The Vitamin D Cure Blog

The Vitamin D Cure is a breakthrough self-help book that takes the most recent scientific ideas and provides a practical program to promote the reader’s health. Here is some of what the Vitamin D Cure provides:

• Explains how vitamin D works in health and how deficiency causes disease.
• Recommends routine measurement of vitamin D levels for health screening.
• Tables help calculate accurate vitamin D replacement using your weight.
• Provides a single table to estimate safe unprotected sun exposure using the UV index.
• Promotes a Paleolithic diet that balances acid-base by emphasizing adequate lean protein from animals and fish combined with generous vegetable matter. (Tables and worksheets)
• Targets supplementation of vitamin D, omega 3 fats, and magnesium.
• Describes exercises to optimize vitamin D metabolism, weight loss, and quality of life.

The Vitamin D Cure introduces the importance of vitamin D and diet as EPIGENETIC influences on the risk for disease as an older child and adult.

The Vitamin D Cure is the first book that emphasizes the importance of vitamin D and diet in altering the development of our MICROBIOTA. These are the bacteria in our colon that shape our growth and development.

I encourage the reader to explore all the nooks and crannies in this book. Take out your highlighter and mark it up and write in the margins. That’s what paper books are for. You will find that this book is packed with information. The references online are organized by chapter and many are linked to full text through PubMed. Take advantage of these links, they are your tax dollars at work.

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com). If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com or post them as comments on the blog.

Mixed Herb Greens with Grilled Chicken, Fresh Raspberries, Pistachios and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Serves 4

4 chicken breasts (about 4 oz. each)
Fresh lemon slices & Pepper
8 cups mixed greens with herbs
1 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
1 small red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey
3/4 cup olive or canola oil

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with fresh squeezed lemon juice and pepper and grill about 4 minutes a side or until juices run clear. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes then slice.

In a large serving bowl put the mixed greens. Next evenly sprinkle the raspberries, pistachios, and red onion. Top salad with sliced chicken.

In a small food processor place the balsamic vinegar, garlic, Dijon and honey; pulse a few times. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive or canola oil until it has all been incorporated. Season with lemon juice and pepper. Drizzle over salad and serve.

Vitamin D in the News

Is casual exposure to summer sunlight effective at maintaining adequate vitamin D
status? No

A study from the UK shows that current advice about modest sun exposure during the summer months does little in the way of boosting overall 25(OH)D levels. Moreover, they comment that failure to understand the nature of human exposure to sunlight leads to misguided advice concerning the sun exposure necessary for an adequate vitamin D status. See the sun exposure tool on The Vitamin D Cure website to calculate accurate exposure times based on real time UV index data.

Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2010 Aug;26(4):172-6.

A study published last month verified this by exposing volunteers to 1.3 erythemal dose of simulated sun apparently only 13 minutes of exposure three times a week during the winter at 53 degrees north latitude. After 6 weeks of this exposure 74% of the volunteers were still deficient. Only 26% of the volunteers had vitamin D levels above 32 ng/mL, which is the cut off for normal.

This tells us that 13 minutes of sun wearing T-shirt and shorts 3 times a week is not enough sun exposure to raise vitamin D levels into the normal range. As we recommend in the Vitamin D Cure, 50% of skin exposure or more is necessary and now more than 3 exposures a week appear to be necessary for sunlight to normalize vitamin D levels in the short summer of the UK. Over exposure becomes a concern with longer times and more frequent exposures. The Vitamin D Cure provides an alternative to struggling for enough sun exposure. Supplementation is an easy and safe way to normalize your vitamin D levels. When combined with dietary and exercise recommendations in the Vitamin D Cure, your vitamin D system is sure to be optimized.

J Invest Dermatol. 2010 May;130(5):1411-8. Epub 2010 Jan 14. Photobiology Unit, Dermatological Sciences, School of Translational Medicine, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Hospital, Manchester, UK.

Vitamin D Success Story
Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online at Amazon.
Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating others to change their lifestyle.

See my recent interview in the Detroit News.

