Antioxidants - Fighters against free radical damage
GSE
Vitamin D - Sunshine Vitamin / Antioxidant against health problems
Active form of vitamin D (CALCITRIOL) in the
Body
Virtually all the body's cells have
vitamin D
receptors (VDRs) and utilize the active form of
vitamin D (CALCITRIOL, 25-hydroxy vitamin D)to function properly .
And as you will see --- CALCITRIOL has
numerous NON-skeletal effects, doing so much
more than aiding calcium absorption for bone strength (together with magnesium,
and vitamins A and K2):
Gene expression
CALCITRIOL
upregulates nearly 3000
genes. Considering that your body only has ~25,000 genes helps one to grasp
vitamin D's
enormous influence on health; CALCITRIOL
affects DNA via VDRs,
which bind to specific
locations of the human genome.
Hossein-nezhad, A., Spira, A., & Holick, M. F. (2013). Influence of vitamin D
status and vitamin D3 supplementation on genome wide expression of white blood
cells: a randomized double-blind clinical trial. PloS
one , 8 (3),
e58725. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0058725
Mineral absorption
The body cannot absorb minerals without the vitamin "duo"
A and D. CALCITRIOL is well-recognized as an aid that
enhances intestinal absorption of magnesium, iron, zinc and, of course, calcium;
Bone formation and strength
Vitamin D does not
directly
promote healthy bone, but rather it controls blood calcium and phosphorus levels by
promoting intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption. In so doing, adequate calcium
and phosphorus levels maintain neuromuscular function and mineralize the skeleton,
instead of being drawn from the bones and broken down by mature osteoclasts to maintain blood levels.
Note that high Vitamin D
Aids repair and maintenance
Increases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood
CALCITRIOL helps fight cancer and stimulate immunity.
Regulates immune system and inflammation
Vitamin D up-regulates an important gene for fighting infections
and controlling chronic inflammation.
This gene produces over 200
anti-microbial peptides, a class of proteins that quickly destroys the cell walls
of bacteria, viruses , and fungi
and can keep the lungs
free from infection . The most significant of these proteins are defensins
and cathelicidin CALCITRIOL produced by macrophages.
Grant et al, 2020. These
proteins are the reason
vitamin D is so
effective against colds and flu (and
helps to explain why flu most often occurs during winter, when serum
CALCITRIOL levels are lower for those in
non-sunny climes, those who do not take the sun even when it is available, and
those who do not alternatively and sufficiently supplement vitamin D3 or use a full-spectrum
tanning bed;
Researchers discovered that vitamin D stimulates your white blood cells to make
a substance called cathelicidin. Studies report that it attacks a wide variety
of pathogens including: fungi, viruses, bacteria, tuberculosis and even cancer.
Here'show it works: T-cells are a type of white blood cell that circulate
around our bodies, scanning for cellular abnormalities and infections. When a T
cell is exposed to a foreign pathogen, it extends a signaling device or
'antenna' known as a vitamin D receptor, with which it searches for vitamin D.
This means that the T cell must have vitamin D or activation of the cell will
cease. If the T cells cannot find enough vitamin D in the blood, they won't even
begin to mobilize.
Vitamin D
prevents the immune system from producing a dangerous amount
of inflammatory chemicals (cytokines) that attack body
cells E.g. Sensitive respiratory membranes.
Although an important part of your immune system, in severe cases of
the flu, cytokine production spirals out of control, causing high fever and extreme
fatigue. In most cases, this so-called "cytokine storm" is the actual cause of death.
Article by Rahdia Gleis: Dr. Cannell and the
curious case of the flu.
A sufficiency of the active form of vitamin D
(CALCITRIOL)
in the blood can reduce viral activity
as occurs in such as influenza, HIV, smallpox, warts, ebola and the common cold.
Different viruses attack various areas of the body, such as blood, liver, skin
or the respiratory system.
A virus that attacks the respiratory system (i.e. nose, throat and lungs)
causes a respiratory tract infection (RTI). E.g. a cold
(adenovirus), influenza (Type A virus: Seasonal flu, Bird flu, swine flu; Type B
virus: Seasonal flu), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS (coronavirus
SARS-CoV ), COVID-19 (coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, a mutated version of
SARS-CoV), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS (coronavirus MERS-CoV)
• Sufficient serum
CALCITRIOL levels protect against chronic diseases.
