First read the story, here is the article.
This is really about 2 articles. You will find a link to the first article, 5 Supplements not to take, in the new article. Here is the list of 6 vitamin products this article says not to take.
And now the analysis:
Regarding number 6: Vitamin D
This appears to be a well researched concept with some valid points, but there are a few significant facts not mentioned about vitamin D that have major roles influencing the study results analyzed. Almost every Nutritionist gets this wrong. The ariticle was an analysis or review of many studies that claim vitamin D levels do not influence disease, but instead, D levels are changed as an after affect of the disease state due to inflammation. ref And that is why people measure low. While the conclusions reached may be somewhat actuate, there are points missed that need to be clarified that might change the conclusions somewhat.
First, this review is mainly talking about disease states associated with vitamin D levels other than bone health. Using the studies mentioned in this review, one says giving vitamin D at high dosages does not positively influence disease rates and the second is that low D levels are an effect and not a cause of disease. This illustrates the lack of understanding about how vitamin D functions and the interactions between the different forms, plus a number of related elements that interact with or on vitamin D and the many pathways generated. The point in between these statements is that there is range of vitamin D levels with the most benefits which is neither too low or too high that has the greatest health benefits and lowest mortality. Plus, there are many factors, such as the 2 vitamin D forms, they do not have the same actions, the influence of VDBP and VDR, vitamin D binding protein and vitamin D receptors, that control vitamin D bio-availability and cell attactment to determine how vitamin D behaves to attain greater accuracy. There is also a rather large population that has modified D genes that fail to properly process vitamin D forms. Then there are the dietary effects such as calcium intake that modify the triggers for the hormone form of vitamin D production and activation. And what about health of thyroid and parathyroid glands? For Scientists to study vitamin D effects without considering all these elements is akin to a Baker trying to make bread with just flour and water. Very limited results and success. But, the major premise of the article does have validity. Cancer cells are able to produce an enzyme that promotes a more rapid breakdown of the hormone form of vitamin D and also limits further production. The hormone form of vitamin D functions to protect cells and is counter to the growth of cells that are cancerous as described below.
Vitamin D is found in the body in 2 major forms in blood. One is a long lasting low active storage form 25OHD and the other is the short lasting hormone action form, 1,25(OH)2D3. This hormone form is the one responsible for most if not all of the actions and benefits attritubed to vitamin D. Scientists measure the storage form because it is easier and assume the two are related. This is a huge mistake. Only at very low dosages does the storage form hinder levels and production of the hormone form. They are mostly independent. The trigger for hormone form vitamin D activation and building is the level of calcium in the blood. Diet plays a large role here.
The obvious question: Why would Scientists think increasing the storage form D would influence the hormone form if they are more or less independent?
In the past, the storage form was actually thought to be inert and not active at all. But this is not exactly true. Yes, it is about 1000 times weaker, but at just the right levels, it is able to go into at least 11 tissues and numerous other cells and be turned into the hormone D form with the help of a certain enzyme. The hormone D formed mostly remains in these tissues and cells offering direct protection against disease. This "in cell" protection aspect might not be readily discernible from a blood test. In fact, Scientists may not yet know the proper level of the measured storage form D which maximizes this tissue and cell protective effect. And it probably varies somewhat in people. Best levels for Vitamin D storage form are still a work in progress, and just may be different for different diseases or body processes, such as for bone building or cancer prevention.
Now, what about the effects of both storage form vitamin D and hormone form of vitamin D attaching to VDR, Vitamin D Receptors on cell walls, plus the attachments to VDBP in blood plasma? As the levels of each form change, there would be increased competition to gain VDR attachments. Hormone form Vitamin D acts by attaching to VDR causing the cells to produce certain proteins for a specific function. One protein called Osteocalcin functions to bind calcium into bones. But it is inactive until vitamin K activates it. Thus, a vitamin D study on bone building that does not also measure vitamin K levels is almost completely irrelevant.** The two forms of Osteocalcin, non-activated ucOC, and activated cOC, also help regulate blood sugar and prostate cell growth rates as well as bone mineralization. Another protein built or influenced by hormone vitamin D is called LL-37. It has immune functions and protects cells.
Are you beginning to see how complex the vitamin D issue has become? Just increasing vitamin D intake may not be appropriate in all situations, and may not always yield a measurable result. It also may prove counter-productive under certain conditions as well. Far too many people are playing with fire by increasing vitamin D supplements without knowing all the pertinent facts. Read these: article article for greater insight.