When the leaves change colors the availability of ultraviolet light to make vitamin D (UVB) disappears till next spring. Your vitamin D level then begins to fall along with all the leaves on the deciduous trees. Ten weeks after peak fall colors your vitamin D level is about half what it was at the end of summer. For me hear in Michigan (42° N) that is about Christmas time or New Year’s. For those of you who live in the southern part of the United States or below 35° N your vitamin D may never fall by half because your winter is not 10 weeks long. The only sources of vitamin D during winter are fat stores and supplements.

Mother Nature intended for us to burn most of our fat stores over the winter due to less food availability. Our Western lifestyles have us typically eating more food through the end of year holidays. So rather than liberating stored vitamin D by burning fat, we are increasing fat volume and retaining vitamin D in fat. If there were ever an appropriate use of fasting it would be from Thanksgiving through Easter. We should eat less in these winter months not more.

Moderate to intense physical activity also stimulates fat burning and will liberate vitamin D from fat stores. Maintaining a routine of this type of activity has been shown in CDC data to translate into significantly higher vitamin D levels. So follow the diet in the Vitamin D Cure year round and establish a daily routine of moderate physical activity.

Remember low vitamin D levels in the winter depress your mood and your immune system. So beat those winter blues and stop all those flu viruses with the Vitamin D Cure.

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com). If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .

Broiled Spiced Salmon with Roasted Winter Squash & Fennel
Serves 4

For the vegetables:
• 1-1 ½ pound butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, halved crosswise, then cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch-wide wedges
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1-inch-wide wedges
• 1 large onion, root end left intact, then cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide wedges
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

For the Salmon:
• 4 Salmon fillets (4-6 oz. each)
• 1 Tbsp. reserved spice mixture from vegetables
• Salt & Pepper
• Olive oil

1. Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 450°F.
2. Combine squash, fennel, and onion on heavy large rimmed baking sheet. Add oil and toss to coat. Mix all spices in small bowl to blend, reserve 1 Tbsp. for Salmon. Sprinkle spice mixture over vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and generous amount of pepper.
3. Roast until vegetables are tender and browned, turning once, about 45 minutes. Turn oven to broil.
4. For the salmon, foil line and spray a broil pan with nonstick spray.
5. Place salmon fillets on pan and drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper and evenly sprinkle 4 fillets with reserved spice mixture.
6. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily.
7. Serve over top roasted vegetables.

Vitamin D in the News

Vitamin D has profound and multiple effects on the immune system. This is particularly true when it comes to your response to infections. We know how it affects our response to tuberculosis. The effects of vitamin D on our response to viruses like the flu are a bit less clear. Here is an excellent review of the data that is our there.

Vitamin D for treatment and prevention of infectious diseases: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Endocr Pract. 2009 Jul-Aug;15(5):438-49.
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30030, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To review the existing human controlled intervention studies of vitamin D as adjunctive therapy in settings of infection and provide recommendations for design and implementation of future studies in this field on the basis of the evidence reviewed. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled clinical trials that studied vitamin D for treatment or prevention of infectious diseases in humans. Studies from 1948 through 2009 were identified through search terms in PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE. RESULTS: Thirteen published controlled trials were identified by our search criteria. Ten trials were placebo controlled, and 9 of the 10 were conducted in a rigorous double-blind design. The selected clinical trials demonstrated substantial heterogeneity in baseline patient demographics, sample size, and vitamin D intervention strategies. Serious adverse events attributable to vitamin D supplementation were rare across all studies. On the basis of studies reviewed to date, the strongest evidence supports further research into adjunctive vitamin D therapy for tuberculosis, influenza, and viral upper respiratory tract illnesses. In the selected studies, certain aspects of study design are highlighted to help guide future clinical research in the field. CONCLUSION: More rigorously designed clinical trials are needed for further evaluation of the relationship between vitamin D status and the immune response to infection as well as for delineation of necessary changes in clinical practice and medical care of patients with
Vitamin D deficiency in infectious disease settings.

Vitamin D Success Story
Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating others to change their lifestyle.

Hi,
I am a Registered Nurse working in the City of London. As I live in rural Essex, I commute daily in to London. Reading my newspaper on the train a few weeks ago I came across an article on Vit. D. This seemed interesting so I ordered Dr. Dowd’s book.

