Vitamin D and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Can vitamin D help prevent certain cancers and other diseases such as type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain autoimmune and chronic diseases? To answer these questions and more, UCSD School of Medicine and GrassrootsHealth bring you this innovative series on vitamin D deficiency. Join nationally recognized experts as they discuss the latest research and its implications. In this program, David Sane, MD, discusses the prevention of cardiovascular disease through vitamin D.

Vitamin D Prevents Cancer: Is It True?

In a new study, researchers at the UCSD School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center used a complex computer prediction model to determine that intake of vitamin D3 and calcium would prevent 58,000 new cases of breast cancer and 49,000 new cases of colorectal cancer annually in the US and Canada. The researchers model also predicted that 75% of deaths from these cancers could be prevented with adequate intake of vitamin D3 and calcium. Join Carole Baggerly with GrassrootsHealth as she discusses this new research

Vitamin D Induction of the Human Antimicrobial Peptide Cathelicidin in the Urinary Bladder

"The Swedish study found that vitamin D actually induces cathelicidin (an antimicrobial that the body produces) in the urinary bladder -- but only when a boost in the antimcrobial peptide is needed in the face of a threatening infection. The researchers found this out when they analyzed bladder tissue biopsied from postmenopausal women to check for expression of cathelicidin before and after the research volunteers took supplements of vitamin D (in the form of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3) for three months. When the bladder cells were infected with the UTI-causing germ E. coli, the scientists observed a significant increase in cathelicidin expression after vitamin D supplementation."

This means vitamin D has a huge advantage over mainstream medicine's widely prescribed antibiotics for urinary tract infections. That's because when UTIs are treated with antibiotics, the drugs can harm beneficial bacteria in the gut and wreak havoc in the body. But vitamin D only produces germ-killing peptides at the site of an infection when needed, leaving "friendly bacteria" totally unharmed."


PLoS ONE: Vitamin D Induction of the Human Antimicrobial Peptide Cathelicidin in the Urinary Bladder: "Urinary tract infection (UTI) remains an important disease and becomes more frequent in women after menopause. Due to the proximity of the highly colonized perineum, the urinary tract epithelium must be able to sense pathogens and elicit a fast innate immune response in order to keep its integrity [1], [2]. Previously we demonstrated that the human antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin was up-regulated upon E. coli infection and that it significantly contributes to the protection of the urinary tract in humans and in mice [3]. Here, we investigate vitamin D-induced boosting of cathelicidin in the urinary bladder."

Pelvic Girdle Pain

Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) also called Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) commonly affects women during or after pregnancy causing pain and mobility difficulties.

Interestingly, health professionals take note, Vitamin D deficiency is probably one of the commonest risk factors and widely untreated in the majority of cases. This article lists the risk factors: Review of Symphysis pubis dysfunction: a practical approach to management http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CBwQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonlinetog.org%2Fcgi%2Freprint%2F8%2F3%2F153.pdf&rct=j&q=symphysis%20pubis%20dysfunction%20management&ei=c7VVTfaVIcfBhAexp7jxDA&usg=AFQjCNGBqm-dTxu_s1YHDQdD_avOcQzxJg&sig2=8thnhYP7th6ELzSg1cb-Pg&cad=rja


I found The Pelvic Instability Network recommend the ACPWH Guidelines for Health
Professionals: http://www.acpwh.org.uk/docs/ACPWH-PGP_HP.pdf

On page 5 of the health professional guidelines is a flow chart
recommending a pathway of care for women with PGP. This starts with
recording the fact that a women has PGP in the notes and referring to
the physiotherapist and midwife and then onto other services such as
OT, social services, Pain clinic and obstetrician depending on the
individual needs of the women.

"A misconception is that Pelvic Girdle Pain(PGP) is something that has to be endured during pregnancy and will vanish once the baby is born. This is not the case. Early and appropriate treatment by an appropriately trained manual therapist will aim to reduce pain, increase mobility and lower the likelihood of ongoing problems after the birth."

Halal Healthspan

Halal | Healthspan

Some supplements that are not listed halal are also suitable, eg. the Vitamin D.

Florid rickets associated with prolonged breast feeding without vitamin D supplementation

Lesson of the week: Florid rickets associated with prolonged breast feeding without vitamin D supplementation -- Mughal et al. 318 (7175): 39 -- BMJ

I saw a friend last week, she is white, her husband is from Ghana. I was shocked to find out that her 16 month old daughter had florid rickets!

The mother's vitamin D level was normal and the child was being breastfed. I find it so hard to believe that rickets is still around in 2008 and think it's a public health problem being ignored. There is little national guidance as to prevention and treatment for health professionals, resulting in little or no explanation to patients, except a mention by the health visitor which often goes ignored.

I routinely start all babies at risk on Abidec or Dalivit, and tell the mother to supplement her diet too, especially if she is breastfeeding.