Some day with vitamin D3 dosing they will come back and realize how misguided the “experts” were about vitamin D3 dosing. In this VITAL study where did or how did they decide on what was a high dose?
1 Which is where the study went off the rails to begin with as measuring the blood form of vitamin D3, calcifediol (the blood storage form) would give a consistent comparison?
As I referenced in my book where I discuss the article that the “experts” used to establish the upper safe limits of calcifediol D3 at 100 ng/ml.
2 However they knew vitamin D3 typically did not cause hypercalcemia, its toxic effect until the blood level hit 300 ng/ml or higher. These “experts” appear to have been unaware of the beneficial effects at higher doses.
In my book I explain how current dosing and blood level norms are only adequate to prevent rickets! That is, it. In treating thousands of people for vitamin D3 deficiency, I checked thousands of blood levels, their calcifediol levels. In 6 or 7 patients their level was in the 4 or 5 ng/ml range, which is probably as close to none as you can get, this caused me to think.
As too high of blood levels cause hypercalcemia, why didn’t too low a level cause hypocalcemia? But all had normal blood calcium levels despite almost no vitamin D3, no their D2 levels were zero. What does that mean?
Like all other patients I saw with sub optimal blood levels these patients were all obese, suffering poor sleep and all but one was very ill. Essentially what I describe as Winter Syndrome from lack of Madison-HannaH effects. **
The one “healthy” patient was essentially like almost everyone else with much higher but still sub optimal levels. The point being it appears you can live, not in a healthy state long term, with almost no vitamin D3 in your system.
Second, I believe as far as vitamin D3’s active form, calcitriol, its effect on blood calcium, its hormonal effect, occurs only in the blood or if it crosses the cell membrane it can only do so in certain cells that deal with calcium/bicarbonate levels in the blood like in the kidney, osteoclasts and small intestine. I haven’t quite worked this out as no lab and as my refrain goes reason for more study!
The hormonal effect in early development is critical to assure skeletal bone growth (rickets). Once our skeletal mass reaches a certain critical point, which occurs after we are susceptible to rickets, inadequate vitamin D3 results instead in growth retardation.
As we consume so many calories that we are exposed so much more calcium then in earlier or later life. Therefore, despite sub optimal vitamin D3 levels we still grow some, have enough not to develop rickets and do not suffer from osteoporosis until later in life.
This is important as they argue indirectly in this VITAL article the only disease that vitamin D3 deficiency is known to cause is rickets. They are correct if one only focuses on vitamin D3’s hormonal properties! They are not seeing what I call the Madison-HannaH effects.
As it takes much higher blood levels, optimal levels, of the blood form, calcifediol, to have enough of this form to enter and turn on what I believe are intracellular effects. So, in the VITAL study they are using doses of vitamin D3 that have minimal effect on blood levels and that are only useful for treating rickets.
Then not focusing on blood levels. Which are how you know if you are likely to activate the Madison-HannaH effects. Shouldn’t that be the most important part of the experiments set up? I will explain this in greater detail in next post.
* I don’t have an exact number but probably at levels below 80 ng/ml though at some point as we raise levels close to this some of the Madison-HannaH effects start to activate and reason for more study at optimal blood levels
** see my earlier blog posts that explain Winter Syndrome and Madison- HannaH effect.
- Keaney JF, Rosen CJ. (January 3, 2019) VITAL Signs for Dietary Supplementation to prevent Cancer and Heart Disease. N Engl J Med. 380:91-93.
- Jone G. “Pharmacokinetics of Vitamin D Toxicity”, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 88, no. 2 (August 1, 2008) 582S-586S.
*The information posted above is for educational purposes only. Always check with your doctor before initiating any changes in your medical treatment. If you do not, then The Two-Minute Health Fact, Dr. Judson Somerville, nor The Optimal Dose is responsible!
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