Vitamin D: A Waste of Money
The Martial Art of Wellness
Volume 13 – October 2014
DEAR FRIENDS
Welcome to this month’s BioNews. We must learn to free ourselves from the control that others exert over us. As we learn we become FREE, we become powerful. This pursuit of self defense in wellness, I call “The Martial Art of Wellness.” And as we practice we become Wellness Ninjas.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
” We suspect that people would be less willing to take large amounts of vitamin D if they were actually told, ‘We’re giving you high doses of a secosteroid that will adjust your hormonal and immune activity in ways not yet fully understood.’ ”
– Proal and Albert, and the Marshall Protocol
THIS ISSUE’S TESTIMONIAL: Vitamin D level had risen from 57 to 87
” There is a lot of very good news to report as follows: I started the F3 on May 6, 2014 and moved up to 12 a day, after discussions with you, on June 10, 2014. On June 24, 2014, I had my first blood test since I had been on the 12 F3 which was only 14 days later. At the time I was still taking various multiple vitamins and prescription hormones. Over the next couple of months I stopped taking all vitamins/supplements and on July 8, as per my doctor (he is Canadian) I stopped taking all hormones except 1 thyroid tablet in the morning and DHEA cream which is applied topically. While I had only been on the F3 for 14 days prior to the June 24 labs, when the results came back they indicated that my vitamin D level had risen from 57 to 87, the DHEA level had gone from 16 to 28 and my thyroid panel was improved! I had done nothing except add the F3, all else was exactly the same! The test results encouraged me to stop completely, all supplements/vitamins that I was taking, this included vitamin C and omega 3 oils, switch doctors and commit myself to the Bio-age program!
On September 24, I had new blood work with my current doctor and he was able to tell me that since my June 24th test, my immune system had moved up from 1.5 to 2.5 and my liver and kidneys looked as if they had been flushed! This was remarkable news as it was real proof that it was the F3 that was bringing about real, measurable, physical changes in my body. ”
– Judith, USA, September 2014
THE MARTIAL ART OF WELLNESS: Vitamin D Supplements: A Waste of Money
What motivates me to write yet again about vitamin D supplementation in this month’s BIONEWS?
- Recent studies are now confirming that there is no evidence that vitamin D prevents cancers, or osteoporosis, or cardiovascular diseases, etc.
- The past year’s media attention still provokes people to worry about it; Everyday people ask me about whether or not they should take it, and others are proud to tell me that they take it religiously.
- If you followed all past and current “soi-disant scientists” recommendations, you should or would soon be taking hundreds of isolate chemical supplements (vitamin E, COQ10, aspirin, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, etc.). That vitamin D is critical to health there is no doubt, but so are hundreds of other molecules and nutrients.
- Currently it is still the most “sacred” must-take vitamin on the market and it must be stopped
After spending much of its history as an obscure nutrient, vitamin D has gotten sensational coverage since 2009 and as a result sales of vitamin D supplements are still soaring. But it’s not just the media and the marketers who’ve gotten excited; even medical literature brings up pro-vitamin D ominous warnings about the relationship between the vitamin and our nation’s health.
Five years ago, nutritionists wrote an editorial for the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition about “the urgent need to recommend an intake of Vitamin D that is effective.” In March 2009, an analysis published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reported a “growing epidemic of vitamin D insufficiency” in the U.S. population. Most recently, a study in Pediatrics concluded that vitamin D deficiency is “common in the general U.S. pediatric population and is associated with adverse cardiovascular risks.” Reports such as these send physicians themselves rushing out to consume as much D as they can find and revise guidelines and recommendations so that patients do the same. And most nutritionists and naturopaths more or less advocate that course of action.
But in my eyes and that of many others in the field, the subject is more complicated and the evidence against taking the supplement is mounting. Somewhat like what happened to vitamin E in the 80’s when it became the most famous “must-take” vitamin, vitamin D supplementation exploded on the market from nowhere like a shooting star (can anyone remember taking it or talking about it before 2009?) Most likely not.
Note: It is interesting to note that both the Cancer Society of the United States and of Canada are against these concepts of taking separate vitamins, and instead, both recommend to obtain nutrients from fruits and vegetables in the prevention of cancers.
There has to be harmony and synthesis between protein, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids
It’s incomprehensible that “soi-disant scientists” recommend daily intakes of 400 and 2000 I.U. of vitamin E taken as a separate supplement. Today, with the massive amount of information available on natural health, any person with instinctive awareness can figure out that taking isolate vitamins or minerals is nonsense and illogical.
