How Toxic is Vitamin D in High Doses?

I have been otherwise involved and not blogging lately even though I've looked at tons of research.  So today let me just remind you that Vitamin D shows up over and over as correlated with preventing so many diseases (including flu) that it's too big a list to include. It includes pretty much everything.  Getting tested is simple.  Your doctor will order a test if you ask.  They know Vitamin D deficiency is widespread.  That, of course begs the question of why they do not routinely order the test.  Follow the money.  There is no profit in Vitamin D supplementation.  If you do not have a doctor, the Vitamin D Council offers a self test for $50.

How much Vitamin D to take?  Let me just report my own experience.  It took me about six months to raise my levels from 33 to 43 taking 10,000 iu a day.  The next increase did not take quite so long.  So when you are severely deficient, taking a lot of Vitamin D is a vey good idea. 

All the hype about how dangerous too much can be, needs to be put into perspective.  Here is an excerpt from an article on the website of the Vitamin D Council.

From 2000 through 2014, there were 25,397 calls to poison control about overdoses of vitamin D (Figure). There were about 200 calls/year in the year 2000, which has increased to more than 4,000 calls per year recently. During that 15-year period there were only three serious cases of vitamin D toxicity, but no deaths.

Do you know how many people died from Tylenol toxicity during that same time? About three thousand.

Of the five serious medical cases involving vitamin D, two were from aspiration problems in infants when vitamin D drops went down the windpipe. The three serious adult cases were: 1) 55-year old male, chronic ingestion causing agitation, confusion, electrolyte abnormalities, renal failure and seizures; 2) 78-year-old male, chronic ingestion causing lethargy, electrolyte abnormalities, renal failure and respiratory depression; and 3) 53-year-old female with chronic ingestion causing elevated creatinine, renal failure, electrolyte abnormality and hypertension. Doses taken were not given.

As far as suicide attempts, 106 people tried using overdoses of vitamin D to kill themselves, though none succeeded.

Link to the whole article is found here:  https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/blog/how-common-is-vitamin-d-toxicity/

About Fat Cells and Inflammation

This study, conducted by researchers at Newcastle University and the University of Leeds, UK, is published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.  In it they found that being overweight more than doubles the risk of bowel cancer in people with Lynch Syndrome, an inherited genetic disorder which affects genes responsible for detecting and repairing damage in the DNA. Around half of these people develop cancer, mainly in the bowel and womb.

However, over the course of a ten year study they found this risk could be counteracted by taking a regular dose of aspirin. 

What!!!???  Aspirin counteracts the risk of cancer in fat people?  Wow.  Aspirin is one of the oldest, safest, drugs known to man, from at least the time of the ancient Egyptians (willow bark) to the development of the pills we have today in the 1800’s.  Caveat—stomach problems are the drawback of aspirin.

Cancer, we know, is a disease of inflammation.  Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory drug.  But the connection to obesity is my point today. 

Separate from normal wear and tear aging, full fat cells drive chronic inflammation.  The details of that are beyond the scope of today’s post, but they jack up inflammatory chemicals in your body.  The more visceral fat you have, the higher your level of chronic inflammation - and thus the more damage gets added over time to the state of your biology. 

Aging itself is simply your body’s reaction to the damage inflammation causes.  YES, even WRINKLES!  So for those of us with more visceral fat, we have to do more to knock down those inflammatory chemicals. 

The name of my website is minding the middle aged middle—and getting it smaller is important for us who are overweight.  But not only because of cultural pressure or superficial reasons.  It’s an anti-aging strategy because it’s an anti-inflammatory strategy.

 In overweight mice and humans the fat cells, are sending out  false distress signals - they are not under attack by pathogens. But this still sends local immune cells into a tizzy, and that causes inflammation.

Is it hopeless until you’ve lost the weight?  No.  You have heard me talk about the CRP test that measures chronic inflammation.  I am happy to report mine is now VERY low.  And I still have visceral fat I’m working on.  It can be done. 