On reading this book I realized that I ticked all the boxes of symptoms being Vitamin D deficient. I have weak muscles/aches/not much strength, and always struggle when I went to a Gym. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia around 10 years ago, which settled but I always feel fatigued etc… I lead a very busy life working full time in London as a Registered Nurse. You wouldn’t know that I have discomfort as I just get on with it.

A colleague took some blood and my level of Vit. D was 31 nmol/L range from out lab is 75 - 200 nmol/L. Magnesium level is 0.84 range from our lab is 0.65 - 1.05. I put myself on ‘Life Extention’ 1000iu x 2 daily from Victoria Health and Magnesium. I am trying to change my diet which was mostly vegetarian.

By the way I am Scottish….so not much sun in my life when I was growing up. I am going to keep to this regime and will let you know the outcome. So glad I came across the article and the book which will be useful for my colleagues and patients. I have ordered a couple of copies of the book to give to a couple of my doctor colleagues.

Regards,
Lorna.

July 2009

Just a comment on health policy: There is no better time than now to write your congress persons about healthcare reform. The key word is healthcare, note; it does not say health insurance reform. Giving more money in the form of premiums to health insurance companies does not make anybody healthier, it simply costs money. Insurances are in the business of holding on to their money (actually your money). We need HEALTHCARE reform. This would imply making Americans healthier. How much do you think flood insurance costs in Scottsdale, Arizona? You probably can’t sell it to anybody because it never floods. But, I’ll bet it’s really inexpensive. Now, if everybody were as healthy as Jack LaLanne is at 95 how expensive would health insurance be? It would be really inexpensive. How much of the health care system do you think Jack has used over the years? Almost none. Healthcare crisis solved. We all need to do our part to live a healthy lifestyle through diet, exercise, and some targeted supplements. Anything that can incentivize this behavior and penalize unhealthy behavior will lower costs and improve the health of Americans. The taxes and public health campaigns against cigarette smoking are a testament to the success of this approach. Prevention is the only affordable solution to this healthcare crisis. The Vitamin D Cure is a step in that direction.

Don’t forget to use the UV Calculator on the website this summer for safe sun exposure http://www.thevitamindcure.com/calculator/

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com). If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .

Roasted Salmon & Bok Choy with Roasted Red Pepper Puree
Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1-1 ½ lbs. Salmon Fillet, cut into 4 portions
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 1 ½ lb. Bok Choy, cut cross grain in ¼- ½ inch pieces
• ½ tsp. lemon zest, grated
• 6 oz. roasted red peppers, drained
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 clove garlic
• Dash of Tabasco
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Procedure
• Heat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold fish in a single layer.
• Season fish with salt and pepper and place fish, flesh-side down, in skillet and place in oven to roast for about 10 minutes, turning carefully once halfway through cooking time, until just cooked through.
• Remove salmon from the skillet; tent with foil.
• Add bok choy and lemon zest to skillet, stir to coat with pan’s oil. Place in oven 1 to 2 minutes, until leaves are wilted and stems are warmed through.
• To make puree, blend peppers, olive oil, garlic and Tabasco in a blender until smooth; season with salt and pepper to taste.
• To serve, divide greens on four plates; top each with a piece of fish. Finish with the puree over the fish.

Vitamin D in the News

Effect of vitamin D on blood pressure’ a systematic review and meta-analysis.
J Hypertens. 2009 Jul 7.
Section of Ageing and Health, Scotland Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Centre for Cardiovascular and Lung Biology, Division of Medical Sciences, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, Scotland.

