vitamin D levels and the northern summer sun

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

Not so long ago I posted a question about why Krispin Sullivan wants

people supplementing with vitamin D to get blood tests to monitor

their levels. Dr. Mercola may have the answer. Read below about his

recent experience.

Sheila

Rrom dr. Mercola's newsletter:

This study, as you can read in the more detailed article accessible

from the link above, used a cut-off level of only 25 for the Vitamin

D. The preferred level they suggest is over 32. In an earlier article

I posted on vitamin D testing, you will find the ideal vitamin D

level is actually between 50 and 60. Be very careful with levels

above 60, as you can have soft tissue calcification.

I also warn that if you take vitamin D supplements like cod liver oil

but stop them in the summer, the sun can cause toxic vitamin D

levels. This is exactly what happened to me. At the beginning of May,

my vitamin D levels were perfect, so I stopped my cod liver oil and

took no other vitamin D supplement.

I sunned myself about three times a week, however, and in early July

my level had risen to 75 -- definitely in the toxic range. Out of the

hundreds of patients I have measured, I am the only person showing

toxic vitamin D levels. I believed the feedback from the sun would

prevent levels from rising excessively, but apparently this is not

true if one has vitamin D stores from an external source, like a

vitamin or cod liver oil.

The bottom line is that vitamin D is important and can produce

massive health benefits and prevent many illnesses, but you need to

monitor your dose with blood levels. If you are already in the ideal

range, try to avoid excess exposure to the sun.

[Guest guest]

what units are these numbers referring to?

chris

In a message dated 7/28/02 3:23:24 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

h2ocolor@... writes:

> Rrom dr. Mercola's newsletter:

> This study, as you can read in the more detailed article accessible

> from the link above, used a cut-off level of only 25 for the Vitamin

> D. The preferred level they suggest is over 32. In an earlier article

> I posted on vitamin D testing, you will find the ideal vitamin D

> level is actually between 50 and 60. Be very careful with levels

> above 60, as you can have soft tissue calcification.

>

> I also warn that if you take vitamin D supplements like cod liver oil

> but stop them in the summer, the sun can cause toxic vitamin D

> levels. This is exactly what happened to me. At the beginning of May,

> my vitamin D levels were perfect, so I stopped my cod liver oil and

> took no other vitamin D supplement.

>

> I sunned myself about three times a week, however, and in early July

> my level had risen to 75 -- definitely in the toxic range. Out of the

> hundreds of patients I have measured, I am the only person showing

> toxic vitamin D levels. I believed the feedback from the sun would

> prevent levels from rising excessively, but apparently this is not

> true if one has vitamin D stores from an external source, like a

> vitamin or cod liver oil.

>

> The bottom line is that vitamin D is important and can produce

> massive health benefits and prevent many illnesses, but you need to

> monitor your dose with blood levels. If you are already in the ideal

> range, try to avoid excess exposure to the sun.

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi

This qoute from an article at Dr. Mercola's web site should clarify

what the numbers mean and why they are in those ranges.

Sheila

The correct test is 25(OH)D, also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D

Please note the difference between normal and optimal. We don't want

to be average here; we want to be optimally healthy.

Primitive man likely developed in tropical and sub-tropical

conditions with large exposure to UV-B and its secondary consequence

to skin exposure, vitamin D.

Primitive environmental availability of a nutrient does not

necessarily establish the higher requirements, but these exposures

would have influenced the evolution of the relevant physiology, and

such concentrations should at least be considered presumptively

acceptable.

Some experts may disagree with the following healthy ranges, but they

are taken from healthy people from the tropical or subtropical parts

of the world where they are receiving healthy sun exposures. It seems

more than reasonable to assume that these values are in fact

reflective of an optimal human requirement.

Dr. Hollick is one of the top vitamin D researchers in the

world and he has been advocating higher reference ranges, though not

as high as the ones suggested here.

(Holick MF. Calcium and Vitamin D. Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Clin

Lab Med. 2000 Sep;20(3):569-90)

Optimal 25-hydroxyvitamin D values are:

125-150 nmol/l

50-60 ng/ml

Normal 25-hydroxyvitamin D lab values are:

50-140 nmol/l

20-56 ng/ml

If you have the above test performed, please recognize that many

commercial labs are using the older dated reference ranges. The above

values are the newest ones from the clinical research.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

----------

> what units are these numbers referring to?

>

> chris

>

> In a message dated 7/28/02 3:23:24 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

> h2ocolor@b... writes:

>

> > Rrom dr. Mercola's newsletter:

> > This study, as you can read in the more detailed article

accessible

> > from the link above, used a cut-off level of only 25 for the

Vitamin

> > D. The preferred level they suggest is over 32. In an earlier

article

> > I posted on vitamin D testing, you will find the ideal vitamin D

> > level is actually between 50 and 60. Be very careful with levels

> > above 60, as you can have soft tissue calcification.

> >

> > I also warn that if you take vitamin D supplements like cod

liver oil

> > but stop them in the summer, the sun can cause toxic vitamin D

> > levels. This is exactly what happened to me. At the beginning of

May,

> > my vitamin D levels were perfect, so I stopped my cod liver oil

and

> > took no other vitamin D supplement.

> >

> > I sunned myself about three times a week, however, and in early

July

> > my level had risen to 75 -- definitely in the toxic range. Out

of the

> > hundreds of patients I have measured, I am the only person

showing

> > toxic vitamin D levels. I believed the feedback from the sun

would

> > prevent levels from rising excessively, but apparently this is

not

> > true if one has vitamin D stores from an external source, like a

> > vitamin or cod liver oil.

> >

> > The bottom line is that vitamin D is important and can produce

> > massive health benefits and prevent many illnesses, but you need

to

> > monitor your dose with blood levels. If you are already in the

ideal

> > range, try to avoid excess exposure to the sun.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >