25p daily

http://tinyurl.com/ch5262
May I also draw readers attention to this half hour video from Cedric Garland about Vitamin D status and cancer incidence and progression.
You will note Garland suggests 60ng 150nmol/l for lowest cancer incidence.

Is the vitamin D from cod liver oil effective?

Slightly off topic, but I just read that congress is going to vote on a bill to cut medicare coverage of vitamin D levels, so now we will have to rely on private insurance, or simply pay ourselves.

Jeanne shepard

By the way, I prefer not to be "anonymous" but the Google Blogger doesn't remember my password, and won't let me select a new one.

Some of the vitamin D experts warn against using cod liver oil. http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/2008-december.shtml

One concern is too much vitamin A if you took enough of the cod liver oil to get the D you need. Another is that vitamin A and D compete with each other.

fritz
Read what Dr Cannell says about Cod liver oil here
http://tinyurl.com/dh9b6k

A typical 5ml tsp of CLO contains roughly 400iu. Most people require on average 5000iu/daily so the amount from CLO is insufficient.

Jeanne
Twice yearly $30, 25(OH)D blood spot tests, available by post from this source
www.grassrootshealth.org/daction/index.php

iHerb.com also has Country Life Vitamin D3 2500 IU (200 softgels).

Thanks for answering the questions about tablets so quickly, by the way.

For the benefit of UK readers, I'd like to second TedHutchinson's informative comment. I use the same product from the same supplier

It's worth noting that postage and packing cost from the US does not contribute to the value of the order for the purposes of taxes and extortionate 'fees'.

I don't understand why taking a vitamin D3 capsule will not raise level of 25(OH)D when consuming it with fat or meal containing fat. Should get the same results...

First, let me say that I really love your blog.  I learn so much every time I come here.

I do have a question for you.  What do you make of this site:

http://bacteriality.com/2007/09/15/vitamind/

On the surface, she appears to be a competent scientist, but she blames everything (and I do mean everything from macular degeneration to brain lesions) on too much Vitamin D and claims that the road to universal health should begin with driving one's Vitaman D levels to below 20 ng/mL.  A friend of mine just sent this to me in a panic.  Please let us know what you think.

Thanks so much!
Isabella

The Costco effect.  I had been wondering why so many people use the tablet form.  Just noticed yesterday that tablet is the form of Vitamin D that Costco carries.

All of the vitamin D capsules that I checked in Whole Foods yesterday were composed of some kind of frankenfood oil in them, most notably soybean oil.  Can anyone recommend any brands that use something better?  

(I have the same problem with my vitamin E complex, but I'm not convinced that I should be taking that anyway -- although it does seem to help the inevitable dry skin in winter here in Colorado.)

BTW, my husband and I got our levels tested thanks to your recommendations.  Mine were excellent (probably thanks to many months of good supplementation), but his need some work (despite some more moderate supplementation).  Thanks for the info!

Re: the http://bacteriality.com/2007/09/15/vitamind article...

Anonymous,

Dr. Davis wrote about this issue (more or less) last year: http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/marshall-protocol-and-other-fairy-tales.html

David

@ Diana Hsieh
Don't know if this is available where you are (I'm in Australia) but I use this brand of D3 for this very reason. It's in fish oil, of reasonable potency.

THOMPSON'S Vitamin D (1000mg) with Fish Oil (500mg) - 60 gelatin-free caps

http://www.thompsons.co.nz/afa.asp?idWebPage=8403&ID=163&SID=663632930&Type=Products

Product made in New Zealand. Hope this helps.

Diana,

Our family likes Carlson Vit D products.  They are definitely absorbable, because the whole family went from the low end fo the reference range to around 70-86 ng/ml in the past few months).

Mostly we use Solar D Gems in the 2000 or 4000iU capsules.  There is a bit of Norwegian CLO & EPA?DHA in them, and lemon flavor.  They chew up easily, too, but can also be swallowed.

The non-chewable capsules are much tinier and are made with sunflower oil, but even that is a very tiny amount in this very small capsule.

The Carlson D drops in the 2000iU/drop dose is made with coconut oil (though it is fractionated, to keep it liquid).  But it's only a drop.

I find very good prices at www.vitaminshoppe,com, usually for about 2-4 ¢ per each 1000iU (that's how I make price comparisons).  Plus Vitamin Shoppe has a frequent buyer program so purchases earn points toward fairly generous coupons (such as $5 off a $15+ purchase), and shipping is reasonable (sometimes free).  

Or I buy Carlson Vit D3 at the local store when they are on sale (stores that sell a lot of Carlson product often pass along "mfg discounts" or "special buys").

Isabella
Mark London  MRL@PSFC.MIT.EDU has provided a detailed scientific rebuttal of the Marshall Protocol here
http://tinyurl.com/cfod57
Is the MP Treatment for Sarcoidosis Helpful for Other Chronic Diseases?

MP’s Vitamin D Theories Are Not Supported by Lab Studies.
Updated July 2, 2008

Dr Davis has previously addressed this issue in the blog entitled
The Marshall Protocol and other fairy tales

Diana Hsieh
The capsules I suggested are dissolved in olive oil.
http://tinyurl.com/abbagz
Carlson 2000iu sunflower oil $12.22
http://tinyurl.com/abbagz
Carlson also do Solar Gems in Cod liver oil.
http://tinyurl.com/bclzom

Diana Hsieh,

I believe the NOW foods brand D3 formulations are suspended in olive oil.

