Key villain in Chicago swine flu outbreak: Winter?

[tiptoe]

Source: Chi*Town Daily News

Could Chicagoans be more vulnerable to swine flu and similar illness because of where our city is situated?

Our northern locale and dreary winters means less sunlight hits our skin, resulting in a lack of the immune system-boosting vitamin D. And some experts say the key to warding off illnesses like swine flu, is a strong immune system.
...
"Vitamin D is critically important for your innate immunity," he says. "There's no downside to increasing your vitamin D intake."
...
In the case of swine flu, "There's always the case that people say there's not enough research," Cannell says. "The question is always the same: Do we wait — vitamin D deficient — while we're waiting for more research, or do we wait — vitamin D sufficient — while we're waiting for research?"


Read more: http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Chicago_news/Key_villain_in_Chicago_swine_flu_outbreak_Winter_,25887

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"Am I Vitamin D Deficient?" ("What We Recommend") — John J Cannell, MD, Vitamin D Council - x


Myths, FAQ, "...Vitamin D: A Real Missing Link..." Prescription=D2 vs D3, Testing, Optimal Ranges - x

 

[dipsydoodle]

1. Don't forget

that by winter in Chicago you're talking about the northern hemisphere. Be interesting to see what happens in the southern hemisphere July and August.

[MADem]

2. Because there's NO sun in Mexico....??? Please.

The Mexicans have been hit hardest, and they tend to get plenty of sun. I guess that ole Vitamin D no puede hablar español or something.

I think the residual immunity from flu shots is helping to slow this virus in the US. But I don't know that, either. It could be it just isn't that big a deal.

[uppityperson]

3. Indeed. Seems just another attempt to post the same stuff.

[tiptoe]

6. You mislead by not informing about ozone and other air pollution in Mexico City

"Air pollution in Mexico varies among cities". Mexico City is unique, geographically, but the issue...

Air Pollution Compromises Vitamin D Status

The impact of atmospheric pollution on vitamin D status of infants and toddlers in Delhi, India

...
CONCLUSION: We suggest that children living in areas of high atmospheric pollution are at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency rickets and should be offered vitamin D supplements.

London children are the focus for a major study into pollution and respiratory health

Professor Tak Lee, Head of the Division of Asthma, Allergy and Lung Biology at King's College London, who is leading the study said: "There is increasing evidence that vitamin D deficiency and pollution play a role in poor lung health, but little is currently known about their combined effects and the changes that take place in the lungs themselves. This major research programme should help us find the answers."

Nearly 90 per cent of the population lacks adequate levels of vitamin D, especially in the winter months. Rates are higher in east London, especially in people from some ethnic minority groups. Over 18 per cent of children in east London have a diagnosis of asthma recorded by their doctor.
...

[MADem]

7. I've seen this spam posted several times before.

The factory where the Mexicans say the outbreak started was in Perote, not in Mexico City. Try again. No, on second thought, don't.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uppityperson]

4. Symptoms of Vit D overdose...

http://vitamins.lovetoknow.com/Vitamin_D_Overdose

Some of the health risks of excessive intake of vitamin D include:

* Elevated levels of calcium in the blood, resulting from an increase in the absorption of calcium in the intestinal tract
* Abnormally large deposition of amounts of phosphate and calcium in soft tissue such as the lungs, heart and kidneys. These deposits can cause irreversible organ malfunction.
* Nausea, vomiting, poor appetite and loss of weight
* High blood pressure, heart rhythm irregularities and increased risk of heart disease
* Kidney stones and renal failure
* Excessive production of urine
* An overdose of Vitamin D in pregnant women can cause mental or physical retardation in babies.

* Other symptoms include:
o Bone pain and even bone loss
o Muscular weakness and fatigue
o Nervousness and irritability
o Excessive thirst, dehydration
o Severe headache
o Deafness
o Itchy skin

It is highly recommended that you consult with your doctor or other licensed healthcare professional before you begin to take vitamin D supplements. You should closely follow your doctor's instructions regarding the proper vitamin D dose. A calcium supplement may be necessary if your calcium intake is insufficient.

