Vitamin D3, Vitamin D Receptors and Why You May Not See Results From Taking Optimal doses of vitamin D3. 2/2

So, if you suffer a vitamin D receptor (VDR) genetic defect and have one of the 55 health issues from it what do you do? How do to try to overcome this problem? Well for one increased blood levels of vitamin D3 can force the hampered reactions in your favor. Overcoming the bottle neck.

Those who I had treated probably up to 30% like the general public had a genetic defect in their VDR. However, because of the dose I recommended, 30,000 IUs a day plus other nutrients I have before blogged about and will discuss later I just didn’t see it. 

Patients slept much better, depressive symptoms resolved, and none were affected by the “flu”. Perhaps the issues that had either most dramatic effect or only minimal was weight loss. Those who failed to do so I assumed were either suffering from another undiagnosed physical or a psychological issue. 

As weight loss and gain is based on many variables this made sense to me at the time. As it was hard for me to understand how they could benefit from other aspects of optimal dosing of vitamin D3 but not all. Though I was aware that not all our tissues have the identical genetic makeup.

Something, I knew but that did not occur to me earlier. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised by the rare varied responses. Perhaps the fat tissues and hormones involved in metabolism are more prone to VDR genetic issues. 

As I have written many times before there is so much study that needs to de done on vitamin D3 at real, in my opinion optimal doses. Concerning weight lost I have lost count of the number of men who lost around 75 pounds in approximately three months. Then there is the women who lost hundreds of pounds over a couple years.

Now, if you have taken optimal doses, obtained optimal blood levels and still notice no difference a more difficult to treat VDR genetic issue could be the reason. It took me awhile to realize this as with optimal dosing and blood levels in the population I treated I only saw a few cases where it appeared that they did not respond. 

As for one I also as I learned more about improving patients health I encourage my patients to also take as much magnesium as they can comfortably take, to take boron at a good dose as well as omega 3’s. Not realizing at the time, they also would also help those who also suffered from VDR genetic issues.

There are other nutrients an techniques helpful to try and assure the optimal functioning of vitamin D3 at the VDR. These include selenium, resveratrol, intense exercise, paricalcitol (a vitamin D2 analogue (similar in structure) used to treat parathyroid disease), maxacalcitol ( a vitamin D3 analogue used to treat psoriasis), quercetin, ginger, curcumin, progesterone and zinc.

Most of these are over the counter and/or do not require prescriptions. Concerning paricalcitol and maxacalcitol, why you would fill a prescription to treat a VDR issue with a vitamin D3 or worse vitamin D2 analogue is beyond me. Unless research shows it is more effective then vitamin D3 whuch I doubt. 

Now always follow your doctor’s advice as I am only referring to my opinion. So those of you who love to exercise perhaps the reason you feel better afterwards besides or instead of endorphins and enkephalins is improved vitamin D3 activity at the VDR. Not sure it ever has been studied. 

As I have blogged about the beneficial health effects of omega 3, boron and magnesium now add improving VDR-vitamin D3 interaction to them. Now to some I have not blogged about before resveratrol has been shown to increase binding of the active form of vitamin D3-calcitriol to the VDR. 1 

Quercetin is a flavonoid. Flavanoids are plant pigments. Quercetin is a naturally occurring compound found in plant products like apples and onions, but also as an over the counter supplement. It has been shown to boost some of the enzymes involved in vitamin D interaction with the VDR. 2 

In that well referenced article, quercetin has been shown to improve 21 health areas all of which are also associated with vitamin D3. 3 Although not proof they effect the VDR it is indirect evidence as all the effects listed are also those of vitamin D3.

Finally, in a more recent article they have found how quercetin directly interacts with the VDR. 4 So another way you can try to overcome VDR issues. Certainly, if you are a women progesterone is in higher blood levels and helps you overcome VDR defects. 

1. Damf-Stone A, Batie SF, Sabir MS, et al. (Jun 2015). Resveratrol potentiates vitamin D and nuclear receptor signaling. J Cellular Biochemistry. 116(6):1130-43. 
2. Chae YJ Cho KH, Yoon IS, et al. (Jan 2016). Vitamin D receptor-mediated upregulation of CYP3A4 and MDR! By Quercetin in CACO-2 cells. Plana Med. 82(1-2):121-30.
3. Alseksec A. (updated Jan 14, 2020). & Quercetin supplement benefits for allergies and more. Selfhacked. https://selfhacked.com/blog/quercetin-23-scientifically-proven-benefits-quercetin/
4. Lee KY, Choi HS, Choi HS, et al. (Mar 2016). Quercetin directly interacts with vitamin D receptor (VDR): structural implications of VDR activation by quercetin. Biomol Ther (Seol) 1;24(2):191-8.