Posted by JLx on November 2, 2004, at 12:20:55
In reply to Re: Vitamin D and depression » karaS, posted by raybakes on November 2, 2004, at 2:26:07
> > I'm definitely going to raise my intake of vitamin D - not sure by how much though. 4,000 IU or even 2,000 IU sounds a little scary to me. I'll probably end up building up to that though.
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> I've been taking vitamin D3 from biotics for about the last three weeks - I did get a splitting headache with even the smallest amount, suggesting that my calcium balance was disrupted. I'd heard that parathyroid is raised in vitamin D deficiency, causing excess calcium to be broken down from the bone - I'd also heard that vitamin A reduces the action of parathyroid hormone.
When I tried vitamin A 4000 IUs at a time, it took me 12-16,000 IUs before I could take 400-800 IUs of vitamin D without getting a headache - over 800 IUs and the headache would last all day!I don't understand why the headache. Vit D is low, parathyroid is then high to release calcium from bone, and Vit A inhibits the calcium release...so taking Vit D decreases parathyroid thus decreasing calcium AND taking A ALSO inhibits the parathyroid as well so less calcium is released? Your headache is from less calcium? Could this be alleviated then by taking calcium with the Vit D?
It was Larry's comment to me that Vit D might help my calcium-sensitivity problem that started me researching this so I'd like to try to understand the connection.
> What I have noticed in the three weeks is that a bone injury I've had after a bump in June, has healed and is no longer painful. I would like to take more vitamin D but I suspect I might be breaking down too much bone still
But wouldn't the Vit D prevent the bone breakdown as there would be no need for the parathyroid doing its calcium-from-bone thing?
>- just found one of the reasons perhaps....i've been working hard to reduce my homocysteine levels, and it seems excess homocysteine can lead to bone loss - so maybe if I reduce my homocysteine more, I'll be able to tolerate higher doses of vitamin D?
> Homocysteine as a predictive factor for hip fracture in older persons.
> "These findings suggest that the homocysteine concentration, which is easily modifiable by means of dietary intervention, is an important risk factor for hip fracture in older persons"
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> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15141042
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> RayIs that homocysteine -- apart from Vit D insufficiency, or perhaps the Vit D is more of the "first cause"? Iow, how do they know in the study that it's the homocysteine in isolation that is the connection.
In that reading I did about Vit D yesterday, the impression I got, that sounded exciting, is that the researchers are wondering if Vit D is the underlying problem that ties such things as depression, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, etc. together.
JL
poster:JLx
thread:410247
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20041022/msgs/410605.html