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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
It's recently been discovered that cod liver oil isn't as efficient when it comes to boosting vitamin D as previously thought, and that sunlight clearly was the best vitamin D source, according to some Norwegian research that was referred to on TV recently. They also mentioned that people who spend time under 'false' sunlight (to get a tan in the winter) also will have increased vit. D levels, and that people with skin cancer are more likely to get well if the area in question has been exposed to sunlight.
I guess that (like with a lot of other things) it's as much about "how much" as it as about "what".
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
According to this new study, vitamin D deficiency is more common than thought:
Quote:
A study of middle aged British adults showed that the majority, 60%, have hypovitaminosis D [less than optimal levels of vitamin D], and 90% have less than optimal levels during winter and spring.
Previously hypovitaminosis D has been considered to be a public health problem that affects mainly ethnic minority groups living in Britain, but the current study shows that the problem is very real also among the Caucasian population.
Participants living in Scotland were twice as likely to have low vitamin D concentrations compared to others.
Obese participants were twice as likely to have hypovitaminosis D compared to others.
According to this article, vitamin D deficiency is associated with high incidence cancer mortality:
Quote:
According to many surveys Vitamin D deficiency rises as a global health problem in many countries and its consequences affect men and women worldwide. If human body has not sufficient Vitamin D, it cannot absorb calcium, thus the most common consequence induced by a lack of Vitamin D is osteoporosis. Normal levels of Vitamin D have been found to prevent malignant tumours of prostate, colon, breasts and ovaries, while low levels of Vitamin D have been linked with high incidence of cancers of the digestive system in male population.
Vitamin D is close related to natural sun exposure. It is generated by human skin when the sunlight touches it and no supplement can replace the effect of sun exposure. As rays of natural sunlight cannot go through glass, nobody can produce vitamin D when sitting in the car or home.
Studies revealed with no doubt that people living in countries situated far from equator (US, Canada, Great Britain) experience the Vitamin D deficiency because they need a longer sun exposure. Statistics show that about 40% of the United States population is vitamin D deficient and indicate that in Great Britain the majority of adult population are in the same condition.
People with dark skin pigmentation are prone to Vitamin D deficiency as they need about 20 times as much exposure to sunlight as fair-skinned people in order to produce the same amount of vitamin. This fact explains why among black men prostate cancer is epidemic.
In other words, we shouldn't be sitting here by our computers - we should be out in the sun! :)
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Going out in the sun where I live would not increase anyone' vitamin D levels at the moment as in Northern Europe and the UK the sun's ray's are not long enough yet to make vitamin D. I have read April's sunlight will do it, but I'm not sure of the details.
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Quote:
As rays of natural sunlight cannot go through glass, nobody can produce vitamin D when sitting in the car or home.
Quote:
Korn
In other words, we shouldn't be sitting here by our computers - we should be out in the sun! :)
Or at least sit by an open sunny window!! (And open our car window or roof!)
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Quote:
herbwormwood
Going out in the sun where I live would not increase anyone' vitamin D levels at the moment as in Northern Europe and the UK the sun's ray's are not long enough yet to make vitamin D. I have read April's sunlight will do it, but I'm not sure of the details.
Here's what The Vegan Society writes:
Quote:
The effective light wavelength - ultra-violet B (UVB, 290-315 nanometers in wavelength) - is not present in winter sunlight between October and March in countries above latitude 52 degrees north, which includes most of Britain. Winter time supplies of vitamin D depend on the previous summers exposure creating adequate stores in the liver, or on dietary sources.
I think most health advice is based (and often has to be) on a general simplifications. If we get enough vitamin D from the sun on April 1st, this doesn't mean that we won't get any vitamin D from the sun March 31st. :)Advice like this is also meant to be valid for 'most people', and 'most people' are probably not out in the sun enough hours pr. day, especially not in the hours where the ultra-violet light is at it's strongest to get enough vitamin D from the sun. So while most people may not get practically no vitamin D from the sun between October and March in countries above 52 degrees North, I find it likely that spending time outdoors even in the part of the year where most of us do not get enough vitamin D from the sun is beneficial...
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutriti...pp_e.html#ref7
Quote:
Worldwide, sunlight is the principal source of vitamin D for all humans, including infants. Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin after exposure to ultraviolet B radiation. Latitude, time of day, season of the year, increased use of sunscreen, amount of skin exposed, pigmentation of the skin and air pollution have a dramatic effect on the quantity of vitamin D produced in the skin. The geographic latitude of Canada (from 43°N in Toronto to higher than 60°N in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon Territory) means inadequate ultraviolet exposure to stimulate formation of vitamin D in the skin for a large portion of the year. For example, at 52°N in Edmonton, no synthesis of vitamin D occurs in the skin between October and March.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-ntr100803.php
Quote:
NIH told regular and moderate exposure to sunlight is the key to preventing chronic disease
BETHESDA, MD (Oct. 9, 2003) – The researcher who discovered the active form of Vitamin D, Dr. Michael F. Holick, a Professor of Medicine, Dermatology, Physiology and Biophysics at the Boston University School of Medicine, told the National Institutes of Health's symposium on "Vitamin D and Health in the 21st Century" that the nation faces "severe Vitamin D deficiency" which, if not properly addressed, will have profound far reaching health consequences such as hundreds of thousands of new cases of breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression and multiple sclerosis.
Dr. Holick said, "We have a severe unrecognized epidemic of Vitamin D deficient patients on our hands. The public health issues at stake go far beyond bone health and involve chronic disease such as breast and colon cancer and high blood pressure. There is a mountain of well conducted, validated science that demonstrates that the production of the activated form of Vitamin D is one of the most effective ways the body controls abnormal cell growth. Regular and moderate exposure to sunlight is the best way to help the body manufacture the Vitamin D it needs. The idea that we should protect ourselves from the sun all the time is misguided and unhealthy.
"Moreover, the 1997 daily recommended allowances for Vitamin D are totally inadequate to protect public health. New science supports a significant revision of the recommendation. Adults should be getting 1000 International Units (IU) of Vitamin D a day, not the 200-600 (IU) that was recommended in 1997. Rewriting the recommended daily requirements as soon as possible should be a top priority.
"Taking diet supplements or drinking foods that have been fortified with Vitamin D is too often inadequate since a patient would have to drink the equivalent of 10 days of fortified milk or orange juice every day. Only regular and moderate exposure to sunlight fulfills the body's needs. We ought not to be like the groundhog that is afraid to cast a shadow on a sunny day.
