LIVING WITH MCL

Everyday the evidence keeps mounting against the wholesale taking of vitamins and supplements. Now the efficacy and the necessity for taking Vitamin D, a vitamin I once considered taking, even recommending it in the past , is being debunked. Vitamin D supplements 'don't ward off ill health': [There is] Little evidence pills lower risk of cancer, strokes or other conditions ......a review of 462 studies involving more than a million adults has concluded that a lack of vitamin D is not a trigger for many common illnesses. ..................... Lead author Professor Philippe Autier, from the International  Prevention Research Institute  in Lyon, France, said: ‘What this  discrepancy suggests is that decreases in vitamin D levels are a marker of deteriorating health. Ageing and inflammatory processes involved in disease occurrence .... reduce vitamin D concentrations, which would explain why vitamin D deficiency is reported in a wide range of disorders.’ I'm not quite sure ...

I awoke this morning to a bright flash of light. At first I thought I was imagining it, or maybe I tore a retina, but then I heard a long rumble which I determined to be thunder. I was relieved to say the least, but also a little surprised. I wasn't expecting any rain. I can't even remember the last time it rained here, it's been that long. At least now I have an excuse for not going on a bike ride today. Monday is usually a day off, but since today is a holiday, I was considering it. I'll just go with my normal routine, and go to the gym instead. The only problem is, it's going to be difficult getting my allotment of vitamin D today. While the threat of rain is supposed to dissipate by early morning, the forecast is for partly cloudy conditions throughout the day, which could make it a little more problematic receiving enough UVB rays necessary for Vitamin D production. Oh well, such is life. Everyday can't be perfect, and yesterday was a beautiful day. Hopeful...

As it turns out, just about everything. It's just no one seems to want to tout its benefits, which there is an explanation for! For starters, it's free! So there's no incentive for the pharmaceutical or supplement industries to tout its benefits. [They can't sell you sunlight]. And the sunscreen industry doesn't want you to know [moderate] direct exposure to sunlight (you just don't want to burn) is actually beneficial , because that realization would mean lower sales of sunscreen products. Remember, they've built an entire industry based on the fact sunlight is bad for you. Well, it's time we stop believing everything we hear, and start questioning the motives of some. Remember what I said in a previous post Don’t be stupid. Everyone has an agenda, and it most likely isn’t to benefit you. As it turns out, it is estimated that 75% of teens and adults may be vitamin D deficient . So what are some of the benefits of Vitamin D ? It is crucial for the absorp...

And as expected, I'm not vitamin D deficient. However, neither do I possess an over abundance of vitamin D either.  My vitamin D level was at 31 ng/mL. Reference range being 30 - 100 ng/mL. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. With as much time as I spend outside riding my bike, I would have expected my levels to be much higher, but it sure makes the statistic, 77% of all Americans may also be vitamin D deficient , a lot more believable. I am certainly not happy entertaining the thought of having to take a vitamin D supplement. Being the cynic I am, I have a general distrust of the pharmaceutical and supplement industries, but there seems to be overwhelming evidence of the harm resulting from a vitamin D deficiency, including an additional risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and even immune-system disorders , lymphoma being considered in the latter category. So I've resigned myself to take a vitamin D supplement. My friend, and medical expert, recommended I take 2000 I...

Well, I would have to say there was near perfect weather in Santa Barbara this past weekend for the California Wine Festival. The skies were clear, and the temperatures ranged from the mid 60's to low 70's. It doesn't get much better than that, and it's the main reason we love southern [and central] CA so much. Of course, I can always find something to complain about. It's just this time, it won't be the weather. My biggest complaint was I didn't ride my bike for 3 days, and watching all the other cyclists riding along the beach, heading out for what was likely a brisk morning ride into the foothills, made me envious. Then there was the fact, the hotel we stayed in wasn't what I had expected. It was nice [sorta], and the price was right, but it just didn't have the class nor the ambiance of the Fess Parker Doubletree Resort , or even the Hotel Mar Monte , both of which were on either side of us. Oh, but so what! We didn't go there for the room, ...

I had an appointment with my oncologist on Tuesday, and the one thing of note, besides the fact my numbers were essentially unchanged, was she made mention of the benefits discovered in cancer progression by increasing Vitamin D levels. She researched other patients of hers, and discovered they were essentially all Vitamin D deficient, and recommended taking a Vitamin D supplement (1000 IU per day). Considering the constant reinforcement [hype] by the dermatology lobby, and sun screen manufacturers, of the hazards of extended exposure to sunlight, the major source of Vitamin D, and me being the uber cynicist I am, I find that fact very believable. She also knows I'm not much into taking supplements, plus I do get a lot of unprotected sun exposure when I ride my bike, but she put it out there for me to at least investigate. So I did some research on the subject, and came across this very interesting article on the benefits of Vitamin D, performed at the Mayo Clinic , in newly diagno...