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The Vitamin D Cure Blog
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Vitamin D Health, The Vitamin D Cure

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Happy Valentine’s Day - Celebrate Your Heart and Soul
-----------------------------------------------------

February 5th, 2010

This blog focuses on the heart and soul of health. The Vitamin D Cure
emphasizes nutrition, targeted supplements, and exercise. Omega 3 fats
and exercise were all over the science news in the last week. Remember
in the book we recommend about 15 mg/lb of body weight daily of omega
3 fats from diet and supplement. We also recommend at least 30 minutes
of exercise a day and aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week.

And this month for the palate, we have a vitamin D rich recipe of
Salmon with asparagus and mushrooms. For Valentines Day you might
chase this with some dark chocolate and a glass of port. Yuuuumy!

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com).
If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the
rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com.

Seared Salmon with Asparagus & Mushrooms

Ingredients:
• 4 Fresh skinless wild salmon fillets (about 1 pound)
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups sliced assorted mushrooms (such as button, cremini, shittake)
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup clam juice, fish stock, chicken stock or broth (whatever you
have)
• 2 cups asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 in. long pieces
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
• Pat fish dry and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add
the mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion,
garlic and thyme; cook until mushrooms are tender. Add the wine and
bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or
until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup.
• Add clam juice (or stock) and return to a boil. Reduce heat and
simmer for another 15 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to 3/4
cup.
• Add the asparagus and cover; cook for about 3 minutes or until al
dente (crisp-tender.) Stir in the tomatoes, parsley and lemon juice.
Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving platter; keep
warm.
• In the same skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high
heat. Add the salmon and cook for 4-6 minutes per 1/2 inch thickness,
or until fish flakes easily with a fork, turning once.
• Serve salmon over vegetable mixture and garnish with lemon wedges
and fresh thyme.
Makes: 4 Servings

Vitamin D, Diet, and Exercise in the News

Association of marine omega-3 fatty acid levels with telomeric aging
in patients with coronary heart disease.
JAMA. 2010 Jan 20;303(3):250-7.
Division of Cardiology, Room 5G1, San Francisco General Hospital, 1001
Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.

CONTEXT: Increased dietary intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids is
associated
with prolonged survival in patients with coronary heart disease.
However, the
mechanisms underlying this protective effect are poorly understood.
OBJECTIVE: To
investigate the association of omega-3 fatty acid blood levels with
temporal changes in telomere length, an emerging marker of biological
age. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: 608 ambulatory outpatients in
California with stable coronary artery disease recruited from the
Heart and Soul Study RESULTS: Individuals in the lowest quartile of
DHA+EPA experienced the fastest rate of telomere shortening, whereas
those in the highest quartile experienced the slowest rate of telomere
shortening (P < .001 for linear trend across quartiles). Levels of
DHA+EPA were associated with less telomere shortening before and after
sequential adjustment for established risk factors and potential
confounders. Each 1-SD increase in DHA+EPA levels was associated with
a 32% reduction in the odds of telomere shortening. CONCLUSION: Among
this cohort of patients with coronary artery disease, there was an
inverse relationship between baseline blood levels of marine omega-3
fatty acids and the rate of telomere shortening over 5 years.

Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Indicated Prevention of Psychotic
Disorders:A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010 Feb;67(2):146-54.
Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, 35 Poplar Rd. Vienna, Austria

