Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

[Bronco Bill]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation

I gotta say...the way this showed up in my email this morning wreaks of SPAM. The only reference to "the experts" is to FluTrackers, a consortium of people from around the globe. Much the same as FluWiki. Understandably, most of the 'experts' do read our blogs, however, many don't post.
My concern is that there are no references to published reports in the news media or from any "official" medical source. None of the "many studies" are referenced, no papers are made available. We only have the good Doctor's word (albeit a good word at that!) that Vit D3 will help to curtail the onset of Influenza.
He recommends to immediately begin ingesting up to 10,000iu PER DAY. For how long, Doctor? And without a personal physician knowing about it? The FDA, and most typical doctors, recommend NO MORE than 2,000iu per day...
Now, it's very hard to OD on Vitamin D, but it IS possible. And some of the risks of overdosing are severe. I'm just sayin'...

Upon doing some of my own web research, I've found the following:

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

http://vitamins.lovetoknow.com/Vitamin_D_Overdose

[tropicalgirl]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Ok. Time for a personal testimonial now. (a bit long, sorry)

I have a very white skin and I live in the bright side of the earth. On vacation I go to my hometown (which has a ozone issue due to bad agriculture habits - it's not a guess. The public health service deals with skin cancer in that region much more often than other areas and has some public policies about it. Scientifically proved already by some studies - you really can fell the sun burning you there, not fun at all and it's not a way of making money, I assure you. Great part of people there cannot afford sunblocks. Ozone varies, it's true, but not that much).

Must say that my grandparents generation took a lot of sun, they usually would spend great part outside with no sunblock. But they usually would use hats and clothes, cotton long sleeves. My grandparents had skin cancer after their 70's. My parents never used sunblocks in early years, they used go to beach and get burned, yes burned. That was the fashion trends those days. So they spend great part of their summer vacation on burning skins. They got cancer after their 50's (specially my father who had a job which he would be exposed to sun for long periods - he did not use hat or long sleeves also - as my grandpa). Maybe we should study fashion and health.

The more serious case is my dad, very white skin, almost no protection all his life, long periods of exposure. My mother is more brunet type and get some tan when at sun, she already got some skin cancer, but not that serious. My grandpas had them, but very light (both died in his 90's).

Since I genetically have a great chance of having skin cancer (I'm as white as dad) I should be wearing a great sunblock, right? That was what my dermato told me and confirmed my parents docs. So, some years ago I started using a sunblock religiously for one strait week, a very powerful one. After one week I was looking like a dead person, my skin was almost translucent! So I just quit it. I don't think that something that makes you look sick can be healthy (no, I did not told mom that I quit it ). Just pure common sense. I do put sunblock if I'm at beach or some similar place, when I'll stay longer at sunlight and when I go to my home town (seriously, I can't stand being in the sun for 10 min there). I do avoid having sun burns, which is wise, but I do not care about sunblock in a daily bases. I work mostly at home and I'm not exposed to sun so often. Sometimes I will put on some make up which has a factor 6 or 8 of protection. Not much, but enough. So I guess that if we be a little wise as our granpas, we can have a long life... some protection but not too much, real food and washing hands every time you arrive home, before meals and after using the toilet (funny, just remembered that at my grandpas house they had an extra sink outside the bathroom just for washing hands)... time to rethink lifestyle...

[The Mountains Voice]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation

My concern is that there are no references to published reports in the news media or from any "official" medical source. None of the "many studies" are referenced, no papers are made available.

Very interesting - and yet you have no problem making assertions without referencing official medical source or papers yourself.

I believe if you read through the various discussion threads, you will find plenty of study & paper references.

[sharon sanders]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Any misuse of the private message system at FT will result in a suspension of posting privileges.

As far as private messages as concerned - "less is more".

Thank you.

[sharon sanders]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation

The following is an unapproved sample format. Comments at end.



Comment #1 - Obviously Sharon & Dr. Gratson would have to approve this before I started launching it around the globe. Sharon, when completed in final acceptable format, you could pop this out as well to your contacts.

Comment #2 - Doc, you are the best man for the job. Perhaps you could do the "Fill in the blank sections". I know you will probably argue humbly against this - but I think you have a greater calling in this one. Pray on it.

