The hallmarks of aging are observable biological patterns of dysfunction that occur with aging. Evidence suggests that vitamin D modulates many of the mechanisms driving these patterns. This review summarizes the current evidence demonstrating vitamin D's effects on the hallmarks of aging. ... vitamin d aging
Read moreVitamin D deficiency in the setting of COVID-19 can lead to over-expression of renin (an enzyme produced in the kidneys) and subsequent activation of the renin-angiotensin-system, a critical regulator of blood pressure, inflammation, and body fluid homeostasis. Disturbances in this system can drive poor outcomes, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death in COVID-19. Findings from a recent study suggest that supplementation with calcifediol, an intermediate molecule in the production of the active form of vitamin D, reduces the risk of death due to COVID-19. Unlike other vit... vitamin d covid-19
Read moreHigh blood pressure is a major cause of disease and death worldwide. A person's blood pressure varies throughout the day in response to changes in physical and mental activities, sleep, and other stimuli. High variability may increase a person's risk for cardiovascular disease (https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.117.006895). Findings from a new study suggest that high-dose vitamin D reduces blood pressure variability. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that participates in many aspects of human health, including regulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, an endocrine system... vitamin d
Read moreA supplement containing the active form of vitamin D was shown to prevent autistic-like behaviors in mice that are predisposed to them. The active vitamin D was given to pregnant mice during the first trimester and this prevented deficits in social interaction, basic learning, and stereotyped behaviors. While this study did not find a mechanism, I published a study in 2014 suggesting that low maternal vitamin D may increase the risk of autism because vitamin D controls the production of serotonin. Serotonin acts as a brain morphogen during early brain development and it shapes the structure an... vitamin d serotonin autism vitamin a
Read moreThe study measured blood vitamin D levels from 4,200 pregnant women during two-time points during pregnancy and found that those women that were deficient during both points measured were more likely to have a child with autism. This suggests that vitamin D deficiency throughout pregnancy may increase the risk of autism and that pregnant women should measure their vitamin D levels and supplement with vitamin D accordingly. I'm particularly excited about this research because it confirms my 2014 publication where I proposed that vitamin D regulates serotonin, which is a brain morphogen that sha... vitamin d brain pregnancy behavior autism vitamin a
Read moreThe dose of vitamin D3 used in this study was 300 IU vitamin D3/kg body weight/day, not to exceed 5,000 IU/day. I published a paper on how vitamin D regulates serotonin and how this may be relevant for autism since serotonin acts as a brain morphogen during early brain development shaping the structure and wiring of the brain. You can read more about the mechanism that I propose in my publication here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24558199 ... vitamin d autism vitamin a
Read moreEvery 5 ng/ml increase in blood vitamin D was associated with a 1% decrease in inflammatory T cells. Note: 10,400 IU is actually a pretty high dose of Vitamin D! Many of these people were severely deficient to start with. In fact, MS has been linked to genetically low vitamin D...meaning a gene that converts vitamin D into active vitamin D hormone does not work well in many MS patients so they need an unusually high dose of vitamin D. While an ideal dose of Vitamin D may be hard to pin down because of individual variation, what IS known is a generally ideal level. Most studies seem to show a r... vitamin d inflammation immune system vitamin a
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