One size doesn't fit all for vitamin D and men

Northwestern University ^ | September 20, 2011 | Unknown

[bmwcyle]

ping

[aruanan]

I guess I’d better get the older kids tanked up on vitamin D. All day in school and all afternoon playing video games doesn’t leave them much time for a sunlight-based D infusion.

[RockinRight]

Vitamin D deficiency causes brittle bones and has been linked to such diseases as prostate cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

That might explain why MS and RA (and possibly the other diseases mentioned) is more common in northerly latitutdes.

[decimon]

I guess I’d better get the older kids tanked up on vitamin D. All day in school and all afternoon playing video games doesn’t leave them much time for a sunlight-based D infusion.

I think that's right idea. The more I've thought about the opportunities to make natural vitamin D, the more I've thought that most of us don't.

[reed13]

My dad has MS so I’ve been doing a lot of reading on it. Some research indicates it occurs in clusters, while other research refutes this. Raw data isn’t available to make my own determination as versed as I would prefer. However, I lean toward the cluster argument. This would indicate environmental factors more specific than just latitude; however, it could be a localized issue in combination with latitude. Definitely something to consider.

[decimon]

That might explain why MS and RA (and possibly the other diseases mentioned) is more common in northerly latitutdes.

Likely so. But I don't think that people in the southern states should be sanguine. Variables include time of day, time of year, cloud cover...all kinds of stuff.

[muir_redwoods]

I wonder if there isn’t a need for a bit more definition around the term” Caucasian” in this specific context. I am a very light skinned redhead of Scottish and Irish descent. My good friend is a very dark skinned man of Sicilian descent. We are both considered caucasian. Growing up we would spend the summers outside and I would easily burn while he never did. I am certain I can out-produce almost anyone in terms of turning sunlight into vitamin D. I would wager that I can come close to overdosing on vitamin D with normal sun exposure.

[SampleMan]

So it turns out that the Sun is racist.

[American in Israel]

Dr in Alaska recomended 5000 units a day up here. So its not really a race based thing as the article leans towards.

[Williams]

I think everyone should be taking 2000 to 4000 vitamin D daily, this study is a bit behind the curve, those blood levels are low for blacks and whites.

[poobear]

Dear Decimon,

I recently discovered I had a deteriorated hip. Long term back problems over 30 years but I never linked the two. A bone scan determined no osteoarthritis but a slight bone lose due to no activity for over 18 months. Anterior hip replacement 3 weeks ago and extreme vitamin D and calcium enriched foods along with vitamin regiment and I have beautiful healed bones. A text book case on digital X-rays. Either there has been a miracle or my regiment worked. Also, I’m up and walking without a cane. I strongly recommend Vitamin D and Calcium no matter how you get it!

Regarding the Miracle, maybe I received both. Not to mention an extraordinarily talented Orthopedic Surgeon!

[poobear]

Darn, lose = loss

Please read my post below. Phsst!

[decimon]

Thanks, poobear.

Great story and I’m glad you’re doing well.

[RockinRight]

Yup. My ancestry is Italian, German (PA Dutch mostly), Irish, Scottish, and other things in that order. I have a slightly olive-ish skin tone and I tan pretty dark, but nobody would mistake me for anything but a white guy. That said, I’ve met blacks (usually mixed), Asians, and Native Americans lighter skinned than me, so race isn’t the best descriptor for this study, probably just “skin tone” overall would be more useful.

[bert]

My DIL decided there was too much sickness last year and asked about Vitamin D. They were told it was something to look into and she is finally getting around to it after last winters numerous bouts with colds.

I sent her about 6 Free Republic threads and a link or two so she can see the broad picture.

The question arose however, what about kids? She says young kids need chewy stuff and don’t do well with gel caps. She says her 5 yo is probably ok because his daily supplement has some. I doubt the jellies he takes actually has enough. Being the vector for bringing home everything at school, he is the most important one to be protected.

Thoughts, experiences? How much and what kind?

[decimon]

I wonder if there isn’t a need for a bit more definition around the term” Caucasian”

I agree that there are various hues deemed Caucasian so it will come down to individuals. That's true as well for other groups.

[bert]

Please see my post 16 below yours. Regarding kids, what is the dosage and how do the kids take it?

[decimon]

I wouldn’t make recommendations. People who do account for the lesser body size of children.

I’d say to do a web search. There’s the government recommendation and the recommendations of the vitamin D advocates.

[ponygirl]

I live in the desert where the sun is shining ALL the time and recently had my levels of D checked; they came back deficient. You have to take large amounts to overcome a deficiency and then scale back to something like 400% of the RDA to maintain it.

Some recent research I have been doing has opened my eyes to how supplements should be taken. For example, if you just take a B complex vitamin and maybe a multi-vitamin, you'll notice your pee comes out neon yellow...meaning, you're just peeing out all the B vitamins. But if you take those vitamins along with a whole protocol of others, ie, calcium/magnesium in 2:1 ratio, Omegas, tons of C and D, and some E... you'll notice that you're not getting the weird yellow pee because your body is retaining more of the supplements. You have to take them in the correct combinations or your body can't use them and it's just a waste of money.