Posts Tagged ‘Sunshine’
Pregnancy, Vitamin D, & MS in the UK
Vitamin D3 has become a key part of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) treatment. MS is a disease more common in persons with low Vitamin D levels. MS sufferers treated with Vitamin D3 supplements maintain function longer. Now British researchers have confirmed evidence that MS is more common in those whose mothers had low Vitamin D levels while pregnant.
The Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry has published a meta-analysis of over 150,000 births in the UK looking for MS decades later. MS was significantly more common in individuals born in April and May, than in persons born in October and November. Looking at only those born further north increases the difference.
Use Only Vitamin D3, Not D2
Vitamin D was the topic of a symposium attended by hundreds of clinicians at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) 2012 meeting. Vitamin D3, D2, 25-hydroxy, 1-25-dihydroxy, 24-25-dihydroxy, and differnt assays. All the variations lead to confusing research results as we try to understand Vitamin D and how it works.
Dr Neil Binkley, of the University of Wisconsin, gave the summary presentation about Vitamin D dosing and measurement of blood levels. He gave a plea for everyone to switch to Vitamin D3, now that it is cheaper than D2, and available in prescription level doses.
I have made Vitamin D3 in 50,000 unit capsules available to my patients for the last 3 years, dispensed by my office. Finally some pharmacies are carrying it as well.
Natural Vitamin D
A patient last week wanted to only use “Natural Vitamin D.” The “most natural” comes from exposing your skin to the sun at mid-day (1:13 pm CDT in Waterloo) in the “summer” (early April to mid Sept in Iowa). The next “most natural” would be eating foods high in Vitamin D. Both plans present major issues.