VitaminDWiki provides answers to Vitamin D questions

Vitamin D aids the body in preventing and treating many health problems

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Deficiency

Vitamin D and the Sun

Why is 10 minutes in the sun not enough?

Why might getting sunlight thru glass actually reduce your Vitamin D level?

Supplementation

How much more Vitamin D is needed to treat diseases?

Which other supplements should be taken with Vitamin D, how much, and why?

How much Vitamin D is needed to feel benefits quickly?

How many days does it take to feel better with Vitamin D?

What are the barriers to trying Vitamin D? and how can theey be overcome?

Why are tests for Vitamin D typically not needed?

• It is very rare that a person will have get too high of a level of vitamin D (> 100 or > 150 ng)
• But in rare cases testing should be done first

How did the myth that Vitamin D can be toxic get started?

Why must extreme care be used when Vitamin D is taken during Chemotherapy?

• Vitamin D doubles the effeciveness of many Chemo drugs
• If the doctor adjusts the Chemo dose, a person will need far less Chemo drug and have greatly reduced side effects
• It can be deadly if the dose is not adjusted - as Chemo+Vitamin D can be 2X more potent than chemo alone

Why does Vitamin D not build up in the body?

• Body naturally excreates excess vitamin D over several months.

When during the day, or week, should Vitamin D be taken?

• Almost anytime. Get the most benefit if taken just after a large meal (longer time to get absorbed in the gut.
• Probably should not take it late at night, some people report it keeps them awake

Why is there such a difference in the response to the same dose of Vitamin D?

• There can be a 5X difference between adults. Some of this is due to differences in weight, BMI,
• But there are many other reasons, most of which are currently unknown.
  Thus, one adult may get a certain benefit from 2,000 IU of vitamin D, but another will need 10,000 IU to get the same benefit

Why do veterinarians give 3 times as much Vitamin D to animals as the government recommends?

Why are about 1 in 300 people allergic to Vitamin D?

Why should most people reduce their calcium when taking lots of Vitamin D?

Can I fortify my food with Vitamin D at home?

How can I double the response to the vitamin D which I do get

If I miss taking a vitamin D pill what should I do?

Diseases and Vitamin D - including proof

Which health problems have been PROVEN to be PREVENTED or TREATED by Vitamin D?

• Random controlled, double blind trials -neither patient nor doctor knew who got the vitamin D - include:
  Asthma, Blood flow after heart attack, Breast Cancer, C-section, Cardiovascular, Cholesterol, Chronic Hives, Chronic Kidney Disease, Congestive Heart Failure (Infants), COPD, Cystic Fibrosis, Depression, Diabetes, Falls, Fibromyalgia, Gestational Diabetes, Gingivitis, Hip Fractures, Hypertension, Influenza, Leg Ulcers, Low Birth Weight, Low Vitamin D in Breast milk, Lupus, Menstrual Pain, Middle Ear Infection (Infants), Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Prostate Cancer, Raynaud's pain, Respiratory Tract Infection, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Rickets, Sickle Cell pain, Survive ICU, TB, Traumatic Brain Injury, Weight loss

Which diseases appear to be CURED, and not just TREATED by Vitamin D?

• Thus far just Multiple Sclerosis and Psorasis
• VitaminDWiki expects many more diseases will be cured when a large enough dose of vitamin D is given

Which diseases are strongly suspected, but not yet been proven to be prevented of treated by Vitamin D?

Which non-disease benefits does Vitamin D provide?

Vitamin D and Health Professionals

Why might doctors oppose restoring Vitamin D levels?

Why do some doctors persist in prescribing Vitamin D2?

Why do some surgeons not operate unless the patient has >50 ng blood level of Vitamin D?

• Patients with high vitamin D recover sooner, get few complications, and survive bettert

History of Vitamin D

Why is the hormone called a vitamin?
rat studies
How long have we known about the health benefits of Sun and Vitamin D?
The Greeks
The Eqyptians
The literaure goes back to 1642
When was the Nobel Prize for the benefits of Vitamin D given?

Additional possible question ideas

How many ways does Vitamin D help the athlete?

Why haven't we heard much about Vitamin D until recently?