We need a national public health information and education campaign that encourages people to get the exposure to sunlight they need and then put on lots of sunscreen. It is not a question of a few minutes here and there. It is a question of determining how much ultraviolet light you need to maintain the right Vitamin D level in your blood and finding a way to get it.
http://www.simply-natural.biz/Sun-Dried-Donko.php
Quote:
Sun-Dried Shiitake Mushrooms are far superior due to the facn that they are the highest grade of all shiitake and are also sun-dried giving them 20% more vitamin D than other donko.
http://jds.fass.org/cgi/reprint/81/9/2493.pdf
Quote:
Hay and other sun-dried forages contain appreciable quantities of vitamin D
Notes on Nutritional Properties of Culinary-Medicinal Mushrooms
Quote:
Increasingly, mushrooms are being investigated for their role as nutritional foods. However, few studies have been published on their nutritional profiles. The author grew and submitted 20 species for thorough nutritional profiling. In addition, the effect of sunlight on the production of vitamin D of indoor-grown mushroom while drying was explored with Lentinus eddoes (Berk.) Singer (shiitake mushroom), Ganoderma lucidum (W. Curt.:Fr.) Lloyd (reishi), and Grifola frondosa (Dicks.:Fr.) S.F. Gray (maitake). Six to eight hours of sunlight exposure stimulated the production of vitamin D from low levels of 134, 66, and 469 IU, respectively, to 46,000, 2760, and 31,900 IU vitamin D, respectively. The most vitamin D was produced in Lentinus edodes, whose spore-producing lamellae were exposed to the sun. Dried mushrooms also elicited vitamin D production subsequent to sunlight exposure. Vitamin D is proven as essential for immune function and has now been identified as a major mitigating factor in many diseases, so the sunlight-activated biosynthesis of vitamin D from ergosterols within mushrooms has substantial implications for the mushroom industry in the context of worldwide health.
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Here are some other links about vitamin D - all of them undocumented.
Quote:
http://www.nature2care.com/visitor/s...icle.php?aid=7 lists sprouted seeds as a natural source for vitamin D.
According to
http://www.happyjuicer.com/wheatgras...beans-nuts.asp "Sprouts contain both vitamins, minerals, proteins and fibre, as an example Alfafa sprouts contain iron, magnesium, all 8 of the essential amino-acids, chlorophyll, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin C, vitamin D, fibre and more…."
http://www.pcda.com/sprouting.html writes that "Sunflower is considered like a wholesome aliment that provides vitamin D, and contains abundantly chlorophyll and the whole range of amino acids. "
The writers at
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/fr...sunflower.html seem to agree, and writes that...
"Research has found the essential fatty acids (EFA), in sunflower seeds, provide a beneficial action in cleaning arteries, reducing LDL cholesterol levels and preventing heart disease. Sunflower seeds have a medicinal use for: arthritis, rheumatism, headaches, blurred vision, high blood pressure, fluid retention, fevers, bladder and kidney inflammation, bleeding gums, bronchitis, nervous stress, coughs, colds, asthma, duodenal ulcers and cancer. A liniment from the sunflower head is applied externally for relief from arthritic and rheumatic pain. As sunflower sprouts have a warming, thermal nature, we can use them during the winter months to great advantage, and also for lubricating the intestines and treating constipation, fatigue, and to strengthen the spleen and pancreas.
The seeds have a very high content of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin D, the vitamin, which is often called the key to unlock the door, allowing calcium to leave the intestine and enter the blood stream."
http://www.greatvistachemicals.com/v...itamin-d2.html writes that "provitamin d2 is found in plants and yeast" but they don't mention anything about which plants...
Seagreens are, according to
http://www.byregion.net/articles-hea...ea_Greens.html "a good source of natural vitamin D, too, essential for calcium absorption, bone health and muscle function."
http://www.wachters.com/newsarticle....f78607d08d7c5d
Quote:
Why Sea Vegetation is for you….
1. These minerals are naturally chelated by Nature’s Laboratory
2. Contains the only natural vegetable source of Vitamin D in large amounts
3. Contains chlorophyll which is the life blood of all plants and plays an important role in transforming light energy into energy.
4. Contains natural enzymes, cell growth regulators, plant hormones and cell stimulant factors which give energy to human cells.
5. Contains sodium alginate which removes radioactive strontium 90 from the body
6. The Blend is a combination of many species of sea vegetation from many different families of plants. The various species are selected for their color, nutritional content and absorbability allowing for the highest nutritional benefit.
7. Harvested at peak ripeness and maturity for their nutritional content
8. Harvested by hand and sun dried to preserve the natural enzymes and the life essence contained within the plant cells
9. The sea plants gather light energy from the sun’s rays, convert it into electrical energy and store it as chemical energy for use of mankind.
10. Man’s blood is ideally adapted to sea vegetation
11. Contains 61 naturally chelated minerals and trace minerals and more than 20 vitamins
12. All vitamins and minerals from our blend are in a naturally absorbable colloidal form
http://www.tipsofallsorts.com/vitamins.html claims that dark green vegetables is a natural source of vitamin D.
Like most other people, I'm not very convinced if someone claims that ********* can be found in ********* if there's no research or documentation backing up their claims... so, if you know of any research on D2 in sprouted seeds, dark green vegetables, sea greens, sunflower seeds or plants in general, please let us know!
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Daily Duration of Vitamin D Synthesis in Human Skin with Relation to Latitude, Total Ozone, Altitude, Ground Cover, Aerosols and Cloud Thickness
Quote:
Vitamin D production in human skin occurs only when incident UV radiation exceeds a certain threshold. From simulations of UV irradiances worldwide and throughout the year, we have studied the dependency of the extent and duration of cutaneous vitamin D production in terms of latitude, time, total ozone, clouds, aerosols, surface reflectivity and altitude. For clear atmospheric conditions, no cutaneous vitamin D production occurs at 51 degrees latitude and higher during some periods of the year. At
70 degrees latitude, vitamin D synthesis can be absent for 5 months. Clouds, aerosols and thick ozone events reduce the duration of vitamin D synthesis considerably, and can suppress vitamin D synthesis completely even at the equator. A web page allowing the computation of the duration of cutaneous vitamin D production worldwide throughout the year, for various atmospheric and surface conditions, is available on the Internet at
http://zardoz.nilu.no/~olaeng/fastrt/VitD.html and
http://zardoz.nilu.no/~olaeng/fastrt/VitD-ez.html. The computational methodology is outlined here.
http://health.msn.com/centers/cancer...ntid=100156774
Quote:
Although vitamin D is firmly enshrined as one of the four fat-soluble vitamins, it is not technically a vitamin. True, it’s essential for health, and only minuscule amounts are required. But it breaks the other rules for vitamins because it’s produced in the human body, it’s absent from all natural foods except fish and egg yolks, and even when it’s obtained from foods, it must be transformed by the body before it can do any good.