** Doctors for some time have been measuring the amount of "carboxylated" osteocalcin as a sign of bone building, but never told anyone what they were really testing for was the action of vitamin K. New research has now linked the carboxylated to non-carboxyated Osteocalcin ratios to prostate tissue growth plus blood sugar regulation.
The Analyst says:
1.VITAMIN C
Here is what the US Government has to say about vitamin C functions and dosages. Evolution has a slightly different view on dosages. Why do the vast majority of mammals make their own vitamin C while just a few, humans, a couple of monkeys, and a guinea pig, do not and have to consume vitamin C in foods? These few types of mammals somewhere lost an enzyme that produces vitamin C from glucose. ref Scientists produce vitamin C in the lab using a similar enzyme method from sugars. Yes, it is true that over time without this enzyme, these mammals have evolved to require less vitamin C from foods compared to the amounts the other mammals naturally still produce for themselves. Under stress, these self producing vitgamin C animals increase production. Vitamin C is a very important and vital nutrient. It is involved in not only anti-oxidant activities, but also directs the production of collagen, the glue that binds many tissues together, like joints.
Vitamin C is one part of a family of related nutrients including bioflavonoids, rutin, and hesperidin that have unique functions as well as they also protect vitamin C. Capillary integrity is vital here. The proper vitamin C supplement should have a little of all of these nutrients. While Linus Pauling was a little off for the mechanism of function for C helping colds, he has now been vindicated when the actual method as to how high dose vitamin C stops cancers was recently discovered. It is not just related to it's anti-oxidant properties. ref It appears high dose IV-C hinders production of the HIF-1 enzyme necessary for cancer cells to use energy from sugar fermentation for their growth. This is very new stuff. For this effect, large amounts of vitamin C needs to be IV directly into the body. Oral does not work for this function.
But for just nutritional amounts, maybe only 500 mg of C with complex is enough to satisfy body nutritional functions. And this amount is best if taken in 2 divided doses during day as vitamin C has a rather short half life in body of just hours, maybe 8. About 250 mg gets to tissue saturation. Some cases might need slightly more for greater cellular saturation as well, as this Stress study found. ref
2. Vitamin A and Beta Carotene.
Again, the carotenoids are a family of related nutrients that appear to all be needed for the variety of different functions and conditions for which they are best suited. The majority of Multiple Vitamins only include Beta carotene, and 90% with only the synthetic form to boot. Synthetic beta carotene only contains one form instead of multiple forms found in nature. And it is Alpha carotene rather than Beta that shows greater ability to limit cancers and extend mortality. Article Plus see excerpt from study below:
"the researchers "found that serum alpha-carotene concentration was inversely associated with adjusted risk of death," according to their study, led by Chaoyang Li, of the Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women tended to have slightly higher concentrations of the nutrient than men (5.31 microgram per deciliter versus 4.22). The team found an especially strong correlation between higher alpha-carotene levels and lower risk of death from diabetes, upper respiratory tract and upper digestive tract cancers, as well as lower respiratory disease."
NOTE: Too much Beta carotene, the same as for vitamin A, may have some adverse effects. Too much vitamin A has been associated with increased bone fractures. And too much beta carotene has been associated with increased lung cancer in a study of Finnish smokers. Turns out in a smoking situation, Beta Carotene may behave as a pro-oxidant rather than an anti-oxidant influence. Anyway, Beta Carotene should only be consumed with the family of carotenoids plus the synthetic form in 90% of multiple supplements, should never be taken. Flooding the body with only synthetic Beta carotene ties up all the Carotenoid receptors and this could jeopardize health by blocking out attachment of the other valuable Carotenoid family members in food. The whole family of carotenoids should be consumed as found in a variety of vegetables and fruits.
3. Vitamin E
Again, Vitamin E is also a victum of a separated and isolated member from a family of nutrients with limited and sometimes producing slightly adverse effects. Check out the analysis here.
The synthetic form of vitamin E during production generates 8 forms of alpha tocopherol. Only one of the 8 naturally exists in nature, but 4 have a configeration that can mimic some vitamin E functions. So at best, an equal amount of synthetic vitamin E is only half the action of the same amount of natural E. Scientists increased the amount of the synthetic E until more actions of E were at a similar action level to the lesser amount of natural E and called that amount one vitamin E unit. But, that really did not equal all the natural vitamin E functions, especially the ones that were not known at the time. DO NOT TAKE SYNTHETIC VITMAIN E, dl'alpha tocopheryl.
Watch for continued insights of other nutrients.