Vitamin D does act more like a hormone.

Some believe that vitamin D is improperly labeled as a vitamin, as it really is a steroid hormone precursor. This is essentially true. However, it is because of this fact, that some vitamin D researchers believe that the normal level of 25(OH)D levels should be much higher than is presently recommended. Quoting from the vitamin D council web page:

“Unlike other steroid hormones, vitamin D has very unusual metabolism in most modern humans, called first-order, mass action, kinetics. All this means is that the more vitamin D you take, the higher the 25(OH)D level in your blood, and the higher the 25(OH)D level in your blood, the higher the levels of activated vitamin D in your tissues. No other steroid hormone in the body behaves like this. Think about it, would you like your estrogen level to be dependent on how much cholesterol you ate? Or your cortisol level?” “No, the body must tightly regulate powerful steroid hormones through substrate inhibition, that is, if an enzyme turns A into B, when the body has enough B, B inhibits the enzyme and so limits its own production.”

“Not so with vitamin D, at least at modern human vitamin D levels.” “Why would the kinetics of vitamin D be different from all other steroids?” “Maybe they are not.” “Maybe vitamin D levels are so low in modern humans that its metabolic system is on full blast all the time in an attempt to give the body all the vitamin D metabolites it craves.” Dr. Hollis has asked, “Is vitamin D's metabolism different in populations in the upper end of 25(OH)D levels (a population of sun-exposed people and a group of women prescribed 7,000 IU per day)? “

According to Dr. Hollis’s study, “vitamin D's kinetics can be normalized, made just like all other steroid hormones in the body, but you have to get enough sunshine or take enough vitamin D to get your 25(OH)D level above 50 ng/ml, and 60 ng/ml would be better. Then your body starts to store cholecalciferol in the body without much further increase in 25(OH)D levels. The reaction becomes saturable. This is a remarkable discovery and it implies levels of 30 and 40 ng/ml are usually not sufficient. It also implies actual vitamin D levels (cholecalciferol levels), not just 25(OH)D levels, may be useful in diagnosing and treating deficiency. Note, that not all of the sun-exposed individuals or women prescribed 7,000 IU/day achieved such levels. That's because the sun-exposed individuals were tested after an Hawaiian winter and because prescribing and taking are two different things. So my answer to "How much should I take if I have cancer?" is take enough to get your 25(OH)D level above 60 ng/ml, summer and winter.”

- Mark

Great post, Mark, thank you.

Vitamin d supplementation won't cure anything and if it were a benign vitamin it wouldn't matter. However anytime you hear the word steroid or hormone about a substance or supplement you should back away.

banka8

i've heard some people taking vitamins b + d and feeling much better esp. in realtion to fatigue. magnesium i've found good but no other supplements i'd swear by yet.

I stopped consuming vitamin d for eight months and avoided sun exposure and had my 1-25d levels tested and they were 53. I started to feel better. Enough said.


Banka8

To help avoid or get rid of Candida we are supposed to avoid steroids. Because Vitamin D is a steroid hormone, what affect does it have on Candida?

see
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D#Role_in_immunomodulation
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/80/6/1717S

years ago my candida sx were beginning to improve; months on steroids brought all the sx back along with other problems. the only benefits i gained from steroids were less joint and muscle stiffness.

i've been on vit d for over 2 years and i've not had any of the usual signs my intestinal candida has returned. there have been other gains too. vit d is included in various supp recommendations for candida.

recently a link was made between vit d and resistance to viruses like winter flu and auto immune diseases.

t
[This Message was Edited on 02/12/2008]

sorry for being thick but your saying vitamin d didn't help in other words because when you stopped taking it you felt better?

For anyone to not have any Candida issues is nothing short of a miracle.

Jaminhealth how much do you take? Mine is in with calcium so I think I will have to buy it separately . (citracal) I heard an Oprah show a dr. said after taking it you would be suprised how much better you would feel. (a lady dr.)

I'm certainly not angry at questions/comments ... just happy it's working.

However, veiled jabs do begin to get under the skin of many when we (all) are going thru so much, no matter the protocol or dx. There is a difference.