Worth a read as since I was very ill with an autoimmune disorder I found that vitamin D has an important role to play in regulating the immune system and I was found to be severely lacking in vitamin D at the time of my illness. It goes a long way to explaining why certain age groups and ethnic groups are affected.
Same here - possible low vit d levels can be a cause for problems in MS patients so I've been on 5000iu tabs daily for 5 years or more. I'm out in daylight sun during work but not sure whether my body processes the naturally occurring VitD hence the tablets.
If a side effect means I don't get the virus then happy days.
Spot on Andy as MS has been firmly linked to low levels of vit D. Problems with Kidneys and Liver and low chloresterol can determine how much vitamin D we process from sun and the tiny amount from diet we get. D3 is the one to take as you know an also b12. Tbh there is no need for any other supplements other than these to stay healthy
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D3 is the one Pete. There's a theory MS sufferers can't deal with processing that vitamin without taking B12 as well. TBH for how much they are the B12 is worthwhile, for me at least.
I get mine online. About £12 for a year's supply of D3 and the B12 was even cheaper IIRC.
Another study very recently by a medical uni found that Covid mortality in Italy and Spain which you associate with sunny climes found that vit D was low due to not going out enough in the sun and darker complexion (also it has hit after the winter when levels are at the lowest) also Scandanavian countries have a better rate of survival due to staple foods being fortified which used to happen here. They are lobbying the government to change the advise re Covid.
Ironically obsession with skin cancer and slapping on the factor 500 may actually being doing us harm. Vit D also prevents low bone density (rickets in children which has been on the rise) as it is vital in the process that takes the calcium from the blood, high calcium levels in blood are attributed to various cancers. So safe in that knowledge you would be bonkers to assume you are okay for something that costs pennies..
Btw some useless information.Cholecalciferol or vit D3 is made primarily from the lanolin in sheeps wool. If you ever wondered how furry animals get vit D well in sheep the lanolin that renders the fleece relative water proof absorbs sunlight and this converts and is absorbed into the skin. See a Dog or cat laying in the sun then licking its coat? Similar thing is happening but the oil from the coat is also ingested. Its natural behaviour for many furry animals.
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Walk a mile in another man's shoes. ...and you will be a mile away... and have his shoes..
I rarely post, and after this Lengthy ramble, you might wish I wouldn't, but it's quite a big topic for me at present, so here goes..
I've spent time researching this topic, due to my wife's health issues, I would only add that before Vit D is taken in to much quantity, it's worth reading this book. There's no dispute over Vit D's benefits but it needs a degree of caution as too much can have the opposite effect, it also needs Vit K to work effectively, otherwise calcium absorption governed by Vit D runs into the blood stream unchecked, and ends up in the 'wrong' place, in the arteries not bones & teeth
This book or even its preface is worth a read, and the link to calcification of arteries and the need for Vit K to ensure balance is worth understanding. The irony is that vitamin K is found predominantly in animal fat, so plant based diet argument needs careful thought, and the fact that good fat is actually good for your arteries is the paradox
I want to recommend this product at Amazon.com
Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little-Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life by Amazon Learn more: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0062320041/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_nJw2EbQX7SHF6
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-- Edited by Nasher on Thursday 4th of June 2020 10:48:56 PM
-- Edited by Nasher on Thursday 4th of June 2020 10:55:18 PM
-- Edited by Nasher on Thursday 4th of June 2020 10:59:02 PM
Its interesting Nasher and no doubt all vitamins are required and most can be attained from a healthy balanced diet however as you rightly point out there are some that are harder to come by. I doubt the modest amount I take which is 1000 iu every other day will cause any toxicity, studies show that somewhere like 50000iu a day may do which is 100 times what I take and I cut it out during the summer months anyway as I get outside more then.
Its important to realise that vit D is often low in people in the UK due to diet and sun exposure. Vitamin K is rarely a problem unless you have a condition or a very poor diet.
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Walk a mile in another man's shoes. ...and you will be a mile away... and have his shoes..