Vitamin D

Table of Contents Ch. I Is calcidiol an active hormone? 1 Ch. II Vitamin D as a neurosteroid hormone : from neurobiological effects to behavior 29 Ch. III Inhibitors of vitamin D hydroxylases : mechanistic tools and therapeutic aspects 67 Ch. IV Vitamin D analogues as anti-cancer therapies 145 Ch. V Paricalcitol : a vitamin D2 analog with anticancer effects with low calcemic activity 169 Ch. VI Vitamin D use among older adults in U.S. : results form national surveys 1997 to 2002 181 Ch VII Vitamin D deficiency in migrants 199 Vitamin D is a fat-soluble steroid hormone precursor that contributes to the maintenance of normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the bloodstream. Strictly speaking, it is not a vitamin since human skin can manufacture it, but it is referred to as one for historical reasons. It is often known as calciferol. The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. It promotes bone mineralisation in concert with a number of other vitamins, minerals and hormones. Without vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, soft or misshapen. Vitamin D prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults -- skeletal diseases that result in defects that weaken bones. This book gathers international research on the leading-edge of the scientific front.

Vitamin D for cancer prevention: global perspective. Garland CF, Gorham ED, Mohr SB, Garland FC. Ann Epidemiol. 2009 Jul;19(7):468-83. Review. PMID: 19523595

"D-vitamiini auttaa lymfoomapotilaita Julkaistu 07.12.2009 16.41 D-vitamiinitaso on yhteydessä diffusia suurisoluista B-solulymfoomaa sairastavien potilaiden eloonjäämisennusteeseen ja syövän etenemiseen. Näin toteaa Mayo-klinikassa tehty tutkimus, jonka tulokset esitellään Yhdysvaltain Hematologiyhdistyksen kokouksessa. - Nämä kuuluvat toistaiseksi vahvimpiin havaintoihin D-vitamiinin ja syövän ennusteen yhteydestä, tutkimusjohtaja Matthew Drake kertoo EurekAlert-uutispalvelussa. Draken mukaan tutkimushavainnot ovat vasta alustavia ja jatkotutkimuksia tarvitaan. Tulosten pohjalta voidaan kuitenkin pohtia, auttaisiko D-vitamiinilisä imusolmukesyövän hoidossa"

"Do Your Vitamin D Research Here Links to all the Latest Research Studies Welcome to the Vitamin D Research Library. Here you'll find links to all of the latest Vitamin D Facts and Research studies, clinical trials and other scholarly Vitamin D Facts. The Research Library is Open 24/7 and is always growing. I'll be adding more and more links all of the time. Can't find what you are looking for or just don't want to spend the time doing the research yourself? Chances are, I've already done the Vitamin D Research myself and can answer your question. Read Frequently Asked Questions about Vitamin D OR Ask Your Question About Vitamin D Here and I'll answer your Question about Vitamin D Personally based on the best available Vitamin D Research."

The Author The author of this site is the British writer, John Davidson. Please note that the author is neither a doctor, nor a qualified health practitioner. Every cancer patient should always consult his or her medical practitioner with regard to the use of complementary remedies or treatments, and nothing on this site should be construed in any way as medical or therapeutic advice. It is simply the result of one person's search for solutions. Please read our disclaimer. About This Site Internet searches trawl up vast amounts of information about cancer, from a broad spectrum of viewpoints. The information and internet links on this site are for those seeking to augment the treatment offered by their hospital oncology (cancer) unit. Of course, a great many other internet sites concerning cancer can be found by keying the requisite search words into any of the major search engines. The content of this site was initially prepared, at the request of medical and nursing staff and others, some weeks after I had had an emergency operation for the removal of a colon cancer, and while undergoing chemotherapy in case any cancer cells had gone AWOL. There had been some escape of cancer cells into associated lymph nodes (3 out of 17, including the most distal), but no other tumours had been picked up by a CT scan. When I returned home from hospital in September 2005, with the help of friends, I started doing some research on cancer. I was amazed to discover that despite the billions of pounds/euros/dollars etc. spent on cancer research, and the many advances in understanding the numerous variants of the disease, the standard treatment for my stage of colon cancer is still a drug (fluorouracil, also called 5FU) that has been in use for more than forty years, has uncomfortable side effects, and which only increases the chances of survival after five years by 5 to 10%.

