Weight Loss Central

I have been studying the affects of Vitamin D. Many feel Vitamin D supplementation is not effective. I agree to a point. I believe the supplementation we receive is too little and of the wrong type. The D we need is D3. Most of what we get is a D2. What Dr. Fuhrman writes I believe is a good starting point but in the Northern Latitudes during the winter I believe even more is needed.

Here is the criticism:
Thousand Oaks, CA (PRWEB) January 21, 2008 — Low blood levels of vitamin D have long been associated with disease, and the assumption has been made that vitamin D supplements may protect against disease. In the light of new knowledge that hundreds of genes are dependent on vitamin D, this assumption needs to be reconsidered.

In a report published in the current issue of the journal BioEssays(1), Trevor Marshall, Ph.D., professor at Australia’s Murdoch University School of Biological Medicine and Biotechnology, explains how increased vitamin D intake affects much more than just nutrition or bone health. The paper explains how the Vitamin D Nuclear Receptor (VDR) acts in the repression or transcription of hundreds of genes, including genes associated with diseases ranging from cancers to multiple sclerosis.

“The VDR is at the heart of innate immunity, being responsible for expression of most of the antimicrobial peptides, which are the body’s ultimate response to infection,” Marshall said. “Molecular biology is now forcing us to re-think the idea that a low measured value of vitamin D means we simply must add more to our diet. Supplemental vitamin D has been used for decades, and yet the epidemics of chronic disease, such as heart disease and obesity, are just getting worse.”

“Our disease model has shown us why low levels of vitamin D are observed in association with major and chronic illness,” Marshall added. “Vitamin D is a secosteroid hormone, and the body regulates the production of all it needs. In fact, the use of supplements can be harmful, because they suppress the immune system so that the body cannot fight disease and infection effectively.”

Here is the support by Dr. Fuhrman of diseaseproof blog:
Evidence is emerging that more than 17 different types of cancer are
likely to be vitamin D sensitive. A recent meta-analysis concluded that
1,000 IU of oral vitamin D per day is associated with a 50% reduction
in colorectal cancer incidence. That is taking the supplements result
in dramatic benefits.
In general, the most critical outcome related to any intervention is
mortality, and a recently published meta-analysis examining the effects
of vitamin D supplementation is the most important information we have.
The authors of this study evaluated 18 randomized, controlled trials of
vitamin D supplementation for any indication. The mean daily dose of
vitamin D was 528 IU, and the mean follow-up period was 5.7 years.
Vitamin D supplementation was associated with a significant reduction
in all-cause mortality compared with placebo.

Please click over to the diseaseproof blog to read the whole posting.
Also check out the Vitamin D councils website for more on Vitamin D in general.