CONTEXT: The use of antipsychotic medication for the prevention of
psychotic disorders is controversial. Long-chain omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may be beneficial in a range of
psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia. Given that omega-3
PUFAs are generally beneficial to health and without clinically
relevant adverse effects, their preventive use in psychosis merits
investigation. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether omega-3 PUFAs reduce
the rate of progression to first-episode psychotic disorder in
adolescents and young adults aged 13 to 25 years with subthreshold
psychosis. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
conducted between 2004 and 2007. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-one individuals
at ultra-high risk of psychotic disorder. INTERVENTIONS: A 12-week
intervention period of 1.2-g/d omega-3 PUFA or placebo was followed by
a 40-week monitoring period; the total study period was 12 months.
RESULTS: 93.8% completed the intervention. By 12 months, 2 of 41
individuals (4.9%) in the omega-3 group and 11 of 40 (27.5%) in the
placebo group had transitioned to psychotic disorder (P = .007). The
difference between the groups in the cumulative risk of progression to
full-threshold psychosis was 22.6% (95% confidence interval,
4.8-40.4). Omega-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids also significantly
reduced positive symptoms (P = .01), negative symptoms (P = .02), and
general symptoms (P = .01) and improved functioning (P = .002)
compared with placebo. The incidence of adverse effects did not differ
between the treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: Long-chain omega-3 PUFAs
reduce the risk of progression to psychotic disorder and may offer a
safe and efficacious strategy for indicated prevention in young people
with sub-threshold psychotic states.

COMMENT: Higher omega 3 blood levels in heart patients appear to be
associated with slower shortening of telomeres in white blood cells.
Remember, the lengths of telomeres are associated with longevity or
survival. In data edited from the book, the use of cod-liver oil to
prevent rickets in Finland appeared to reduce the risk for
schizophrenia in men 30 years later by as much as 78 percent. But, was
this benefit from the vitamin D, the vitamin A or the omega 3 fats
found in cod liver oil? This second study shows us that the omega-3
fats are playing an important role in this protection, and perhaps at
any age preceding the onset of psychosis. It would break my heart if
you didn’t take your omega 3 supplements.

Resistance training and executive functions: a 12-month randomized
controlled trial.
Arch Intern Med. 2010 Jan 25;170(2):170-8.
Brain Research Centre, Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, Vancouver
Coastal Research Institute, Department of Physical Therapy, University
of British Columbia. 357-2647 Willow St, Vancouver, BC V5Z 3P1,
Canada.

According the authors, among community-dwelling women aged 65 to 75
years, 12 months of progressive resistance training once or twice
weekly improved selective attention and conflict resolution relative
to twice-weekly balance and toning exercises. They also found that
resistance training twice weekly improved peak quadriceps muscle
power. This is the first study to demonstrate that engaging in
progressive resistance training as infrequently as once a week can
significantly benefit executive cognitive function in
community-dwelling senior women.

In the same issue were two additional corroborating studies…

Physical activity and incident cognitive impairment in elderly
persons: the INVADE study.
Arch Intern Med. 2010 Jan 25;170(2):186-93. Department of Psychiatry
and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
Conclusion: Moderate or high physical activity is associated with a
reduced incidence of cognitive impairment after 2 years in a large
population-based cohort of elderly subjects.

Physical activity at midlife in relation to successful survival in
women at age 70 years or older. Arch Intern Med. 2010 Jan
25;170(2):194-201. Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public
Health, 655 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Conclusion: These
data provide evidence that higher levels of midlife physical activity
are associated with exceptional health status among women who survive
to older ages and corroborate the potential role of physical activity
in improving overall health.

These data validate the Jack Lalanne phenomenon and the message in the
Vitamin D Cure. Eat healthy, exercise hard, take some targeted
supplements like vitamin D, omega 3 and magnesium, and you will live a
long, healthy and vigorous life.

Vitamin D Success Story
Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online
at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating
others to change their lifestyle.

Hi Dr Dowd,

… I have been suffering with joint pain, muscle weakness, bone pain
for 3 years. I am a 52 year old female. It was hard moving, getting up
from a chair, holding heavy objects in my hands and so on. I have gone
to physical therapist, with not much change. I have seen
rheumatologists and also an endocrinologist…with no relief. I was
given Lortab and steroids. They help for a little while. Last May my
vitamin D was measured and was 20 or insufficient. My then
rheumatologist told me to just supplement with D 3. Recently I bought
a chewable D 3 1000 from GNC for my son and took one myself. The next
day when I woke up, it was like I had gotten a huge steroid shot. It
was unbelievable. I felt relieved. My pain was very minimal. My low
back pain was gone. My back has been a problem for more than 3 years.
… I bought your book last night and read it from beginning to end. …

