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Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

bmj.com

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Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#161

Post by GordonS »

leto_ii wrote: post #21

I can say from my own experience that the lack of vitamin D can have a significant impact on both mind and body. I suspect that essentially all people living at relatively northern latitudes have some sort of vitamin D deficiency. From what I know you need to have your face and arms exposed to direct sunshine for at least 15 minutes/day to keep healthy vitamin D levels in the body. Good luck with that in the European…

As a single, contrary data point, I live in the North of Scotland, and get very little sunlight - I started taking 4,000 IUs a day of vitamin D around a year ago, but haven't noticed any difference whatsoever.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#162

Post by Marsymars »

gameswithgo wrote: post #151
Marsymars wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Mind boggling that this kind of a thing isn't known. I was blown away recently when I discovered that the causes of myopia aren't really known, but don't seem to be primarily genetic.

some evidence that being indoors too much when young could contribute.

Yeah, possible related to sunlight causing dopamine release which inhibits excess growth in the eye, but nothing close to the point of say, public health authorities giving concrete parenting advice based on that.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#163

Post by preben »

therealcamino wrote: post #152
kaztal wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sweden here. My partner is a doctor, she claims with assurance that you can't make a carpet decision like this. People who come from norther latitudes are used to the lack of sun, and their bodies don't need more vitamin D than is provided. Depending on your heritage, ymvm.

I love the phrase "carpet decision". Although we don't have it in English, I'm guessing it's roughly equivalent to "blanket statement", something that applies in all cases without exception?

Very much what I meant. Happy the meaning went through.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#164

Post by makeset »

neuronic wrote: post #69

May I mention the following research on NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28768407 I will simply quote from the abstract: > This could lead to a recommendation of 1000 IU for children 1 year of age, and around 8000 IU for young adults and thereafter. Actions are urgently needed to protect the global population from vitamin D deficiency. Essentially, the recommended intake that pharmacists and labels tell you…

Reminds me of a seemingly smart and reasonable doctor I once saw for an annual check. Upon hearing that I'd been taking 3,000 IU, the guy completely Lost. His. Shit. I got a lecture about not going against FDA recommendations, which is 400 IU. The "outdated brainbase" phenomenon with doctors is too real.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#165

Post by brokensegue »

stjohnswarts wrote: post #153
brokensegue wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was recently charged several hundred for a vit D test. The price is basically random in the US.

That's insane, my whole panel for vitamin d, some other vitamins, insulin levels, immune analysis, etc all are about $120 when I do my annual checkup.

Yeah insurance decided not to cover it for some reason even though my doctor ordered the test. The rest of the panel was a few bucks after insurance.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#166

Post by blub »

bad_user wrote: post #36

I suffer from allergic asthma and tend to catch colds quite frequently. This year I started supplementing with 2000 UI of vitamin D daily and it's as if my immune system started functioning normally, in the last 10 months I only caught a really light cold that I could barely notice, whereas before this the winter season alone would bring 2 severe cold or flu episodes that would knock me down for several days. I can't…

It says so on the leaflet probably, but over 500 units per day over a long time raises the risk of kidney stones.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#167

Post by md2020 »

drgoodvibe wrote: post #65

I had a genetic test done (not 23andme or other retail genetic tests) and it turns out I have genes that essentially cause me to have low absorption for vitamins d, b6 and b12 and vitamin e. According to my bloodwork I also had extremely low Vit d in the blood (way below average). I started megadosing and honestly I feel like a different person, when I got a cold before it would last for 7 days, and twice it led to b…

Do you mind sharing the test you used? Curious to try this myself.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#168

Post by BurningFrog »

chabes wrote: post #123
BurningFrog wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is one reason arctic people eat so much (vitamin D rich) fish. The other is of course that a plant based diet is impractical when plants are only alive half the year. White skin itself is an evolutionary adaption for getting enough vitamin D outside of tropical Africa. The extreme "melanin-anemic" blond & blue eyes look of Scandinavia is thought to be because it has a uniquely warm weather for the latitude, whic…

Ummm, plants are alive longer than “half the year“. Humans have also preserved foods for out of season consumption for millennia. Natives in California had plenty of plant-based foods in winter months.

Sure, the plants are alive as roots, seeds etc under the snow, but they have nothing edible to offer, so for the purposes of nutrition, they might as well be dead.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#169

Post by joquarky »

makeset wrote: post #164
neuronic wrote: post #69

May I mention the following research on NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28768407 I will simply quote from the abstract: > This could lead to a recommendation of 1000 IU for children 1 year of age, and around 8000 IU for young adults and thereafter. Actions are urgently needed to protect the global population from vitamin D deficiency. Essentially, the recommended intake that pharmacists and labels tell you…

Reminds me of a seemingly smart and reasonable doctor I once saw for an annual check. Upon hearing that I'd been taking 3,000 IU, the guy completely Lost. His. Shit. I got a lecture about not going against FDA recommendations, which is 400 IU. The "outdated brainbase" phenomenon with doctors is too real.

It would be nice if doctors were compelled to keep up with the times or risk being driven out of the market.

Front end developers have to do so.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#170

Post by pmoriarty »

leto_ii wrote: post #55
_d03 wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about DHA/EPA? Iodine and vitamin B1? Our modern diets could cause further nutritional deficiencies. I doubt that many people in the West eat fish regularly or supplement with algae oil due to the conveniences of processed food. Same with iodine. Wheat germs have the highest concentrations in vitamin B1, but whole grains in general (rolled oats etc.) are good so you should probably cut the processed food out as…

It can be that there are other hidden deficiencies. Vitamin D was the most surprising for me though because I wasn't aware that you can't really find it in food and that it's only synthesized in the skin in the presence of UV rays.

My biggest surprise: even meat eaters can have Vitamin B12 deficiency.

My doctor recommends all his patients supplement with B12, regardless of whether they're vegetarian, because of the above mentioned potential for everyone to have B12 deficiency, and, according to him, tests for B12 aren't reliable.

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