All of us have heard about vitamins since we were children. And daily we hear “authoritative” sources say, “Be sure to take your vitamins!” But today, placebo effect aside, we also know that all the vitamins in the world will do us little good without minerals, or without certain enzymes, or without certain fatty acids! Vitamins won’t be digested properly (or at all) or be metabolized to the cellular level without their co-dependant nutrients. We logically know that they will not help, but now we also know that they may cause further imbalances and even cause harm. Vitamins, when broken down into basic elements carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, are a group of chemically related organic nutrients, which are essential in small quantities for normal metabolism, growth and well-being. For their benefits to manifest, nutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc.) must be obtained through food alone; otherwise they are either not synthesized or are synthesized in inadequate proportions. There is bio-chemical harmony and synthesis between protein, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids that can only be obtained from wholefoods; otherwise you are entering the realm of “chemical”, without the “bio”, or “inorganic”. You cannot sustain life with a supplement of vitamin E or D or A or C or K or B, or any minerals or any other separate or isolate molecules. Can a fish live on calcium? How long would you survive eating vitamin A, B, C, D, E, F, and a ton of various minerals? Do you ever think about these things?
Then how can we absorb our nutrients?
With food (period). For example, vitamin C can significantly increase iron absorption, calcium absorption is impossible without vitamin D, and vitamin C absorption is impossible without zinc, and absorption of most minerals is impossible without the triggering effect of selenium, and selenium without vitamin E will not fire, and vitamin E without vitamin C will not go. How can we solve this riddle? How can you be sure to obtain all these nutrients simultaneously and in proper amounts and combinations? With food (period).
Metallic or organic minerals?
It’s hard to believe in this day and age that a debate is still raging about vitamin D as a separate supplement. Already in 1936 an article published in the Reader’s Digest (read the summary below) should have settled the score between organic and inorganic. It’s an insult to modern science that research around the concept of vitamin D as a “separate” or “isolate” is itself conducted in separate and isolate projects. Shouldn’t research take into consideration all factors involved in the process of nutrition?
We know today without a doubt, that the human body cannot assimilate and use metallic minerals (Singly occurring supplements for example). The health food industry had already recognized this absorption problem in the mid-70s. To salvage that business, soi-disant “chelated” minerals were developed in laboratories, a process involving wrapping amino acids or protein around metallic minerals to help the body metabolize them. This “appeared” to help the problem by providing greater (possibly up to 50%) absorption. But what of the non-absorbed portion? Many studies show that these non-absorption problems are causal to the current epidemic of Osteoarthritis.
Our nutrients should be bio-chemical and not chemical
Minerals are of significant value to bio-chemical balance, and metabolize many of our bodily functions. However, you could not live on soil or rock because it is not alive or enzymatically active like plants. Plant minerals, which have not been destroyed by heat or altered by man-made chemicals, are, from a nutritional standpoint, enzymatically active or living minerals; they are bio-chemical rather than chemical.
We know about toxic metals and most people have been led to believe that so-called toxic minerals are bad regardless of their source. Let’s take aluminum as an example. Aluminum, as found in the earth, is a metallic mineral. It has always bothered us to learn that so many of our supposed leaders, intellectuals, doctors and nutritionists know so little about this element. It has been criticized beyond belief. Granted, metallic aluminum, like that which dissolved or leached from aluminum pans or utensils are extremely harmful.
But what about when nutrients come from food?
Food for thought – If we were to follow the myriad of medicinal advices out there, we would literally have to consumed hundreds of different herbs and supplements that are suggested by the thousands of advisers out there…. and vitamin D as an isolate supplement is no medicine. Let us remember where medicine resides – that is inside of each and every 100 trillions cells that we are…. from your mom and dad’s fertilized first cell that continues to regenerate, repair and work quadrillion trillion tasks for you each and every moment of the day. Have a little faith, have a little bit of respect. Food is fuel and raw material for your cells to do these miracles…. vitamin D in food or synthesized from your skin is good stuff, BUT it is just one nutrient amongst the many that our cells require. And remember where to put the credit. For example, carotenoids are not anti-oxidative as the marketers would have you believe, but our cells ARE, when they have good enough energy. Put the credit where it belongs… the CELL. Our cells are all of anti-oxidative, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-tumorogenesis, anti-depressant properties and much more. In the case of carotenoids, we have to realize that they are vastly more important than you think, they are actually critically needed to assist chlorophyll in the energy transfer funnel of our food/sugar/protein/fats that fuel the thousands of mitochondria within our cells to generate OUR energy at the Krebs cycle. Keep it simple, eat good food, not bad medicine. Don’t fall for the medical model – stick to the food/fuel/energy model. Food for thought.