Thank you,
Judy, from MI

(2 Comments) - Add a Comment »

Tags: Archives of Internal Medicine, Back Pain, cognitive function,
Harvard, JAMA, Mushrooms, omega 3, resistance training, Salmon,
telomere
Posted in Back Pain, Cardiovascular, Dementia, Depression, Diet,
Exercise, James E Dowd, Nutrition, The Vitamin D Cure, Uncategorized,
Valentines Day, Vitamin D 

Celebrate the Winter Solstice with Vitamin D
--------------------------------------------

December 23rd, 2009

Happy Holidays and Welcome to the Vitamin D Blog/Newsletter! I will
attempt to keep you up on what I feel to be the most interesting
vitamin D research. I have a very busy clinic in adult and pediatric
rheumatology at The Arthritis Institute of Michigan in Brighton,
Michigan, so my time available to post new blogs is limited to once a
week. My interests in medicine extend far beyond vitamin D and I hope
to share some of that with you in future books. I also supply blog
information to eVitamins.com. I receive no compensation from them,
only exposure.

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com).
If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the
rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .
This week I asked her for a dessert recipe. It still complies with our
Paleolithic principles. So, enjoy a little something sweet for the
holidays.

Pear Berry Cinnamon Nut Crisp
Fruit filling
5 to 6 cups sliced pears–peeled, (2.5 to 3 pounds)
1 to 2 cups berries of your choice, fresh or frozen
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 T. ground flaxseed
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
Crisp Topping
¾ cup chopped nuts of your choice
¼ cup ground flaxseed
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 to 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400F

Place the fruit in a medium-sized bowl, and toss with the lemon juice.
Sprinkle in the flaxseed and sugar and toss until evenly coated, then
transfer the mixture to an ungreased 9- or 10-inch pie pan. Don’t
clean the bowl.

Use the same bowl to make the crisp topping. Combine the dry
ingredients; use your fingers, if necessary, to mix in the brown
sugar. Add the oil and mix with a fork and/or your hands until
uniformly moistened. Carefully crumble the topping mixture over the
fruit, and pat it into place. Place the pan on a baking tray, and bake
in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, or until brown on top. Cool
for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm, or at room
temperature.
Serves: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes to bake

Vitamin D in the News
This week past there was a series of articles published in the
International Journal of Endocrinology. This article was most
interesting to me. This journal is open access, so you can read the
full text of these papers. There are some good reviews of information
we discuss in The Vitamin D Cure.

Vitamin d levels and lipid response to atorvastatin.
Int J Endocrinol. 2010;2010:320721. Epub 2009 Aug 19.
Department Internal Medicine, Rio Hortega Universitary Hospital, C/
Dulzaina 2,
University of Valladolid, 47012 Valladolid, Spain.

Objectives: Adequate vitamin D levels are necessary for good vascular
health. 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol activates CYP3A4, an enzyme of
the cytochrome P450 system, which metabolizes atorvastatin to its main
metabolites. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response
of cholesterol and triglycerides to atorvastatin according to vitamin
D levels. Design and Methods: Sixty-three patients with acute
myocardial infarction treated with low and high doses of atorvastatin
were included. Levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL
cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol were measured at baseline and at 12
months of follow-up. Baseline levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD)
were classified as deficient (<30 nmol/L),insufficient (30-50 nmol/L),
and normal (>50 nmol/L). Results: In patients with 25-OHD <30nmol/L,
there were no significant changes in levels of total cholesterol (173
+/-47 mg/dL versus 164 +/- 51 mg/dL), triglycerides (151 +/- 49 mg/dL
versus 177 +/-94 mg/dL), and LDL cholesterol (111 +/- 48 mg/dL versus
92 45 +/- mg/dL); hereas patients with insufficient (30-50 nmol/L) and
normal vitamin D (>50 nmol/L) had a good response to atorvastatin.
Conclusions: We suggest that vitamin D concentrations >30nmol/L may be
required for atorvastatin to reduce lipid levels in patients with
acute myocardial infarction.

