Download Link

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal looked at the association between people’s vitamin D blood levels, their dietary intake of vitamin D and calcium, and their risk of colorectal cancer in European populations. 520,000 people from 10 Western European countries participated in this study. This is an enormous number! The people who were in the study gave blood samples and completed dietary and lifestyle questionnaires between the years 1992 and 1998.

The findings confirm what other studies, which I talk about in my book have shown us. Lower levels of vitamin D in the blood were associated with a higher risk for colorectal cancer. Higher concentrations of vitamin D in the blood were associated with a lower risk for this cancer. Specifically, people who had the highest blood levels of vitamin D in this study, had a 40% lower risk of colorectal cancer than those in the lowest levels of vitamin D in the blood.

In my opinion, this is just one more reason, further confirmed why everybody should take a basic dose of vitamin D, and should try to optimize their levels of vitamin D if they are able to get blood tests.

For people who do not have a blood test, and who are otherwise healthy adults I recommend 2000 IU of vitamin D daily.

Reference 1

Reference 2

Now an amazing study has proven this. Dr C. Eckstein and colleagues have published an article entitled “Vitamin D content in commercially available oral supplements” that was done at the Consortium of Multiple Sclorosis Centers.

They bought 10 different brands of vitamin D at the health food store and online and measured their actual potency and of course compared it to what it was labeled.

The findings are astonishing.

Unknown ObjectThe labeled dosages were from 400 IU to 10,000 IU. On average, the actual dose was 33.5% of what the label stated. The range of actual dosage in the bottle was from (shockingly ) 0.24% of what the label stated to 81.7% of the labeled dose. None of the products has the dose listed on the label.

This study was done by the Multiple Sclerosis Consortium because of the increasing recognition of the importance of Vitamin D in MS. As one of the authors stated ” As the role of vitamin D in immune regulation in MS gains increasing focus, oral supplementation is growing.”

It was because of this huge problem with most over the counter vitamin D products, that I decided to bring to market my own Vitamin D supplements. As a specialist in Internal Medicine I like to use pharmaceutical quality products for all my patients. The patients I see are sick and need high quality doctor-quality nutrients to get well.

That is why I decided to partner with a major company that only makes products to be sold in physicians’ offices. This is a whole other level of product manufacture and quality compared with a health food store product.

I have been delighted with the results of blood levels achieved with the Vitamin D products I sell on my website. I measure vitamin D levels on my patients with vitamin D associated conditions at least twice a year and keep their blood levels as well mine and my family above 40 ng/ml. I also am gratified by the testimonials I get from people using my vitamin D products.

Have you measured your blood levels after taking your brand of Vitamin D? How are your levels? And your family’s? Let me know because I really am on a mission to get everybody’s Vitamin D levels into normal or optimal range.

REFERENCE

This article which just came out followed almost 200 adults and did monthly vitamin D blood levels on all of the patients from September to early January. The patients were followed for the entire study time for developing upper respiratory infections (common cold or flu).

The findings are completely consistent with what I talk about in my book and here on my blog as well as other articles on Vitamin D and viral infections.

Those patients with a Vitamin D ( 25-Hydroxy-Vitamin D) level of 38 ng/ml or more had half the risk of a viral respiratory infection over the study. The level of statistical significance was extremely significant (p<0.0001). In addition they found that those with levels over 38ng/ml the duration of influenza was on average 2 days vs 9 days for those with low levels of vitamin D. This obviously would also affect the number of missed work days.

This study also found that higher weight individuals had lower vitamin D levels. This is consistant with other studies showing the same thing.

Another finding in the study was that over 80% of the patients in the study did have levels less then 38 ng/ml. This further emphasizes the magnitude of Vitamin D insufficiency in the United States.

The authors comment ” The data in this study suggests that supplementing with vitamin D to raise the concentrations in the general population to above 38 ng/ml could result in a significant health benefit by reducing the burden of illness from viral infections, at a minimum from viral infections of the respiratory tract in healthy adults living in temperate climates”.

My comment is that the authors should have gone longer with their study. They stopped in January! We know that colds and flus often still occur in February and March and that those patients NOT taking supplementary Vitamin D on their own would have had progressively lower levels in those months without sun. Had they extended their study to another 2 months, their data might have been even stronger showing the benefit of Vitamin D.

Note also that the level of 38 ng/ml in this study is very close to the lowest level (40 ng/ml) of vitamin D that I recommend ( in my book).

When was the last time you checked your vitamin D level? Your children’s? You can ask your doctor or pediatrician to do a level when you go in for your next checkup. Or you can do a self test at home with an at home kit.

Let me know what you do to keep your levels up now that summer is here?
Do you get some some without sunblock? or just take a D pill every day?

Reference