Vitamin D insufficiency has been linked to hypertension and cardiovascular events in observational studies. It is unclear whether vitamin D supplementation can reduce blood pressure, and, if so, by how much. METHODS: Researchers performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine whether vitamin D reduces blood pressure. Interventions included activated vitamin D, unactivated vitamin D2 and D3 and ultraviolet B radiation. RESULTS: Eleven randomized, controlled trials fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Studies were small and of variable methodological quality. Mean baseline blood pressure was more than 140/90 mmHg in eight studies. Meta-analysis of these eight studies showed a non-significant reduction in systolic blood pressure in the vitamin D group compared with placebo [-3.6 mmHg, 95% confidence interval (CI) -8.0 to 0.7]. A small, statistically significant reduction was seen in diastolic blood pressure (-3.1 mmHg, 95% CI -5.5 to -0.6). Subgroup analysis suggested that unactivated vitamin D produced a greater fall in systolic blood pressure than activated vitamin D (-6.2 mmHg, 95% CI -12.32 to -0.04, vs. +0.7 mmHg, 95% CI
-4.8 to 6.2). No reduction in blood pressure was seen in studies examining patients whose blood pressure was normal at baseline. CONCLUSION: The researchers found weak evidence to support a small effect of vitamin D on blood pressure in studies of hypertensive patients.

Chronic Tension-Type Headache With Vitamin D Deficiency: Casual or Causal Association?
Headache. 2009 Jul 8.
From the Department of Neurology, Medical College, Baroda, Gujarat, India; Department of Psychiatry, Medical College, Baroda, Gujarat, India

The prevalence of tension-type headache and vitamin D deficiency are both very high in the general population. The inter-relations between the two have not been explored in the literature. These researchers report 8 patients with chronic tension-type headache and vitamin D deficiency severe enough to cause osteomalacia (a bone disease caused by severe vitamin D deficiency). All the patients responded poorly to conventional therapy for tension headache. The headache and osteomalacia of each of the 8 patients responded to vitamin D and calcium supplementation. The improvement in the headache was much earlier than the improvements in the symptom complex of osteomalacia.

This phenomenon is not common in European Americans but in peoples of color with much lower vitamin D levels headache is likely a common symptom of vitamin D deficiency.

Replete vitamin D stores predict reproductive success following in vitro fertilization.
Kocaeli University, School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kocaeli, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The researchers wanted to determine whether 25OH-D levels in the follicular fluid (FF) of infertile women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) were related with IVF cycle parameters or outcome, hypothesizing that vitamin D in body fluids are reflective of vitamin repletion status. PATIENT(S): Eighty-four infertile women undergoing IVF. INTERVENTION(S): Follicular fluid from follicles >/=14mm; serum (n = 10) and FF levels of 25OH-D. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Clinical pregnancy (CP), defined as evidence of intrauterine gestation sac on ultrasound, following IVF; IVF cycle parameters. RESULT(S): Serum and FF levels of 25OH-D were highly correlated (r = 0.94). In a predominantly Caucasian population (66%), significantly lower FF 25OH-D levels were noted in Black versus non-Black patients. Significant inverse correlations were seen between FF 25OH-D levels and body mass index (r = -0.25). Significantly higher cycle parameters (CP) and implantation rates were observed across 25th percentiles of FF 25OH-D; patients achieving CP following IVF (n = 26) exhibited significantly higher FF levels of 25OH-D. Multivariable logistic regression analysis confirmed FF 25OH-D levels as an independent predictor to success of an IVF cycle; adjusting for age, body mass index, ethnicity, and number of embryos transferred, each ng/mL increase in FF 25OH-D increased the likelihood for achieving CP by 6%. CONCLUSION(S): Our findings that women with higher vitamin D level in their serum and FF are significantly more likely to achieve CP following IVF-embryo transfer are novel. A potential for benefit of vitamin D supplementation on treatment success in infertile patients undergoing IVF is suggested and merits further investigation.

This is consistent with a similar smaller study that identified high rates of vitamin D deficiency in infertile women with polycystic ovarian disease. And, that replacement of vitamin D increased the rate of successful pregnancy in this same population.

Vitamin D Success Story
Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating others to change their lifestyle.

The mother of a patient of mine shared this with me and also posted it on Amazon. Don’t forget your children when thinking about vitamin D.