As our habits change, most of us cannot rely on our bodies to produce vitamin D the old-fashioned way. Instead, we increasingly depend on artificially fortified foods and pills to provide this vital nutrient. Coming full circle in the modern world, this substance may actually come to fit the technical definition of a vitamin.
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is not one chemical but many. The natural type is produced in the skin from a universally present form of cholesterol, 7-dehydrocholesterol. Sunlight is the key: Its ultraviolet B (UVB) energy converts the precursor to vitamin D3. In contrast, most dietary supplements are manufactured by exposing a plant sterol to ultraviolet energy, thus producing vitamin D2. Because their function is almost identical, D2 and D3 are lumped together under the name vitamin D — but neither will function until the body works its magic (see figure).
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocente...mins/vitaminD/
Quote:
Sunlight
Sunlight exposure provides most people with their entire vitamin D requirement. Children and young adults who spend a short time outside two or three times a week will generally synthesize all the vitamin D they need. The elderly have diminished capacity to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight exposure and frequently use sunscreen or protective clothing in order to prevent skin cancer and sun damage. The application of sunscreen with an SPF factor of 8 reduces production of vitamin D by 95%. In latitudes around 40 degrees north or 40 degrees south (Boston is 42 degrees north), there is insufficient UVB radiation available for vitamin D synthesis from November to early March. Ten degrees farther north or south (Edmonton, Canada) this “vitamin D winter” extends from mid October to mid March. According to Dr. Michael Holick, as little as 5-10 minutes of sun exposure on arms and legs or face and arms three times weekly between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm during the spring, summer, and fall at 42 degrees latitude should provide a light-skinned individual with adequate vitamin D and allow for storage of any excess for use during the winter with minimal risk of skin damage (35).
http://www.sunarc.org/pastpress.htm
Quote:
6 – Another problem is the statement “the amount of sunlight a fair-skinned person needs to make a whole month’s supply of vitamin D is about 5-10 minutes three times a week—just on the face.” That is an often-quoted value, but it is not consistent with the facts as I see them. Cancer mortality rates for breast, colon, ovarian, rectal, etc. cancers are about twice as high in the urban northeast than in the rural southwest. Also, the prevalence of multiple sclerosis increases rapidly with latitude in the U.S., Australia, and Europe, which is due to decreasing UVB with increasing latitude. Assuming that casual solar UVB radiation exposure is the largest source of vitamin D in the U.S., then 5-10 minutes a day may be ok in the southwest, but not in the northeast. I think that 15-30 minutes a day of casual UVB exposure to hands and face daily in summer is required for those with fair skin; the time required increases with degree of pigmentation: those with very dark skin may require several hours of exposure per day. The best time of the day is midday, since the UVB to UVA ratio is higher, and one can obtain the requisite amount of UVB in a shorter time. Also, it should be noted that for 4 months of the year it is impossible to generate vitamin D from solar UV in Boston since the UVB levels are very low in the darkest months of the year. I recommend indoor UVB exposure or supplements for those who can’t get enough solar UVB.
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D, the sun and... cacao!
http://www.biochemj.org/bj/029/2728/0292728.pdf
VITAMIN D ACTIVITY OF CACAO SHELL
A tiny excerpt:
Quote:
I. THE EFFECT OF THE FERMENTING AND DRYING OF CACAO ON THE VITAMIN D POTENCY OF CACAO SHELL.
II. THE ORIGIN OF VITAMIN D IN CACAO SHELL.
THE authors have shown [1934] that one sample of the testa or "shell" of the ordinary dried fermented cacao beans from the Gold Coast had a vitamin D potency of 28 International Units (i.u.) per g. 10 months later another sample of cacao shell was exanlined by them and found also to contain 28 i.u. per g. As this is quite an exceptional potency for a vegetable product, further investigation was made with the object of determining whether the vitamin D was present in the seed or was produced during the preparation for the market.
[...]
SUMMARY.
1. It is improbable that either vitamin D or ergosterol is present in the fresh shell of the cacao bean.
2. During fermentation, yeast containing ergosterol develops in the pulp on
the shell.
3. During drying inthetropical sun the ergosterol is converted into vitamin D.
4. Hence the order of vitamin D potency of the shell of the cacao bean is:
(1) artificially dried-absent; (2) not deliberately fermented but slightly fer-
mented during sun-drying-fairly high, approaching the potency of dairy butter;
(3) fermented and sun-dried-very high, twenty or thirty times the potency of dairy butter.
REFERENCES.
de Balsac (1933). Acad. Agric. France, 19, 862.
Bills, Massengale and Prickett (1930). J. Biol. Chem. 87, 259.
Birkinshaw, Callow and Fischmann (1931). Biochem. J. 25, 1977.
Bourdillon, Bruce and Webster (1932). Biochem. J. 26, 522.
Brill (1915). Philippine J. Sci. 10 (A), 123.
Bunting (1928). Dept. Agric. Gold Coast Year Book, 44.
Ciferri (1931). J. Dep. Agric. Porto Rico, 15, 223.
Coward (1933). Lancet, ii, 930.
Eckmann (1928). Dissertation, Kiel.
Key and Morgan (1932). Biochem. J. 26, 196.
Knapp (1935), Bull. Imp. Inst. 33, 31.
and Coward (1934). Analyst, 59, 474.
and Wadsworth (1924). J. Sci. Chem. Ind. 43, 124 T.
Kon (1931). Lancet, ii, 579.
- and Henry (1935). Biochem. J. 29, 2051.
Labb6, de Balsac and Lerat (1929). Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. 189, 864.
Lecoq (1932). Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol. 111, 293.
Lilienfeld-Toal (1927). B. Tropenpflanzer, 30, No. 2.
Manceau and Bige (1931). Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol. 107, 635.
Preuss, Petersen, Steenbock and Fred (1931). J. Biol. Chem. 90, 369.