Compared to those who are healthy, people contracting a viral infection have a
significantly higher risk of dying if they have a chronic disease, such as
cancer, cardiovascular disease (including hypertension), chronic respiratory
tract infections (RTIs), or diabetes.
• Sufficient serum
CALCITRIOL reduces risk of Respiratory
Tract Infections (RTIs) by:
♦ Inactivating enveloped viruses. CALCITRIOL induces
production of anti-microbial proteins such as defensins and cathelicidin.
♦ Maintain tight juctions
♦ Reduce production of innate immune system's
pro-inflammatory cytokines. Reduces risk of overactive immune response
precipitating pneumonia
Shown effective
against tuberuculosis. Destroys Microbacterium tuberculosis;
the airborne bacteria that infects the lungs, and is today the world's most deadly
infectious disease;
Since vitamin D modulates/down-regulates
immune response it can prevent over-reactive inflammation leading to autoimmune
disorders E.g. Crohn's Disease, IBS, Rheumatoid arthritis, M.S., Sjogren's
Syndrome, and thyroiditis;
Vitamin D increases
the number of disease-fighting white blood cells (lymphocytes)
in the body
The difference in an infection-free ward
In 2005, an influenza epidemic broke
out in the psychiatric Atascadero State Hospital in California.
One by one,
each ward became infected as the patients came down with chills, fever,
cough, and severe body aches. However, only Dr. Cannell's ward remained
free of infection. These patients intermingled with patients from other
wards and they were not noticeably different in terms of age, health, or
medical treatment.
The difference?
Dr. Cannell's patients had been receiving
a daily dose of 2,000 IU (btw - this dose is barely minimal for an
adult) of vitamin D for several months, and not one of
them caught the flu!
Cannell JJ et al (2006, Dec) Epidemic influenza and vitamin D, Epidemiol
Infect ;134(6):1129-40,
Article by Rahdia Gleis: Dr. Cannell and the Curious Case of the Flu
Promotes optimal cholesterol levels
CALCITRIOL supports cardiovascular health;
May prevent undesirable calcification
Vitamin D regulates D-binding proteins and some calcium-binding
proteins, which are responsible for carrying calcium to its proper destination.
With a deficiency of vitamin D, high dietary levels of calcium may contribute to calcification
/ damage by free calcium in the arteries, joints, kidney and possisbly even the brain.
CALCITRIOL
enhances INSULIN production
CALCITRIOL may have a role in type 2
diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Pittas AG et al (2006)
CALCITRIOL inhibits renin production
Involved
in regulating blood pressure. The enzyme renin converts
angiotensinogen (produced in liver) to the hormone ANGIOTENSIN I.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) (in the lungs) converts ANGIOTENSIN I
to ANGIOTENSIN II, which causes blood vessel constriction / increased blood
pressure. Li YC, 2003
Effective antioxidant against
lipid peroxidation
Increases enzymes that protect against oxidation Wiseman H, 1993
References
Radhia Gleis (2019) Dr. Cannell and the curious case of the flu. Advanced Health
Institute
Cannell JJ et al (2006, Dec) Epidemic influenza and
vitamin D, Epidemiol Infect;134(6):1129-40,
PubMed pdf
Grant, W.B.; Lahore, H.; McDonnell, S.L.; Baggerly,
C.A.; French, C.B.; Aliano, J.L.; Bhattoa, H.P. (2020) Vitamin D Supplementation Could
Prevent and Treat Influenza, Coronavirus, and Pneumonia
Infections. Preprints 2020, 2020030235.
Hossein-nezhad, A., Spira, A., & Holick, M. F. (2013).
Influence of vitamin D status and vitamin D3 supplementation on genome wide
expression of white blood cells: a randomized double-blind clinical trial. PloS
one, 8(3), e58725.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0058725
PubMed pdf
Li YC (2003) Vitamin D regulation of the reni-angiotensin system,
J Cell Biochem 88:327-331
Pittas AG et al (2006) Vitamin D and calcum intake in relationship
to type 2 diabetes in women, Diabetes Care 29:650-56
Wiseman H (1993) Vitamin D is a membrane antioxidant
Ability to inhibit iron-dependent lipid peroxidation in liposomes compared to
cholesterol, ergosterol and tamoxifen and relevance to anti-cancer action. FEBS
Lett. 326: 285-8
Pdf
