#34 VITAMIN D STUDY: VITAMIN D DOES PREVENT BROKEN BONES AND MANY ILLNESSES

    The recent vitamin D study that reviewed many vitamin D studies is making the claim that vitamin D doesn’t prevent illnesses.

    It looked at a large number of vitamin D studies on humans – most of them using a dose of 800 units maximal of vitamin D3.

    800 units doesn’t work.  Everyone can agree on that.  Studies have shown it raises the vitamin D level very minimally.  The most you can say is it’s very slightly better than nothing.  It can prevent rickets in children, but that’s about it.

    When an adult has a 25-hydroxyvitamin D level less than 32 ng. (48 nMol), depending on their weight, their body mass index, and their actual level, it is common that the dose they need is 5000 units of vitamin D3.  This will get the level  over 32 ng. in most people, although some people may need more as a temporary or maintenance dose.  Often a repeat level should be obtained at 6 months. 

    A massive amount of studies that have been done over the last few decades show that when vitamin D is given in a sufficient dose, broken bones can be avoided, osteoporosis can be improved, and many illnesses can be helped or prevented.   

      It is unfortunate that this study with the misleading conclusions has received so much publicity.  Vitamin D deficiency is a serious public health problem.  In view of this publicity, there is likely going to be tens of thousands of people who stop taking their vitamin d in spite of having a vitamin D insufficiency.  

       Some of these people are going to suffer, in fact die, from broken bones, and suffer from many other illnesses, because of this study.  I wish this was an exaggeration, but all the evidence suggests it is not. 

             

#33) Vitamin D Pills Are of Extreme Benefit in the high percentage of us that have insufficient levels -Baker Newsletter

 

       This is the type of headline that the public should see.  That is why I am posting it. 

       Because most of us don't live near the equator (where life on earth is believed to have started), we cover up most of our skin most of the time when outdoors, and because of other factors, a high percentage of humans have insufficient levels.  The evidence of this is MASSIVE and CONCLUSIVE.. Some of the evidence is posted on various entries to this Newsletter.  
       
       

#32) INDEX CASE OF IMPROVEMENT OF MYASTHENIA GRAVIS WITH VITAMIN D NOW VERIFIED WITH A FORMAL RESEARCH STUDY

On May 14, 2011, I posted #19) CASE HISTORY: SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE IMPROVEMENT IN MYASTHENIA GRAVIS FOLLOWING AGGRESSIVE TREATMENT OF VITAMIN D INSUFFICIENCY. I wrote about Debbie, a lady who was diagnosed with MG at age 41 in 2001. http://robertbakermdhealthnewsletter.blogspot.com/2011/05/case-history-subjective-and-objective.html

I first saw her in November, 2008 when she was on a high dose of prednisone for her disease, and also had vitamin D insufficiency diagnosed with a blood level. It made sense that MG should respond to vitamin D. It is a disease caused by production of abnormal antibodies that attack receptors located between muscles and nerves. I had previously searched MEDLINE and the internet using several search engines and was unable to find any research study or case history reporting on a connection. There simply were none. So I told Debbie we need to treat her vitamin D insufficiency to treat and improve her osteoporosis promoted by the steroids. I added that if there was a positive effect on her illnesses, that would be a bonus. I wrote up the response that Debbie had in the above mentioned Health Letter.

In mid-2012 I saw patient Sara who was 27 and had been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis the previous year,
confirmed by special tests. She had been advised by her neurologist to have her thymus gland removed, a procedure
that often helps relieve symptoms of myasthenia gravis. (It is felt that myasthenia gravis is caused by antibodies that are produced by the thymus gland, which is a gland in the neck related to the immune system.) She was holding off on the final decision.

At that time her 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was low. I discussed with her the treatment of vitamin D deficiency, the experience of my patient Debbie, and the possible beneficial effect it can have on myasthenia gravis. She started 5000 units of vitamin D with instructions for getting up follow up levels.

I saw Sara again about a year later. She had not had any surgery. Her symptoms were 80% improved. No change was made from a year before except the addition of 5000 units of vitamin D. She has given me her kind permission to use her first name in this write-up of her case.

Three months before seeing Sara a second time, a group of neurologists from Sweden published a study in the European Journal of Neurology (December 19, 2012). They studied 33 patients with MG. 13 patients were started on Vitamin D 800 units a day with a follow up an average of 6 months later. Neurologists use an objective test called the MGC
to measure the severity of fatigue with MG. (Fatigue is a prominent symptoms of MG). The MGC score in the 800 Unit vitamin D taking subjects improved 38%.

I emailed one of the authors and supplied to her the link of the case history report involving Debbie. She responded by telling me another doctor had shared with them a similar case also using 5000 units of vitamin D daily. She indicated that her group was planning further studies involving a dose close to what Debbie and this other case she heard about received.

The Swedish study was published in December. 2012. Up to that point no study had been published in a medical journal regarding the use of vitamin D to treat MG. The case report on Debbie that I published on my internet health letter represents the first case report ever published anywhere on the subject. My 2 case studies had far more than 38% improvement, but the dose I used was much higher than the 800 units used in Sweden.

My 2 case histories using 5000 units of vitamin D (and the Swedish study showing lesser improvement with 800 units) leads to the following recommendations that apply to every patient with MG:

1. Every MG patient should receive a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test (it will be low), and have the insufficiency treated, preferable to a level of 50 to 80 ng (125 to 200 nM.) (Treatment of vitamin D insufficiency is already recommended by vitamin D experts for the prevention of osteoporosis and other illnesses).

2. Other treatments for MG may need to be given as should be determined by the patient’s neurologist. However if the improvement is substantial enough, other treatments may not be necessary.

#31) INFLUENZA AND VITAMIN D - REVISITED

The start of an influenza epidemic has made the headlines and it appears it will be worse then recent years. News reports indicate that at least 25% of people getting the flu had this year’s influenza vaccination prior to the outbreak. Complicating the issue is that many reports focus on “flu like illnesses and assume that this is the flu. The only way a definite diagnosis can be made is a special throat or nasal culture which tends to be expensive, and is usually reserved for those who are sick
enough to be hospitalized. A clinical diagnosis is suggested by high fevers over 101 degrees, severe musle aches, and sore throat. Many people use the term flu very loosely in describing gastroenteritis symptoms only – nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Influenza is a serious issue. There have been deaths confirmed by cultures in the past month.

On September 12, 2010, I posted #14, Prevention of Influenza With Vitamin D. There was a very well performed study published in the May, 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study is still on the web and free for anyone to read. Simply google the name of the Journal. The test was very rigorous, and used nose/throat cultures to confirm the diagnosis of influenza A. The dose of the vitamin D given for 4 months before the winter was only 1200 Units. The study was double lind so there is no way any bias of the researchers would have changed the results.

The full details of the study can be read by going to #14 on this health letter. But in summary, there was a 41.9% reduction in the incidence of the flu. An unexpected result was that there was an 83% reduction of asthma attacks in those children who had a history of asthma. This makes sense since asthma is clearly a disease caused by antibodies and vitamin D has clearly been shown in studies to reduce the production of abnormal antibodies that cause disease.

So whereas just about everyone is scared of the flu and the serious illness and even sometimes death it can cause, but are you scared enough to have your doctor obtain a 25-hydroxy vitamin D blood test (covered by most health insurance), and spend $2 a month for 5000 units a day of Vitamin D3 which most people need with an occasional exception?

The news of the flu epidemic has been very well publicized through international newspapers, but there has been no mention of this study from October, 2010. I wrote in the column October, 2010, “Unfortunately we CANNOT rely on the press to keep us informed of critically important medical studies.”

