"The
Vitamin D Cure"
Written by
Tessa Jupp RN (from the book by James Dowd) for the Post Polio Network of WA
After I wrote the article about Vit D for the
Post Polio Newsletter in Dec ‘08, a polio member loaned me a copy of the
book mentioned above. I have noted some interesting points from the book below
for you and the article on the next page has information on tests for Vit D,
doses, types of Vit D and drug interactions - by an Aussie compounding chemist,
Dr Serafina, based in country NSW.
So if it is important that we get around
2,000IU of Vit D a day and we are not getting enough from sun exposure these
days, given that the amount in food is minimal
ie best sources are cod liver oil which gives 400IU per capsule; 100gms
of salmon or sardines = 480IU; of tuna = 240IU; 100gms of egg yolk = 70IU and
of butter = 80IU, then it looks like a supplement is needed.
If poor bone density is a concern and
your GP has or wants you on drugs for this, he may be able to prescribe D3 as
Rocaltrol or Calcitriol on an authority or you can buy Vit D in the shops. Golden Glow has a mail order D3
1000IU for $19 plus postage $3.50 for 180 tablets. (or from Polio Office for $22 ea.) Maybe worth a try.
(now from the book
) - FRACTURES
A recent article in the Journal of the American
Medical Assoc showed 800IU daily of Vit D reduced hip fractures by 26% and
other fractures by 23%. These are better
figures than we get with osteoporosis medications!
MUSCLES &
STRENGTH
A Swiss study on the elderly found Vit D
improved strength, coordination, the ability to sit, stand and
walk again, after only a few weeks!
This is because Vit D is essential to get the calcium in and back out of
muscle cells, for them to be able to contract and relax. The Mayo Clinic in USA found dramatic improvement
in complaints of pain all over, when given extra Vit D. If the body is too acidic, muscle is broken
down and lost, to provide an alkaline buffer to acidity.
Antacids impair the absorption of Vit D and
minerals like magnesium and calcium. To
reduce acidity we need more vegetables.
CANCER
Vit D controls the genes and enzymes that
repair errors in new cell growth. Vit D
slows the rate that cells divide so that there are fewer errors and Vit D also
assists in cell repair. The Nurses
Health Study found less breast cancer in nurses with higher levels of Vit D. Taking Vit D provided a slowing of cancer
growth and the stimulation of tumour-suppressing genes allowing repair and
death of cancer cells. There were
similar findings when Vits D & A were used together in prostate
cancer. Skin cancer and melanoma risk
was less with high levels of D & A.
Death rates are higher from colon cancer in countries with less
sunlight. There are more cases of flu
in winter when there is less sunlight and so less Vit D. Vit D has also been shown to help fight TB,
Hepatits C and people with HIV have shown low levels of Vit D
Psoriasis is worse in
winter and current treatment is exposure to UVB light which is needed to make
Vit D. Inflammatory Bowel Disease,
including Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis improve with extra Vit D. People with Lupus have been found to
have low levels of Vit D. Vit D
strengthens the immune system, warding off auto-immune diseases as well as
infections. Magnesium is needed for Vit D to function properly
DEMENTIA
Current evidence shows that lack of Vit D, Mg
and Omega 3, increases degenerative brain disease like Alzheimer’s
and Parkinson’s as the dendritic nerve cells have Vit
D-receptors. The risk of MS is
known to increase the further away you are from the equator and so Vit D is
lower. This risk can be set by
D-deficient mothers, in pregnancy.
INCREASING Vit D
LEVELS
- lowers blood pressure by opening up
blood vessels allowing more blood to flow
- improves insulin
sensitivity as Vit D needed by the pancreas to be able to release insulin
-
improves fibromyalgia and fatigue levels
-
lessens risk of depression, which is worse in winter with less sunlight
and less Vit D
-
improves cholesterol by reducing LDL and triglycerides and raising HDL
-
lessens risk of heart attacks by reducing the stickiness of cells lining
blood vessels
- lessens
storage of energy as abdominal fat.