CLO, A, D: Weston A. Price Foundation response

[Guest guest]

Interesting counterpoint:

fwd:

From: info@... [mailto:info@...]

Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 2:15 AM

Subject: UPDATE ON COD LIVER OIL DECEMBER 2008

Dear Members,

We are obliged to issue another official statement on cod liver oil after

the November bulletin of the Vitamin D Council, which contains " an

unprecedented warning about the ingestion of cod liver oil and resultant

vitamin A toxicity. "

The warning accompanies a report on a review article co-authored by Dr.

Cannell, head of the Vitamin D Council, and fifteen other researchers,

entitled " Cod Liver Oil, Vitamin A Toxicity, Frequent Respiratory

Infections, and the Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic " in the November issue of

ls of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology.

NO PROOF THAT VITAMIN A IS TOXIC

Most of this paper is a review of studies showing the benefits of vitamin D

in protecting against various illnesses, including respiratory infection.

THIS PAPER DOES NOT PRESENT ANY INFORMATION WHATSOEVER INDICATING THAT COD

LIVER OIL IS TOXIC, and, in fact, admits that vitamin A can significantly

reduce the incidence of acute lower respiratory tract infections in Third

World children.

A portion of the review article is an attempt to explain why a 2004 study

providing 600 to 700 IU of vitamin D and 3,500 IU of vitamin A in the form

of cod liver oil and a multivitamin failed to meaningfully reduce upper

respiratory tract infections when studies from the 1930s found that cod

liver oil could reduce the incidence of these infections by 30 to 50

percent. The authors of the recent commentary suggested that the older

studies were more effective because cod liver oil in the 1930s contained

much more vitamin D. They suggested that modern cod liver oil is low in

vitamin D because the deodorization process removes the vitamin while

manufacturers fortify the oil with only a fraction of the original amount.

As an example, they cited cod liver oil made by Nordic Naturals, advertised

as containing only " naturally occurring vitamins A and D, " which has only 3

to 60 IU of vitamin D per tablespoon but between 150 and 12,000 times as

much vitamin A.

This conclusion is essentially the same as the conclusion reached by the

Weston A. Price Foundation and the research of Masterjohn; we have

continually pointed out that vitamins A and D work together and that without

vitamin D, vitamin A can be ineffective or even toxic. We do not recommend

Nordic Naturals regular cod liver oil or any brand of cod liver oil that is

low in vitamin D. But it is completely inappropriate to conclude from this

2004 study that cod liver oil is toxic because of its vitamin A content.

Similar reviews could be put together showing the benefits of vitamin A and

cod liver oil in numerous studies, including the studies from the 1930s.

Obviously the solution is to use the type of cod liver oil that people took

in the 1930s, which did not have most of the vitamin D removed by modern

processing techniques.

Our recommendations for cod liver oil brands can be found at

westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/cod-liver-oil-menu.html

VITAMIN A DOES NOT ANTAGONIZE VITAMIN D

The Vitamin D Council report claims that the vitamin A in cod liver oil is

excessive and antagonizes vitamin D by inhibiting the binding of its active

form to DNA and thus preventing its ability to regulate the expression of

vitamin D-responsive genes.

Vitamins A and D are both precursors to active hormones that regulate the

expression of genes. The body possesses certain enzymes that convert each

of these in a two-step process to their active forms: vitamin A is converted

to retinal and then to active retinoic acid while vitamin D is converted to

calcidiol and then to active calcitriol. While directly consuming either

retinoic acid or calcitriol would be unnatural, consuming vitamins A and D,

together, as in cod liver oil, is perfectly natural. The enzymes involved

in these conversions are responsible for producing incredibly powerful

hormones and are therefore highly regulated.

In order for vitamin D to activate the expression of its target genes, it

must bind to the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and then combine with the retinoid

X receptor (RXR), which is activated by a particular form of vitamin A

called 9-cis retinoic acid. RESEARCHERS FROM SPAIN RECENTLY SHOWED THAT

VITAMIN D CAN ONLY EFFECTIVELY ACTIVATE TARGET GENES WHEN ITS PARTNER

RECEPTOR IS ACTIVATED BY VITAMIN A.

In the ABSENCE OF VITAMIN A, molecules called " corepressors " bind to the

VDR/RXR complex and PREVENT vitamin D from functioning.

The molecular biology of 9-cis retinoic acid, however, is extremely complex,

and this has led to some confusion. The RXR and its activator 9-cis

retinoic acid partner up not only with the vitamin D receptor, but also with

the receptors for steroid hormones, thyroid hormone, and most other nuclear

receptors. In fact, if enough 9-cis retinoic acid is present, RXRs will

even partner up with themselves. Ordinarily, this versatile form of vitamin

A is gradually derived in small amounts from the larger pool of all-trans

retinoic acid as needed. When scientists add large amounts of 9-cis

retinoic acid to isolated cells, then, it may cause effects that smaller

amounts naturally produced in the cell would not cause.

Researchers have shown, for example, that 9-cis retinoic acid interferes

with the ability of vitamin D to stimulate the production of osteocalcin, a

vitamin K-dependent protein involved in organizing the mineralized matrix of

bone. This may have been because the excessive amount of 9-cis retinoic

acid caused RXRs to pair up with themselves and thereby made these receptors

unavailable to vitamin D. When scientists incubate cells with activated

vitamin D and all-trans retinoic acid, ordinarily the source of 9-cis

retinoic acid in the cell, the two hormones stimulate the production of

osteocalcin with remarkable synergy.