#30) UPDATE ON VITAMIN D 2013

As you probably know by now, vitamin D primarily comes from the action of the sun on the skin. Just about everyone agrees that human life began near the equator. So vitamin D levels of early humans were very high. Modern studies show that 50 to 100 nanogram (ng) levels were common, and have been shown to have substantial benefit on human health. It is impossible to get enough vitamin D from diet. 4 glasses of cow’s milk contain 400 units, and most of it was added by the milk manufacturer. A
human being going with insufficient vitamin D is like an automobile being driven without oil. This comparison helps explain why vitamin D has a beneficial effect on so many conditions found in humans.

What has been known for over a century is the connection between vitamin D and bone strength. Vitamin D greatly increases the absorption of calcium from our diet, and that calcium helps maintain bone strength. Osteoporosis has been a household word for over 25 years, but the emphasis was put on calcium supplements, and vitamin D levels were not obtained. It was not appreciated that vitamin D insufficiency in Americans is widespread (80% are insufficient). Once the vitamin D level reaches at least 40 ng., calcium absorption from simple foods such as fruits and vegetables increases up to 90%. Studies have shown at this level the parathyroid glands in the neck stop producing excess parathyroid hormone. This hormone is the basic cause of the osteoporosis that is so prevalent and is the primary cause of broken bones as we age. The big medical mistake of 1985 to 2005 was the recommendation that humans need only 600 units of vitamin D daily, an amount far too little, and an amount that will not raise blood levels of vitamin D more than 4 ng. The effect on bones is by far the easiest beneficial effect to demonstrate. I have seen a number of people who have improved their DEXA scan by 15% within 2 years with 5000 units of vitamin D alone. Numerous studies show the same thing.

My update of 2011 lists 4 broad categories of diseases that benefit
from vitamin D. For each category, hundreds of studies prove the benefit. In the year 2012, each month has seen at least 5 major studies published in medical publications proving a beneficial effect on various illnesses. I have not seen even one newspaper article reporting these many studies. There was however one study that made the news. Someone studied the effect of 600 units of vitamin D on various illnesses and found no effect. The bizarre conclusion was that it’s not worth it to take vitamin D. The truth is that many studies had already shown the lack of beneficial effect from such a small dose.

You have also probably heard of the November 2010 study published by the impressive sounding Institute of Medicine that concluded we should take 600 units of vitamin D. They ignored most of the vitamin D studies that had been done over the past few decades and then claimed insufficient proof. They didn’t fool the scientists and physicians at the Harvard School of Public Health, who quickly published a complete refutation of their report. The original report made the front page of virtually every major newspaper; the response didn’t make any newspapers.

#29) LEARNING ABOUT VITAMIN D

Many people who access this web site do so in order to find out about vitamin D. They may have a specific illness that they have heard is connected to vitamin D deficiency, or they may have been told by their doctor that their vitamin D level is low. It takes time to scroll through all these entries, so this is a guide on how to find out about vitamin D in the most efficient way.

Entry #7: Update on Vitamin D – 2010.

This is a very concise summary of some of the major actions of vitamin D. This would be the FIRST thing to read. In fact, if you read only this, you will know quite a bit about vitamin D. In the last year there have been similar articles published in medical journals with documentation of dozens of references.

#15 and #23 : both give details regarding breast cancer.

#17 and #25: osteoporosis and documentation of improvement in bone strength with vitamin D.:

#9, #12, and #21: multiple sclerosis, including the details of a total remission. One of the best web sites on the subject is available at www.VitaminDMSCure.com. Anyone who is interested in MS should the several pages on this this web site.

#14: influenza

#24: rheumatoid arthritis

#19: myasthenia gravis

#28: scleroderma

Entry #2 and #18 give further updates with a list of some vitamin D related conditions.

#28) CASE HISTORY: MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN SCLERODERMA WITH TREATMENT OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY

(revised August 26, 2013) (revised November 14, 2013)

Kathy is a lady who was diagnosed with scleroderma in January, 2005 at the age of 45. Her initial illness was very serious; she was in acute renal failure as a result of it, and was on hemodialysis for months. She has been under the care of a rheumatologist and is on multiple medications including prednisone from early on. The first several years, in addition to her acute renal failure, she lost the fingers of her right hand, a characteristic manifestation of scleroderma. She also suffered from severe chronic fatigue.

