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Posted on 11/18/2011 2:52:39 PM PST by TennesseeGirl
John J. Cannell, M.D writes that he receives numerous questions from individuals who ask, "My doctor prescribed Drisdol, is that OK?"
Drisdol is vitamin D2 in a form that doctors write prescriptions for. Sun exposure does not produce vitamin D2 in the body, the vitamin is produced by plant matter and irradiating fungus. When consumed, numerous metabolic forms of D2 can be traced in the body. According to some studies, vitamin D3, which is produced by the skin, is more powerful, hence more effective at raising blood levels compared with vitamin D2, however, some studies say they are equal. Few studies however have compared the efficiency of D2 versus D3, or, to put it simply, which form has better health outcomes and which better mortality rates?
Lead researcher, professor Dr. Goran Bjelakovic decided to investigate the question in a meta-analysis, which was followed by a recent review...
...Incredibly, the study was somehow overlooked and neither the press nor Cannell spotted it in July. Thanks to a recent review of the study by Professor Dr. Harvey Murff of Vanderbilt University in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the general public is now able to examine the study once again. Excerpted
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalnewstoday.com ...
Good to know, we have been on D3 a little more than a year now.
Interesting, thanks TG.
MANY thanks to you, STAR!
I get a prescription vitamin D3 not D2.
(Importantly, a small percentage of people get ill consuming even a small amount of Vitamin D supplement, as little as 3000 IU. And another small group of people cannot effectively absorb or convert Vitamin D supplements into serum (blood) Vitamin D. But most people can both consume and digest Vitamin D supplements in much higher doses.)
In February of 2009 a study found an inverse relationship between a person’s level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and a recent bout with a cold or flu.
“Those who had recently experienced an ILI or other respiratory illness, were more likely to have lower than normal Vitamin D levels. The median serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, among more than 18,000 people tested, was 29 ng/ml.
“Those with a serum level below 10 ng/ml (considered very low), were 40% more likely to have had a recent respiratory illness than those with a serum level above 30 ng/ml. The link between Vitamin D levels and the risk for respiratory infections was stronger in those with asthma or COPD.”
PLoS One published a study that strongly suggests that raising the blood serum level of Vitamin D to over 38 ng/ml could result in a significant reduction in viral respiratory illnesses.
Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and the Incidence of Acute Viral Respiratory Tract Infections in Healthy Adults
James R. Sabetta, Paolo DePetrillo, Ralph J. Cipriani, Joanne Smardin, Lillian A. Burns, Marie L. Landry Research Article, published 14 Jun 2010 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011088
“Concentrations of 38 ng/ml or more were associated with a significant (p<0.0001) two-fold reduction in the risk of developing acute respiratory tract infections and with a marked reduction in the percentages of days ill.
“Maintenance of a 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum concentration of 38 ng/ml or higher should significantly reduce the incidence of acute viral respiratory tract infections and the burden of illness caused thereby, at least during the fall and winter in temperate zones.
“The findings of the present study provide direction for and call for future interventional studies examining the efficacy of vitamin D supplementation in reducing the incidence and severity of specific viral infections, including influenza, in the general population and in subpopulations with lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, such as pregnant women, dark skinned individuals, and the obese.”
There’s tons of info on vitamin D (and other stuff) here - http://www.naturalfamilyawareness.com/health/index.php/2011/11/15/benefits-of-vitamin-d-why-its-essential-to-health-the-best-food-sources/
Ping
thanks
Thanks. I’ve been taking Vitamin D3 as a supplement, because it’s what the body produces from sunshine. I think it’s especially important to take it in the winter or when it’s overcast—often both.
You don’t need a prescription for it, unless it’s cheaper for you under your insurance plan. Or unless Obama changes the rules on supplements, as he has threatened to do.
Better yet, get out and enjoy the sun and fresh air.
Do that, too, three miles every morning.
I moved from Arizona to Maine a few years back.
The first couple winters brought on a bit of ‘grumpiness’.
Some around me say quite a bit.
My old fashioned GP reccomended Cod liver paste to cure the winter time blues.
Mom knew best.
The trouble with sunlight is that while a healthy dose on lots of exposed skin will give you a boost, strangely it will take 2-3 days for that Vitamin D to work its way into your bloodstream. Plus, subsequent exposures will produce less Vitamin D, if you already have what the body considers to be a minimal amount.
Interesting. Thank you!
I heard this a long time ago, get D3. Because it’s the form your skin makes.
And it’s almost impossible to overdose on it. 15-20 minutes of noon exposure on bare skin will have the body produce 50,000 IU of vitamin D.
Better yet, the body uses cholesterol and converts it to vitamin D3. Sun exposure was designed to reduce cholesterol levels and increase your immune system by building vitamin D.
Thanks decimon for the ping, and TennesseeGirl for the post.
Since I began taking D3 at 2000 iu per day, respiratory problems and sinus drainage have disappeared. I have not had a cold in three years.
Aside, The medical group where my Dr practices began selling D3 and other common supplements labeled in it’s own name. They are in effect competing with Walgreen and Walmart. They have determined that D3 and fish oil have benefits that should be made available easily and cheaply to their patients.
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