Comment #3 - For additional power, legitimacy,and to get more news media interaction, I believe that some of the major contributors here should add their names. I think that some some big name persons who follow this should also perhaps have an "I have reviewed this, and add my name in agreement" statements. Perhaps Dr. Woodson could be pointman for selections.

Doc, if you take this on, and if Sharon approves it, then I will devote some major time to issuing press releases. Both of you think on this. This has been an incredible breakthrough, except that it hasn't. Hasn't broken through into the general knowledge base of the human population. If this collected knowledge isn't shared - then it becomes dead knowledge, and if we wait for big pharma to release the info - then people wil simply die waiting.

What say ye?

No. LizW is our official press release preparer.

[Bronco Bill]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation

Very interesting - and yet you have no problem making assertions without referencing official medical source or papers yourself.

I believe if you read through the various discussion threads, you will find plenty of study & paper references.

Yes, TMV, if I had the time to go back and read your's and GW's posts, I may have found yours and his testimonials, and yours and his research. Does this make it viable research? Not necessarily...have there been any blind studies, double-blind studies? Has there been anything written in any major medical journals? Have any medical universities backed your "research"? You can sit there, behind your monitor, and shout me down all you want. What i'm objecting to is you spamming my inbox uninvited. I went and found a link that refuted what is stated in that SPAM, and simply posted.

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Bronco, before you add one more word go look at the original thread please. You will find your data there. If you do not have time to read the data then kindly refrain from posting as if you had all the necessary data------you do not.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=111947

[hornblower]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

But once scientists figured this out, they made new sunscreens which are broad spectrum and do a good job of blocking UVA and UVB. So while sunscreens during a certain period of time potentially did more harm than good (because they allowed people to stay in the sun longer than they normally would have because they did not start burning), that's not the case with the new broad spectrum sunscreens.

To suggest otherwise is simply not correct.

It's also important to note that this problem of UVA blocks was not global. Certain countries mandated broad spectrum sunscreens much earlier on.

Regarding tropical girl's post that the sunblock made her look dead - well yeah, esp. if you're using a good titanium dioxide block. It's a white mineral ground to a very fine powder and suspended in a lotion. It is a physical sunblock (as opposed to the chemical sunblocks also avail on the market) and it can make the skin look white. Some of the newer formulations have ground the titanium dioxide to a much finer level and they leave less of a white haze. Chemical sunblocks do not leave a haze at all. So if you want to try it again without the white hase, seek out a chemical broad specturm block.

I do think the Vit D issue is an important one to explore. I also strongly believe in scientific, evidence based practice.

my .02
~hornblower

Sunscreen has lead to increased rates of skin cancer. Yup the very thing sold to people to prevent it increased it.

[prepdeb]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

That excellent video is what woke my interest in the subject.

As someone with fair skin and freckles, I spent most of my life getting sunburned until a very bad burn years ago when we were on vacation in Florida.
I no longer burn easily, but don't tan easily either.

Even though I rarely use sunscreen, I was concerned about getting too much sun and never imagined that I might need more vitamin D than I am getting in my multi-vitamin.

After watching that video and reading here at FT, I googled the subject and found tons of information out there.

[the doctor]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Bronco, before you add one more word go look at the original thread please. You will find your data there. If you do not have time to read the data then kindly refrain from posting as if you had all the necessary data------you do not.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=111947

I want to than BB for letting us know someone has let the cat out of the bag before they should have.

He is absolutely right about the lack of supporting references, which as Shannon points are there are many good ones.

I thought everyone understood that the documents posted here, both the long version and the short one page summary were simply DRAFTS and posted solely for comments and suggestions not for sharing especially through an email shotgun.

We have time to wait and get it right before sending this thing to anyone outside of FTs.

The mods and editors have not decided whether this document should be released as an FT endorsed one or not as yet. IF and I say IF they approve of it, then as pointed out by Florida1, it will be released by Lizw first. This does not mean it could not be also promoted by others but that is something that should be discussed with her.

GW

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

The excitement was too much for some people. This is a draft and no decision has yet been made. The dialogue is on-going. Hopefully, we will see some hard data soon enough to make a difference.

On the other hand, I have seen enough data to convince me of the necessity to add vitamin D to my regimen. It is up to individuals to evaluate what they need to do prior to addition testing.

