Vitamin Quiz Answers

Bone Issues Vol VII

1. Regarding taking vitamin D after a cold starts.

Answer: NO. You need to have consumed vitamin D for awhile to build up levels in the body. People with lower beginning levels benefit more than if levels are already high.  It is the level that provides the anit-cold effect, not the immediate vitamin D intake amount. That is just how vitamin D works. A study showed prevention of colds when taking 4,000 IUs daily for a year. Not recommended without Medical supervision. While higher amounts such as 4000 will not cause vitamin D toxicity, there is the possibility of elevated calcium blood levels, increased heavy metal absorption, and maybe other actions that would also warrant medical supervision. The safest precautionary higher dosage may be 2,500 IUs without medical monitoring and blood testing. And even at this amount, after 3 months, it is better to taper off to every other day. Remember, it is the overall blood level and not how much is taken evey day that appears to matter most.

A study looked into using larger amounts of vitamin D at one time, BUT discovered an increased rate of falling, so this might interfere with middle ear balance mechanisms as well as yet undiscovered other adverse effects, such as those mentioned above.

2.  The supplements with the best results for preventing bone fractures?                                                                        a. Calcium & vitamin D  ref ref ref & ref ref ref                                                                                               b. Potassium & Vitamin C  ref ref ref & ref ref ref                                                                                            c. Phosphorus & Vitamin A  ref & ref                                                                                                             d. Magnesium & vitamin K2 ref ref ref ref & ref ref 

 Answer: Surprise, while the most popular answer would seem to be Calcium & Vitamin D, it might not be the best one for everyone, maybe not even most. A look into calcium and vitamin D research study results show these two nutrients are failing as often as they reveal benefits. Many of the nutrients do not function without another nutrient(s) that must also be present. Vitamin D needs magnesium, Vitamin A, and vitamin K2 to complete conversion and functions, calcium combines with phosphorus to form bone crystals, potassium spares calcium and magnesium preventing their withdrawal out of bone for acid buffering. And vitamin C at a deficiency of 43% is far to high and might jeopardize building the collagen bone matrix into which bone mineral crystals are placed. Thus, the correct answer is one that is tailored to each individual. And then, the correct answer for that person would be the nutrient(s) that are most deficient in that person's diet.

Calcium is fortified in many foods plus over half the population takes supplements. Thus, answer d. could be just as vital. c. would be the least correct. Lots of people eat meat and drink colas that supply phosphorus and vitamin A can be supplied as beta carotene from vegetables and fruits. Plus, vitamin A in larger amounts is associated with more bone fractures.

This reference lists the general deficiencies in population overall. But, not everyone would exhibit such high levels of deficiencies. And for those taking supplements at 100%, their deficiency might be potassium or magnesium since these are not fortified and many people limit foods containing them, like nuts and seeds, bananas, potatoes, and avocados. Magnesium deficiency is higher than calcium but less than potassium ref, which is higher than vitamin D. Thus answer d. might be best for some, with b. close behind. The truth of course is that building strong bones is a team effort and all these nutrients are needed within a ratio window of amounts to each other. Too much of any one is just as detrimental as not enough. These issues are usually corrected and maintained by a variety of food over time. Caution: Supplements can quickly upset these balance points.

3. Does Vitamin C help prevent colds or...?

Answer: While not quite settled yet, here is the current consensus. Vitamin C only reduces the number of colds in extreme athletes. ref For the general public, no reduction in number of colds. But, there is a slight reduction in severity of symptoms and a small reduction in duration of colds. The greatest level of reduction occurs after taking vitamin C at small dosages for awhile. Very little if any help to start taking vitamin C at first stages of a cold. ref Food sources of vitamin C also supply accessory nutrients like bioflavonoids and rutin that keep vitamin C active for a longer period of time before it breaks down and is eliminated from body. ref  

return soon for answers 4-16.

 17. The functions for the active vitamin D form does NOT include this one:                                                  a. Increases absorption of calcium from food. b. Prevents calcium excretion out of body. c. Dissolves bone tissue. d. Stimulates production of new bone building cells. e. Builds more bone structure. f. Increases calcium content in blood, g. Increases intestinal absorption of heavy metals, h. Prevents colds and flu. i. Lowers diabetes risk

Answer:  While people will most likely pick either answers c. or g., the correct answer was left off the choices. It is; j. None of the above. The active form of Vitamin D participates in all of these actions. Not many Nutritionists realize all these actions and how they relate to each other. Vitamin D mostly stimulates bone building activities like increasing calcium and phosphorus absorption and preventing calcium elimination. But, these activities also increase the absorption of other minerals, like zinc, boron, and yes, heavy metals like lead. Plus, vitamin D also stimulates bone building cells. It is this process that causes a side effect for bone to release calcium as another method of increasing calcium blood levels to the required level. And, vitamin D also works on the immune system, to kill viruses and bacteria, by increasing LL-37. To top off vitamin D actions, it also causes bone building cells to produce osteocalcin, a hormone that not only helps bind minerals into bone crystals, but also controls blood sugar regulation.

The body generates many elements with counter mechanisms to balance, limit, and control actions. The active form of vitamin D actually has 2 different forms, one as 6-s-trans working most action areas while the other form, 6-s-cis, acts on completely different functions. The body uses it's VDR, vitamin D receptors, to attract more of the 6-s-trans form than the 6-s- cis form as the modifier to generate these differences. Since these two forms readily transfer back and worth between each form, Nutritionists pay little attention to these actions, but Scientists sure do. They have worked for over 25 years to synthetically create each of these forms for special treatment actions in disease conditions where each form dominates. 

The same nutrient, existing in two forms, in this case as -cis and -trans, is a process involved with many different vitamins, such as with Vitamin E and beta carotene.  Plus, this also occurs with fats. Remember Trans-fats. The other fat form is as a -cis formation.