More information on the interactions between vitamins A and D can be found

in these articles:

http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/vitamin-k2.html

http://westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/vitamina-osteo.html

http://westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/vitamin-d-safety.html

The Spanish research demonstrating the necessity of 9-cis retinoic acid for

the functioning of the vitamin D receptor can be found here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16936639?

http://mcb.asm.org/cgi/content/full/28/11/3817?

PLANT FOODS ARE NOT A GOOD SOURCE OF VITAMIN A

In the December Vitamin D Council newsletter, Dr. Cannell further claims

that consuming preformed vitamin A is " unnatural " and that the body highly

regulates the conversion of carotenoids found in vegetables to vitamin A as

needed. However, the enzymes that convert carotenoids to vitamin A are less

critically maintained because they are unneeded when preformed vitamin A is

provided in the diet-as it usually is. They are therefore, like the enzymes

that convert essential fatty acids in plant oils to their elongated and

desaturated forms, subject to variations in genetics, circumstantial health,

and dietary and environmental influences.

Many factors can interfere with the conversion of carotenoids into vitamin A

including thyroid problems, liver problems, diabetes and genetics. Babies

and children convert carotenes very poorly if at all.

The statement that preformed vitamin A is unnatural is ludicrous in the

light of what we know about traditional diets. The chief source of calories

in the traditional Inuit diet, for example, is seal oil, which Weston Price

found to be higher in vitamin A than cod liver oil. Fish heads, extremely

rich in vitamin A, are a staple in the Japanese diet. Many cultures consume

liver, often in high amounts-yet the authors of the review paper imply that

liver is toxic. Tell that to the Frenchman enjoying his foie gras, the

Englishman consuming liver and onions, or the South Sea Islander who submits

to great danger to obtain shark liver for men and women, in order to ensure

healthy children. The truth is that pre-formed vitamin A is more plentiful

in traditional foods than vitamin D, yet politically correct nutrition

insists that we must obtain vitamin A through the laborious process of

converting carotenes.

More information on the conversion of carotenoids to vitamin A can be found

in these articles:

http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/vitaminasaga.html (see the

section " Vitamin A Vagary " ).

http://westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/vitamina-osteo.html#carotenesnotad

COD LIVER OIL IN PREGNANCY

The ls paper does not cite any studies showing toxic effects from cod

liver oil, but Dr. Cannell cites one study in his December newsletter

associating intake of cod liver oil with hypertensive disorders during

pregnancy. Users of cod liver oil in this study had about twice the intake

of vitamins A and D as non-users and eight times the intake of long-chain

omega-3 fatty acids. The study found the most robust association with

long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which were associated with lower risk

between 0.1 and 0.9 grams per day and higher risk above 0.9 grams per day.

The authors suggested that the association with high blood pressure might be

related to oxidative stress caused by a high intake of polyunsaturated fatty

acids.

The abstract of the study can be found here:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16487202?

The new ls article offers nothing new to incriminate cod liver oil. It

provides a well-written argument that vitamin D intakes need to be higher

and incriminates only highly processed modern cod liver oils that have

inadequate amounts of this critical nutrient. We recommend only

high-vitamin cod liver oils that provide abundant vitamins A and D without

an excess of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

THE COD LIVER OIL PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVE

As we pointed out in our last update on cod liver oil, during the first half

of the century, cod liver oil was the focus of a worldwide health

initiative. Parents were urged to give cod liver oil to their children by

doctors, by government officials, by teachers and principals in schools, and

even by their ministers in churches. A large portion of adults in America

born before the Second World War received cod liver oil as children and this

practice contributed to a high level of health, intelligence and physical

development in those lucky enough to receive it. In many European

countries, children received a daily ration of cod liver oil, especially

during the war years. In the UK, for example, the government issued cod

liver oil to all growing children until the early 1950s.

What has led to the demise of this obviously beneficial practice? Cod liver

oil is a food; it can't be patented, it can't be created in a laboratory; it

can't create millions for the drug companies. So interest in this wonderful

superfood has naturally waned. But if you are basing your dietary habits on

the principles of healthy nutritional diets, don't hesitate to include cod

liver oil-our recommended brands of cod liver oil--as a healthy and natural

food source of critical vitamins so lacking in modern diets.

Sally Fallon, President

The Weston A. Price Foundation

..

[Guest guest]

Does anyone know if Barleans lemon zester is gluten free and if it meets the

Weston A. Price criteria? My children and I love the taste of it.

I could not figure it out from the website.

[Guest guest]

is there a way to tell if a vitamin d supplement you are taking is

real or fake? is there a name for natural vitamin d vs synthetic

vitamin d?

[Guest guest]

Yes, D3, choleciforel (sp?) is the natural D.

[ ] Re: CLO, A, D: Weston A. Price Foundation response

is there a way to tell if a vitamin d supplement you are taking is

real or fake? is there a name for natural vitamin d vs synthetic

vitamin d?

[Guest guest]

so nordic naturals is okay?

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> Yes, D3, choleciforel (sp?) is the natural D.

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> [ ] Re: CLO, A, D: Weston A. Price

Foundation response

>

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> is there a way to tell if a vitamin d supplement you are taking is

> real or fake? is there a name for natural vitamin d vs synthetic

> vitamin d?

>

>

>

>

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[Guest guest]

[ ] Re: CLO, A, D: Weston A. Price

Foundation response

>

>

> is there a way to tell if a vitamin d supplement you are taking is

> real or fake? is there a name for natural vitamin d vs synthetic

> vitamin d?

>

>

>

>

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>