Comment: In short “Statins” (Lipitor, Zocor, etc…) appear to require a
minimum amount of vitamin D (25(OH)D3) substrate (>12 ng/mL or 30
nmol/L) to produce their lipid lowering effects. And, this effect was
dose dependent with more dramatic lipid lowering effects at vitamin D
levels above 20 ng/mL or 50 nmol/L. More interesting than their lipid
lowering effects is their effect on inflammation. We now know that
coronary heart disease is an inflammatory disease. Vitamin D is
essential for a normal and controlled inflammatory response. We also
know that low levels of vitamin D are associated with increased
cardiovascular mortality and all cause mortality. Does vitamin D
deficiency impair the anti-inflammatory response to statins as well?

Quality of diet and potential renal acid load as risk factors for
reduced bone
density in elderly women.
Bone. 2009 Dec 11.
Area di Geriatria, Università Campus Biomedico. Roma, Italy;
Fondazione Alberto
Sordi Onlus. Roma, Italy.

BACKGROUND: Bone mineral density (BMD) may be influenced by the
general dietary pattern and the potential renal acid load (PRAL).
METHODS: We compared the
dietary intake (estimated using the European Prospective Investigation
into Cancer and nutrition questionnaire) of 497 community-living women
(60 years of age and older) grouped according to tertiles of baseline
total, trabecular and cortical BMD estimated using tibial peripheral
quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), and of BMD variation over 6
years. RESULTS: None of the other nutrients taken into account nor
PRAL was associated with total BMD, with the exception that the intake
of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was slightly higher among women
with the highest total BMD. Similar results were found for trabecular
BMD. Cortical BMD was associated with serum 25-OH vitamin D (38.8,
43.2, and 49.5nmol/L in the first, second, and third tertiles,
respectively; P=0.042). In the longitudinal analysis, a lower BMI was
associated with greater loss of total BMD, while lower serum 25-OH
vitamin D at baseline was associated with smaller loss of cortical
BMD. CONCLUSIONS: We found no relationship between dietary acid load
and BMD. We also confirmed the role of well-recognized risk factor for
osteoporosis.

Comment: This study confirms the association between vitamin D levels
and both cortical and trabecular bone over time. The higher the
vitamin D level was between 15 and 25 ng/mL, the higher the bone mass.
This study also confirms the bone protective effect of polyunsaturated
fats in the diet that is well described in animal studies. In other
words, omega-3 fats make for stronger bones. There was no relationship
between dietary acidosis and bone mass. This contradicts previous
epidemiological data.

Vitamin D Success Story
Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online
at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating
others to change their lifestyle.

Dear Doctor Dowd:

Thank you for your response! … My rheumatologist gave me no hope and
told me the only thing I could do to keep down the inflammation is to
take Tylenol or ibuprofen around the clock for the rest of my life
(and have my kidneys checked yearly). If I had a flare-up, they would
give me colchicine or if it got really bad, a cortisone shot. I showed
her your book and one of the case studies that sounded exactly like me
and she pooh-poohed it. I had worried about ending up like my
grandmother who had rheumatoid arthritis and was almost totally
crippled from it.

I’ve since visited a naturopath, and–against my endocrinologist’s and
regular doctor’s advice–have begun taking 5,000 IU of vitamin D. My D3
level was 28 at that time. A re-test after 1.5 months showed I had
improved to 46, and for the first time in years my C-reactive protein
was normal–NOT high…

My knees feel better since I got a cortisone shot and had them drained
(20 ccs each) in August. The shot has worn off and some pain returned,
but not to the previous levels, and no noticeable swelling. I notice
less swelling in my fingers, too, and am totally off ibuprofen.

By the way, our UV level is 1 today, even though it’s clear and bright
(not raining!) in Seattle.

Thanks, again.

