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Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D during winter months requires a daily dose of 20 micrograms, four times the current recommended dose, says a new study. The study, led by Susan Sullivan from the University of Maine, has important implications for ongoing consultations on vitamin D recommendations, with the current level of five micrograms (200 International Units) seen by many as insufficient.

"So why is Dr Vieth so frustrated? You might think he'd have cause for celebration. But for him and other vitamin D researchers around the world, the good news comes with a bitter aftertaste. They believe they can prove vitamin D could help millions live longer and be healthier and yet they have not been able to convince their own governments. In the US and Canada, official vitamin D policy is set by the Institute of Medicine. And in the opinion of Vieth, the current recommendations - 200 International Units per day for people under 50, 400 for people aged 51-70, and 600 for those 71 and older - are outrageously low. Bruce Hollis, professor of paediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina, calls 400 IU a day "a joke". That's because the best research suggests that to achieve the higher vitamin D blood levels associated with disease prevention, most adults in the US would need to take 1,000-2,000 IU a day: five to 10 times more than the current official recommendation for adult In 1999, Reinhold Vieth (pictured right) published a review of vitamin D research in response to the IOM conclusions. In it, he argued that there was no evidence that amounts lower than 20,000 IU a day could be toxic. "Throughout my preparation of this review, I was amazed at the lack of evidence supporting statements about the toxicity of moderate doses of vitamin D," Vieth wrote. Studies have since shown 10,000 IU a day of vitamin D to be safe. While any substance will become toxic in excess, vitamin D researchers today accept that the current vitamin D recommendations could be more than quadrupled with no fear of toxicity.!

Written by, Samuel K. Burlum, Investigative Reporter and author of The Green Lane, a syndicated column Published on 4/30/16, a SamBurlum.com Exclusive Source: As we take a look at the poor water quality issues that have hit major metro centers such as Flint, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey, we examine the source of these issues and what some are doing to rush in protecting the most important natural resource vital to the existence of the human race. As our world's population grows and our available sources of clean drinkable freshwater dwindle, the race to find ways to preserve and protect our current water supplies have rapidly increased; while other alternatives on how to clean up used and polluted water supplies are explored. Schools of thought and tech companies are eager to find ways to filter recycled water for reuse; fresh water supplies continue to be maxed out. According to the U.S. Geological Survey; only 2.5% of the Earth's water supply is fresh water. The main sources of available drinkable freshwater supply mainly come from glaciers and ice caps; ground ice and permafrost, and lakes and ground water. It is so surprising that with this natural resource being so scarce, we as a society don't do more to preserve and protect it. And so as a society, we continue to sabotage ourselves by contributing to actions and behaviors that increase pollution of our rivers and lakes. Only about half of the world's population has access to clean drinking water, leaving the other 3 billion people to fight for a source of quality water. In addition to that, according to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); 783 Million people have no access to any clean water sources. They must rely on "dirty" water or no water at all. This seems like a problem that would only plague impoverished countries, countries without infrastructure and societies without developed economies; however that stereo-typical outlook has been crushed by

Written by, Samuel K. Burlum, Investigative Reporter and author of The Green Lane, a syndicated column Published on 4/30/16, a SamBurlum.com Exclusive Source: As we take a look at the poor water quality issues that have hit major metro centers such as Flint, Michigan and Newark, New Jersey, we examine the source of these issues and what some are doing to rush in protecting the most important natural resource vital to the existence of the human race. As our world's population grows and our available sources of clean drinkable freshwater dwindle, the race to find ways to preserve and protect our current water supplies have rapidly increased; while other alternatives on how to clean up used and polluted water supplies are explored. Schools of thought and tech companies are eager to find ways to filter recycled water for reuse; fresh water supplies continue to be maxed out. According to the U.S. Geological Survey; only 2.5% of the Earth's water supply is fresh water. The main sources of available drinkable freshwater supply mainly come from glaciers and ice caps; ground ice and permafrost, and lakes and ground water. It is so surprising that with this natural resource being so scarce, we as a society don't do more to preserve and protect it. And so as a society, we continue to sabotage ourselves by contributing to actions and behaviors that increase pollution of our rivers and lakes. Only about half of the world's population has access to clean drinking water, leaving the other 3 billion people to fight for a source of quality water. In addition to that, according to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); 783 Million people have no access to any clean water sources. They must rely on "dirty" water or no water at all. This seems like a problem that would only plague impoverished countries, countries without infrastructure and societies without developed economies; however that stereo-typical outlook has been crushed by th