Steenbock, Hart, Hanning and Humphrey (1930). J. Biol. Chem. 88, 197.
Whymper (1933). Chim. Ind. 30, 507.
Biochem. 1935 xxix
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
I found a great 100% vegan certified multi-vitamin supplement that has 100% of D2 and is also loaded with all the B vitamins and iron. After about 6 months of switching to a Vegan diet I started to get very tired early in the afternoon. At the time I hadn't attributed this to my new way of life, but a friend of mine suggested I might be defecient in B vitamins and iron. Sure enough after a few days of using the Vegan vitamins i was back to normal:)
here is the best priced DEVA distributor i have found: http://dvgirl.home.insightbb.com/
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Quote:
muldr42
At the time I hadn't attributed this to my new way of life, but a friend of mine suggested I might be defecient in B vitamins and iron.
Hi muldr, and welcome! If look here, you'll see that people who go vegan don't have more nutrients to worry about than vegans who start to eat non-vegan food. Based on experience (and this little poll), it looks like most people who go vegan experience less, and not more tiredness...
Supplements may be needed for both vegans and non-vegans, but in many cases, taking a supplement may mask the real problem (too little sunlight, too little sleep, too much work, too little fresh/raw food) - and since treating symptoms alone may actually mask a problem instead of removing the cause, I'd generally be very careful with using supplements as a result of assuming that health issues are caused by a vegan way of life. There are lots of non-vegans who eat vegan food for health reasons alone, or because they need more energy! :)
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Quote:
gertvegan
I called Vega Nutritionals
I have looked at their product range and they don't seem to sell a separate Vitamin D(2), there is one combination product with calcium with a laughable amount of vitamin D which translates I think to 200 IU.
Apparently there is a new daily recommended intake for Vitamin D more than 10 times than that, according to
this study: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/84/1/18
The authors conclude that 400 IU of Vitamin D is much to low to raise the
blood serum levels to an overall beneficial level and recommend at least 1000 IU of vitamin D3. For D2 (the vegan type), this translates to at least 2000 IU because D2 has a different absorption rate. I actually went as far as contacting one of the authors of this study to ask how this translates to
vitamin D2, since there's no exclusive mention of that type of vitamin D. She
replied that 2000 IU daily is a _conservative_ translation for D2, and that
levels of up to 10.000 IU per day are safe for people suffering from acute
Vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D is not only a vegan issue, it's a "Northern" issue and given the new data, the daily recommended intake for vegans is *minimum* 2000 IU vitamin D2, currently the only source for us Europeans and the UK (I'm sure you'll bitch again if I don't mention you separately:-) is veganessentials.com, e. g. the Freeda brand, but that is still just 400 IU per tablet. I've contacted them to ask to possibly list this product http://www.country-life.com/moreinfo...Product_ID=183 and they promised they would get back at me.
Personally I produce my own vitamin D2, I grow my own mushrooms and after harvest dry them in the sun, which raises their vitamin D content drastically, see http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12370708/ . My husband doesn't trust this method, which is ok since it's highly experimental, so he relies on year round supplementation given that he's black.
Given the new data I think the recommendation for vitamin D will have to change pretty soon - for the entire Northern population and I would urge any vegan to make sure your D storage is filled up in summer, if you reject supplements for some reason, consider using a sunbed in months with an "R" at least once or twice. You'd have to ask if the lamps supply UVB light, since UVA doesn't stimulate the skin to synthesize vitamin D.
Supplements are seen as problematic by some - just as condoms. But this is evolution. The ones who can't adapt to new circumstances are the ones to first drop out so to say.
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Vitamin D in Spirulina?
According to the two sites linked to below, Spirulina contains vitamin D. These sites also claim that Spirulina contains vitamin B12, although this B12, in Spirulina, is in all likelihood a B12 analogue, so the sites do not appear to be entirely credible.
Has anybody spent the time to actually research Vitamin D content in Spirulina? Does anyone know if Spirulina actually contains this vitamin, and if so how much?
http://www.helium.com/tm/51292/spirulina
http://spirulina4nutrition.com/
I have read that alfalfa sprouts also contain Vitamin D. Is there any truth to this?
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
From http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/fnrb/f...tm?pf=1#cancer
Quote:
Special Form of Vitamin D May Fight Cancer
A form of vitamin D, discovered in laboratory studies by an ARS researcher, may help fight cancer. ARS and Bone Care International, Inc., Madison, Wis., share a patent on an experimental anti-cancer drug that's based on the compound.
Known as a metabolite, the vitamin D form is 1,24-dihydroxyvitamin D2. Though scientists had previously known of a vitamin D metabolite called 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2, ARS was the first to uncover the 1,24 form.
Found mainly in plants, the parent compound--vitamin D2--is used as a dietary supplement. Both the 1,25 and the 1,24 forms activate vitamin D's ability to build strong bones and help prevent the weakening associated with osteoporosis.
Earlier work, done elsewhere, pointed to vitamin D's potential anti-cancer activity. But high doses of the vitamin can have toxic effects. The 1,24 metabolite may offer a way to safely provide doses that are nontoxic yet high enough to fight cancer.
Bone Care International expects to begin clinical trials this year to learn more about the 1,24 metabolite.
For more information, contact Ronald L. Horst, (515) 663-7312, USDA-ARS National Animal Disease Center, Ames, IA.
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Wow, interesting news! I've actually been getting annoyed about the rather silly and constant use of "natural" referring to D3 by the "vitamin D council" and other logical fallacies, so it's great that one of the metabolites of D2 gets such good rep. Good find, Korn!
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
There are more a articles out there about the link between lack of vitamin D and cancer, including a new study released this week by The American Society for Nutrition.
Here are some excerpts:
The American Society for Nutrition, June 2007:
Quote:
Improving calcium and vitamin D nutritional status substantially reduces all-cancer risk in postmenopausal women. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00352170.
International Health News, November 1995:
Quote:
Conculsion: It is clear that vitamin D deficiency is widespread and can have serious, even fatal consequences. Regular, prudent, unprotected exposure to sunlight is the most effective way of maintaining an adequate vitamin D status(4,9,17). However, during the winter months, elderly people and people who spend most of their time indoors should supplement with vitamin D. Recommendations vary from 400 IU (10 micrograms) to 800 IU per day(2,9,22,24,25,28). An adequate vitamin D supply significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, osteoporosis, and hip fractures.