Susan

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Tags: acidosis, bone mass, cholesterol, dessert, newsletter,
osteoporosis, statins, Vitamin D Diet
Posted in All Cause Mortality, Cardiovascular, Christmas, Coronary
Heart Disease, Death, Fat, James E Dowd, Nutrition, Recipes, Sun, The
New York Times, The Vitamin D Cure, Vitamin D, Winter Solstice 

Falling Leaves Means Falling Vitamin D
--------------------------------------

November 11th, 2009

When the leaves change colors the availability of ultraviolet light to
make vitamin D (UVB) disappears till next spring. Your vitamin D level
then begins to fall along with all the leaves on the deciduous trees.
Ten weeks after peak fall colors your vitamin D level is about half
what it was at the end of summer. For me hear in Michigan (42° N) that
is about Christmas time or New Year’s. For those of you who live in
the southern part of the United States or below 35° N your vitamin D
may never fall by half because your winter is not 10 weeks long. The
only sources of vitamin D during winter are fat stores and
supplements.

Mother Nature intended for us to burn most of our fat stores over the
winter due to less food availability. Our Western lifestyles have us
typically eating more food through the end of year holidays. So rather
than liberating stored vitamin D by burning fat, we are increasing fat
volume and retaining vitamin D in fat. If there were ever an
appropriate use of fasting it would be from Thanksgiving through
Easter. We should eat less in these winter months not more.

Moderate to intense physical activity also stimulates fat burning and
will liberate vitamin D from fat stores. Maintaining a routine of this
type of activity has been shown in CDC data to translate into
significantly higher vitamin D levels. So follow the diet in the
Vitamin D Cure year round and establish a daily routine of moderate
physical activity.

Remember low vitamin D levels in the winter depress your mood and your
immune system. So beat those winter blues and stop all those flu
viruses with the Vitamin D Cure.

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com).
If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the
rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .

Broiled Spiced Salmon with Roasted Winter Squash & Fennel
Serves 4

For the vegetables:
• 1-1 ½ pound butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded,
halved crosswise, then cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch-wide wedges
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1-inch-wide wedges
• 1 large onion, root end left intact, then cut lengthwise into
1/2-inch-wide wedges
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

For the Salmon:
• 4 Salmon fillets (4-6 oz. each)
• 1 Tbsp. reserved spice mixture from vegetables
• Salt & Pepper
• Olive oil

1. Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 450°F.
2. Combine squash, fennel, and onion on heavy large rimmed baking
sheet. Add oil and toss to coat. Mix all spices in small bowl to
blend, reserve 1 Tbsp. for Salmon. Sprinkle spice mixture over
vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and generous amount of
pepper.
3. Roast until vegetables are tender and browned, turning once, about
45 minutes. Turn oven to broil.
4. For the salmon, foil line and spray a broil pan with nonstick
spray.
5. Place salmon fillets on pan and drizzle with oil, season with salt
and pepper and evenly sprinkle 4 fillets with reserved spice mixture.
6. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily.
7. Serve over top roasted vegetables.

Vitamin D in the News

Vitamin D has profound and multiple effects on the immune system. This
is particularly true when it comes to your response to infections. We
know how it affects our response to tuberculosis. The effects of
vitamin D on our response to viruses like the flu are a bit less
clear. Here is an excellent review of the data that is our there.

Vitamin D for treatment and prevention of infectious diseases: a
systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Endocr Pract. 2009
Jul-Aug;15(5):438-49.
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory
University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30030, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To review the existing human controlled intervention
studies of vitamin D as adjunctive therapy in settings of infection
and provide recommendations for design and implementation of future
studies in this field on the basis of the evidence reviewed. METHODS:
We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled clinical
trials that studied vitamin D for treatment or prevention of
infectious diseases in humans. Studies from 1948 through 2009 were
identified through search terms in PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE. RESULTS:
Thirteen published controlled trials were identified by our search
criteria. Ten trials were placebo controlled, and 9 of the 10 were
conducted in a rigorous double-blind design. The selected clinical
trials demonstrated substantial heterogeneity in baseline patient
demographics, sample size, and vitamin D intervention strategies.
Serious adverse events attributable to vitamin D supplementation were
rare across all studies. On the basis of studies reviewed to date, the
strongest evidence supports further research into adjunctive vitamin D
therapy for tuberculosis, influenza, and viral upper respiratory tract
illnesses. In the selected studies, certain aspects of study design
are highlighted to help guide future clinical research in the field.
CONCLUSION: More rigorously designed clinical trials are needed for
further evaluation of the relationship between vitamin D status and
the immune response to infection as well as for delineation of
necessary changes in clinical practice and medical care of patients
with
Vitamin D deficiency in infectious disease settings.