Nutrients like vitamin D that come from food, or from our cellular metabolisms are extraordinarily more efficient and powerful in the good sense of the word. It is the same for aluminum that comes from food; It is colloidal (pre-assimilated by the plant) and is naturally tied to oxygen or silica. This makes it aluminum hydroxide or aluminum silica. And both are known to be extremely beneficial to our general health.
Assimilation or non-assimilation
(Reprint from READER’S DIGEST – March 1936)
Plant minerals like those obtained from tomatoes, broccoli, potatoes, oranges, etc., are different from metallic minerals. Their size and molecular weight is much smaller than that of metallic minerals. In most cases the plant minerals are attached to a different molecule, even though they possess the same name. We predict that the scientific industry will change the name of plant minerals in the future. This might occur after they eventually realize plant minerals are no longer metal elements.
Basically, the scale reveals that clay, silt and hydrophobic metallic minerals, on average, are considerably larger than hydrophilic acids or hydrophilic plant minerals. The figures at the top from left to right are measurements in microns. As an example, 10 in the power of -4 is 100 times smaller than 10 in the power of-3, and 10 in the power of -9 is 100 times smaller than 10 in the power of -8 etc. The exponents of 10 clearly indicate that bacteria, viruses, clay, and humic metalomplexes are considerably larger than hydrophilic complexes such as hydrophilic plant derived minerals. Pure plant minerals can be pumped through a pharmaceutical grade: .05-micron absolute filter. Most metallic minerals will not pass through this small membrane. Only water passes through.
Note: A water molecule is only slightly smaller than hydrophilic complexes. The small size and water solubility is one of the reasons so many nutritionist’s believe plant minerals are much easier to assimilate or absorb than metallic minerals. The bottom portion of the scale relates to the weight of the particle, which is measured in atomic mass units or AMUs or Daltons. A Dalton is a measurement of molecules and atoms. When reviewing the scale, it is easy to see that the molecular weight of hydrophilic is considerably less than metallic complexes.
In short, this clearly indicates there is a great difference in, generally known, “metallic minerals” and “plant-derived minerals”, and the same goes for vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, and metabolic hormones such as vitamin D.
Reasons to rethink vitamin D supplementation
The RDA for vitamin D is between 200 and 400iu. Doses of 50,000iu can be toxic. These days, it is common practice for professionals to recommend 4,000- 10,000iu units on a regular basis. Now, I’m not one to throw around RDAs because those numbers generally reflect isolated compounds. But when it comes to the miracles of vitamin D, more is definitely not better because of factor number 2.
Your body stores vitamin D. You’ve got a smart body, yes, you do. You can make this nutrient in the sun and you can also get some D’s from food. Yet, your body “knows” that vitamin D is not always readily available due to cloudy days or a deficient diet. To even things out, your body stores vitamin D in fatty tissues like your liver, skin, brain and bones [note…vitamin D is not stored in blood]. That’s good news if you’re getting your D from food sources, but if you’re taking high doses of D that means you’re at risk for toxicity over time.
Vitamin D does not work alone. In foods, nutrients work synergistically and vitamin D is no stranger to this kind of partnering. Foods that are high in vitamin D often contain vitamin A and lots of essential fatty acids. All of these nutrients work together to get your D’s to work more effectively. To read more about how vitamin D works in your body, read the full article at Reasons to Re-Think Vitamin D Supplementation
You do not need to supplement Vitamin D – status and ill health: a systematic review
Two studies in the January 2014 issue of The Lancet show that most people taking vitamin D supplements are wasting their money.
In the first study, Philippe Autier and colleagues found that taking supplemental vitamin D has no effect on a wide range of diseases and conditions. After looking at over 450 studies, the authors conclude:
“The absence of an effect of vitamin D supplementation on disease occurrence, severity, and clinical course leads to the hypothesis that variations [in vitamin D levels] would essentially be a result, and not a cause, of ill health.”
Autier looked at non-skeletal disorders, including heart disease, weight gain, mood disorders, multiple sclerosis, and metabolic disorders, all of which have been linked to lower vitamin D. In trial after trial, supplemental vitamin D had no beneficial effect on any of these conditions. Autier et al concluded that:
“associations between 25(OH)D and health disorders … are not causal. Low 25(OH)D [vitamin D] could be the result of inflammatory processes involved in disease.”
Instead, the researchers found that we’ve been getting cause and effect backwards. In study after study, they found that low vitamin D was the result of poor health, not the cause.