“My son was lucky to be referred to Dr. Dowd when he was 13 years old. Dr. Dowd discovered he didn’t have rheumatoid arthritis (like his MD has suspected) or even “growing pains” like I suspected, but had low levels of vitamin D. After 4-6 weeks of vitamin D supplements, all his joint pain was gone! In addition, he stays much healthier (colds, flu, etc.) and much to our surprise, the warts on his feet finally went away…after three different doctors and three different methods of treatment for the warts! “

“Having the opportunity to meet Dr. Dowd is amazing. He is so smart and able to explain the immune system and the role of vitamin D in language even my 13 year old son could understand. Three years later, and my son is still symptom free as long as he keeps taking the vitamin D.”

The Vitamin D Cure is now available in paperback! Now your healthy new lifestyle manual will cost you even less. It’s a great gift idea as well.

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com). If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .

This month’s recipe is not exactly Paleolithic. It has peas which were not routinely consumed by primitive cultures. However, it is loaded with chlorophyll and is a great compliment to a lean piece of meat either on the side or chopped up and put directly into the soup. And, it tastes fantastic!

Green Pea Soup with Tarragon & Pea Sprouts.

Ingredients

2 16-oz. packages frozen sweet green peas, divided
2 Tbsp. canola oil
3 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 qt. vegetable stock
3 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped and divided
Pea Sprouts
1 Avocado

Preparation:

1. Place 1 cup of peas in a bowl and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat and sauté shallots until golden and tender. Add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute.
3. Add remaining peas, vegetable stock, and 2 Tbsp. of chopped tarragon; bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat and continue simmering until the peas are tender and the flavors have developed, about 10 minutes.
5. Either with an immersion blender or in small batches in a blender, purée the soup until completely smooth.
6. Return the soup to the saucepan and bring back to a simmer, adjusting consistency with more stock if desired.
7. Stir in remaining tarragon and season with salt and pepper.
8. Mash avocado and mix with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
9. To serve, top with whole peas (heated in microwave for 1 minute), pea sprouts and a dollop of guacamole, if desired.

Vitamin D in the News

Do Melanoidins Induced by Topical 3% Dihydroxyacetone Sunless Tanning Spray Inhibit Vitamin D Production? A Pilot Study. Photochem Photobiol. 2009 May 28.
Osteoporosis Research Center, Creighton University, Omaha, NE.

They report preliminary study data of the effect of sunless tanning spray with 3% dihydroxyacetone (DHA) on 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] serum levels in volunteers exposed to controlled amounts of UV-B radiation during April/May in Omaha, NE, 41 degrees N latitude. They found that DHA-induced melanoidins in skin act as a topical sunscreen reducing the formation of vitamin D (25(OH)D).

Vitamin D nutritional status of exclusively breast fed infants and their mothers. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Mar;22(3):241-6. Department of Pediatrics, Kalawati Saran Hospital, New Delhi, India.

As I said in the Vitamin D Cure, vitamin D has a profound effect on the development of an infant. It follows then that the vitamin D status of mothers and their infants are tied together. Studies in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia have shown wide spread deficiency in mother-infant pairs at 42 degrees north latitude. This study shows us that even in equatorial regions of the globe deficiency is wide spread. Study Design: 180 healthy lactating mothers and exclusively breast fed infants, 2-24 weeks old had clinical, biochemical and hormonal evaluation for calcium-vitamin D-PTH axis. Results: The average serum vitamin d 25(OH)D values in lactating mothers was 27.2 +/- 14.6 nmol/l (10.9 +/-5.8 ng/ml), while that of their infants was 28.9 +/- 20.8 nmol/l (11.6 +/- 8.3 ng/ml). Remember 80 nmol/L or 32 ng/mL is the bottom end of the normal range for vitamin D levels. Serum 25(OH)D levels <25 nmol/l (10 ng/ml) were found in 47.8% of the mothers and 43.2% of the infants. Among these, elevated PTH levels (>54 pg/ml) were seen in 59.3% of the mothers and 69.6% of the infants. A highly significant negative correlation was found between serum 25(OH)D and PTH in mothers (r = -0.480, p = 0.01) and their infants (r = -0.431, p = 0.01). A strong positive correlation was seen of vitamin D 25(OH)D levels in mother-infant pairs (r = 0.324, p = 0.001). Conclusions: A high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was found in lactating mothers and their exclusively breast fed infants. Infants born to mothers with low vitamin D had 3.8 times higher risk of developing low vitamin D as compared to those born to mothers with normal vitamin D levels.