If you notice that you are suffering from symptoms of an overdose of vitamin D, consult with your doctor as soon as possible. You will need to stop taking the vitamin D supplements, and restrict your intake of calcium. Like most good things in life, too much vitamin D can be harmful.. ...(more)

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/v/vitamin_d_overdose/symptoms.htm

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Vitamin D overdose includes the 5 symptoms listed below:

* Excessive calcium absorption
* Calcification
* Urinary stones
* Certain nerve symptoms
* Certain muscle symptoms ...

[tiptoe]

8. 'Cholecalciferol (D3), not Ergocalciferol (D2), Is Safe'

The Truth About Vitamin D Toxicity -- John Jacob Cannell, MD
• Vitamin D Toxicity Fears Unwarranted
• Cholecalciferol, Not Ergocalciferol, Is Safe

Although there are documented cases of pharmacological overdoses from ergocalciferol¹, the only documented case of pharmacological—not industrial—toxicity from cholecalciferol we could find in the literature was intoxication from an over-the-counter supplement called Prolongevity.²  On closer inspection, it seemed more like an industrial accident, but it was interesting because it gave us some idea of the safety of cholecalciferol.
...

¹Ergocalciferol Vitamin D2. A vitamin D-like, patented drug that is not naturally present in the human body. Ergocalciferol is derived from fungal and plant sources by activating ergosterol with ultraviolet light, is only half as potent as cholecalciferol (real vitamin D), and may even block some of cholecalciferol's beneficial effects. It is more toxic and is the cause of most of the reported cases of vitamin D toxicity.
²Koutkia P, Chen TC, Holick MF. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11439958">Vitamin D intoxication associated with an over-the-counter supplement. N Engl J Med. 2001 Jul 5;345(1):66-7.

• Therapeutic Index

As a physician, I know that psychotic patients should drink about 8 glasses of water a day. However, many would hurt themselves by regularly drinking 40 glasses a day (called compulsive water intoxication). So you could say that water has a therapeutic index of 5 (40/8).

Heaney's recent research indicates that healthy humans utilize about 4,000 units of vitamin D a day (from all sources).³ However, 40,000 units a day, over several years, will hurt them.⁴ Therefore, vitamin D has a therapeutic index of 10 (40,000/4,000)—twice as safe as water. We are not saying vitamin D is as safe as water, we are saying vitamin D is safe when used in the doses nature uses.

³Heaney R, Davies K, Chen T, Holick M, Barger-Lux MJ. Human serum 25 hydroxycholecalciferol response to extended oral dosing with cholecalciferol, Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;77;204-10.
⁴Vieth, R. Vitamin D supplementation, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, and safety, Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69:842-856

• Sun Supplies 10,000 Units of Vitamin D

The single most important fact anyone needs to know about vitamin D is how much nature supplies if we behave naturally, e.g., go into the sun. Humans make at least 10,000 units of vitamin D within 30 minutes of full body exposure to the sun, what is called a minimal erythemal dose.⁶ Vitamin D production in the skin occurs within minutes and is already maximized before your skin turns pink.

Fear of the fatal form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, keeps many people out of the sun. The problem with the theory is that the incidence of melanoma continues to increase dramatically although many people have been completely avoiding the sun for years.⁴ We are not saying sunburns are safe, they are not. We are saying that brief, full-body sun exposure (minimal erythemal doses) may slightly increase your risk of skin cancer but it is a much smarter thing to do than dying of vitamin D deficiency.

⁵Holick MF. Environmental factors that influence the cutaneous production of vitamin D. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995 Mar;61(3 Suppl):638S–645S.
⁶Hemminki K, Zhang H, Czene K. Incidence trends and familial risks in invasive and in situ cutaneous melanoma by sun-exposed body sites. Int J Cancer. 2003 May 10;104(6):764–71.

• Hypersensitivity, Not Toxicity

 

[eleny]

5. One of my husband's doctors recently said....

.... that they're learning now that they haven't well understood how Vitamin D is absorbed through the skin. And that we don't get as much as was once thought. So most of us could have slight deficiencies. Especially since we use sun blockers now to protect against skin cancer.