From The Role of Vitamin D in Cancer Prevention, American Public Health Association:
Quote:
Vitamin D status differs by latitude and race, with residents of the northeastern United States and individuals with more skin pigmentation being at increased risk of deficiency. A PubMed database search yielded 63 observational studies of vitamin D status in relation to cancer risk, including 30 of colon, 13 of breast, 26 of prostate, and 7 of ovarian cancer, and several that assessed the association of vitamin D receptor genotype with cancer risk.
The majority of studies found a protective relationship between sufficient vitamin D status and lower risk of cancer. The evidence suggests that efforts to improve vitamin D status, for example by vitamin D supplementation, could reduce cancer incidence and mortality at low cost, with few or no adverse effects.
Of course - too much direct sunlight is always too much, and one has to be careful with overexposre, but getting enough sunlight seems to be extremely important for good health and what most people may miss.
More links here.
(None of the studies above were vegan-specific - the recommendations are general recommendations for people on any diet).
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Re: Vitamin D in Spirulina?
who cares, just spend 15 mins in the sun every day :p
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
I never really understood how exposure to sunlight helps with vitamin D.
anyone care to explain?
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Our skin is capable of producing vitamin D, but if we aren't exposed to ultraviolet light, the process won't happen...
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
As Korn says and has been discussed in this thread, vitamin D can be made by the body when the skin is exposed to long sunlight rays, which means May to September daytime sun in Northern climes. The human body has not evolved to produce vitamin D in the Northern winter sun. The human body is capable of making many substances vital to our survival.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D
for the science behind it for any boffins out there.
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Re: Vitamin D in Spirulina?
10 grams containst 300% of ur RDA of vitamin D
http://www.spirulina.com/SPBNutrition.html
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Shopping today I was looking down the cereal aisle and couldn't for the life of me find one that didn't contain (number un-specified) vitamin D. I'm under the impression that when un-specified you should expect it to be D3 so I then thought, "Oh wait, I remember, Grape Nuts I've read on line is vegan, I'll buy that". Well I read the label and was surprised to see just "Vitamin D", no number. :confused: Wouldn't they brag that it's D2 so as to attract us vegans? Their website doesn't say (Kraft foods) and I'm not a strong believer in emailing companies about such matters because I feel the answer you get really only applies to that batch of vitamin D they bought that month. They could care less if its vegan or not and would easily switch to a different supplier (using the other D number) instantly to save costs next month, there would be no change to their label that would alert me to this, and no, I don't want to email them every month asking, "Are you still using D2?" [They'd eventually just ignore me, I'm sure, anyways.]
So I bought no cereal. Now I've verified that at least Peta thinks Grape Nuts is vegan (so I'm not crazy after all ;) ) but then again they also list all those other ones as well! [examples: corn flakes and corn chex] Have they really checked to be sure they're all D2 and promise to stay that way forever or is Peta telling a bunch of lies? Anyone?
Peta's "vegan cereal" list.
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Are you unable to buy Nature's Path or Peace Cereals where you are? These are all vegan.
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Thanks for the suggestion, Roxy, yes those can be found at Whole Foods Market when I go there but I don't think standard American supermarkets have those. I long for a simple bowl of corn flakes or corn chex with soy milk. I think there may be a house brand at WFM. I'll check, but I still want to know why Peta calls all those cereals in that link "vegan". Anyone know?
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
I don't know Mahk, sorry.
Some of the mainstream grocery stores up here are open to carrying new stock that customers request/suggest. Perhaps you could ask one or 2 of your grocery stores if they'd be happy to carry some of the vegan cereals?
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Here's some interesting reading about Vitamin D in plants:
From http://www.reptileuvinfo.com/docs/pr...nt-ecology.pdf:
Quote:
Occurrence of provitamins and vitamins D in higher plants
Plants produce provitamins D, vitamins D and related compounds in their leaves (Napoli et al. 1977;
Wasserman 1975; Prema & Raghuramulu 1994, 1996; Zucker et al. 1980; Rambeck et al. 1981; Horst et al.
1984).
In the case of ergosterol and vitamin D2 one has to be cautious in assigning substances found in the analysis
of plants to synthesis by the plants themselves. Many plants, among them many grasses, harbour en-
dophytic fungi (Clay 1990; Redlin & Carris 1996; Siegel et al. 1987), and fungi regularly produce ergos-
terol as their major sterol. The content of ergosterol in plant tissue has been used as a measure of fungal
contamination (Gessner & Schmitt 1996).
It is a widespread misconception in the literature that plants produce only provitamin D2 and vitamin D2
(e.g., Buddecke 1980). Often as much provitamin D3 and vitamin D3 are produced (Zucker et al. 1980,
Prema & Raghuramulu 1996). Even 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 has been found in plants (Napoli et al.
1977), as well as a glycoside of this compound, sometimes at concentrations high enough to poison grazing
animals (Wasserman et al. 1976).
We have confirmed a UV-B dependent synthesis of vitamins D2 and D3 in the leaves of the tomato plant.
An interesting observation is that the provitamin D3 content of tomato leaves is not reduced by growing
plants under UV-B radiation, although a substantial amount of vitamin D3 is formed (Table 2). This points
to a feedback mechanism regulating the amount of the provitamin.
Table 2. Contents of provitamins and vitamins D2 and D3 in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill).
Tomato plants were grown in a greenhouse with or without UV-B radiation (0.85 kJ plant weighted UV-B
radiation per m2 and day).
Organism Micrograms per gram dry weight
Provit.D2 Provit. D3 Vitamin D2 Vitamin D3
Tomato (-UV-B) 1.83 0.61 0 0
Tomato (+UV-B) 2.23 0.76 0.087 0.28
Recently Curino et al. (1998) made the startling discovery that Solanum glaucophyllum cells are able to
synthesise vitamin D3 and its derivatives in darkness. This is the only documented case of vitamin D3
synthesis in the absence of UV-B. Solanum glaucophyllum is a very special plant which accumulates large
amounts of dihydroxy vitamin D3 as a protection against grazing mammals. Mechanisms for nonphoto-
chemical formation of vitamin D have been proposed by Norman & Norman (1993).
[...]