Dietary vitamin D and cancers of the oral cavity and esophagus. Ann Oncol. 2009 Jun 1. International Epidemiology Institute, Rockville, MD.

We discussed the relationship between diet and vitamin D and colon cancer in The Vitamin D Cure. This study looks at that relationship with esophageal and oral cancer Methods: The researchers examined the relation between dietary vitamin D intake and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE; 304 cases) and oral/pharyngeal cancer (804 cases) in two case-control studies in Italy. Odds ratios(ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by multiple logistic regression. Results: Adjusted ORs for SCCE and oral/pharyngeal cancer were 0.58 (95% CI 0.39-0.86) and 0.76 (95% CI 0.60-0.94), respectively, for the highest tertile of vitamin D intake. Compared to the highest tertile of vitamin D who were never/former smokers, ORs were 8.7 (95% CI 4.1-18.7) for SCCE and 10.4 (95% CI 6.9-15.5) for oral/pharyngeal cancer among heavy smokers in the lowest vitamin D tertile; similarly, compared with those in the highest tertile of vitamin D who drank <3 alcoholic drinks/day, corresponding ORs were 41.9 (95% CI 13.7-128.6) for SCCE and 8.5 (95% CI 5.7-12.5) for oral/pharyngeal cancer, among heavy alcohol drinkers in the lowest vitamin D tertile. Conclusion: They observed an estimated 25-40 percent reduction in risk for oral/pharyngeal cancer and SCCE respectively with greater risk reductions in the absence of alcohol use or smoking.

Does vitamin d reduce the risk of dementia? J Alzheimers Dis. 2009 May;17(1):151-9.
Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center (SUNARC), P.O. Box 641603, San Francisco, CA 94164-1603, USA.

In the Vitamin D Cure we talk about how vitamin D is important for brain development, how it facilitates learning and protects the brain from injury. This article develops the hypothesis that vitamin D can reduce the risk of developing dementia, presenting the evidence from observational and laboratory studies. The observational evidence demonstrates that low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] has been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, depression, dental caries, osteoporosis, and periodontal disease, all of which are risk factors for dementia or precede the development of dementia. The laboratory evidence includes several findings on the role of vitamin D in neuroprotection and reducing inflammation. This is a great review of the current data linking vitamin D and risk for dementia.

Vitamin D Success Story

Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating others to change their lifestyle.

This month’s success story comes from Tom with seasonal allergies.

Hello,
I have a question about allergies.
I have suffered from seasonal allergies in May and June all my life. Until I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and had to wear a mask when I slept I just put up with them. However, constant sneezing and a runny nose were intolerable while wearing a CPAP mask. I finally went to an allergist and had scratch tests done and I had the strongest ranked reactions to all three types of grasses tested. However, due to glaucoma in one eye the allergist could not treat me. I then just used prescription antihistamine during my allergy season.

Now that I am taking vitamin D and eating a modified paleo/chimpanzee diet my allergies are gone this season for the first time. (I modify the Paleolithic diet by eliminating red meat from my diet for male chimpanzees suffer from interstitial myocardial fibrosis and the only difference between male and female chimps is that males hunt red meat, eat red meat, and as a rule do not share it with female chimps.) Is this grass allergy elimination possible or simply a coincidence? In short it is a miracle. Part of me thinks, “Wheat is a grass and you are allergic to grass so cutting out wheat only made sense in retrospect.”

Do other people with grass allergies find good results by going paleo and taking the vitamin D cure? I am shocked it could work so fast.

Thank you,
Tom

The simple answer is yes. The explanation is unclear and involves many variables. Allergies are determined likely in the first 24 months of life based on vitamin D levels, passive immunity from breast feeding, and exposure to other plant and animal proteins in our diet. Higher vitamin D intakes during pregnancy appear to lower the risk for asthma later in childhood. Heliotherapy in adults with eczema seems to have a clearing effect on this skin disease. However, some studies of vitamin D intake in childhood seem to point to higher likelihood of developing allergies. The science is still up in the air. I suggest following Mother Nature’s lead. We should be in the sun more than we are now, we should all be breast fed as infants, and we should not consume grain or dairy as adults.

