VITAMIN D

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/vdds.shtml

Does Vitamin D prevent osteoporosis,heart disease, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, certain cancers,depression chronic fatigue, or chronic pain? Possibly because certain studies have shown that Vitamin D deficiencies were found in patients with two or more of these conditions.

This 'sunshine' vitamin is being trumpeted as a remedy for many of the ailments of modern man, who because of his lifestyle, medical misinformation or climate, is not exposed to enough sunlight to provide this Vitamin, for it is manufactured by the body being exposed to sunshine.

The relationship between flu season (winter) and lack of sun exposure seems to be a correct correlation.

There are two forms of Vitamin D, the synthetic appearing in milk, juices and other processed foods, and Vitamin D3 the natural form available by sun exposure and D3 supplements.

Will Vitamin D3 prevent infection by the Swine Flu, H5N1 Avian flu or H1N1? Truly unknown, though believed to be so, because of previous studies indicated subjects with 'sufficient' blood serum levels of Vitamin D tended to be immune or have only light cases of influenza.

Only recently scientists' in re-examination of the 1918 flu pandemic, the virus was not directly responsible for the deaths of so many. In truth, many died of pneumonia and hemorrhaging in lungs largely brought on by huge doses of aspirin which were prescribed at that time. The epidemic probably started in Ft. Riley, Kansas, a staging post for soldiers to be sent to the trenches of WWI, and then spread by the soldiers to Europe.

This seems likely as does the overall health or lack thereof of homosexuals is probably directly more responsible for their mortality than the so called AIDS virus

How much vitamin D or D3 is needed to provide protection from these diseases and conditions (syndromes)? The recommended (RDA) is 400 International units; yet this is held by Joseph Mercola M.D.[ http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/mercola7.1.1.html ] and others to be grossly inadequate. Dr. Mercola says that the most recent research recommends 35 International Units per pound of body weight. For adults probably a minimum of 5,000 Units.

Can you get too much Vitamin D? Possibly not, yet an over-kill dosage is probably not a good idea, since the 'normal production of the Vitamin by ultraviolet light is an ongoing process.

With Love and Kindness,

THE HATMAN