Conclusion
Plants and some algae are able to perceive ultraviolet-B radiation and regulate chemical processes and morphogenesis in a radiation-dependent manner, and are thought to have an ultraviolet-B specific photorecep-
tor. Provitamins D2 and D3 are present in leaves of land plants and in some algae, and are converted, with a high quantum yield, to previtamins D and vitamins D upon exposure to ultraviolet-B radiation. The action
spectrum for several ultraviolet-induced phenomena in plants (Björn 1999) and for provitamin D conversion in human skin peak at the same wavelength. Photodestruction of provitamin D is known to
change the activity of membrane-bound enzymes in yeast cells. We have pointed to the possibility that provitamins D act as ultraviolet-B photoreceptors for UV-B induced regulatory reactions in plants, and
proposed that the proportions between provitamins, previtamins, and vitamins D can be used to evaluate the UV-B exposure of phytoplankton and plants.
From http://www.prn2.usm.my/mainsite/bull...996/sun44.html :
Quote:
Vitamin D and its analogues are a group of sterol compounds that occur naturally, chiefly in animals. It can also be found in plants and yeasts. The D vitamins are generated from the provitamins ergosterol and 7-dehydrocholesterol, which are found in plants and animals.
Ultraviolet irridiation of a variety of this animal and plant sterols results in the conversion of provitamins to compounds with vitamin D activity. Ergosterol, which is derived from plants, can be converted into ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) with the aid of ultraviolet irridiation. For instance, vitamin D was once made available in commercial quantities when vitamin D2 was manufactured by irridiation of ergosterol derived from yeast.
In animal tissues, 7-dehydrocholesterol, which occurs naturally in the epidermal layers of the skin, can be converted by ultraviolet irridiation to cholesterol (vitamin D3). Vitamin D3 is also present in fish oil. Both ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol are of equal biologic potency as D vitamins.
Screening of Vitamin D activity (VDA) of Solanum glaucophyllum leaves measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA)
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curati...?spnumber=2679
Quote:
Solanum glaucophyllum is of economic importance mainly because it causes a disease, “enteque seco” or “espichamento,” of grazing animals (D’Arcy, 1974; Morris, 1977; Okada et al., 1977; Wasserman, 1974). The disease is characterized by calcification of soft tissues, frequently leading to death, and has caused losses of millions of dollars annually to livestock ranchers in Argentina (Cabrera, 1983). The active principle of S. glaucophyllum has been shown to be a vitamin D-like substance that increases calcium and phosphorous absorption (Morris, 1977; Wasserman, 1974). Extracts of S. glaucophyllum are currently being tested for activity as bone growth factors useful in human and veterinary medicine (Morris, 1977; B. Barr, pers. comm.).
From http://www.noarthritis.com/research.htm:
Quote:
An Apparent Relation of Nightshades (Solanaceae) to Arthritis
Diet appears to be a factor in the etiology of arthritis based on surveys of over 1400 volunteers during a 20-year period. Plants in the drug family, Solanaceae (nightshades) are an important causative factor in arthritis in sensitive people. This family includes potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.), eggplant (Solanum melongena L.), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), and peppers (Capsicum sp.) of all kinds except the black pepper (family, Piperaceae). A buildup of cholinesterase inhibiting glycoalkaloids and steroids from consumption and/or use (tobacco) of the nightshades and from other sources such as caffeine and some pesticides (organophosphates and carbamates) may cause inflammation, muscle spasms, pain, and stiffness. Osteoarthritis appears to be a result of long-term consumption and/or use of the Solanaceae which contain naturally the active metabolite, vitamin D3, which in excess causes crippling and early disability (as seen in livestock). Rigid omission of Solanaceae, with other minor diet adjustments, has resulted in positive to marked improvement in arthritis and general health.
[...]
In conclusion, low levels of potato increased bone mineralization due to a hypothesized increase in the intestinal absorption of Ca, P, and Mg. Conversely, a high intake of potato resulted in (1) decreased bone mineral content, (2) soft tissue mineralization, and (3) a decrease in body weight gain. The overall effect indicated the potato does have vitamin D-like activity.
[...]
Conclusions
Davis [18] stated [14] that "The demonstration that the active form of vitamin D (D3) is present in at least three species of three (now four [24]) different genera of plants, raises many questions regarding the possible role of diet and calcium and phosphorous metabolism. Are there many other plants common to human diets, as well as in animal feeds, that contain significant if small quantities of the active form of vitamin D? Can the presence of such a compound be used advantageously to protect against the occurrence of osteomalacia? Is it possible that the presence of the active form of vitamin D may result in abnormal calcium absorption and deposits in connective tissue with resultant pathology [38,39]? Obviously, the discovery that plants can form the active vitamin D3 opens a vast new area of research with potentially far reaching importance for human and animal health."
Kingsbury [8] stated that "Despite the ancient and general reputation of the nightshades as poisonous plants, very few feeding experiments have been performed with any of the toxic species... begging experimentation." Further research with the food nightshades, which has been done with tobacco, may also be fruitful in helping solve the problems of heart, circulatory, cancer, and related diseases.
Effects of vitamin D overdose
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...799fb6d85c9739
Quote:
Vitamin D compounds in plants
Ricardo Boland, , Mario Skliar, Alejandro Curino and Lorena Milanesi
Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur., San Juan 670, Bahia Blanca 8000, Argentina
Received 30 April 2002; revised 24 September 2002; accepted 10 November 2002. ; Available online 14 December 2002.
Abstract
An appreciable number (15) of flowering plants, specially within the Solanaceae family, have been shown to contain vitamin D3 and its hydroxylated derivatives, including 1α,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 [1α,25(OH)D3], a pluripotent hormone in animals. These secosteroids have also been detected in members of the Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae and Poaceae families. On the basis of recent cladistic analysis it is possible to predict that the synthesis of these compounds is a characteristic of the Angiosperms. Highly specific and sensitive bioassays and analytical procedures of high resolution are now available which may allow confirmation of this hypothesis. Solanum glaucophyllum is the species which accumulates 1α,25(OH)D3 to the greatest extent. The metabolite is distributed among different tissues of the plant as a free steroid or glycoside derivatives. The presence of 7-dehydrocholesterol, vitamin D3, 25(OH)D3 and 1α,25(OH)2D3 in S. glaucophyllum and other species has been unequivocally demonstrated. Moreover, recent studies with radioactive precursors, protein immunoblot and RNA hybridization analysis suggest the presence of specific hydroxylases for vitamin D3 and 25(OH)D3 structurally related to the corresponding enzymes in vertebrates. It appears then that plants possess a similar synthetic route to 1α,25(OH)2D3 as in animals. However, of unique biological importance, evidence obtained with S. glaucophyllum and Nicotiana glauca supports the operation of a non-photolytic reaction of vitamin D3 synthesis. Both intermediates and enzymes of the vitamin D3 pathway can be detected in cell and tissue cultures thus affording a convenient experimental model for studies on its molecular characterization and regulation. This is also endowed with biotechnological significance. Vitamin D3 compounds may play a function in Angiosperms. Studies in vitro have shown that, like mitogenic plant hormones, they stimulate root growth and differentiation through activation of the Ca2+ messenger system. There are vitamin D3 and 1α,25(OH)2D3 binding proteins in plants which exhibit characteristics suggesting a regulatory function. It remains to be established whether these binders act as true steroid hormone receptors.