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Grant WB, Holick MF. Benefits and requirements of vitamin D for optimal health: a review. Altern Med Rev. 2005 Jun;10(2):94-111. Review. PMID: 15989379

What can high-vitamin D foods do for you? * Help prevent a growing list of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporisis, breast cancer, colon cancer, and ovarian cancer * Help keep your bones and teeth strong and healthy * Regulate the growth and activity of your cells * Reduce inflammation What events can indicate a need for more foods rich in vitamin D? * Bone pain and/or soft bones * Frequent bone fractures * Bone deformities or growth retardation in children

Assessment of dietary vitamin D requirements during pregnancy and lactation. Hollis BW, Wagner CL. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 May;79(5):717-26. Review. PMID: 15113709 We found that high-dose maternal vitamin D supplementation not only improves the nutritional vitamin D status of breastfeeding infants but also elevates the maternal concentrations into the mid-normal range. Thus, a dual benefit is achieved from high-dose maternal supplementation. It is noteworthy that in the Finnish study, the authors added a disclaimer, "A sufficient supply of vitamin D to the breastfed infant is achieved only by increasing the maternal supplementation up to 2000 IU/d. Such a dose is far higher than the RDA [DRI] for lactating mothers [and therefore] its safety over prolonged periods is not known and should be examined by further study." This point of concern was valid when this study was conducted in 1986 (92); however, on the basis of the current findings of Vieth et al (2) and of Heaney et al (3)-which showed that vitamin D intakes <= 10 000 IU/d (250 µg) are safe for prolonged periods (up to 5 mo)-we believe that it is time to reexamine the understated DRI of vitamin D for lactating mothers. This work is now being conducted in our clinics and laboratory.

Intake of vitamin D and risk of type 1 diabetes: a birth-cohort study. Hyppönen E, Läärä E, Reunanen A, Järvelin MR, Virtanen SM. Lancet. 2001 Nov 3;358(9292):1500-3. PMID: 11705562 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(01)06580-1 INTERPRETATION: Dietary vitamin D supplementation is associated with reduced risk of type 1 diabetes. Ensuring adequate vitamin D supplementation for infants could help to reverse the increasing trend in the incidence of type 1 diabetes.

Strong correlations have been noted between cardiovascular diseases and low bone density / osteoporosis-connections so strong that the presence of one type of pathology is considered a likely predictor of the other. This potentially causal relationship has led to the hypothesis that these conditions share core mechanisms. Recent advances in our understanding of the complimentary roles played by vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 in vascular and bone health provide support for this hypothesis, along with insight into key metabolic dysfunctions underlying cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Part I of this review summarizes current research linking vitamin D deficiency to cardiovascular disease, the physiological mechanisms underlying vitamin D's cardiovascular effects, and leading vitamin D researchers' recommendations for significantly higher supplemental doses of the pro-hormone. Part II reviews the vitamin K connection to cardiovascular disease; the ways in which vitamin D and vitamin K pair up to prevent inflammation, vascular calcification and osteoporosis; and the necessity of providing vitamin K along with vitamin D to preclude adverse effects associated with hypervitaminosis D, which include vascular and other soft tissue calcification.

Effect of four monthly oral vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplementation on fractures and mortality in men and women living in the community: randomised double blind controlled trial. Trivedi DP, Doll R, Khaw KT. BMJ. 2003 Mar 1;326(7387):469. PMID: 12609940 Conclusion: Four monthly supplementation with 100 000 IU oral vitamin D may prevent fractures without adverse effects in men and women living in the general community.