And what does that get me?  The net result is that I feel better than ever before, I run circles around most of my peers and many who are younger.  And my risk of cancer or any number of other inflammatory and degenerative diseases is extremely low.  That is what I wish for others, as well.  Read back issues to find out what it takes.  It’s not doctors but it is under your control. 

It's Not Just Me

I harp on the subject of chronic inflammation.  I know, I sound like a broken record...And your doctor never mentions it, most of the health news rarely mentions it either.

Sometimes it's nice to know I'm not the only one, though it would be helpful if more people and doctors recognized the importance of chronic inflammation.  But here's an article that appeared this week.  It's short, go ahead and take a look.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/staying-healthy-after-100_55c249e0e4b0138b0bf4bf18?kvcommref=mostpopular

Where this article failed, is in defining something as simple as "what is an inflammatory marker?"  How do you know if you are inflamed?  And more important, what do you do about it? 

The inflammatory marker is called the CRP test.  It is a simple blood test that measures the C-reactive protein, THE marker of your level of inflammation.  A low test score (1.0 or less) indicates little risk. Over 1.0 and you have chronic inflammation going on and it is doing bad things.  Those are the bad things that keep you from being functional both mentally and physically as you age.  Someone recently asked me what is the upper limit of the score...There may not be one, though people with multiple organ failure, have scores over 100--but they are near death.  This is not an obscure test that you have to fight to get.  Just ask for it.

If you have an infection, your score will be higher, and if you are overweight, your score will be higher.  One of the discoveries of recent years is that fat cells are modified cells of the immune system and full fat cells put out inflammatory molecules.  It takes more to reduce chronic inflammation if you are overweight.  That said, what it takes to reduce inflammation is well understood. 

Two of the best things you can do for yourself is get blood sugar and insulin very low and take plenty of Omega 3 fish oils--get a good brand for there are many that are worthless.  I prefer Carlson's brand myself.  And test.  Know your CRP and if it is high, get it down.  Not so you'll live to 100 or more, but so that however long you live with be without disease and dementia.

Study About Carbohydrates and Depression

Today I want to share the results of a study that just came out in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: 

Consumption of carbohydrates increases blood sugar levels to varying degrees, depending on the type of food ingested. The more highly refined the carbohydrate, the higher its score on the glycemic index (GI) scale. The GI scale, which goes from 0-100, measures the amount of sugar found in the blood after eating. Refined foods such as white bread, white rice, and soda trigger a hormonal response in the body to reduce blood sugar levels. This response may also cause or exacerbate mood changes, fatigue and other symptoms of depression. 

The investigators found that progressively higher dietary GI scores and consumption of added sugars and refined grains were associated with increased risk of new-onset depression in post-menopausal women. Greater consumption of dietary fiber, whole grains, vegetables and non-juice fruits was associated with decreased risk.

While the above information is mostly accurate and interesting (i.e. carbohydrates are mostly not human-friendly)  they started with the same ol’ same ol’ assumption that whole grains are better than processed grains.  Yes, lowering the glycemic index (or load which is dependant on serving size) is likely protective of brain and mood, but the information below needs to be factored in, too. 

1 cup of hard red winter wheat (whole) is 137 grams of carbs with a glycemic load of 68.  This is raw wheat.  I’n not sure, but cooked in water that might be two cups of whole wheat.  Halve those numbers and you get almost 70 grams of carbs with a glycemic load of 34—the glycemic load says 10 and below is a low load, over 20 is high.  Tell me how anyone can possibly think whole grains are good for blood sugar/insulin levels.  WHOLE GRAINS ARE NOT HEALTHY!!!!  They are nothing more than packages of high density glucose delivered with an unhealthy dose of anti-nutrients (lectins, phytic acid and gluten).  Whew, sorry if I was shouting.  This crappy information riles me!  If you want to avoid depression, keep the glycemic index and load of your carbs low.  But do not kid yourself that whole grains fit that bill.