Carlson's Vitamin D3, 2,000 IU is suspended in sunflower oil.

That being said, most of these D3 capsules are quite tiny, so I am not sure that they contain a huge amount of oil, unless you are taking more than 10,000 IU's daily (i.e., 5 capsules).

As to sources, iHerb is the best and most user friendly, and I won't even give you my $5. discount code, as previous poster did.  You can sign up for your own discount number at the iHerb website.

Hope that helps!

Diana,

I'm currently using Carlson 2000IU gelcaps which contain sunflower oil (omega-6, even if small quantities) and a few other more benign ingredients.

When these are exhausted I'm switching to Carlson D-drops in which D3 is dissolved into medium chain triglycerides (MCT).

Thanks everyone for the input.  I feel much better now and am off to take my gel-capped Vitamin D3.

All my best,
Isabella

When researching Carlson Solar Gems earlier I mentioned they contain Cod liver oil but no Vitamin A Content is listed on the Carlson's website.
So I emailed Carlson's to confirm the vitamin a content. They replied
total Vitamin A is below 2% of the daily value which is the threshold above which the FDA requires you to list the Vitamin A content.
As adult RDA for vitamin A is 700~900iu, below 2% of that is below 14~18iu. So there is really is no reason to avoid Solar Gems because of their potential Vitamin A content.

Dr. Davis,

Appreciate your elaborating the tablets vs. capsules point and thank you for continuing to take the time to write such informative posts!

"Heart disease was once thought to be less of a problem for women than for men. Research now indicates that heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death among women in the US, while confirming that women with an intact uterus have a lower incidence of heart disease because they benefit from the uterine advantage." Visit http://www.truthout.org/021609R for the full article.

Dr. Davis,
Are gelcaps with dried powdered form of vitamin d3 as effective as oil filled gelcaps?

Dr. Davis, "Americans Low on Vitamin D" - http://www.webmd.com/news/20090325/americans-low-on-vitamin-d

I've had great results from powdered gelcap from D-Max (5000 IU) from Nature's health Supply, but a bit less from NOW olive oil gelcaps (5000 IU). Just a hunch, because I have an autoimmune disease and I'm trying to work out my symptoms. So no 25(OH)D test here.

I'll try those Carlson's next.

Great blog by the way!

I just ordered some D3 to send to my 81 yo MIL and 46 yo SIL in London.  I'm quite sure they are going to very deficient (they just ordered the www.grassrootshealth.net home testing kit as it's a pain to get NHS to agree to test).  

I found Bio-Tech D3-5 (5000iU cholecalciferol capsules  - powder in a tiny gelatin capsule) offered on Drs. Eades's Protein Power website at a great price, 100 qty for $8.  Shipping via UPS was $6.45 to my location for up to 10 bottles.  That makes the price per 1000iu incredibly low.  I bought a year's supply (8 bottles) to mail to my in-laws, plus two bottles for me.  Note I was very surprised at the small size of the box, but it did contain the 10 bottles I ordered, but the capsules and bottles are small and light, which is nice when ordering so much at once and mailing it again.  Fast delivery, even with UPS ground service.

I just had another 25 (OH)D test drawn last week; I'll get the results tomorrow at my endo appt for my thyroid.  I was averaging 5000iU/day  supplementation with various Carlson D3 products, based on previous 25 (OH)D test results and supplementation levels.  So I'll switch to the Eades' Bio-Tech formula now and see how my 25 (OH)D is in late summer/early fall.

Anna,

I'd be very interested to hear a follow up from you when you retest after being on the Bio-Tech D3 for awhile. I'm of the mind that D3 in softgel form is more absorbable and hence more efficacious for raising and maintaining 25(OH)D levels, but I see many of the "big guns" (e.g. Cannell, Eades, etc.)promoting/selling the powdered Bio-Tech formula. Perhaps you could report back here with your results?

David

Dave,
Sure.  I'll be retesting  thru my endo in 6 mo.  But I might do a mail-in test via www.grassrootshealth.net before that.  

I'm guessing a gelatin capsule filled with a powder (might be an oily powder,too) is more absorbable than a hard tablet form.

Btw, I just got my lab result for 25(oh)d---a nice 68ng/mL (after months of 5000iU D3 carlson oil gelcaps and/or oil drops .  Also was an easier winter than i've had in years, which I think might be due to more sunlight and Vit D.

Thanks, Anna. 68 ng/ml-- Good for you! You know, all my life, I've had tough winters. I would always get very sluggish and depressed. I mean I would get really, really down. But ever since I've started the vitamin D, the winter blues are a thing of the past. This alone is probably the most noticeable effect I've ever had from taking any supplement. It's a very dramatic and welcomed change.

I will read from time to time for that.

http://allnutri.com/bid970/now+foods.aspx

That means D3 in Calcium tablets like Citrical is probably poorly absorbed  too, am I correct?

Yep.

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Sorry for offtopic

yoo... amazing thread!

GNC has Vit D drops.....do you feel this is good?

Oil-filled gelcaps are no more expensive than tablets (or perhaps a dollar more). Health food store employees and pharmacists don't know this. I have had many patients come to the office claiming they changed to tablets because that's all their health food store or pharmacy carried and the person behind the counter assured them it was the same. Blood level of vitamin D to confirm: right back down to the starting level or near it--little or no absorption.