Test Proof that Vitamin D Works

Observation by Henry Lahore of VitaminDWiki Dec 2013

I am unaware of a single vitamin D clinical trial which used enough D for long enough that did not get great results.

Many Clinical Trials do not find a benefit bacause of one or more of the following:

1. Have used too small a dose of vitamin D (often < 1,100 IU)
   Even larger dose needed if: 1) obese, 2) poor gut, 3) sick (many diseases consume lots of vitamin D
2. Fails to have given vitamin D for too short of time (a few RCT lasted less than 5 weeks)

Fails to have given Vitamin D frequently enough. At least every 2 months for D3) - and at least weekly for D2

+Note: Infrequent dosing also causes unbalancing of the body's chemistry

Fails to provide a loading dose, or had too short a duration to restore the vitamin D levels
Fails to use D3 form, instead uses the less effective D2 form

1. Fails to have a health range of Calcium or other important cofactors (especially for bone-related trials
   Also, differences in Magnesium can result in 30% change in response to vitamin D
   Magnesium is dependant on water, food, supplements
2. Fails to notice the pre-existing vitamin D levels - only those who are low will likely show a benefit
3. Fais to notice how/when the vitamin D was taken (which can change the response by as much as 2X)
4. Fais to reports on compliance (in one case 40% of the participants did not take the supplements consistantly)

Many Meta-Analysis do not find a benefit because one or more of the above reasons

• Many meta-analysis average together ALL of the trials
  Imagine a story about a meta-analysis if aspirin were being introduced now.
     There would be scores of RCT for aspirin not working with 3 mg doses
     There would be many RCT of aspirin not working with 30 mg doses
     There would be a few studies of aspirin WORKING with 300+ mg doses
     There would be many studies of small amounts of Willow bark (Vitamin D2 instead of Vitamin D3)
     Then were would be a meta-analysis of aspirin and Willow Bark
     - That meta-analysis would conclude that aspirin and bark do not work.

While about 200 RCTs will be published during 2014, I anticipate only adding 50 to the proofs table due to the reasons listed above
   Also, some trials will not get started due to lack of people willing to go for years with < 500 IU of vitamin D
Note: 95% of the proofs for vitamin D were published after the IoM stopped looking at data.

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See also VitaminDWiki: Random Controlled Trials with vitamin D intervention

• Over 1000 Clinical Trials with Vitamin D INTERVENTION- Aug 2013
• 4000 IU Vitamin D intervention helped elderly bones – March 2010
• 890 IU of vitamin D and 1200 mg Calcium improved bone density – July 2010
• 2,000 IU vitamin D helped most 70 year-old men – Feb 2011
• Only vitamin D helped prevent falls after stroke – July 2010
• 39% fewer falls with 2000 IU than 800 IU – RCT June 2010
• Vitamin D increases HDL
• Parkinsons Disease and Vitamin D
• Summary o f Vitamin D trials - Grant Jan 2012 many are intervention trials
• Hip surgery followed by 100,000 IU, then 1000 IU of vitamin D daily – June 2010
• 20,000 IU vitamin D and MS – less fatigue and relapse Dec 2010
• Systematic Reviews or Meta-Analysis of Vitamin D

More intervention trials for Vitamin D than for the TOTAL of Vitamins A + C + E + K combined

Vitamin D= 915, Others = 798 [ Vitamin A 188 + Vitamin C 269 + Vitamin E 236 + Vitamin K 105 ]   as of Sept 2012

See also VitaminDWiki

• Overview: Vitamin D also TREATS
• All items in category Treatment by Vitamin D 41 items
• All items in category Intervention with Vitamin D 822 items
• All items in category Evidence for Vitamin D 60 items
• All items in category Meta-analysis by Vitamin D 665 items
• HMOs will save millions of dollars with vitamin D has additional information on proof of treatment
• Is it ethical to not give vitamin D in osteoporosis trials– NEJM Sept 2010
  Some Vitamin D RCT are not being created because the researchers do not want to deprive the benefits to half of the patients
  Some Vitamin D RCT are not being created because too many candidates are already taking vitamin D
• Reasons for Vitamin D deficiency
• List of all categories of Vitamin D Information and number of items in each
• List of all Overviews of Vitamin D 74 Overviews

CLICK ON chart for more information and translation

Chart of Vitamin D benefits from 2012

Just a simple count, not any proof

 

See also web

• Medicine’s House of Cards – What Happens When We’ve Got It All Wrong Green Medical Info Nov 2013
  Studying nutrients the way we study drugs makes no sense, RCT should not be required for nutrients

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