Nutrition

Is the MP Treatment for Sarcoidosis Helpful for Other Chronic Diseases? MP's Vitamin D Theories Are Not Supported by Lab Studies. Updated July 2, 2008 "The MP treatment plan was originally designed to treat an inflammatory condition known as sarcoidosis. The treatment consists of using the drug Benicar, combined with the avoidance of all sources of vitamin D, and eventually adding various antibiotics, especially minocycline. After being used by sarcoidosis patients for some years, it was then theorized and claimed that the treatment could treat other inflammatory conditions. Eventually it was also claimed that it could treat fibromyalgia and CFS, conditions which are not recognized by the medical literature as being inflammatory in nature. "

"Hi! This is Amy Proal. I wrote the article referenced at the start of the thread about vitamin D. Dr. Marshall is not concerned with vitamin D toxicity. Rather his molecular modeling research has clarified the actions of the two vitamin D metabolites 25-D and 1,25-D. The Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) is a fundamental receptor of the body - it controls the expression thousands of genes, as well as the activity of the innate immune system and the antimicrobial peptides. If you think of the VDR as a switch, 25-D (which is a corticosteroid) turns it off (inactivates it) and 1,25-D turn it on (activates it). What is commonly believed among vitamin D researchers is that if people supplement with extra vitamin D it will be converted into 1,25-D and activate the VDR. Unfortunately, Marshall's work revealed that the type of vitamin D derived from supplements and sun remains, for the most part, in it's precursor form 25-D. This means that the extra vitamin D we get from fortified food products and supplements is turning the VDR off, not on. That causes a decrease in immune function and gene transcription."

The Truth About Vitamin D: Fourteen Reasons Why Misunderstanding Endures Author: Amy Proal

My plans to take vitamin D seemed well funded (lots of positive research these days about high vitamin D levels) and then I stumbled upon this article that promotes the views of Trevor Marshall. "The Truth About Vitamin D: Fourteen Reasons Why Misunderstanding Endures", by Amy Proal (a biologist), 15/09/2007 http://bacteriality.com/2007/09/15/vitamind/

"The following is a list of the Top 10 health breakthroughs of 2008. I know there are many other possible candidates for this Top 10 list. This is my version of the highlights that made 2008 special."

"It's well known that African Americans have low levels of vitamin D in their blood. In fact, this seems to be generally true for humans of tropical origin. In a study from Hawaii, vitamin D status was assessed in healthy, visibly tanned young adults who averaged 22.4 hours per week of unprotected sun exposure. Yet 51% had levels below the current recommended minimum of 75 nmol/L (Binkley et al., 2007). In a study from south India, levels below 50 nmol/L were found in 44% of the men and 70% of the women. The subjects are described as "agricultural workers starting their day at 0800 and working outdoors until 1700 with their face, chest, back, legs, arms, and forearms exposed to sunlight" (Harinarayan et al., 2007). In a study from Saudi Arabia, levels below 25 nmol/L were found in respectively 35%, 45%, 53%, and 50% of normal male university students of Saudi, Jordanian, Egyptian, and other origins (Sedrani, 1984)."

"We are aware of substantial scientific evidence supporting the role of vitamin D in prevention of cancer. It has been reasonably established that adequate serum vitamin D metabolite levels are associated with substantially lower incidence rates of several types of cancer, including those of the breast, colon, and ovary, and other sites. We have concluded that the vitamin D status of most individuals in North America will need to be greatly improved for substantial reduction in incidence of cancer. Epidemiological studies have shown that higher vitamin D levels are also associated with lower risk of Type I diabetes in children and of multiple sclerosis. Several studies have found that markers of higher vitamin D levels are associated with lower incidence and severity of influenza and several other infectious diseases."

