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Many Americans Fall Short on Their Vitamin D

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Dori:
We should have a file about vitamin D.

This is what I found:

Vitamin D May Have Key Role In Helping Brain Work Well In Later Life

[Association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and cognitive performance in middle-aged and older European men J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2009; doi 10.1136/jnnp.2008.165720]

Vitamin D may have a key role in helping the brain to keep working well in later life, suggests research published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

Previous research indicates that inadequate vitamin D intake may be linked to poorer mental agility in the ageing brain, but the results have been inconsistent.

The researchers base their current findings on just over 3000 European men between the ages of 40 and 79, who were all part of the international European Male Ageing Study, drawn from eight different cities across Europe.

Their mental agility was assessed using a range of tests, designed to measure memory and speed of information processing as well as mood and physical activity levels, both of which affect mental agility.

Blood samples were then taken to measure circulating levels of vitamin D, which is obtained through dietary sources and by exposure to sunlight.

High circulating vitamin D levels were associated with high scores on the memory and information processing tests, but after adjusting for mood and physical activity, the association remained for only one of the two information processing tests.

Low vitamin D levels were associated with poor scores, with levels of 35 nmol/litre or under marking the threshold of poorer performance.

Experimental data point to the biological plausibility for an association between low circulating levels of vitamin D and poorer mental agility, but exactly how the two might be connected is not clear, say the authors.

Possible suggestions include vitamin D's role in increasing certain hormonal activity or the protection of neurones and chemical signalling pathways.

The findings show that the magnitude of the association between vitamin D level and mental agility was comparatively small, say the authors.

But if it were possible to stave off the effects of ageing on the brain with vitamin D supplements, then the implications for population health could be quite significant, they contend, because many people, particularly in older age, are vitamin D deficient.

Source
Journal Of Neurology Neurosurgery And Psychiatry



--- Quote ---Before this whole new episodes with pain started I already made I list of things I wanted to discuss with my doctor. #1 was about vit D. I wanted to ask of it was not a clever idea to put me on a higher dose of vit D in stead of waiting for the DEXA-scan of summer 2010. I was already told that I probably should start in summer 2010 with taking biophates (sp??).  :dunno
--- End quote ---

Narendra:
We heard the importance of Vitamin D at the NY conference. Here is something that i read today, which might be interesting to those like me living in a place where the sun exposure is very small. Ellen Fung at the conference mentioned the level of sunlight we get here (in northeast parts of USA) falls well below the level a person should get.

http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/10/26/many_people_dont_get_enough_vitamin_d/


--- Quote ---Q. Does vitamin D prevent the swine (H1N1) and seasonal flu, or the common cold?
A. It’s not clear whether vitamin D specifically protects against H1N1, a novel virus, but there’s growing evidence that it does protect against a number of respiratory infections - and that many Americans do not get enough of the vitamin.

One study showed that people taking supplements containing 2,000 international units of vitamin D a day suffered fewer respiratory infections than those not taking supplements. Another study showed the obverse - that people with low blood levels of vitamin D were somewhat more likely to have had a recent upper respiratory tract infection than people with higher levels (24 percent vs. 17 percent). Vitamin D boosts the activity of a gene that makes cathelicidin, a natural antimicrobial compound that is part of the body’s defenses against infections, says Dr. Carlos A. Camargo, an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at Harvard Medical School.

When there’s lots of sunshine, people make vitamin D naturally. But in New England, most people have low levels of vitamin D, especially in winter. The problem is a national one as well: A study being published today in Pediatrics shows that about 20 percent of children ages 1 to 11 have suboptimal levels of vitamin D.

You can get a blood test to determine your vitamin D level. People with darker skin are at extra risk because highly pigmented skin requires more sun exposure to obtain a healthy level.

The vitamin has so many benefits - including lowering the risk of osteoporosis, heart attacks, and colon cancer - that “I am encouraging everyone to increase their vitamin D intake, especially children,’’ says Dr. Michael F. Holick, a professor of medicine, physiology, and biophysics at Boston University. He suggests that children take a minimum of 400 IUs a day and preferably 1,000. “Adults should take at least 1,000 IUs and preferably 2,000 IUs a day,’’ he says.

Daniel Perlman, a senior scientist at Brandeis University, says 2,000 IUs a day is safe: “In the summer sun, the body itself is known to produce far higher levels.’’
--- End quote ---

Andy Battaglia:
For some perspective on vitamin D dosage, I asked Dr Vichinsky about this because I am quite deficient in D (level of only 19), and requested some advice. Dr Vichinsky told me that with the thal patients, they are now administering 50,000 IU of D weekly, because the smaller doses aren't having much impact. Interestingly, this jibes with the advice that our member Bigg has given. I am now starting on this regimen. I hope it helps because with the winter months coming, I need to correct my situation or I will be quite the depressed person, literally, because low D does also cause depression.

Manal:
Andy

What is the recommended maintenance dose for children? I guess what is in the Osteocare is not enough :huh ???

manal

Andy Battaglia:
Manal,

This will really vary on how much sun a child gets and how dark their skin is. If your son plays outdoors often, he would have little trouble maintaining his vitamin D level without supplements, just as I was able when I worked outdoors in Florida. If he doesn't get much sun, 1000 IU daily would be a good place to start. Although vitamin D was once considered something one can get too much of, I haven't heard of anyone tested anywhere close to the high optimum range. If there is a real question that he may be low, you can always get him tested.

The people having the most trouble with D levels are those who have been transplanted from warmer climates to cold climates that do not get adequate year round sun and women who cover, because they get very little exposure to the sun regardless of where they live. It may be an issue for males in many countries, also. Something I noticed in my trips to hot climates is that many of the males wear long pants and long sleeve shirts, so it may be limiting their vitamin D intake.

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