And, In case you want a PhD scholarship in improvement of Vitamin D in food crops:
http://www.dtu.dk/Om_DTU/ledige_stil...?guid=22207039
(The research will partly focus on investigation of the production of vitamin D in plants from their content of pro-vitamin D).
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Vitamin D stored in the body
Here's some random info about how long vitamin D is stored in the body. As you'll see, these people don't agree with each other.
http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseas...rosis/vitd.htm
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in your body fat. In general, adults and children living in New York State can get enough casual sun exposure from March to October to store a significant amount of vitamin D. It will later be released for the body's use during the winter months. However, the use of sunscreen and/or sun-protective clothing, cloudy northern climate, and window glass block your body's ability to make vitamin D from sun exposure.
http://www.nysopep.org/page.cfm/65
Since vitamin D can be stored in your body, it has been presumed that too much may be harmful. However, toxicity is rarely seen. It is important to follow the advice of your doctor or medical professional and not to exceed 2000 IU/day of vitamin D from diet and/or supplements without a prescription.
http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info.../vitamin_d.php
While some vitamin D is stored in the body during the summer months, it is important that you get a good dietary source of vitamin D to help you out during the winter months.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/...ciarickets.htm
Milk contains added vitamin D in the USA but not in the UK. Most people in the UK get most of their vitamin D from exposure of the skin to sunlight.
The average person has enough vitamin D stored in their body to last for two or three years.
Who is at risk of vitamin D deficiency?
People who get little exposure to sunlight are most at risk of vitamin D deficiency in the UK. Immigrants from Asia, particularly women and children, are at risk, as are elderly people who are housebound or confined to residential and nursing homes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D
Whether it is made in the skin or ingested, vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is then hydroxylated in the liver to 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D3 or calcidiol) by the enzyme 25-hydroxylase produced by hepatocytes, and stored until it is needed. [...] Vitamin D stored in the human body as calcidiol (25-hydroxy-vitamin D) has a large volume of distribution and a long half-life (about 20 to 29 days).[8] However, the synthesis of bioactive vitamin D hormone is tightly regulated and vitamin D toxicity usually occurs only if excessive doses (prescription forms or rodenticide analogs) are taken.[26]
http://www.clinicalanswers.nhs.uk/in...?question=7309
“Treatment for rickets may be administered gradually over several months or in a single day's dose with 15,000 mcg (600,000 U) of vitamin D. If the gradual method is chosen, 125-250 mcg (5000-10,000 U) is given daily for 2-3 months until healing is well established and the alkaline phosphatase concentration is approaching the reference range. Because this method requires daily treatment, success depends on compliance.
• An alternative and recommended therapy is to administer the vitamin D in a single day, usually divided into 4 or 6 oral doses. An intramuscular injection also is available. Vitamin D is well stored in the body and released gradually over many weeks. Neither calcitriol nor calcidiol with their short half-lives are suitable. The single-day therapy avoids problems with compliance and, on occasion, is helpful in differentiating nutritional rickets from FHR [familial hypophosphatemia rickets].
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/review/s...7vitaminD.html
Q: What are the best sources of vitamin D?
A: The sun is the most potent source. When the sun’s ultraviolet rays hit the skin, the skin makes the vitamin, which is rapidly absorbed in the blood and can be stored for several months, mostly in the blood and fat tissue. This is why it’s hard to figure out how much supplemental vitamin D people might need.
If you spend a fair amount of time outdoors, you probably don’t need a vitamin D supplement. A light-skinned person living in Boston who takes walks in the summer with the face, neck, and arms exposed for 15 minutes gets enough. A 30-minute, full-body exposure to summer sun at noon without any sunscreen protection triggers the release of about 20,000 IU into the bloodstream. Most of that is stored. Someone dark-skinned would, with the same exposure, generate about half or less as much vitamin D.
For people who rarely get sun exposure or who live in the north, where the body can’t make vitamin D in the late autumn and winter months, even 800 IU per day during these months may be too low. Dark-skinned individuals, whom research suggests are more prone to colon cancer than whites, should probably take vitamin D supplements, considering that their colon cancer risk may be related to insufficient vitamin D.
Evidence shows modest exposure to sun can have long-term benefits. However, I don’t recommend excessive sun exposure because of the well-known risk of skin cancer.
[...]
Q: Who might benefit most from supplements?
A: Most people will benefit. The elderly; dark-skinned individuals; obese individuals, in whom fat cells extract vitamin D from blood and hoard it; and those who avoid the sun are all at risk for a less-than-adequate intake or a deficiency. People living in northern latitudes—for Americans, that means north of an imaginary line connecting San Francisco to Philadelphia—only make vitamin D from March through September. Although vitamin D stored from summer sun exposure lasts for some months, most of these individuals will be deficient by late winter.
http://www.naturalnews.com/z003838.html
Adams: What about storage of vitamin D in the body. If someone lives in a climate where it gets cloudy for 2 months in a row, what then?
Dr. Holick: Excellent point. Remember I told you about the major circulating form of vitamin D which is 25-hydroxy vitamin D? It's half-life in the blood stream is 2 weeks. So when you build up your vitamin D levels during spring, summer and fall, you can use them because your blood levels are much higher, and also some of the vitamin D is stored in your body fat and is released during the winter time. But the opposite is true also, and that is that if you're obese, we know that most obese people are prone to deficiency in vitamin D, and the reason is that the vitamin D gets sucked into the fat and it can't get out. And so we actually did a study in obese and non-obese individuals, and we gave them either an oral dose of vitamin D or we put them on our tanning beds so that they can make vitamin D in their skin. Obese people could only raise their blood levels of vitamin D about half as much as non-obese individuals.
Adams: Very interesting.