Get your copy of The Vitamin D Cure, lay out in the sun and have a good read!

Remember the type of suns rays that are necessary for vitamin D production (UVB) are only available between spring blossoms and fall colors. This season is long in the Southern United States but here in Michigan late April to May marks the beginning of the vitamin D season. Allergies come with springtime as well. In this issue you will see that severity of asthma and allergies is related to low vitamin D levels. And, when you bend down to pick those flowers or weeds, your knee pain may be associated with low vitamin D levels. So take your vitamin D and get some sun for your arthritis and allergies.

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com). If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .

Lemon-Honey Roasted Chicken
with Warm Cucumber, Fennel and Fingerling Potato Salad

For the chicken:
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 T. Honey
• 3.5-4 lb. chicken, cut into pieces
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 t. salt
• 4 sprigs of thyme
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees
2. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, chicken broth and honey.
3. Rub the chicken pieces with oil and sprinkle with salt.
4. Place the chicken, skin-side down, in a roast pan just large enough to make a single, snug layer of chicken. Pour the seasoned broth over the chicken and tuck the thyme sprigs among the chicken pieces.
5. Roast for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken skin-side up and roast for another 20 minutes or until chicken reaches 160 degrees.

For the Salad:
• 1.5 lbs. fingerling potatoes, halved (larger ones cut in quarters)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 lb. haricot verts, steamed
• 3 medium stalks celery, trimmed and sliced
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
• 1 medium bulb fennel, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees and place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet; toss with 1 T. olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast until tender, about 25-30 minutes and let cool slightly.
3. To serve combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat evenly with olive oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve with roasted chicken.

Vitamin D in the News

Serum levels of vitamin D, sunlight exposure, and knee cartilage loss in older adults: The Tasmanian older adult cohort study.
Arthritis Rheumatism. 2009 Apr 29;60(5):1381-1389
University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, and Monash University Medical School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

In the vitamin D Cure we talk about optimizing vitamin D to prevent osteoarthritis or loss of cartilage. This study is confirmation of its importance over time. A total of 880 randomly selected subjects (average age 61 years, 50% women) were studied at baseline, and 353 of these subjects were studied 2.9 years later. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) were assessed, and sunlight exposure was assessed by questionnaire. MRI of the right knee was performed to determine knee cartilage volume and defects. Knee x-rays and knee pain were also assessed. RESULTS: The mean 25(OH)D serum level was 21.1 ng/mL (52.8 nmoles/liter) at baseline. Winter sunlight exposure and serum 25(OH)D level were both positively associated with medial and lateral tibial cartilage volume (the lower the D level the less the cartilage volume), and a serum 25(OH)D level <20 ng/mL was associated with more medial joint space narrowing (all P < 0.05). Over time, baseline serum 25(OH)D level predicted change in cartilage volume (P < 0.05), and change in serum 25(OH)D level was positively associated with change in medial tibial cartilage volume. These associations were consistent in subjects with radiographic OA and knee pain and/or in women, but not in men or in subjects without radiographic OA or knee pain. CONCLUSION: Less sunlight exposure and lower serum 25(OH)D levels are both associated with loss of knee cartilage (assessed by radiograph or MRI). This implies that achieving vitamin D sufficiency may prevent and/or retard cartilage loss in knee OA.

Serum vitamin D levels and markers of severity of childhood asthma in costa rica.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009 May 1;179(9):765-71.
Channing Laboratory, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Higher vitamin D intake during pregnancy has been associated with a lower likelihood of asthma symptoms in early childhood. This study looks at vitamin D levels as a marker of asthma severity in childhood. The researchers examined 616 Costa Rican children between the ages of 6 and 14 years. RESULTS: Of the 616 children with asthma, 175 (28%) had insufficient levels of vitamin D (<30 ng/ml). Vitamin D levels were significantly and inversely associated with total IgE and eosinophil count (the higher the D level the lower the IgE and eosinophil count). Statistics showed that a higher vitamin D level was associated with reduced odds of any hospitalization in the previous year (P = 0.03), any use of antiinflammatory medications in the previous year (P = 0.01), and increased airway responsiveness (P = 0.05]). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that vitamin D insufficiency is relatively frequent in an equatorial population of children with asthma. In these children, lower vitamin D levels are associated with greater allergy and asthma severity.