Optimal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels for multiple health outcomes. Bischoff-Ferrari HA. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2008;624:55-71. Review. PMID: 18348447 DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-77574-6_5 Recent evidence suggests that higher vitamin D intakes beyond current recommendations may be associated with better health outcomes. In this chapter, evidence is summarized from different studies that evaluate threshold levels for serum 25(OH)D levels in relation to bone mineral density (BMD), lower extremity function, dental health, risk of falls, admission to nursing home, fractures, cancer prevention and incident hypertension. For all endpoints, the most advantageous serum levels for 25(OH)D appeared to be at least 75 nmol/l (30 ng/ml) and for cancer prevention, desirable 25(OH)D levels are between 90-120 nmol/l (36-48 ng/ml). An intake of no less than 1000IU (25 meg) of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) per day for all adults may bring at least 50% of the population up to 75 nmol/l. Thus, higher doses of vitamin D are needed to bring most individuals into the desired range. While estimates suggest that 2000 IU vitamin D3 per day may successfully and safely achieve this goal, the implications of 2000 IU or higher doses for the total adult population need to be addressed in future studies.

Severe vitamin D deficiency in Swiss hip fracture patients. Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Can U, Staehelin HB, Platz A, Henschkowski J, Michel BA, Dawson-Hughes B, Theiler R. Bone. 2008 Mar;42(3):597-602. Epub 2007 Nov 28. PMID: 18180211 BACKGROUND: Most clinical guidelines for the prevention of hip fractures recommend 800 IU vitamin D per day. This dose shifted serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (25(OH)D) in previous studies to between 60 and 100 nmol/l. AIM: To measure 25(OH)D levels and prevalence of vitamin D supplementation in individuals age 65+ with acute hip fracture. METHODS: 222 consecutive hip fracture patients were investigated over a 12 month period. Mean age of patients was 86 years and 77% were women. RESULTS: Mean serum 25(OH)D levels were low among hip fracture patients admitted from home (34.6 nmol/l), from assisted living (27.7 nmol/l), and from nursing homes (24 nmol/l). Severe vitamin D deficiency below 30 nmol/l was present in 60%, 80% were below 50 nmol/l, and less than 4% reached desirable levels of at least 75 nmol/l. Consistently, only 10% of hip fracture patients had any vitamin D supplementation on admission to acute care with significantly higher 25(OH)D levels among individuals supplemented with 800-880 IU/day (63.5 nmol/l). Controlling for age and gender, vitamin D supplementation, type of dwelling, and season were independently and significantly associated with 25(OH)D levels. CONCLUSION: These data provide evidence that current guidelines for the prevention of hip fractures need further effort to be translated into clinical practice.

"Suomalaisten vähäinen D-vitamiinin saanti lisää kuolleisuutta sydän- ja verisuonitauteihin ja aivan erityisesti aivohalvaukseen, kertoo Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos (THL) uudessa raportissaan. Laitos on tehnyt suuren virheen vastustaessaan vitamiinien käyttöä ravintolisänä. Nyt on korkea aika nostaa D-vitamiinin saantisuositus ajan tasalle, vähintään 50, mieluiten 100 mikrogrammaan (µg) päivässä. Nykyinen viranomaissuositus on 3-60-vuotiaille 7,5 ja alle 3 ja yli 60-vuotiaille 10 µg/vrk."

"Below is a list of summary of actions of Vitamin D (Hormone D)"

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"Juuri julkaistun tutkimuksen mukaan optimaalinen D-vitamiinin saanti sijoittuu haarukkaan 1800-4000 IU/vrk (45-100 mcg/vrk). Tätä määrää ei kannata edes uneksia saavansa tavallisesta ruoasta, joten purkilla on käytävä. Suomessa D-vitamiinin saanti on keskimäärin naisilla 5,2 mcg/vrk ja miehillä 7,1 mcg/vrk. Tutkimusta johtivat Zürichin yliopistosairaalan tutkijat, mutta mukana oli myös muun muassa kuuluisa ravitsemusepidemiologi Walter Willett Harvardin yliopistosta. "