The Autier study didn’t look at the biggest supposed benefit of vitamin D: protection against osteoporosis. We’ve long known that vitamin D is associated with bone health. Fortunately, in the same issue of The Lancet, Ian Reid and colleagues looked closely at this question. They reviewed 23 studies with 4082 participants, all designed to determine at whether supplemental vitamin D improves bone density. Their findings? It doesn’t help. They concluded:
“Continuing widespread use of vitamin D for osteoporosis prevention in community-dwelling adults without specific risk factors for vitamin D deficiency seems to be inappropriate.”
Read the full report at http://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587%2813%2970165-7/abstract
Vitamin D supplements, to put it plainly, are a waste of money.
Here is a list of additional studies and articles against vitamin D supplementation with isolates and separate.
- Vitamin D blood levels of Canadians is ok – Health Canada Statistics Canada – According to measurements taken from 2009 to 2011, most Canadians had levels of vitamin D at or above 50 nmol/L, a level sufficient for healthy bones for most people. In particular, children aged 3 to 11, and seniors aged 60 to 79 had blood concentrations of vitamin D higher than the national average. Furthermore, despite a reduced likelihood of vitamin D production year-round, Canadians generally had levels of vitamin D in their blood above the cut-off. This report was written by Teresa Janz and Caryn Pearson, both analysts with the Health Statistics Division. Read the full report at Vitamin D blood levels of Canadians – Health Canada Statistics Canada
- Whether vitamin D is associated with reduced risks of other cancers, including breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers, remains unclear.
It’s pretty easy to get enough vitamin D in a normal diet.
Or, as Dr. Mark Gillinov explained in the Huffington Post last week, just 10 minutes of sunlight gives you about 4 times your daily recommended vitamin D requirement.
Add BAC to your diet, a special ally for prevention, protection and higher performance of your metabolic life
BIO-ALGAE CONCENTRATES (BAC) formulas have received their authorization number from Health Canada (NPN) stating that the three formulations (F1, F2 and F3) comply with regulations on natural products and are “a source of antioxidants for maintaining good health.” BAC contains vitamin A, vitamin B complex including B12, C, D, E, twenty amino acids, all known minerals and trace elements, thousands of metabolic and digestive enzymes, Omega 3, Omega 6, Omega 9, chlorophyll, phycocyanin and proteins. Moreover, BAC contains an extraordinary amount of antioxidants: lutein, licopene, alpha carotene, beta carotene, and many more. It also contains the mighty astaxanthin, whose natural antioxidant activity is hundreds of time higher than conventional vitamins E and C. The combination of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene in BAC enables optimum protection for the skin, serving to prepare and prolong the tanning process and protect the body from the harmful effects of free radicals that are responsible for premature aging of the skin.
Besides supplying an “extraordinary” array of nutrients, the principal value of consuming BAC is its power to “awaken the genius within.” When fed efficiently with BAC, the mission critical organs of the brain that regulate all metabolic activities will operate better and you will assimilate “vastly more” nutrients from your regular foods, whatever those foods may be. That is the most important added value of consuming BAC, a concept documented in The Magic is BAC at themagicisbac.com.
Just like the many people consuming BAC report that they no longer get the flu or cold, many are also realizing how nice their skin looks and that they are not getting sunburns.
In short, do not forget to load up on BAC, spend a beautiful fall and avoid the nasty winter flu and the dreaded blues.
References
- Kiriac M, “Algae production within industrial model in Moldova.” Republican conference on preparation of bio-algae concentrates for the food industry and on valuating the scientific research – Kishinev 1987 – R.S.S. Moldova
- Kiriac M., “Feeding poultry algae” – Moldova Agriculture Revue – 1987
- Kiriac M., Scutaru I., “Methods of utilizing algae for feeding chicken in the poultry industry” – Agriculture Revue – Moscow 1987
- Kiriac M., Rudic A., Scutaru I., “Benefits of algae feeds for the food industry” – Moldova Nutrition Revue – 1988
- Kiriac M., Rudic A., “Algae Growing Installation – Patent MD No.73, 1704712, 1989
- Kiriac M., Scutaru I., “Integration of Spirulina concentrates in the nutrition industry – National conference materials for microbiology and the algae sciences” – Tashkent, Usbekistan 1990
- Awakening The Genius Within, Thomas, Kiriac, 2004, Quantum Leap Wellness publishing
- The Magic is BAC, Thomas, 2005, Quantum Leap Wellness publishing
- Amazing BAC survey results – http://quantumleapwellness.com/blog.html/news/biosuperfood-survey-results/
- BAC the perfect nutritional – http://quantumleapwellness.com/blog.html/news/the-perfect-nutritional/
