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Contrarian View: Vitamin allows people to live longer but does not treat Cancers, etc. – March 2014

Vitamin D and Breast Cancer: Are they married or just acquaintances? MD Prevent Blog post


With recent headlines like Vitamin D Enhances Breast Cancer Survival, a woman could hardly be faulted for running out and stacking up on Vitamin D pills. The meta-analysis study (a compilation of studies) upon which this headline and similar ones are based, was published in Anticancer Research and showed that the higher the Vitamin D level at the time of diagnosis, the better the prognosis. On the surface, this would suggest a cause and effect relationship. To the untrained eye, one might conclude that raising Vitamin D levels has some type of anti-cancer effect.

However, the evidence to date would suggest that this is not the case. First, even in this study, even women with very high levels of Vitamin D were still diagnosed with breast cancer. The higher levels of vitamin D simply meant average longer survival. So what do I think is going on?

I believe, and a recent study, which I will discuss in a moment, supports my tentative conclusion, that this is a matter of correlation between vitamin D levels and one's state of health.. As correlation does not imply causation, raising vitamin D levels artificially high with Vitamin D supplements will neither prevent cancer, as the first study clearly showed, nor improve its prognosis. Why?

In a study published in the Lancet, the British medical journal, titled, The effect of Vitamin D supplementation on skeletal, vascular, or cancer outcomes: a trial sequential meta analysis, the researchers compiled a representative group of Vitamin D studies and divided them into two groups. The first group included studies such as the breast cancer study above that showed consistently that higher levels of vitamin D correlated well with better health and disease outcomes. The second group of studies were double.blind randomized controlled studies that showed that Vitamin D supplementation versus placebo had little effect on overall health.

The authors of this study proffered what they believe to be the plausible explanation for the inconsistencies between the two groups of studies. They tentatively concluded that raising Vitamin D levels above a certain threshold of adequacy doesn't prevent disease; rather, disease lowers Vitamin D levels. as applied to the breast cancer study, this means that the women with the highest level of Vitamin D at the time of breast cancer diagnosis were healthier than those with lower Vitamin D levels and therefore had a better prognosis. The worse the breast cancer, the unhealthier the patient, the lower the Vitamin D level, the poorer the prognosis.

As with all studies, one can reach no conclusive decisions from either of these studies. They merely add to our knowledge. My take-away from these studies is that Vitamin D is essential to human health and having levels above 20 mcg is essential and some say above 30 mcg. is ideal.

The best way to get your Vitamin D remains 15 minutes of daily sun exposure to your torso/extremities. Alternatively, consuming food products with high concentration of Vitamin D like unsweetened Almond Milk and wild Alaskan Salmon are second, with Vitamin D pills coming in third. If you are taking pills because you absolutely can't do the first two then the recommended daily allowance (RDA) if you are below age 70 is 600 iu. and above age 70 it's 800 iu. That's not a typo. By the way, RDAs were developed to cover 97% of the population's needs.

Supplementing with levels above these numbers has not been shown to have any benefit so save your money. Again, this is what the current preponderance of evidence shows. I'll let you know if something changes. Some large population studies are underway with expected publication in 2016 and 2017 so stay tuned.

Author also has other blog posts

Is Faith In Dietary Supplements A New Religion? Feb 2014
New Study May Have Discovered Real Anti-Aging Approach Sept 2013 (telomeres)
The Longevity Paradox: Why Is Living to 100 Easier for Some People Than Living to 90 is For Most? Jan 2014 -clips follow
If you are reading this expecting me to provide you with such truths, let me apologize in advance. I have searched for them for the past three years by speaking to over 1,000 senior citizens, several over aged one-hundred, in reading over 50 books, 35,000 studies/abstracts and countless online articles, and I am sorry to say that I don't believe they exist.
To prove my point, let me share my own recently completed informal, admittedly unscientific, but revealing research project. The project involved accumulating all the stories about centenarians published online in 2013. Most of the stories were identified through a Google alert email for the keyword "longevity." After identifying over 50 stories, I searched each story for the centenarians' 'secret' or 'key' to longevity. I created a chart of the first 50 individuals I randomly came across that offered a revelation.
Here are the results.
The oldest centenarian was 114, with many having turned 100 just last year. 35 were women and 15 were men.
Here are the reasons (totaled for times cited with overlap so adds up to more than 50) they gave for their longevity:
18 attribute it to (hard) work and physical activity
10 attribute it to regular alcohol consumption
6 attribute it to strictly never drinking or smoking
14 attribute it to a good attitude towards life and/or to faith
1 to Anacin pills
1 to love of roller coasters
1 to good doctors
1 to cafe lattes (long before they became popular)
1 to marrying a man thirty years younger
1 to eating bacon
1 to eating Italian food
1 to eating junk food
1 credited cigarettes and 1 credited cigars (and yet, no lung cancer)
2 claimed no explanation