Maternal Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated with Bacterial Vaginosis in the First Trimester of Pregnancy.
J Nutr. 2009 Apr 8.
Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA 15261.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a highly prevalent vaginal infection that is associated with complications of pregnancy. Vitamin D exerts an influence on the immune system and may play a role in BV. This study examined the association between maternal vitamin D and the prevalence of BV in early pregnancy. Women (n = 469) enrolled in a pregnancy study at <16 wk of pregnancy underwent a pelvic examination and provided a blood sample for determination of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. RESULTS: Approximately 41% of women had BV and 52% had a serum 25(OH)D concentration <15 ng/mL. The average serum 25(OH)D concentration was lower among BV cases compared with women with normal vaginal bacteria (P < 0.001). There was less BV as vitamin D levels increased (P < 0.001). Approximately 57% of the women with a serum 25(OH)D concentration <8 ng/mL had BV compared with 23% of women with a serum 25(OH)D concentration >32 ng/mL. There was a dose-response association between 25(OH)D and the prevalence of BV. The prevalence declined as 25(OH)D increased to 80 nmol/L, then reached a plateau. Remember from the Vitamin D Cure that you want your level to be at or above 35 ng/mL. Compared with a serum 25(OH)D concentration of 30 ng/mL, there were 1.65-fold and 1.26-fold increases in the prevalence of BV associated with a serum 25(OH)D concentration of 8 and 20 ng/mL, respectively, after adjustment for race and sexually transmitted diseases. CONCLUSION: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with BV and may contribute to the strong racial disparity in the prevalence of BV.

Vitamin D Success Story
Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating others to change their lifestyle.

This months success story comes from Angel at …..@arosurf.com

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Dowd and his book/blog/efforts! Hoo RA!

After a lifetime of trials and challenges I was finally diagnosed with celiac disease at the age of 44. My doctor had the right mind to check my vitamin D level (21ng/mL) and gave me an Rx. This led me out of my lifelong depression. Much body pain subsided; daily pain was nonexistent, yet pains were great and hard to recover when I went to the gym to work off my 100 excess pounds with a trainer 3x/week. (I didn’t know what fibromyalgia was though had experienced it for years).

After I thought my gut healed with a gluten-free diet, I decided to stop supplements. By the next winter my vitamin D had gone down to 17ng/mL, and I was a depressed mess and in pain again.

After reading a few websites, listening to a fibro sufferer on You Tube and reading your book, I finally realized how important the supplements were to my diet. I started taking them earnestly since May of last year, got one to two hours daily sunshine, and my November tests last year was 64 ng/mL. My pain is gone and when I exercise I am sore for one day, which is normal and reasonable!

I weighed around 250 lbs at the time of my celiac diagnosis, gained 22 pounds trying all the gluten-free grained products and/or when I didn’t know what to eat, I’d eat Yoplait, sometimes up to 5 a day (can you say HFCS?!) before figuring out what pre-diabetes was. I’ve lost 50 lbs now, and being able to exercise routinely has changed my life. THANK YOU SO MUCH for being part of my life! I try to tell everyone about your book, and what a difference it has made to me….

…I had my immediate family members vitamin D levels tested and my husband’s vitamin D was 13!!!!! My daughter’s was 23. My hubby has gout, high blood pressure, stiffness, and metabolic syndrome. Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen! HE resisted my efforts for heaven’s sake. “We” likely saved his life. No doctor ever thought to do this simple test. Both family members are taking supplements now. (BTW, I’ve also read Loren Cordain’s, Daniel Amen’s, and Jack Challem’s books! and also Carolyn Dean’s The Magnesium Miracle + many more — your book was a great compilation of much of the info I’ve read elsewhere!)

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU etc. I eat up your blog! (no calories!)