|
|
  Email this article to a friend  Printable Version FREE Email Newsletter
| (NaturalNews)
Most of us think of 'Prescription Strength'pills to be somehow better
or stronger than a similar 'Over the Counter' variety.
But in the case of prescription vitamin D pills, they are FAR inferior
to the vitamin D that you can buy in any health food store. In fact, they are less potent, less 'biologically active', more
toxic and have a shorter shelf life. How is THAT for
prescription strength!
Vitamin D has become something of a superstar recently, with study after study showing that HUGE numbers of people have
vitamin D deficiency and that the consequences are many of the 'diseases of civilization' that so plague the western world
today. So, as doctors become aware of the health benefits of vitamin D, more are testing for and treating vitamin D deficiency.
But while more awareness about vitamin D deficiency is beneficial, it will also bring more usage of prescription vitamin D
pills which may NOT be
so beneficial.
The most common form of prescription vitamin D is in the form of Vitamin D2, also called Ergocalciferol.
This is also the same type of vitamin D that is used for the 'fortification' of most milk and cereal products. But the 'over
the counter' formulation of vitamin D in the form of Vitamin D3, also called Cholecalciferol, is far superior to the prescription formula that is routinely prescribed. First of all,
prescription vitamin D is at least one-half
as effective as vitamin D3 and possibly even up to one-tenth as
effective. In 'The case against ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) as a vitamin
supplement', the authors state, "50 000 IU vitamin D2 should be considered equivalent to 15000 IU vitamin D3, and likely
closer to 5000 IU vitamin D3". That's One-Tenthas effective as vitamin
d that you can buy in stores. When these differences were discovered in the 1950's, Germany reformulated their prescription
vitamin D to vitamin D3, but almost 60 years later, the United States is still using prescription vitamin D that doesn't work.
And
it really doesn't work. One consequence of vitamin D deficiency is an increase in parathyroid hormone levels which alters
calcium metabolism for the worse. In many studies, the effectiveness of the vitamin D therapy was measured not just by vitamin
D levels increasing, but by parathyroid hormone levels decreasing into the normal range. In studies that directly compare the two, vitamin D3 effectively
decreased parathyroid hormone while vitamin D2 did not. Another extremely important function of vitamin D, one that can't
be understated, is vitamin D's ability to bind to 'Vitamin D Receptors' in the body. These receptors, also called VDR, are present in almost every tissue
in the body and are one possible explanation for the extremely diverse health effects of the vitamin. When VDR's are bound
with an active form of vitamin D, it can help to prevent the expression of a mind boggling array of disease causing genes.
Yet, vitamin D2 produces an active hormone that has 40% less binding ability to VDR's than does the hormone produced from
vitamin D3. This makes vitamin D2 much less 'Biologically Active' than vitamin D3 and leads to the possibility that prescription
vitamin D doesn't even prevent the diseases and problems that treatment of vitamin D deficiency is supposed to alleviate!
Another
disadvantage of prescription vitamin D2 is that it has a shorter half life in the body. Water soluble vitamins need to be
replenished continually; for instance, B vitamins and vitamin C are best metabolized in small doses throughout the day. But
fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D do NOT need
to be taken every day. In fact the half life of vitamin D3 is 3 weeks. This means that 3 weeks after you take one dose, one
half of that dose is still left in your body. This is true whether you get it from the sun, food or supplements. But vitamin
D2 has a much shorter half life, which means that you not only need more of the vitamin to prevent or treat deficiency, but
you also need to take that higher dose more OFTEN.
"...the vitamin
D of irradiated ergosterol [vitamin D2],
exerts greater toxic effects at lower levels than do the vitamins D
of fish
liver oil [vitamin D3].
' A Comparison of the Hypervitamoses Induced by Irradiated Erogsterol and Fish Liver Oil Concentrates'
But taking these higher doses more often could have consequences. Researchers
since the 1930's have found higher potential for toxicity, more impurities and less consistent formulations in vitamin D2
preparations than in D3 preparations. In fact, researchers interpreting studies on vitamin D find that the studies done using
vitamin D2 have inconsistent results and recommend that all researchers use vitamin D3 for its more predictable results, better
biologic action, fewer toxic effects, more consistent formulations and longer shelf life.
So while progress is being
made in the awareness of the widespread problem of vitamin d deficiency, doctors who actually test for and treat vitamin D
deficiency most often choose to ignore the advice of vitamin D researchers Dr's Houghton and Vieth who state, "... vitamin
D2, or ergocalciferol, should not be regarded as a nutrient suitable for supplementation...". It seems that patients would
be better served if their doctors, instead, recommend their patients go to the local health food store to treat their vitamin
D deficiency.
Resources
1) http://www.easy-immune-health.com/V...
2) http://www.jbc.org/cgi/reprint/120/...
3) http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abs...
|
|
|
|