Vitamin D Success Story
Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online
at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating
others to change their lifestyle.

Hi,
I am a Registered Nurse working in the City of London. As I live in
rural Essex, I commute daily in to London. Reading my newspaper on the
train a few weeks ago I came across an article on Vit. D. This seemed
interesting so I ordered Dr. Dowd’s book.

On reading this book I realized that I ticked all the boxes of
symptoms being Vitamin D deficient. I have weak muscles/aches/not much
strength, and always struggle when I went to a Gym. I was diagnosed
with Fibromyalgia around 10 years ago, which settled but I always feel
fatigued etc… I lead a very busy life working full time in London as a
Registered Nurse. You wouldn’t know that I have discomfort as I just
get on with it.

A colleague took some blood and my level of Vit. D was 31 nmol/L range
from out lab is 75 - 200 nmol/L. Magnesium level is 0.84 range from
our lab is 0.65 - 1.05. I put myself on ‘Life Extention’ 1000iu x 2
daily from Victoria Health and Magnesium. I am trying to change my
diet which was mostly vegetarian.

By the way I am Scottish….so not much sun in my life when I was
growing up. I am going to keep to this regime and will let you know
the outcome. So glad I came across the article and the book which will
be useful for my colleagues and patients. I have ordered a couple of
copies of the book to give to a couple of my doctor colleagues.

Regards,
Lorna.

(2 Comments) - Add a Comment »

Tags: Depression, Flu, Infection, Influenza, Winter Blues
Posted in James E Dowd, Nutrition, Obesity, Prevention, Recipes, UVB,
Vitamin D, Winter Solstice, Winter Vacation, weight loss 

Vitamin D and HIV/AIDS
----------------------

September 20th, 2009

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com).
If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the
rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .

Roasted Tomato and Vegetable Soup

Yield: 8 servings (1 1/3 cup)

Ingredients:
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 14-oz. cans chicken stock (low sodium)
• 2 cups butternut squash; peeled, seeded and cut into 1-in. pieces
• 1 14.5-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 15-to 19-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 cup small broccoli and/or cauliflower florets
• 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
• In a 4-quart pot, cook onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in hot oil
over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in chicken stock, squash, and undrained tomatoes. Bring to a
boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes covered.
• Add beans, zucchini, broccoli and/or cauliflower, oregano, salt and
pepper; cook for another 5 minutes.
• Slow Cooker Option: Omit the olive oil and combine all ingredients
except the zucchini, broccoli and/or cauliflower and fresh oregano in
slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3
to 4 hours. Add zucchini, broccoli and/or cauliflower and fresh
oregano and cook 30 minutes more on high.
• You can have a grilled chicken breast or nice piece of white fish
with a bowl of this soup.

Vitamin D in the News

In the book we speculated that HIV transmission might be greater with
lower vitamin D levels. This data from Africa and Harvard suggests
that the spread of HIV in Africa particularly between mother and child
is at least in part due to lower vitamin D levels. These data also
suggest that our lifestyles that lead to low vitamin D levels and
malnutrition are facilitating another epidemic, HIV/AIDS.

High frequency of vitamin D deficiency in ambulatory HIV-Positive
patients.AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2009 Jan;25(1):9-14.
Infectious Disease Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard
Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.