(VIDEO) Shedding light on the vitamin D deficiency 'crisis' By GrassRootsHealth.com Oct 11, 2009 - 4:49:39 PM San Diego, CA - Can vitamin D prevent 80% of the incidence of breast cancer? What is its affect on colon cancer and other major illnesses? These questions and more will be addressed when some of the most prominent vitamin D researchers in North America participate in the " Diagnosis & Treatment of Vitamin D Deficiency" seminar presented by GrassrootsHealth at the University of Toronto on Tuesday, November 3 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. GrassrootsHealth is the founder of D*action, an international public health project whose goal is to solve the vitamin D deficiency epidemic. GrassrootsHealth and D*action work with over 30 scientists, institutions and individuals committed to educate, test, and study vitamin D levels worldwide. At the conference, a group of physicians and researchers in the vitamin D field will discuss vitamin D's role in the potential prevention of many diseases, including breast cancer, colon cancer, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, the ultimate reduction in the incidence of infectious diseases and the economic impact of such action

"May 19, 2008 (Orlando, Florida) - A new study shows that a proactive vitamin D treatment plan should be considered when caring for all osteoporosis patients, and that such treatment might help decrease the likelihood of developing vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is widespread among patients being treated for osteoporosis, and such deficiency should be treated aggressively, according to the findings presented here at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 17th Annual Meeting and Clinical Congress."

Vitamin K and the prevention of fractures: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Cockayne S, Adamson J, Lanham-New S, Shearer MJ, Gilbody S, Torgerson DJ. Arch Intern Med. 2006 Jun 26;166(12):1256-61. Review. PMID: 16801507 Conclusions This systematic review suggests that supplementation with phytonadione and menaquinone-4 reduces bone loss. In the case of the latter, there is a strong effect on incident fractures among Japanese patients.

Effects of chili consumption on postprandial glucose, insulin, and energy metabolism. Ahuja KD, Robertson IK, Geraghty DP, Ball MJ. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jul;84(1):63-9. PMID: 16825682

Effects of daily ingestion of chilli on serum lipoprotein oxidation in adult men and women. Ahuja KD, Ball MJ. Br J Nutr. 2006 Aug;96(2):239-42. PMID: 16923216 In conclusion, regular consumption of chilli for 4 weeks increases the resistance of serum lipoproteins to oxidation.

The effect of 4-week chilli supplementation on metabolic and arterial function in humans. Ahuja KD, Robertson IK, Geraghty DP, Ball MJ. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Mar;61(3):326-33. Epub 2006 Aug 23. Erratum in: Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Mar;61(3):442. PMID: 16929238 Conclusion: Four weeks of regular chilli consumption has no obvious beneficial or harmful effects on metabolic parameters but may reduce resting heart rate and increase effective myocardial perfusion pressure time in men.

Plasma calcidiol, season, and serum parathyroid hormone concentrations in healthy elderly men and women. Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Dallal GE. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Jan;65(1):67-71. PMID: 8988915 Plasma calcidiol and serum PTH concentrations were inversely related, with PTH rising slowly as calcidiol concentrations declined below 110 nmol/L (95 CI: 60, 168 nmol/L). More than 90% of the men and women had calcidiol concentrations below this value in the wintertime. The high prevalence of lower wintertime calcidiol values may increase risk of bone loss in elderly men and women.

Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau island studies. Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Am J Clin Nutr. 1981 Aug;34(8):1552-61. PMID: 7270479 Two populations of Polynesians living on atolls near the equator provide an opportunity to investigate the relative effects of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol in determining serum cholesterol levels. The habitual diets of the toll dwellers from both Pukapuka and Tokelau are high in saturated fat but low in dietary cholesterol and sucrose. Coconut is the chief source of energy for both groups. Tokelauans obtain a much higher percentage of energy from coconut than the Pukapukans, 63% compared with 34%, so their intake of saturated fat is higher. The serum cholesterol levels are 35 to 40 mg higher in Tokelauans than in Pukapukans. These major differences in serum cholesterol levels are considered to be due to the higher saturated fat intake of the Tokelauans. Analysis of a variety of food samples, and human fat biopsies show a high lauric (12:0) and myristic (14:0) content. Vascular disease is uncommon in both populations and there is no evidence of the high saturated fat intake having a harmful effect in these populations.

A Review - Vitamin D and Calcium in Sarcoidosis\nTrevor G Marshall, PhD, 5 July 2003