What do you think chronic inflammation is doing to your body right now?

Yes, I think you have some level of chronic inflammation going on right now.  I hope I am wrong, that you do not, but statistically, you probably do.  It is an ubiquitous player in modern life, a result of many foods you’ve been told are good, but are not; aggressive marketing by corporate edible producers, and lifestyle factors only some of which are under your control.

 Want to prove me wrong?  Ask your physician for a CRP (C-reactive protein) blood test.  It’s not obscure, and though they do not normally order it, they will without too much confrontation.  The test measures a protein that is part of the immune response.  A high level (above 1.0) indicate your immune system is simmering (or boiling) and not able to shut down so your body can heal.

 Do you have an medical condition?  Do you experience pain on a regular basis?  Those are manifestations of an immune system cranked up.  Healthy aging is not painful, forgetful, frail, disabled or fraught with medical diagnosis. 

 All those things ocurr in the presence of decades long chronic inflammation.  The damage continues to accrue until you have something (or somethings) wrong with you and a curtailed quality of life.

 So if you get the blood test, and it’s high, or you believe me that your chronic pain or disease is the result of chronic inflammation, what are you willing to do about it?  What exactly do you think it means for you—not the facts of it, but the consequence of it?

As I have researched inflammation, and what it means for myself, my friends and family, I can tell you what frightens me the most.  It is the effect of chronic inflammation on the health and function of my mind.  Having watched my own mother and others lose cognitive ability, I am most certain that isn’t what I want for myself.  An inflammed brain cannot stay sharp.  It cannot remember well.  It cannot serve us well.  But that’s not normal aging, it is pathology.

How do you reduce inflammation?  There are lots of things that help, but the biggest inflammatory factor in your body is the level of blood sugar and insulin.  They are an overwhelming cause of it.  Protein and fat do not increase blood sugar or spike insulin.  Only carbohydrates do.  Fewer are better for you, especially the high density things like sugars and grains.  The longer you have abused that system, the harder it is to get it working right again.

Next thing that reduces inflammation is to eliminate vegetable oils.  The healthy balance of Omega 3 oils (mostly animal fats) and Omega 6 oils (mostly vegetable sources) should be 50/50.  They do opposite things so an even balance keeps you right where mother nature intended.  For 40 years or more we were told saturated fat was deadly so they squeezed grass seeds to process out some oil and marketed rigorously.  Read labels.  Soy oil is in way too many packaged goods.  Too much Omega 6 is inflammatory.

Next is to eliminate the deficiencies.  Chances are very high that you are deficient in many minerals because almost everybody is.  Almost everyone is low in Vitamin D.  I blogged about these earlier this year.

Next, there are a variety of things that can tweak the process of eliminating inflammation, if the above steps do not do it for you--that depends on your individuality and lifestyle.  But the above are the ones to try first.  They are inexpensive, very effective, and have no bad side effects—only good ones. Yes, turmeric is anti-inflammatory, but if your blood sugar and insulin are high, turmeric’s benefit will be swamped and a waste of money.

Get the test.  While you’re getting that one (CRP) ask for fasting insulin.  Not fasting glucose.  Insulin should be 5 or below, lower is better.   Holler if you’d like help on any of this sort of nutritional approach to aging without brain fog, pain and disease!

So back to the question in the title…what do you think inflammation is doing in your body?  I think it is damaging you somewhere, shortening your life and increasing potential misery.  It’s keeping your body from being able to heal itself like it was intended. 