What does new research show about the importance of Vitamin D?
How much research – # INTERVENTION clinical trials, more papers than A, C, E, K combined

What is the largest safe dose I can take now?
Is there evidence of others doing the same and staying healthy?
Self test
Why is Magnesium so important
Why lack of Mag sometimes causes pain when taking vitamin D
Why low cholesterol will lower your vitamin D levels
Why Vitamin K2 is so important (bones and keep Ca away from arteries)
How much Vitamin D is recommended around the world
I am taking drug XXX – should I not take vitamin D
Drugs that create a vitamin D deficiency
Might I lose weight by taking vitamin D
UV light for my home/office – how can I add it.
How much do vitamin D tests cost
Medicare – only one test per lifetime, many countries not pay for vitamin D test until already have major health problem
Calcium – why should I limit it to 500 mg daily
Why does DDT, etc reduce vitamin D levels
Will Vitamin D reduce my Sun allergy
Allergic to the sun (Polymorphic light eruption) – you may need UVB or vitamin D
Will Vitamin D reduce my sun-burning
Vitamin D protects DNA against UV skin damage – 5 studies 2012-2013
2200X more problems from no UVB than too much UVB - WHO 2006
What does it mean if vitamin D is patented for a disease
Why might poor sleep be associated with low vitamin D
Huge amounts of vitamin D – what proof is there that it helps
MS, Psorasis, Raynaud’s, Shin splints, Cystic Fibrosis, Pregnant, Sleep disorders, Muscle fatigue, Leg ulcers, 300,000 IU vitamin D helped seniors in many ways – May 2011
Is there a form of vitamin D3 for vegans -D3 which has never been near an animal
My liver is not working well: Is there a form of vitamin D for me?
My kidney is not working well: Is there a form of vitamin D for me?
My gut is not working well: Is there a form of vitamin D for me?
How can I get the most benefit from the vitamin D which I do take
How can I get the most vitamin D from the sun
Does the form/supplier of vitamin D matter much
Which countries has taken more vitamin D and seen the benefits
Austrailia, Turkey, Finland, Improved health due to vitamin D fortification in Finland
Are there some papers which I can give to my Doctor about vitamin D
Which cofactors are also needed for Bones, Teeth, and Nails
Should I take extra vitamin D before going to the hospital
Which medical specialties have already noticed vitamin D
How might I determine if my disease might be treated by vitamin D
Why is vertigo so strongly associated with low vitamin
Expodential growth in vitamin D publications
Redhead Burn easily
Genetics
Flus and colds: will vitamin D help
Muscles: how/when will vitamin D help
When is sun/uvb actually proven to be better than vitamin D
Opinion: sun better than UV better than vitamin D

__ Can I get any vitamin D from the sun in the winter? Yes!

I am in pain – how quickly can I see if vitamin D will decrease my pain
When can my child be taken taken from me if I do not provide enough vitamin D/access to the sun
D2 – why should it actually be avoided
How much vitamin D does my infant need
WHO
Autism 25 reasons
3 to 55 X more likely to have these health problems if low Vitamin D

I eat well – why should I need to take a supplementation?

What are the problems of getting too much vitamin D

I often forget to take pills – how can I consistently take vitamin D

Should I be concerned if someone has taken a bit much vitamin D

Should You Worry if You Store Vitamin D in your body

Possible question ideas from Facts and Myths page

There is a vitamin D winter     (Lack Concensus.
  A clinical trial made an error 30 years ago - decreasing tanning bed intensity until it stopped generating vitamin D in those who had enough
  Should have very different results if increase UVB intensity for people who are vitamin D deficient (the Spring affect)
10 minutes of sun every other day provides enough vitamin D    (MYTH
20 ng is enough    (FALSE - optimal amount is >40 ng
You get plenty of vitamin D thru windows    (FALSE - no UVB, only UVA
UV-A destroys vitamin D    (appears to be TRUE - so watch out for windows and getting sun late in the day
Salmon have a lot of vitamin D    (True for wild salmon, False for farmed salmon, which has only 1/4 as much)
10,000 IU of vitamin D is toxic    (MYTH - as a monotherapy, 12,000 IU of vitamin D can be taken for > 1 year. Far more if the cofactors are balanced

