Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

We are recent (3 months) readers and followers of the information in "The China Study". Things are going very well with this exception...

Bob has developed a Vitamin D deficiency.
We would like to hear your comments and advice.
He takes a daily multi vitamin.

Thanks

Corlis

I've been having a bad cold / sinusitis for 6 weeks now. No way it clears up. Ditto last year and the year before. I suspect a vit D deficiency as well.
Here's why:
- It always occurs in Q4, entrance of the winter
- Two years ago, my condition improved twice after I twice ate out of the Mc Dougall diet (eg fish).
- Two years ago, and last year, the condition cleared up after a few days when I started vit D supplementation.
- This year, I've been to the doctor last Thursday and we discussed possible vit D deficiency. He doesn't believe in it because it's rare in my age group (late 40s). Of course people eat fish and butter or margarine and all that is rich in vit D. Not me. So no or almost no vit D from the diet.
- Of course in spring / summer the problem doesn't show up as I then get enough sunshine.
In automn / winter I clearly doesn't get enough sun, as it's dark when I get to and from work and, even if I get out during the day, it's likely to be fully dressed as the weather is cold. Of course, we live in Luxembourg (50° lat north) and not in California.
I agree with Dr McDougall that the real problem is not enough sun, but I can't do much about it. This year the summer has been really poor and that may be why the deficiency shows up so early.
- Back to the doctor, he ordered a blood test so that we should find out if I had deficiency. I went to the lab on Friday and should get the results today or tomorrow. Meanwhile I started to supplement last Saturday and am already feeling better.
- What can we do to get more sun ? Should we take winter holidays and fly to some sunny location ? Should we buy an UV lamp ? Should we take one tablespoon per day of Cod Liver Oil, like in good old times ?

If somebody has solved this problem I'm interested to hear about it.

This is not a very "scientific" response; however, I started taking a vegan vitamin D supplement last year, and I, too, noticed a difference in my health almost immediately---as I had always gotten fall sinus issues, too. (I am 34 years old). To me it makes perfect sense: how all of the sudden, when the weather cools, we get much, much less sunlight---and very abruptly. I live in Washington DC, and work indoors, and it's possible that it's all in my head, but I do think taking a D supplement has been quite beneficial to my heath.

Is one form of Vit D supplement better than another? Say, Ionic Fizz (you drink it) vs. caplets?

I went to the Advanced Study Weekend Program at McDougall's some time back where he had an expert in Vitamin D research. I believe this has been mentioned on the site by me before.

Anyway, there is a light meter that one can get to monitor light exposure the sun every day. It is different for everyone. One can obtain "Super Vitamin D" from this sun exposure. The researcher indicated much higher levels of Vitamin D intake than the RDA.

I think his name was Kendrall something. Let me know, I would have to look up my notes. We need some exposure to the sun daily if possible otherwise, we can supplement but I believe natural sunlight in moderation is most beneficial to our bodies for anti cancer, etc. protection.

It's fine to take vegan D as a supplement; one simply needs to take more than the RDA. Dr. Furhman sells a vegan D that is terrific, I think.

It was 8.5 ng/ml (normal 30-80).

What are your symptoms of Vit. D deficiency? Thanks.

For me it showed up as an infection that didn't cured up. It started as a common cold, then changed into sinusitis. I had suffered for 6 weeks without much improvement. After I started supplementation, it was gone after 3 days.
What I read is that vit D is necessary to manufacture white blood cells (not sure of the English word), which are key elements of the immune system. When the immune system is weakened, the infections just come and don't go.
At other times I've had an unexplained muscle pain in the legs. The first year it came in January and cleared up by itself in April. The second year it came in January again and disappeared shortly after I started supplementation.
Amazingly, those 2 symptoms are not mentioned in the mainstream books. They tend to concentrate on severe symptoms, eg rickets.

Thanks, David. My lab report for Vit. D was 19 (normal is 20-100). I hope to have it higher by the next time I'm tested.

Sorry I had to be very brief in previous posts because we were about to leave for a short vacation . Now we're back.
While doing a blood test, the doctor wanted to test other parameters. I asked for a B12 check and he asked for cholesterol and the like.
Everything was in the normal range, even B12. The cholesterol was 128. Only the HDL was flagged a little low but I know that it is not meaningful.

So the only problem is that vit D.