Several reports have suggested an increased prevalence of osteopenia
and osteoporosis in HIV-infected individuals. Vitamin D deficiency may
be a risk factor for osteoporosis and bone fractures. These
researchers determined the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in an
outpatient HIV clinic in Boston. They collected serum levels of 25-OH
vitamin D and evaluated calcium and vitamin D intake in adult
HIV-positive outpatients during the winter and spring of 2005.
Fifty-seven subjects were enrolled. The prevalence of moderate (< or =
20 and>10 ng/ml) and severe (< or =10 ng/ml) 25-OH vitamin D
deficiency was 36.8% and 10.5%, respectively. Lower vitamin D intake
was significantly associated with severe 25-OH vitamin D deficiency
(p=0.01). Lactose intolerance tended to be associated with severe
vitamin D deficiency (p=0.08). Antiretroviral use and low daily
calcium intake were significantly associated with elevated parathyroid
hormone levels (p=0.01 and 0.03, respectively). Vitamin D deficiency
was frequent in ambulatory HIV-positive patients. HIV-infected
individuals living in areas with low exposure to ultraviolet light
during winter may benefit from vitamin D supplementation.

Perinatal Outcomes, Including Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, and
Child
Mortality and Their Association with Maternal Vitamin D Status in
Tanzania.
J Infect Dis. 2009 Aug 12.
Departments of Epidemiology, Nutrition, Biostatistics, and Global
Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, and Channing
Laboratory, Department Of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and
Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Departments of Internal
Medicine, Pediatrics, and Community Health, Muhimbili University of
Health and Allied Sciences, Dares Salaam, Tanzania.

Background. Vitamin D is a strong immunomodulator and may protect
against adverse pregnancy outcomes, mother-to-child transmission
(MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and child mortality.
Methods. A total of 884 HIV-infected pregnant women who were
participating in a vitamin supplementation trial in Tanzania were
monitored to assess pregnancy outcomes and child mortality. Results.
No association was observed between maternal vitamin D status and
adverse pregnancy outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm
birth. In multivariate models, a low maternal vitamin D level (<32
ng/mL) was associated with a 50% higher risk (95% confidence interval
CI, 2%-120%) of MTCT of HIV at 6 weeks, a 2-fold higher risk of MTCT
of HIV through breast-feeding among children who were HIV uninfected
at 6 weeks (95% CI, 1.08-3.82), and a 46% higher overall risk of HIV
infection (95% CI, 11%-91%). Children born to women with a low vitamin
D level had a 61% higher risk of dying during follow-up (95% CI,
25%-107%). Conclusions. If found to be efficacious in randomized
trials, vitamin D supplementation could prove to be an inexpensive
method of reducing the burden of HIV infection and death among
children, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Vitamin D Success Story
Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online
at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating
others to change their lifestyle.

Dr. Dowd,

First I’d like to say that your book has made quite an impact on my
life. Because I have a sun-sensitive porphyria I have always avoided
sunlight, but over the years that led to constant battles with
viruses, anemia, and eventually heart failure and cancer. I became
convinced that many of my problems were related to a vitamin D
deficiency so I had my blood checked and sure enough I was deficient
in spite of excellent DEXA scans.

I tried various levels of exposure to see what I could tolerate
without triggering a porphyria attack and have come up with 15 minutes
between 9 and 10am MST (Colorado) or after 4pm. I’ve done this three
times a week most of the summer and my recent kidney scan showed that
my cancer had decreased in size. My overall health is getting much
better including my heart and lung function and viral load (I had
viral pneumonia, CMV and Parvo all at one time!). Thanks so much for
your work.

Janet, Colorado Springs

Many patients with diseases that prevent them from getting adequate
sun exposure are vitamin D deficient. Supplementation using the tables
in The Vitamin D Cure is safe, convenient, and inexpensive

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Tags: AIDS, Breast Feeding, breast milk, Child, Epidemic, HIV, Human
Immunodeficiency Virus, Mother, Transmission
Posted in African American, Diasorin, Diet, Exercise, James E Dowd,
Prevention, The Vitamin D Cure, Vitamin D 

Processing Your Own Food
------------------------

August 26th, 2009

Should I eat my vegetables raw or cooked? If I am taking an acid
suppressing drug for my stomach, how does this affect digestion? These
are some recurring questions I have been asked over the last year.