Current impediments to acceptance of the ultraviolet-B-vitamin D-cancer hypothesis. Grant WB, Boucher BJ. Anticancer Res. 2009 Sep;29(9):3597-604. PMID: 19667154 The ultraviolet-B (UVB)-vitamin D-cancer hypothesis was proposed in 1980. There have been numerous ecological, observational and other studies of the hypothesis. There are about 14 types of cancer for which it seems to apply: bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, gallbladder, gastric, ovarian, pancreatic, rectal, renal and vulvar cancer and both Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Nonetheless, the hypothesis has not yet been accepted by public health agencies. Some of the reasons for this include a distrust of ecological studies, some mistrust of observational studies, and the existence of just one positive randomized controlled trial, an analysis of a vitamin D and calcium supplementation study involving post-menopausal women in Nebraska. Paradigm shifts such as this generally take time, in part due to opposition from those content with the status quo. In this paper, results of ecological studies in the United States using summertime solar UVB as the index of vitamin D production, which is highly asymmetrical with respect to latitude, and indices for other cancer risk-modifying factors (air pollution, alcohol consumption, dietary iron and zinc, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, smoking and urban/rural residence) are discussed in terms of supporting the hypothesis. These studies were not considered while other ecological studies were examined in recent critiques of the hypothesis. While additional randomized controlled trials would, of course, be helpful, the current evidence seems to satisfy the criteria for causality as outlined by A. Bradford Hill.

Hypovitaminosis D in British adults at age 45 y: nationwide cohort study of dietary and lifestyle predictors. Hyppönen E, Power C. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Mar;85(3):860-8. PMID: 17344510 Conclusion: Prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in the general population was alarmingly high during the winter and spring, which warrants action at a population level rather than at a risk group level. Data from the 1958 birth cohort suggest that, at different cutoffs for hypovitaminosis D, a substantial public health problem exists in British whites. Obese participants and those living in Scotland were at the highest risk of hypovitaminosis D. However, the prevalence in the general population was very high during the winter and spring, which suggests that, to improve the situation, action is required at a population level rather than at a risk-group level. In the United States, calls have gone out for an increase in vitamin D fortification of foods (11), and the data from the current study suggest that such action is also warranted in the United Kingdom. Vitamin D is currently available without prescription as a dietary supplement only as part of cod liver oil or multivitamin products; hence, a need clearly exists to consider increased availability of over-the-counter supplements. Hypovitaminosis D has been implicated in the development of serious conditions, including diabetes, various types of cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, in addition to its essential role in maintaining bone health (1, 2). The high rates of hypovitaminosis D reported in this study suggest that immediate action is needed to improve the vitamin D status of the British population.

Brand History The company was founded in the year 1977 by first generation entrepreneur Mr. Kanti Parasrampuria. He has a vast work experience in the field of textiles, beverages and plastics and a profound business acumen and managerial alacrity. The company benefits from his expertise and guidance and also relies on a highly experienced and well qualified professional management team for its day to day operations. Brand Advantage The company owns a fully automatic plant to manufacture 6000 liters per hour of fruit based beverages at Mandideep near Bhopal (M.P.), India. It is a state-of-art plant with two PET blowing and filling lines, one V-Pak (aseptic juice carton) and one stand-up pouch filling line. The infrastructure is par-excellence and ensures that delicious, safe and hygienic products are delivered to the market. The beverages made by us are untouched by hand are produced under stringent conditions. The beverage division has achieved the prestigious ISO 22000:2005 including HACCP certification from the Swiss multinational certification agency SGS. The facility is also certified ISO 9001:2008 from ICS. All the equipment's used in the plant are installed by vendors that are approved by big multinational beverage companies. The raw and packaging material procured is from good quality sources which are first audited for quality. The plant is centrally located in Bhopal with very good road, air and rail link to rest of the country. Our products are currently available in 15 states of India (updated Feb 2013) and counting. Mango dash created a great deal of excitement in its category and celebrated the indulgence in mangoes like no other brand had done before. While other players have portrayed the mango as a simple and innocent fruit, Mango dash celebrates the sheer indulgence and sensuality involved in consuming a mango. The creative 'Aamsutra' idea communicates the experience of extreme sensuous pleasure through the act of drinking M

Upper levels of vitamin D intake were set at 50 microg/d (2000 IU/d) for all ages. Some individuals would require higher levels than these to achieve serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations for optimal calcium absorption. So much new information on vitamin D and health has been collected since the requirements were set in 1997 that this nutrient is likely the most in need of revised requirements. Vitamin D requirements: current and future. Weaver CM, Fleet JC. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Dec;80(6 Suppl):1735S-9S. Review. Erratum in: Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Mar;81(3):729. PMID: 15585797

Current micronutrient recommendations in Europe: towards understanding their differences and similarities. Doets EL, de Wit LS, Dhonukshe-Rutten RA, Cavelaars AE, Raats MM, Timotijevic L, Brzozowska A, Wijnhoven TM, Pavlovic M, Totland TH, Andersen LF, Ruprich J, Pijls LT, Ashwell M, Lambert JP, van 't Veer P, de Groot LC. Eur J Nutr. 2008 Apr;47 Suppl 1:17-40. PMID: 18427858 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-008-1003-5 Full text: http://www.eurreca.org/downloadattachment/3199/1535/ejn%201003ov.pdf

Vitamin D and fertility. Fertility problems, currently not only experienced by men and women over the age of 35 years, but also...

The Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) has been compiling and developing food composition databases for over a century. Current version of the database is Standard Reference, Release 21. Find links to NDL resources, including online nutrient search, lists of individual nutrients, PDA downloads and more

Pomegranate fruit extracts have been shown to block enzymes that contribute to cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis, a condition that currently has little perspective for treatment. The findings, although still at a preliminary stage not yet proven in humans, are likely to encourage further consumption of pomegranate juice in the UK, where sales have rocketed in the last year thanks to media coverage of its antioxidant content.

Vieth R, Fraser D. Vitamin D insufficiency: no recommended dietary allowance exists for this nutrient. CMAJ. 2002 Jun 11;166(12):1541-2. PMID: 12074121 In fact, current recommendations for vitamin D are not designed to ensure anything. They are simply based on the old, default strategy for setting a nutritional guideline, which is to recommend an amount of nutrient similar to what healthy people are eating. This approach underlies the circular logic behind a familiar refrain about nutrition: "If you eat a good diet, you won't need supplements." By this logic, the answer to the question, "How much nutrient do you need?" is, "Whatever healthy people happen to be eating." The essential point, lost in the confusing terminology of modern nutrient recommendations, is that a recommended daily allowance (RDA) does not yet exist for vitamin D. Instead, the recommendations for it are referred to as "adequate intake" (AI).12,13 The AI for young adults (5 µg or 200 IU) was chosen to approximate twice the average vitamin D intake reported by 52 young women in a questionnaire-based study reported from Omaha, Neb., in 1997.13,14 Because the available evidence was acknowledged as weak, the Food and Nutrition Board of the US Institute of Medicine called its recommendation an AI.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 26, 2009 - There are several risk factors for the development of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Based on an increasing number of studies linking these risk factors with Vitamin D deficiency, an article in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (May 2009) by William B. Grant, PhD of the Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center (SUNARC) suggests that further investigation of possible direct or indirect linkages between Vitamin D and these dementias is needed. Low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] have been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, depression, dental caries, osteoporosis, and periodontal disease, all of which are either considered risk factors for dementia or have preceded incidence of dementia. In 2008, a number of studies reported that those with higher serum 25(OH)D levels had greatly reduced risk of incidence or death from cardiovascular diseases

A positive dose-response effect of vitamin D supplementation on site-specific bone mineral augmentation in adolescent girls: a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled 1-year intervention. Viljakainen HT, Natri AM, Kärkkäinen M, Huttunen MM, Palssa A, Jakobsen J, Cashman KD, Mølgaard C, Lamberg-Allardt C. J Bone Miner Res. 2006 Jun;21(6):836-44. PMID: 16753014 doi: 10.1359/jbmr.060302 We conclude that the current vitamin D recommendation for adolescent girls, at least in the northern latitudes, is too low to ensure sufficient vitamin D status during winter. Intake of vitamin D at rates of 10-15 μg/day aids to maintain stable S-25(OH)D concentrations during winter. Vitamin D induced BMC augmentation by decreasing bone resorption, but not affecting bone formation, which was reflected by the biochemical markers of bone turnover. Optimizing bone mineral gain in adolescence is crucial to the prevention of osteoporosis later in life. Increasing vitamin D intake to 10-15 μg/day aids in attaining this goal.

Vitamin D and type 2 diabetes: are we ready for a prevention trial? Scragg R. Diabetes. 2008 Oct;57(10):2565-6. PMID: 18820212 doi: 10.2337/db08-0879 Despite evidence from the current article (3) and the Finnish study (17), doubts still remain about whether low vitamin status is a cause of type 2 diabetes. Further cohort studies are required, assessing baseline vitamin D status using blood 25(OH)D to be sure that the Ely and Finnish studies are not false-positive results. Glucose clamp studies are also required because we are still not sure of the mechanism influenced by vitamin D-whether it is insulin resistance, secretion, or both. But most importantly, given that nearly three decades have passed since the first studies linking vitamin D with insulin metabolism (6,7), well-designed clinical trials of the effect of vitamin D supplementation on glycemia status and diabetes risk are urgently required to settle this question. And they need to prevent past mistakes. In particular, the vitamin D dose given in such trials needs to be high enough-above 2,000 IU per day (19)-to raise blood 25(OH)D levels above 80 nmol/l because diabetes risk is lowest at this level (9,20). If well-designed trials are carried out and confirm a protective effect from vitamin D, it could be used by the general population as a simple and cheap solution to help prevent the diabetes epidemic.

Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin d is associated with markers of the insulin resistant phenotype in nondiabetic adults. Liu E, Meigs JB, Pittas AG, McKeown NM, Economos CD, Booth SL, Jacques PF. J Nutr. 2009 Feb;139(2):329-34. Epub 2008 Dec 23. PMID: 19106328 doi:10.3945/jn.108.093831 After adjusting for age and sex, plasma 25(OH)D was positively associated with ISI(0,120), plasma adiponectin, and HDL cholesterol and inversely associated with plasma triacylglycerol, but these associations were no longer significant after further adjustment for BMI, waist circumference, and current smoking status. 25(OH)D and 2-h post-OGTT glucose were not associated. Among adults without diabetes, vitamin D status was inversely associated with surrogate fasting measures of insulin resistance. These results suggest that vitamin D status may be an important determinant for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D and Calcium An IOM committee has been named to undertake a study to assess current relevant data and update as appropriate the DRIs for vitamin D and calcium. The review will include consideration of chronic and non-chronic disease indicators. The study will also incorporate, as appropriate, systematic evidence-based reviews of the literature and an assessment of potential indicators of adequacy and of excess intake. Indicators for adequacy and excess will be selected based on the strength and quality of the evidence and the demonstrated public health significance, taking into consideration sources of uncertainty in the evidence.

A critical review of Vitamin D and cancer: A report of the IARC Working Group on vitamin D William B. Grant Dermato-Endocrinology. Volume 1, Issue 1 January/February 2009 Pages: 25 - 33 The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released a report, Vitamin D and Cancer, on November 25, 2008. The report focused on the current state of knowledge and level of evidence of a causal association between vitamin D status and cancer risk. Although presenting and evaluating evidence for the beneficial role of UVB and vitamin D in reducing the risk of cancer, it discounted or omitted important evidence in support of the efficacy of vitamin D. The report largely dismissed or ignored ecological studies on the grounds that confounding factors might have affected the findings. The report accepted a preventive role of vitamin D in colorectal cancer but not for breast cancer.

Vitamin D in preventive medicine: are we ignoring the evidence? Zittermann A. Br J Nutr. 2003 May;89(5):552-72. Review. PMID: 12720576 Vitamin D is metabolised by a hepatic 25-hydroxylase into 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and by a renal 1alpha-hydroxylase into the vitamin D hormone calcitriol. Calcitriol receptors are present in more than thirty different tissues. Apart from the kidney, several tissues also possess the enzyme 1alpha-hydroxylase, which is able to use circulating 25(OH)D as a substrate. Serum levels of 25(OH)D are the best indicator to assess vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, hypovitaminosis, adequacy, and toxicity. European children and young adults often have circulating 25(OH)D levels in the insufficiency range during wintertime. Elderly subjects have mean 25(OH)D levels in the insufficiency range throughout the year. In institutionalized subjects 25(OH)D levels are often in the deficiency range. There is now general agreement that a low vitamin D status is involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. Moreover, vitamin D insufficiency can lead to a disturbed muscle function. Epidemiological data also indicate a low vitamin D status in tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel diseases, hypertension, and specific types of cancer. Some intervention trials have demonstrated that supplementation with vitamin D or its metabolites is able: (i) to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients; (ii) to improve blood glucose levels in diabetics; (iii) to improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. The oral dose necessary to achieve adequate serum 25(OH)D levels is probably much higher than the current recommendations of 5-15 microg/d.

Nutrients, endpoints, and the problem of proof. Heaney RP. 2008 W. O. Atwater Memorial Lecture J Nutr. 2008 Sep;138(9):1591-5. PMID: 18716155 To sum up, I think that there would be general agreement to the effect that nutrition is important, despite the fact that the still growing number of failed trials of individual nutrients might suggest that no nutrient actually made much of a difference, a conclusion that is absurd on its face and ought to have alerted us to the possibility that there was something wrong with how we were investigating the matter. To provide the proof needed to sustain revised intake recommendations, we shall have to find a design better suited to nutrients than the randomized controlled trial as currently implemented, and we need to develop a series of global indices, nutrient by nutrient, which better capture the polyvalent nature of most nutrients. Perhaps it would be useful for the ASN, in collaboration with concerned governmental entities such as the USDA, to convene a workshop to address these structural issues. Such deliberation may well be arduous and frustrating, but it is terribly important and, in my view, well worth the effort.