[Bronco Bill]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Hello hornblower

I will make the same request of you that I made of Bronco Bill, only a different presenter from the same conference;

[

And personal attacks on chosen usernames is one of the reasons I moderate on FluWiki and avoid most other boards. Thanks, Tolenio, for confirming my feelings.

[the doctor]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Ok. Time for a personal testimonial now. (a bit long, sorry)

I have a very white skin and I live in the bright side of the earth. On vacation I go to my hometown (which has a ozone issue due to bad agriculture habits - it's not a guess. The public health service deals with skin cancer in that region much more often than other areas and has some public policies about it. Scientifically proved already by some studies - you really can fell the sun burning you there, not fun at all and it's not a way of making money, I assure you. Great part of people there cannot afford sunblocks. Ozone varies, it's true, but not that much).

Must say that my grandparents generation took a lot of sun, they usually would spend great part outside with no sunblock. But they usually would use hats and clothes, cotton long sleeves. My grandparents had skin cancer after their 70's. My parents never used sunblocks in early years, they used go to beach and get burned, yes burned. That was the fashion trends those days. So they spend great part of their summer vacation on burning skins. They got cancer after their 50's (specially my father who had a job which he would be exposed to sun for long periods - he did not use hat or long sleeves also - as my grandpa). Maybe we should study fashion and health.

The more serious case is my dad, very white skin, almost no protection all his life, long periods of exposure. My mother is more brunet type and get some tan when at sun, she already got some skin cancer, but not that serious. My grandpas had them, but very light (both died in his 90's).

Since I genetically have a great chance of having skin cancer (I'm as white as dad) I should be wearing a great sunblock, right? That was what my dermato told me and confirmed my parents docs. So, some years ago I started using a sunblock religiously for one strait week, a very powerful one. After one week I was looking like a dead person, my skin was almost translucent! So I just quit it. I don't think that something that makes you look sick can be healthy (no, I did not told mom that I quit it ). Just pure common sense. I do put sunblock if I'm at beach or some similar place, when I'll stay longer at sunlight and when I go to my home town (seriously, I can't stand being in the sun for 10 min there). I do avoid having sun burns, which is wise, but I do not care about sunblock in a daily bases. I work mostly at home and I'm not exposed to sun so often. Sometimes I will put on some make up which has a factor 6 or 8 of protection. Not much, but enough. So I guess that if we be a little wise as our granpas, we can have a long life... some protection but not too much, real food and washing hands every time you arrive home, before meals and after using the toilet (funny, just remembered that at my grandpas house they had an extra sink outside the bathroom just for washing hands)... time to rethink lifestyle...

Me too TG, I like you have fair skin and it is hard to be in the sun for very long at all. Think about that though. Our bodies are telling us that we don't need much sun to get what it needs from the sun, which is healthy levels of vitamin D.

To digress, something that I love to do, it is important to remember that all humans come "out of Africa". We all started out black as coal. Thorough the influence of evolution and adaption to the lower sun conditions present at higher latitudes, the lighter skinned among us were favored and they triumped genetically over our darker ancestors to become us.

Humans with lower levels of skin pigment are able to obtain healthy levels of vitamin D with much less sun exposure than those of us with more skin pigment. This is a simple fact. So, when you say that you have a hard time being in the sun for more than 10 minutes, well listen to yourself. You are giving yourself very good advice. In fact, the right advice.

Get those 10 minutes and not a moment more. After this exposure, put on the sunscreen and cover yourself or go inside. This makes tremendous sense to me. Doing so will give you all the benefits of vitamin D and few of the skin cancer risks. Each to their own.

GW

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Bronco am I missing something? I see no personal comments here. Personal attacks are strickly forbidden here.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tolenio
Hello hornblower

I will make the same request of you that I made of Buffalo Bill, only a different presenter from the same conference;

[

And personal attacks on chosen usernames is one of the reasons I moderate on FluWiki and avoid most other boards. Thanks, Tolenio, for confirming my feelings.

[sharon sanders]

Re: Vitamin D supplementation and recommendation by Dr. Grattan Woodson

Me too. I do not see any personal attacks. We do not allow any bashing/personal attacks.

In fact, we get bashed all the time because we are a moderated forum.