Dr. Holick: And so if a person is in fact overweight, they don't need 1000 units of vitamin D a day, they probably need 2000 units of vitamin D a day.
Adams: That's fascinating, because again that plays into the sensitivity to vitamin D, so there's a vicious cycle going on there in obesity.
Dr. Holick: Exactly.
Adams: It's going to take a lot of vitamin D, a lot of sun exposure to help break that cycle. I've got another question for you here. So if a person has all the vitamin D that their body wants, and it's stored in the fat tissues, how long can they go, is it a period of months?
Dr. Holick: Yeah, I mean if you're getting a really adequate source in the spring, summer and fall, it'll last two to three months. So it'll get you through the winter. But for those that are concerned about this issue, what I always tell my patients is, take a multivitamin, you're getting 400 units and get some sun exposure to really make sure that you're building up your stores of vitamin D. And then during the wintertime especially take at least a multivitamin, and maybe take an additional supplement, a vitamin D supplement that contains another 400-1000 units of vitamin D.
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
I have been trying to figure out if a lack of a particular vitamin can cause me to feel so down on days that are rainy and/or overcast. I have also noticed that on those kind of days, in addition to feeling depressed or irritable, that there is a glare that seems to really put a strain on my eyes. I also know people that almost always get migraine headaches on days like these.
Can helping this be as simple as taking a vitamin D or another type of supplement?
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Re: Vegans, vitamin D and the sun
Quote:
Mahk
Thanks for the suggestion, Roxy, yes those can be found at Whole Foods Market when I go there but I don't think standard American supermarkets have those.
My local Meijers and Busch's have both started carrying cereals marketed to the "health" and "organic" crowds. I think that finding vegan cereal w/ Vt D is getting easier all the time. Heck, both carry a veriety of vegan soymilks, and i've yet to go to a supermarket in the continental USA that doesn't have vit D fortified soymilk.
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Statement on Rickets and Vitamin D
Greetings,
The Vegan Society has put a new statement on rickets and vitamin D on to our Web site news feed:
http://www.vegansociety.com/newsroom...Vitamin-D.html
Please consider using this material as a source for writing to your local newspapers, TV & radio, magazines etc. We would be grateful if you could send copies of any letters which you send or replies which you receive to us at The Vegan Society office.
Many thanks,
Amanda at The Vegan Society
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Re: Statement on Rickets and Vitamin D
Quote:
"Vitamin D is found in many vegan foods including some breakfast cereals and margarine and some fortified non-dairy milks."
Amanda, I was under the impression that all major brands of breakfast cereals that are fortified with vitamin D use specifically D3, cholecalciferol, which to the best of my understanding is always made from sheep's wool and therefor not vegan. Please explain my error.
Thanks
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Re: Statement on Rickets and Vitamin D
in the UK at least, a few fortified breakfast cereals use D2 but D3 is by far the more widely used version.
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Re: Statement on Rickets and Vitamin D
Gorilla, I'm curious, here in the US (on cereal boxes at least) it pretty much just reads "Vitamin D" even on "health food" brands' boxes. Is your statement for the conditions in the UK based on info from just reading the labels on the boxes or through other correspondence, email, "vegan lists", this forum, etc? :confused:
Thanks and good to have you back. :)
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Re: Statement on Rickets and Vitamin D
Quote:
Mahk
Gorilla, I'm curious, here in the US (on cereal boxes at least) it pretty much just reads "Vitamin D" even on "health food" brands' boxes. Is your statement for the conditions in the UK based on info from just reading the labels on the boxes or through other correspondence, email, "vegan lists", this forum, etc? :confused:
A bit of both, usually. Some say "D2", but mostly we've found out for ourselves, or use cereals without D and have "milk" with it added.
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Re: Statement on Rickets and Vitamin D
Thanks, B.
Can anyone think of a brand, from any country, that actually lists D2 on the actual label? If people could come up with some names I could then go see if my US version is the same. I want D2 fortification and having to avoid all cereal with just "vitamin D" is a real pain.
I personally don't believe in the concept of "well why don't you just email them for clarification?" regarding these sorts of issues, BTW. My belief is that the response one receives is transitory; they'll gladly switch between D2 and D3 for any number of reasons (mostly cost at the time of purchase, I'd assume). Sadly the Vegan Society isn't here in the US to protect me (through certification stamps on the boxes) keeping the cereal makers from freely changing at will between D2 and D3 at any time. :(
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Re: Statement on Rickets and Vitamin D
Quote:
bryzee86
A bit of both, usually. Some say "D2", but mostly we've found out for ourselves, or use cereals without D and have "milk" with it added.
indeed, most packets just say vitamin D, but there are a couple of stores which label their cereals as vegan, so those which are fortified and also labelled vegan obviously use D2.
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Re: Statement on Rickets and Vitamin D
Quote:
Mahk
I personally don't believe in the concept of "well why don't you just email them for clarification?" regarding these sorts of issues, BTW. My belief is that the response one receives is transitory; they'll gladly switch between D2 and D3 for any number of reasons (mostly cost at the time of purchase, I'd assume). Sadly the Vegan Society isn't here in the US to protect me (through certification stamps on the boxes) keeping the cereal makers from freely changing at will between D2 and D3 at any time. :(
I think the email I just received bares this out:
Mr. Zee,
Thank you for contacting us regarding Kelloggs® Corn Flakes®. The
vitamin premixes used in Kellogg® products include Vitamin D. Our
ingredient specification for Vitamin D says that we can use either Vitamin D2
or D3 in our products. Vitamin D3 is derived from lanolin, an animal
product; Vitamin D2 is not animal-derived. In either case, the vitamin
premix is Kosher certified.
We appreciate your interest in our company and products.
Sincerely,
Ruben Hacker
Consumer Affairs Department
4RHX/cl
013459326A
Kellogg North America
PO Box CAMB
Battle Creek, MI 49016-1986
How the frick can I be a vegan if even a direct letter to the food manufacturer receives a reply "we don't legally have to answer your question."? Between this and the ambiguity of "natural flavoring" found on the labels of almost half of the foods sold here it makes me think veganism is nearly impossible in the US. :mad:
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Re: Statement on Rickets and Vitamin D
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Re: Statement on Rickets and Vitamin D
Harpy, your link doesn't work for me. Do you need a subscription to see it? I see how to search at the Guardian so if you would be so kind as to give the title of the article I think I could find it that way. Thanks.