Dr. John Cannell on vitamin D

Great Clip

Really, Goldman Sachs....maybe take Gold and Sachs out of your name....

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

What Cats Are Really Thinking

I love this.

From my phone

Testing from my mobile.

Go Ahead And Die! (Pirates Of The Health Care-ibean)

So, so true!

An amazing recovery...

I'd like to share this anectdotal little story. A friend at work contracted a bacterial repsiratory infection back in April of 08. I hadn't seen her in several months and then she stopped into my library on January 13, 2009 for a visit (we work for the school system) and she was still very, very sick. Every time she spoke she coughed, and it was a very dry and painful cough. I started telling her about Vitamin D and ended up telling her to take 50,000 IUs that day and then take 10,000 IUs for the next week and then do it again the next two weeks.

Guess what? She's cured. She's been on every antibiotic under the sun and none of them worked. We both believe the Vitamin D did it. She's almost normal again. She was sick for almost a year.

Photo from Georgia Peaches Deviant Art Gallery

Does the Sunscreen Industry Rule the Dermatology Dept at Boston U?

If the name Michael Holick means anything to you, you will recall that he was asked to resign from a post in Boston University’s dermatology department in February 2004 for promoting “sensible sun exposure” in his book The UV Advantage.

Holick’s thesis – which was apparently anathema to Boston University derm department chair Barbara Gilchrest – is that most people who live in the US north of Atlanta are vitamin D deficient because one of the key sources of that vitamin is the sun. (Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium and thus strong, healthy bones.) And even when the sun shines brightest, and for the longest, during the summer, we’re told to shun the sun and slather our bodies in high SPF sunscreens to defend against skin cancer.


"They have vilified the sun and me...."

Update:
Here's a good podcast on Vitamin D. Good general info on the science of Vitamin D by Health Chat Drs. Greg Eckel and Greg Nigh, naturopathic physicians and licensed acupuncturists. Drs. Eckel and Nigh are primary care physicians at Nature Cures Clinic. They are experts in alternative and complementary health care. You can learn more about them at naturecuresclinic.com.

I don't know these guys but this was a really good basic primer on Vitamin D.

Why I breath easier these days.....

The Vitamin D Newsletter
October/November 2006

Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D
In our recently published paper, Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D, we document the evidence that epidemic influenza, and even some of the viruses that cause the common cold, may be prevented by adequate doses of vitamin D. The Independent ran a feature article on our paper, but you'll have to pay a British Pound to read it. Medical News Today was kind enough to print a detailed article about how the observations were made, the theory developed, and the paper written.

Vitamin D Deficiency Season
Every autumn, as vitamin D levels plummet, the incidence of colds and flu skyrocket. After vitamin D levels bottom out during the darkest days of the cold and flu season, vitamin D levels rise again in the spring and the incidence of colds and flu steadily decrease until they virtually disappear during the vitamin D rich summer. It may be quite simple. Your body's innate immunity, especially the production of innate natural antibiotics called antimicrobial peptides, goes up and down every year with your vitamin D levels. (Acquired immunity is quite different, those are the antibodies you slowly develop after an infection or a flu shot.) Maintaining summer-time vitamin D levels in the winter — by taking adequate amounts of vitamin D (5,000 IU) — may help prevent colds or the flu by stimulating innate immunity. Preventing some of the one million deaths in the world every year from flu related illnesses is exciting enough; an equally exciting possibility is that large doses of vitamin D may be useful in treating the flu — as well as other infections.

My "Vitamin D" Story

I've been posting this around on blogs that are talking about Vitamin D deficiency. I am a recovering smoker and I hope I never get in the habit again. But I think there are external issues that exacerbate many conditions and one of the biggest issues in this country and throughout certain latitudes of the world is vitamin D deficiency. When you read my little story below you'll see why I think this.

I am a 55 year old female and I was diagnosed with preliminary lung disease about 6 years ago. In the fall of 2007 I had a severe respriratory incident and was hospitalized for over a week. I began supplementing with Vitamin D3, 10,000 to 15,000 IU per day depending on sun exposure and tanning activities, and getting plenty of sunshine since Feb. of 2008 and it has changed my life. I am able to exercise now, whereas before, I could barely get up the steps. I quit smoking immediately after my “incident” about 5 months prior to discovering the benefits of vitamin D and I attribute some improvement to that. But the major improvements didn't occur until after I started supplementing with Vitamin D3.

Cholecalciferol rules! I feel 10 years younger. I was continually getting respiratory "infections" and have not had one in over a year now. I work for our school system and am constantly exposed to viruses etc. As I said, not one infection or cold or respiratory incident in over a year now.

I have regained my sense of balance and built my muscles. I do a 20 minute exercise routine every morning now. I no longer feel like I've been beaten up when I get out of bed. I used to have to think about how to get out of bed so it wouldn't hurt as much. Now I hop out like a 30-year-old. It's been amazing.

I still have issues with my lungs. They have improved quite a bit. My FEV is much better than it was a year ago. I also believe that if I continue to take my D they will continue to improve. Sometimes I think I can feel it happening. I'm sure it's because I'm so happy about how this has changed my life.

I am also very thankful for this here "internet thingie" and Dr. Cannell at the vitamin council because I don't think I would have ever found out about vitamin D had it not been for the WWW and Dr. Cannell's devotion to getting the word out about vitamin D deficiency. Here are two valuable web sites for those who are interested in becoming normal human beings again....instead of living like vampires like the sun-screen industry and a lot of paid-to-play dermatologists advise:

Vitamin D Coucil

D Action or Grassroots Health
http://www.grassrootshealth.org