Let’s ask Mother Nature. Ruminant or grazing animals have lots of
large flat teeth for chewing and grinding vegetable matter. Humans on
the other hand have relatively few large teeth for grinding. Ruminant
animals also have very large guts to process all the cellulose from
vegetable matter like grasses. They have 3-4 compartments that make up
their stomach as opposed to the human stomach which is a single
compartment. Unlike the human stomach, ruminants ferment the food
bolus with micro-organisms in their stomach. Their stomach is a
bioreactor that produces the volatile organic acids (similar to
vinegar) from which they obtain nutrition. The human stomach secretes
acid to begin digestion primarily of protein.

Since our gut does not process our vegetables as in cattle, it helps
to provide some of this processing before consumption. Cooking is only
one of these methods of pre-processing vegetable matter for
consumption. Chopping vegetables into small pieces enhances nutrient
acquisition. Pureeing vegetable matter takes this one step further.
Mixing vegetable matter with volatile organic acids such as vinegar
will not only help kill unwanted bacterial but will enhance nutrient
acquisition. Similarly the addition of oil to dressings increases the
amounts of fat soluble nutrients available for absorption such as
vitamins A, E, K and D.

Cooking vegetables increases some nutrients and decreases other
nutrients. Fat soluble vitamins and minerals like magnesium are more
available from cooked vegetables than from raw vegetables.
Anti-oxidants and some water soluble nutrients like vitamin C decay
the longer they are exposed to heat and the higher the heat applied.
So ideally you should eat both cooked and raw vegetables. Steaming,
programmed microwaving, and lightly sautéing in oil are the preferred
methods of cooking. You can make raw purees with oil and vinegar and
use as dressing on lightly cooked vegetables and cooked meats, thus
combining these methods.

The addition of vinegar or citrus acids like lemon juice will enhance
the absorption of minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium from
food. This is a particularly useful technique for individuals who have
had gastric bypass, or gastric surgery that reduces the capacity of
their stomach to produce acid. Patients taking acid suppressing drugs
due to heart burn should eliminate grain and dairy from their diet.
This may allow them to discontinue their acid suppressing agent.
Starches from grain and potatoes are prime culprits in producing
reflux and heart burn.

Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com).
If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the
rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .

Cilantro and Chile stuffed Jumbo Shrimp
Serves 4

Ingredients:• 8 jumbo shrimp, in the shell (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped
• Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional for seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 large jalapeno, with seeds
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:
Prepare the grill to medium-high. Without removing the shells, slit
about 3/4 of the way through the shrimp down the ridged back and
remove the vein that runs down the center. Rinse and pat the shrimp
dry.

Next, whisk the thyme leaves, lime juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive
oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and black pepper, to taste, in a shallow
bowl. Lay the shrimp cut side down in the lime mixture and refrigerate
for 30 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse the garlic, jalapeno, scallions, remaining
1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to make a
coarse paste. Add the cilantro and pulse just enough to incorporate
into the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the opening in the shrimp and
close the shrimp.

Grill the shrimp shell side down (to keep filling from falling out)
for 3 minutes. Turn to the other shell side, cover, and grill another
2 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and are slightly firm to the
touch. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Great served over a spinach salad with red onions, heirloom tomatoes,
toasted pinenuts and a cilantro-lime vinaigrette.

Vitamin D Success Story
Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online
at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating
others to change their lifestyle.

Dear Dr Dowd,

Congratulations on your book, one of only a few written by physicians
using vitamin D in their practice. I have been taking vitamin D for
about three years and my 25OHD3 level was 71ng/ml the last time it was
tested, using the local Labcorp facility, thru services provided by
Life Extension. I have gradually increased by daily dosage over the
last few years, starting at a level of about 50 and gradually
increasing it to where it is today by taking 8000 IU per day. I am 89
years old and play tennis twice a week. I am sure that the vitamin D
is responsible for my ability to keep going. I also would like to
mention that I have been using only potassium chloride as a table salt
for the last three years and my K levels have always stayed within
limits over the three years. Keep up the good work!

M Ferguson
Indio, Ca

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Tags: cilantro, shrimp, stomach, vinegar
Posted in Acid, James E Dowd, Nutrition, Protein, Recipes, Salad, The
Vitamin D Cure, Uncategorized, Vitamin D 

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