Benefits of Vitamin D Supplementation Joel M. Kauffman, Ph.D. Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons Volume 14 Number 2 - Summer 2009 Clinical trials show that vitamin D supplementation at higher levels than previously recommended is beneficial for many conditions. It decreases the frequency of falls and fractures, helps prevent cardiovascular disease, and reduces symptoms of colds or influenza. Benefits are also seen in diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn disease, pain, depression, and possibly autism. Sunlight does not cause an overdose of vitamin D production, and toxicity from supplementation is rare. Dose recommendations are increasing, but appear to be lagging the favorable trial results. A number of common drugs deplete vitamin D levels, and others may limit its biosynthesis from sunlight. People with adequate levels from sun exposure will not benefit from supplementation. While dietary intake is helpful, supplementation is better able to raise serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D , the major circulating metabolite, to the level now thought adequate, 30-50 ng/mL. Where there is inadequate daily sun exposure, oral doses of 1,000-2,000 IU/d are now considered routine, with much higher doses (up to 50,000 IU) for rapid repletion now considered safe.

"D-vitamiini on noussut aivan uuteen valoon uusien tutkimusten myötä. Se on monipuolisesti vaikuttava hormoni, joka säätää tuhansien geenien toimintoja. D-vitamiini kohentaa yleiskuntoa, lihasvoimaa, kestävyyttä ja ketteryyttä sekä ehkäisee sikainfluenssaa, kausiflunssaa ja muita infektioita, allergioita (mm. atooppista ihottumaa), astmaa, Chrohnin tautia, diabetesta, MS-tautia, munuaistauteja, reumatauteja, sydän- ja verisuonitauteja sekä syöpää. Riittävä D-vitamiinin saanti ehkäisee ennenaikaista kuolemaa. Maailman Terveysjärjestön tutkimuksen mukaan D-vitamiinilisä voi pidentää tervettä elinaikaa jopa kahdeksalla vuodella. D-vitamiinin vajaus veressä ja kudoksissa johtuu ensisijaisesti auringonvalon puutteesta. Myös yksipuolinen ruokavalio (rasvaisen kalan vähyys) ja geenivirhe ovat puutteen syytekijöitä."

"D-vitamiini on nyt valtavan suosittu ravintolisä. Tähän asti tämän vitamiinin yliannostelun vaaroilla on peloteltu, mutta nyttemmin on käynyt ilmeiseksi, että pelottelu on ollut turhaa ja suorastaan turmiollista kansanterveydelle ja -taloudelle. Maailman johtavat sveitsiläiset ja amerikkalaiset D-vitamiinitutkijat esittävät arvionsa D-vitamiinin hyödyistä ja riskeistä luukadon ehkäisyssä. Voimassa olevat D-vitamiinin päivittäiset saantisuositukset - jotka vaihtelevat eri maissa 5 ja 15 mikrogramman (µg) välillä - voivat olla liian pienet tämän vitamiinin monipuolisten vaikutusten kannalta monien eri tautien ehkäisyssä, toteavat tutkijat kirjoituksensa alussa. He arvioivat suosituksia suurempien D-vitamiiniannosten hyötyjä ja punnitsivat mahdollisia riskejä erityisesti seerumin D-vitamiinin pitoisuuden (25-OHD, S-D-25) valossa. Arviointi perustuu satunnaistettuihin kaksoissokkokokeisiin, joista 8 käsitteli ikääntyvien ihmisten kaatumisia (N=2426) ja 12 luunmurtumia (N=42279). Tulokset osoittivat, että mitä suurempi S-D-25 oli, sitä vähemmän oli kaatumisia ja murtumia. Tosiin sanoen, suuri S-D-25 ehkäisee ikäihmisillä sekä kaatumisia että luunmurtumia. Ihanteellinen S-D-25 näyttää olevan 75-110 nmol/l, johon on mahdollista päästä nauttimalla ruoan lisänä D-vitamiinia 17,5-25 µg, päättelivät tutkijat edellä mainittujen poikkileikkaustutkimusten valossa. "