The role of vitamin D

[Bifcus16]

It's not recent, but I found this article on the role of vitamin D3 interesting in light of recent discussions on the topic here. Some of these figures for reductions in cancer and osteoporosis are pretty amazing.

http://www.iconmag.co.uk/page.php?n=509

Lyn

[tex]

Lyn,

That is indeed a very good article. Virtually all of this, (and much, much more), has been covered by Dr. John Cannell, in his monthly newsletter, of course, but I especially like the way that the author explains the myth surrounding milk, and osteoporosis. So many people, (and doctors), continue to mistakenly believe that drinking milk is the key to improving bone health. Clearly, it is not, because in the countries where the per capita milk consumption is the highest, the osteoporosis problem is the worst.

Vitamin D and cortisol (the stress hormone) have recently been shown in the USA to be the crucial determinants in osteoporosis. Not oestrogen.

Cortisol can bind with receptor sites on bone cells normally used for natural progesterone (not natural oestrogen) and this weakens bone structure. Apart from taking HRT many doctors will advice more dairy. But this is naïve too. Dairy foods provide high levels of blood calcium (and a tiny amount of vitamin D). However this calcium surge actually depresses vitamin D levels and the body's ability to absorb magnesium. Catch 22. Dairy gives you high blood calcium, but low bone calcium.

IMO, this article should be added to the "Current Research" forum, here:

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=18

Would you mind adding it there?

Thanks,
Tex

[kscolorado]

I have never been a milk drinker and just don't like the taste. Dr. Lewey said my D levels were slightly low but extra supplementation not needed aside from adding almonds, calcium rich greens etc, so I agree that you don't need milk and other dairy products to get vitamin D.

[Rosie]

Cortisol can bind with receptor sites on bone cells normally used for natural progesterone (not natural oestrogen) and this weakens bone structure.

Interesting. It's been long known that hot flashes are associated with a pronounced rise in cortisol, the so-called "cortisol rush". So this may at least partially explain the loss in bone density associated with menopause. Estrogen most likely is protective because it can reduce/eliminate hot flashes and the accomanying cortisol rush. Trials using progesterone supplementation to prevent bone loss in menopausal/postmenopausal women has had mixed results, so there is no doubt more to the story.

The results seen with progesterone are somewhat disappointing, as they fail to confirm Dr. John Lee's report that transdermal progesterone increased BMD by an average of about 15% over a 3-year period in postmenopausal women (Med Hypotheses 1991;35:316-318). A study by Leonetti et al (Obstet Gynecol 1999;94:225-228) also failed to confirm Lee's work, and found no bone-sparing effect at all from topical progesterone cream. After Leonetti's study was published, Lee argued that progesterone works only in older postmenopausal women who are past the period of rapid postmenopausal bone loss. The mean age of Lee's patients was 65.2 years, compared with 52.5 years for Dr. Leonetti's patients. The patients in the current study had an average age of 58.2 years, and the results were better than those seen by Leonetti, but far worse than those reported by Lee.