There is no risk to my starting to take 5,000 IU of vitamin D    (FALSE - About 1 in 300 people have an allergic reaction, probably due to low Magnesium or allergy to wool)
Eat fish three times a week and your vitamin D will be adequate    (FALSE - Would just be OK if you only needed 600 IU of vitamin D average
  Also, even Norwegians have found that farmed fish do not provide enough vitamin D now
Can get all of your vitamin D needs from food and sunshine    (FALSE - Would just true if you only needed 600 IU
Drink a cup of milk every day and your vitamin D will be okay    (FALSE- same as above
You do not develop vitamin D deficiency if you live in a warm, sunny place    (FALSE - people stay out of the hot sun n the middle of the day
  In the Middle East they get health problems in the summer that others get in the winter - they avoid the sun that much
Eating a healthy diet will take care of your vitamin D needs
  (FALSE: far less vitamin D (as well as Magnesium) in our current food, and many things in food can actually block the Vitamin D which you do get)
No tan is a safe tan    (FALSE: just need to tan slowly, so as to never burn/harm the DNA in the skin )
If I sunburn easily I need to stay out of the sum    (FALSE, being sunburned easily is often a sign of being very vitamin D deficient)
Patients on intravenous feeding get 200 IU of vitamin D daily    (FACT: hospitals have not increased the amount given for many decades)
Medical schools stopped teaching that 2,000+ IU vitamin D is toxic over 40 years ago    (FALSE: Myth was still in a text book in 2010)
1000 IU increases vitamin D level by 10 ng    (FALSE1: This is only true if pre-existing blood level wa < 20 ng. At 50 ng it will add only 5 ng, At 80 ng it will add only 2 ng)
Athletes are helped by Vitamin D    (FALSE: Vitamin D only helps those who are deficient - Typically indoor athletes, not outdoor (unless dark skin)
Vitamin D increases bone strength    (FALSE: Vitamin D increases bone density, which may have little to do with bone strenght)
The shorter lives of African-Americans are due to lower levels of vitamin D     ( TRUE: several studies support this, none oppose it)
Vitamin D will reduce your weight     (FALSE: It has been found to reduce weight in ONLY 1 in 3 women)
  See also Dieters lost 5 more pounds if achieved more than 32 ng of vitamin D – RCT March 2014 and Need 40 to 80 ng of vitamin D to lose weight – Colgan Sept 2013
  and Those low on vitamin D were 2.4X more likely to gain weight – June 2013
Iron deficiency anemia reduces vitamin D levels     (TRUE: Anemia reduces the livers ablity to process vitamin D)
Oil-based vitamin D is best, since vitamin D dissolves in fat (Controversy - see Oil-based Vitamin D3 has the worst bioavailability – April 2014
Would you be opposed to my getting more vitamin D? a question to your doctor that minimizes his risk

Emedicine Vitamin D FAQs May 2012

1. Vitamin D is nicknamed "the sunshine vitamin." True or False?
2. What is the best food source of vitamin D?
3. Breastfed infants get the most vitamin D. True or False?
4. Where do human get the most vitamin D?
5. How is vitamin D stored in the body?
6. Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb what mineral?
7. What diseases or conditions are symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?
8. What is the name of the disease characterized by soft, weak, bendable bones in children?
9. You probably don't get enough sunlight to produce your annual vitamin D requirement if you live where?

Vitamin D Frequently Asked Questions - 2011

Vitamin D Frequently Asked Questions - 2011 - with answers
What is vitamin D?
What is a vitamin?
Why do we need vitamins?
Is there more than one form of vitamin D?
Where do I get vitamin D?
How long should I be outdoors, and how much skin should I expose?
What about skin cancer? Should I use sun screen?
Does vitamin D act in its native form, or does the body have to "process" it before it becomes active?
What happens if I don't get enough vitamin D?
How much vitamin D do I need?
Is vitamin D safe?
How can I tell if I need vitamin D?
Are vitamins D2 and D3 equally effective?
Is it important to take vitamin D with food?
How do I know if I am taking too much?
Why are the published requirements for vitamin D so much lower than the levels mentioned in these FAQs?
How long is vitamin D stored in the body?
Is it better to take vitamin D separately, or as part of another supplement (such as a calcium tablet or a multivitamin)?
How do I know what kind of vitamin D is in my combination tablet/capsule?
Do vitamin D supplements expire?

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Potential Supportive information includes

Vitamin D prices - March 2014
Can get 50,000 IU Vitamin D anywhere on the globe
50000 IU vitamin D daily toxic after 3 months – Oct 2011
50,000 IU vitamin D 1-3 times per week helped obese patients in rehab. – May 2013
50,000 IU vitamin D weekly increased levels by 52 ng normally, but only 28 ng if obese – Oct 2013
Overview Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue and vitamin D
Millions of people have taken single dose of 500,000 IU of vitamin D without any problem
You can take 50,000 IU daily for > 30 days before getting a toxic level