Findings on Dementia

Results from 7 studies about what things boost risk of your brain failing you as you age.  Two thing to remember.  a) Your body has only one thing it can do when something is wrong (toxins, deficiencies, injuries, micro invaders)--anything wrong, it cranks up inflammation.  If it gets cranked up and never allowed to shut down it causes damage.  Where that damage shows up for you is individual, but the biggies in the category of diseases of civilization are the heart, metabolism, brain and malignant growths. Ultimately they all are part of a network (you).  All the info below ties to the inflammation thermostat.

b) correlation does not equal cause but it's certainly suggestive.  My own feeling is that is eliminating something correlated with dementia is likely to help and non toxic, I don't need to wait for the final proof.

1.  People who were underweight in middle age were a third (34%) more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those of a healthy weight, and this increased risk of dementia persisted even 15 years after the underweight was recorded.

 2. This is the first study to show a dose response: linking more risk for developing dementia to higher use of anticholinergic medications. And it is also the first to suggest that dementia risk linked to anticholinergic medications may persist -- and may not be reversible even years after people stop taking these drugs.(doxepin (Sinequan), first-generation antihistamines like chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton), and antimuscarinics for bladder control like oxybutynin (Ditropan). and Benadryl.)   

3.  Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a substantially increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in older people, according to the most robust study of its kind ever conducted.  "We expected to find an association between low Vitamin D levels and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, but the results were surprising -- we actually found that the association was twice as strong as we anticipated.  and their new findings confirm that vitamin D levels above 50 nmol/L are most strongly associated with good brain health.

4.  35-year period has confirmed exercise significantly reduces the risk of dementia. The study identifies five healthy behaviors as  having the best chance of leading a disease-free lifestyle: taking regular exercise, non-smoking, a low body weight, a healthy diet and a low alcohol intake.   "What the research shows is that following a healthy lifestyle confers surprisingly large benefits to health -- healthy behaviors have a far more beneficial effect than any medical treatment or preventative procedure.

5.   "The study demonstrates why it is so crucial for people with diabetes to work closely with health care providers on controlling their blood sugar," Chiu said. "Managing the disease can help prevent the onset of dementia later in life."

6.  Depression and type 2 diabetes mellitus were each associated with an increased risk for dementia and that risk was even greater among individuals diagnosed with both depression and diabetes.

7.  Diabetes is a risk factor for dementia. But now a study has found that higher blood sugar levels are associated with higher dementia risk, even among people who do not have diabetes. "While that is interesting and important, we have no data to suggest that people who make changes to lower their glucose improve their dementia risk. Those data would have to come from future studies with different study designs."

 

Science as an Adjunct of Big Pharma

Mice are used for many studies because they have many, many similarities to humans.   In fact, wild mice are omnivores, they eat a variety of foods including meat--insects or in hard times, each other.  If you have been reading with me for very long, you know I think carbohydrates are far too prevalent in modern human diets.  In research mice, the normal mouse chow is 13% fat, 62% carbohydrate and 25% protein.   Why they decided this is "normal" for mice is anyone's guess.  Here is the headline for a recent mouse study and one line from the study. 

Age-related cognitive decline tied to immune-system molecule "Since B2M goes up with age in blood, Cerebral Spinal Fluid, and also in the brain itself, this allows us multiple avenues in which to target this protein therapeutically."

This protein with a negative effect on brain function goes up with age.  I want to know why.  Is it correlated with other markers of chronic inflammation like CRP?  I suspect the answer is yes.  And if that's the case,  the therapeutic intervention I'd be most interested in is one that reduces chronic inflammation (including B2M protein) without drugs, by changing the diet. 

So back to the mouse diet.  If chronic inflammation is going up with age, the first place to look would be the diet.  Yikes--62% carbohydrate and low fat of only 13% would sure be inflammatory in a human.  Little mouse subject might just need a better diet that promotes a healthier--lower--level of chronic inflammation. 

My point is that there is a bias in much of the science (follow the money) to make money for big pharma.  I think this is a good example of that.  They're simply not asking the right question in the first place. They're asking what drug can ameliorate the effects of this immune protein that goes up with age?  I would ask what's making this protein go up with age and I'd bet on a diet that's totally out of whack for an omnivore.