In my continueing research in vitamin D I continue to find Doctors that are posting on the benefits.....I had heard of Dr. Schwarzbein but never really checked her out...she has an interesting site and while brousing through it found her first newsletter to be on ....Vitamin D
Diana Schwarzbein, M.D., is a graduate from the University of Southern California (USC) Medical School and completed her residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in endocrinology at Los Angeles County USC Medical Center. She founded The Schwarzbein Principle Institute in 1993. She sub-specializes in metabolism, diabetes, osteoporosis, menopause and thyroid conditions, subjects she lectures on frequently. She lives in Santa Barbara, California.The Schwarzbein Principle:
Degenerative diseases of aging are not genetic
but acquired. Because the systems of the human
body are interconnected and because one imbalance
creates another imbalance, poor eating and lifestyle
habits, not genetics, are the cause of
degenerative disease.
- Diana Schwarzbein MDhttp://www.schwarzbeinprinciple.com/pgs/home.html
Now that Iam settled into my new schedule, I am starting my online
newsletter.
I’ll be sharing new information on supplements and testing that I have used with my own patients for the past 15 years with great success. I’m
confident that this info will have a positive effect on you, too.
To your health and happiness,
— Diana Schwarzbein, MD
VITAMIN D - The Latest & Greatest
I’ve chosen Vitamin D as my first topic for the following reasons:
1 When I recently reviewed blood tests on
patients, I was shocked to find that no one,
not even active folks living in sunny
California, came back with normal
Vitamin D levels.
2 Recent research on cancer prevention
suggests that taking 1000 to
3000 IU of Vitamin D daily decreases
the rates of colon, prostate,
breast and other cancers. Most
people get nowhere near these
amounts.
3 Vitamin D is actually a hormone rather than
a vitamin. The body must manufacture it
and, unfortunately, production decreases
with age. With all the baby boomers out
there now, no wonder levels are lower than
they should be.
4 Research shows Vitamin D is vital in the
treatment of insulin resistance conditions,
including some forms of high blood pressure,
cholesterol issues, heart disease and
diabetes. It’s also an anti-inflammatory hormone
and good for treating irritable-bowel
problems and arthritis.
5 As a clinical regimen, I recommend taking
1000 to 3000 IUs daily Monday through
Friday and taking a “hormone holiday” each
week on Saturday and Sunday. Patients who
take Vitamin D report an increased sense
of well-being, improved sleep pattern and
weight loss. Those familiar with my work
will know that weight loss isn’t a focus of
mine, so this is a bonus. You must be healthy
to lose weight, not lose weight to be healthy!
Vitamin D is made from cholesterol with the aid of sunlight in the skin, liver and kidneys. The use of sunblocks decreases production of Vitamin D. Also, active Vitamin D levels will decrease with liver or kidney disorders, a low-cholesterol/fat diet, and/or the use of drugs that decrease cholesterol production or inhibit its absorption from the intestines into the body.
Stress also contributes to decreased Vitamin D production.
The stress hormone cortisol is made fromcholesterol. Therefore, a body experiencing any type of stress will, preferentially, use cholesterol
to manufacture cortisol, depleting the amount left to make sufficient amounts of Vitamin D.
Lastly, cell aging leads to decreased Vitamin D production. Contrary to popular belief, creation of this vitamin/hormone requires more than a
few hours of sunlight. A body must also be capable of manufacturing it. With so many of us over the age of 45, no wonder measured levels of Vitamin D
are declining.
What about getting Vitamin D from foods? Unfortunately, few foods contain Vitamin D, which is why we fortify dairy with it. Fish and egg yolks are the only foods that have this hormone in any significant quantity. Because milk is high in sugar, I suggest you drink it only if you have a healthy metabolism and show no sign ocasein allergy or lactose intolerance. I discourage cheese for similar reasons. It is high in saturated fat and casein. Egg yolks are a good
source of Vitamin D, but need to be eaten daily to be beneficial. This is also discouraged.
There really is no good alternative to producing Vitamin D. You must either make enough on your own or take it as a supplement.
Summary1) Production of Vitamin D in the body is
affected by
• Stress
• Sunblocks or lack of adequate sunshine
• Liver or kidney problems
• Cholesterol lowering medications
• Aging
2) Vitamin D is a hormone, not a vitamin. It is,
therefore, contained in few foods. The body
must produce it or replenish it in a reliable
supplement form.
3) Current research touts Vitamin D as a defense
against breast, colon, prostate and
other cancers.
4) Current research promotes Vitamin D to
improve insulin resistance.
RecommendationsTake 1000 to 3000 IUs of Vitamin D
Monday through Friday every week and stop on
Saturday and Sunday. You’ll probably want to
take more Vitamin D in the winter, and less
in sunnier months. If you are at all concerned
with starting this vitamin/hormone regimen,
please have your health care provider order a
25-OH Vitamin D3 level. A good result is
between 60 to 80 ng/ml.
To order a high-quality Vitamin D through
www.schwarzbeinprinciple.com, visit the
supplement section of the website.
www.schwarzbeinprinciple.com | January 2007 | Volume 1
Vitamin D