Scleroderma is a rare disease and I have seen only a small number of patients with the condition during my career. However I know it is thought to be a disease caused by the production of abnormal antibodies. I also knew that studies had been done previously that showed that scleroderma is associated with very low vitamin D levels. This was not a surprise when I learned this, since scleroderma is a connective tissue diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, and Sjogren’s syndrome also shown to be associated with very low vitamin D levels, lower than the general healthy population; and in some cases medical research studies showed an improvement of symptoms with these illnesses with the treatment of vitamin D deficiencies.

I first saw her as a patient in January, 2010. I told her it may be important to get a 25-hydroxyvitamin D level. The results showed a level of 15 nanograms (ng.), equivalent to 22.5 nMol., (a unit more commonly used in Great Britain).  I started her on 50,000 units of vitamin D2 a week, (an average of 7143 units a day). Vitamin D2 is a prescription drug in the United States.  An alternative dose of 5,000 units of Vitamin D3 daily can be used also ( a total of 35,000 units a week). Vitamin D3 is over the counter, and in the United States is extremely inexpensive ($2 a month in a prominent chain pharmacy).  In my practice of medicine, I have over 7,000 patients with vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency who are on this dose of vitamin D2 or D3.)

She continued to see her rheumatologist and primary care doctor. I saw her again on May 2, 2012. She told me that within a few months of starting the vitamin D, her years of fatigue improved and then resolved. Her kidney function before the vitamin D showed a creatinine of 1.4 mg.; a recent one was now 1.2 mg. In September, 2013, it improved significantly further to a level of 0.8 mg.  Her creatinine is now normal.  It has improved 42.8%.  (Serum creatinine is a very important measure of kidney function, and renal impairment  sometimes occurs with scleroderma).  Immediately prior to the vitamin D, her prednisone dose as prescribed by her rheumatologist, was 40 mg. a day. Once the vitamin D was started, because of an improvement in her overall symptoms, her doctor was able to slowly the dose to 5 mg. a day. (40 mg. of Prednisone a day for an extended period of time almost always causes major serious side effects; in comparison 5 mg. is associated with much less severe side effects). Since 2010, Kathy has had follow up levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the level indicates a sufficient level.

On May 11, 2011, I posted: #19, a case history regarding myasthenia gravis (MG) and vitamin D.. and since then it's been updated. http://robertbakermdhealthnewsletter.blogspot.com/2013/06/35-index-case-of-improvement-of.html  This is the first case history ever reported of MG being treated and improving with vitamin D.  On July 1, 2010, I posed a case history of a complete remission of progressive multiple sclerosis with Vitamin D, a remission that is still complete as of June, 2013.. However in this case, there is a large volume of medical studies that have documented improvement of MS with Vitamin D. Many have been published AFTER my report of 2010, but many were published before. 

So is this case report of scleroderma more similar to a new finding in the case of MG, or just a demonstration of a previously discovered connection, as in the case of MS? To find out, I had to search the internet.

Vitamin D levels in scleroderma have been found to be remarkably low. There is direct correlation between the severity of the disease and levels of vitamin D. Especially important is that lung manifestations of scleroderma are more common and severe the lower the level. Fibrosis (scar tissue) which can be widespread in advanced scleroderma has been show to be inversely related to vitamin D concentration. The abnormal deposition of calcium deposits in the tissues (called metastatic calcification), found in the most severe cases of scleroderma, is related to high parathyroid levels and very low vitamin D levels om patients without scleroderma, and a study that looked at parathyroid levels found in fact that parathyroid levels in scleroderma was very high. As far as case reports, there are some, but not the “perfect” prospective double blind study.

There are various theories about some of the causes of scleroderma, not having anything to do with vitamin D.  But the theory based on substantial evidence with medical studies is that vitamin D prevents the production of abnormal antibodies caused by a wide variety of illnesses,

Most people reading this do not know anyone with scleroderma because fortunately it is a rare disease. But everyone knows someone with an autoimmune disease. Help them out, send this link to them.