Rebuttal by Vitamin D Life on living longer (click on the images for more information)

Dose dependant effect of vitamin D on many dieasese - often with no threshold
derived from Grassroots 2013
Fewer Deaths (not just live longer) with Higher vitamin D
Mortality vs vitamin D
Mortality and vitamin D – great chart
see wikipage: http://www.vitad.org/tiki-index.php?page_id=1784

Proof that Vitamin D Works includes the following Random Controlled Intervention Trials
Most proofs are not just a matter of living longer, but of actually Preventing or Treating the disease
Vitamin D prevents or treats 88 health problems
Surf to   is.gd/proofvitd   for updates or details
Select pink box in the upper right to select a language
Click on underlined items for details

Dec 2016 PDFs of this page (with 75 proofs) in
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Health Problem Treat
Prevent
Reduction by Vit DRCT = Randomized Controlled Trial
   * = link to additional RCT
CT = Clinical Trial
HypertensionT
P
149 to 142 mm Hg
HT risk reduced 10X
RCT*  *, 2400 IU.  100,000 IU*
When Vitamin D > 40 ng
Cardiovascular after attack T 32 % fewer deaths CT 1000 IU
Diabetes Type 1 P 85 % 12,000 kids, 2000 IU
Diabetes Type 2T 62 % RCT* CRP reduction, 4000 IU
Injection is far better - RCT *
RCT 50,000 IU/2weeks + probiotics
RCT 5,000 IU daily 6 months
Back Pain T 95 %
reduced 50%
5000/10000 IU
60,000 IU weekly
Influenza P 90 % RCT *, 2000 IU
Falls P 50%RCT, 100,000 IU monthly
RCT with Meals on Wheels 2016
Hip Fractures P 30 % RCT * 800 IU
Rickets P 98 % Turkey, 400 IU
NOT RCT, given to all children
Raynaud's Syndrome T 40 % RCT, visual scale, 20000 IU Avg
Menstrual pain P 76 % RCT, 7000 IU Avg,
70% reduction 2018
PMS reduced by half
Pregnancy risks P 50 % RCT, 4000 IU
C-section, unplanned P 50 % RCT, 4000 IU, small study
Low birth weight P 60 % RCT * 1000 IU of D2
TBP 60 % RCT, 800 IU
Breast Cancer P 60 % RCT, 1100 IU (2007)
Rheumatoid Arthritis pain T 40 % RCT, 500 IU, added to prescription
Cystic Fibrosis T 75 %
2nd study improved
RCT, pilot 4X fewer deaths 250,000 IU
RCT, pilot 8,200 IU
Chronic Kidney T 90 to 70 PTH RCT, 3500 IU,
Respiratory Tract Infection P 63 % 3 RCT, 4000 IU 1 year 2nd 2000/800 IU
20,000 IU weekly
Lupus T
T
zero flares
Pain reduced
Loading then 100,000 IU monthly,
RCT too
RCT 4,000 IU
Sickle Cell T Less pain
RCT, up to 100,000 IU/week
Leg ulcer healing T 4X faster RCT, 50,0000 IU/week, small study
Traumatic Brain Injury T 2X RCT, 20,0000 IU/day with progesterone
Parkinson's DiseaseT StabilizedRCT, 1200 IU/day
Multiple SclerosisP
T
68%
95% were CURED
RCT, 7100 IU prevent pre-MS ==> MS
20,000 to 140,000 IU/day
Congestive Heart Failure T 90 % RCT, 1000 IU infants (also: Adults, not RCT)
Middle Ear Infection P 30 % RCT, 1000 IU infants
GingivitisT 88 %RCT, 2000 IU
Muscle in seniors T 17 % more muscle RCT, 4000 IU
Antibiotic use when >70y T 47 % RCT, 60,000 IU monthly
Infants tallerBenefit1 cm tall RCT, 50,000 IU weekly,
for 8 weeks while pregnant
Gestational Diabetes T Reduced 3X RCT, 2 doses of 50,000 IU
After Heart Attack T +6% ejection fraction RCT, 800,000 IU one time
Prostate Cancer T Fewer +cores RCT, 4000 IU (2012)
Asthma P   T Reduced symptoms RCT, 60K IU/month;
RCT 50K IU/week
Need good D at 4 weeks into preg.
Depression T Reduced RCT 300,000 IU injection
RCT 1500 IU helped Prozac
RCT 50,000 IU weekly, elderly
Low vitamin D
while breastfed
P All infants > 20 mg RCT, 5,000 IU
Fibromyalgia T Half of many still has FibroRCT, 30-48 ng
RCT 50K IU/week
Hives, Chronic T Reduced 40% RCT, 4000 IU added
CholesterolT Reduced 4 mg RCT, 400 IU + Ca
Weight Loss T lost 5 more lbs RCT, 2000 IU +diet +exercise
Gestational DiabetesP 40% RCT * , 5,000 IU
Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease
T 17X improvement CT, 50,000 IU weekly
RCT 100,000 IU monthly
Asthma T 1/2 Asthma attacks RCT >42 mg of vitamin D
Quality of Life (QoL) T Nursing Home QoL CT, 4,000 IU in daily bread
Death of Critically Ill
Patients
T 20% increase in survivability RCT 540 K IU loading than 90K monthly
Restless Leg Syndrome T Score 26 ==> 10 CT, Vitamin D dose size
not stated in abstract
Hepatitis-C T Aided normal drugs RCT 2.000 IU
Crohn's disease T improved when > 30 ng
2nd study fewer relapses
RCT 2,000 IU
10,000 IU RCT
Pre-term birth P 2.5X decrease, also: fewer
c-section & better Apgar
RCT 2,000 IU India
Cluster headaches T CH eliminated in 60% 10,000 IU, Mg, Omega-3, etc
Autism T 80% improved CT 300 IU/kg/day for 3 months
PreDiabetes T ~20% reduced RCT 60,000 IU/month
Weight loss:
Overweight and Obese
T 12 lbs in 6 months RCT 100,000 IU/month
Sarcopenia = muscle loss T 27% increase RCT 1,000 IU
Growing Pains T 60% decrease ~100,000 IU/month -NOT RCT
2nd study, similar results
Osteoarthritis pain T 60% decrease 50,000 IU/weekly - NOT RCT
ALS T helped 2,000 IU - NOT RCT, given to all
Vertigo T 3X reduction if raised > 10ng 600,000 IU load, then maint.
NOT RCT, given to all
Warts T 80% eliminated injection NOT RCT
60,000 IU/injection
Metabolic Syndrome P reduced 44% when VitD
increased by 30 ng
NOT RCT, given to all
Hay fever P reduced 48% RCT   1,000 IU for 30 days
Preeclampsia P Recurrance cut in half
3 RCT 3.6 X less likely if > 30 ng
50,000 IU every 2 weeks
4,000 IU daily
Blood cell cancer
Multiple Myeloma
T Survival 90% vs 50%10,000 IU/week
NOT RCT, given to all
Irritable Bowel Syndrome T Reduced3,000 IU spray RCT
Urinary Tract Infection P 50% reduction RCT 20,000 IU weekly
Mite Allergy P 5X reductionRCT 2,000 IU preg, 800 IU child
Perinatal depression
(depression near birth)
T 50% reduction RCT 2,000 IU for just a few weeks
Vaginosis T 10X reductionRCT 2,000 IU
Eczema T Reduced2 RCT 1,600 IU
Non-Alcoholic
Fatty Liver Disease
T Reduced RCT 20,000 IU weekly
Knee Osteoartiritis T Pain Reduced RCT 60,000 IU monthly after loading dose
Tuberculosis T Faster Recovery RCT single 450,000 IU dose
Stroke - Ischemic T Faster Recovery RCT single 600,000 IU injection
RCT single 300,000 IU injection
Sepsis T Reduce ICU and Hospital
length of stay by 7 days each
RCT 400,000 IU
Trauma deaths T 50% fewer deaths Vitamin D & Glutamine
NOT RCT, given to all
Hemodialysis patients T helped 50,000 IU weekly NOT RCT, given to all
Fatty liver - child T 2 X reduction RCT  Vitamin D & DHA
Fatigue T Reduced 100,000 IU single dose
NOT RCT, given to all
Sleep Disorders T Nicely treated RCT  50.000 IU bi-weekly
Pneumonia
(Ventilator-associated)
T RCT   Death rate cut in half300,000 IU injection
Infertile males T birth rate doubled RCT   300,000 IU + maint
Waist size T Waist size reduced 3 cm 100,000 IU loading + maint for 6 months
for those with Metabolic Syndrome
NOT RCT, given to all
Attention Deficient
Hyperactivity Disorder
T Reduced
Reduced
RCT  3,000 IU for 12 weeks
RCT  50,000 IU weekly
Alcoholic liver cirrhosis T improved survival1,000 IU of vitamin D NOT RCT
Diabetic nephropathy T Reduced HOMA-IR, FRS RCT 50,000 IU weekly
Ulcerative Colitis T Reduced 60% RCT 50,000 IU nano daily for a week
Obese weight loss T Lost 3X more pounds $10 of Vitamin D added to
  calorie restriction & walking


Is 50 ng of vitamin D too high, just right, or not enough
291 genes improved expression by 2000 IU of vitamin D – RCT March 2013 Vitamin D actually changes genes


Rebuttal by Vitamin D Life on living longer
- being outdoors and getting vitamin D helps a lot

Loma Linda, the exception. does not include gardening, but strongly encourages at least 20 minutes of sunshine daily
Image

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