VITAMINS effectiveness, interaction & questions

[slowandsteady]

I'm taking some Vitamine K2 ( MK-7 90 mcg/day ) with Vit D3. Any informations about MK-7?

I've been taking 800 mcg/day for my plantar fasciitis, and it's really helped with the pain.

[seriouslyinpain]

Hey Ive been taking Vitamin e 1000iu synthetic, and have been noticing a great increase in erection strength and was wondering if this could potentially be dangerous and make my condtion worse?

[LWillisjr]

Firmer, harder erections means you are improving blood flow. This is a good thing as good blood flow is essential for good penile health.

So no, you won't run the risk of making anything worse.

[George999]

The risk would be:

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/11/vitamin-e-may-increase-prostate-cancer-risk-study-says/

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/synthetic-vitamin-e-linked-to-higher-prostate-cancer-risk-63373.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/18/dangers-of-vitamins.aspx

http://www.lef.org/featured-articles/INFEML_Rebuttal_E_1018.htm

- George

[seriouslyinpain]

Since vitamin e is helping, is this a greater sign that I have Peyronies (

[dioporcolorisolvo]

What is your daily dosage of Vit K2?

thanks

[LauRenT]

 Dio:

In my case it was 90 mcg per day still 1 month and now i'm with 120 mcg/day ( Vit k2, MK-7 ).

[LauRenT]

Sorry mistake now i'm with 135 mcg/day

"Recommended amounts

The U.S. Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for an Adequate Intake (AI) of vitamin K for a 25-year old male is 120 micrograms/day. The Adequate Intake (AI) for adult women is 90 micrograms/day, for infants is 10–20 micrograms/day, for children and adolescents 15–100 micrograms/day."
WIKI

[dioporcolorisolvo]

Sorry mistake now i'm with 135 mcg/day

"Recommended amounts

The U.S. Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for an Adequate Intake (AI) of vitamin K for a 25-year old male is 120 micrograms/day. The Adequate Intake (AI) for adult women is 90 micrograms/day, for infants is 10–20 micrograms/day, for children and adolescents 15–100 micrograms/day."
WIKI

thanks..

[ComeBacKid]

Saw this article online, to much vitamin A can lead to liver fibrosis, I know people who take multiple vitamins loaded with vitamin C and an extra chewable vitamin C, looks like this could be bad for you.

http://health.msn.com/healthy-living/popular-but-dangerous-3-vitamins-that-can-hurt-you

[james1947]

Interesting article.
Just passed a 2 weeks flue with overdose of vitamin C.
Now I understand that the overdose just going out without doing nothing.
James

[George999]

Just to add some balance here.

Vitamin E - Studies finding problems with vitamin E have all used synthetic Alpha Tocopherol, NOT natural vitamin E containing a balanced mixture of toco's.  Vitamin advocates have long openly speculated that synthetic Alpha Tocopherol can be toxic.  With Vitamin E the different toco's balance each other out and too much of one toco is a bad strategy from a health perspective.  The prostate, for example, depends on a sufficient supply of Gama Tocopherol.  Since Alpha Tocopherol and Gamma Tocopherol compete in the body, flooding the body with Alpha Tocopherol can cause a deficiency of Gamma Tocopherol which is a necessary anti-oxidant for healthy kidney function.  Vitamin E also marginalizes Vitamin K so that any large amount of Vitamin E can cause Vitamin K deficiency which can, in turn, cause dangerous cardio vascular problems.

Vitamin A - My take on Vitamin A is that it is just plain toxic.  Most Americans get far too much Vitamin A as it is.  It should ONLY be taken under doctor supervision.  Too much of it can be deadly.  Reasonable amounts of Carotene are a much better choice and NEVER take just Beta Carotene.  It should always be mixed Carotenes to avoid a similar problem as with Alpha Tocopherol.

Vitamin C - Vitamin C taken in large amounts tends to simply flood out through the kidneys.  Vitamin C in the body can produce oxalic acid, which in turn can cause kidney stones.  Magnesium tends to prevent oxalate type kidney stones.  Thus it is a good idea to always take a sufficient amount of magnesium with Vitamin C.  It is also a good idea to take time release Vitamin C formulas to avoid saturating the stomach and kidneys with Vitamin C.  Excessive amounts of Vitamin C in the presence of fat in the stomach can cause stomach cancer.

- George

[james1947]

George
Your knowledge is amazing.
I have a dumb question: Is the Carotene the vitamine in carrot? If I eat fresh carrot, it has enough Carotene in it?
James

[George999]

George
Your knowledge is amazing.
I have a dumb question: Is the Carotene the vitamine in carrot? If I eat fresh carrot, it has enough Carotene in it?
James

Yes, Carotene is one of the vitamins in carrots.  Maybe you get enough from fresh carrots and maybe not.  Food quality varies and individuals are different in their nutritional needs.  More -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotene

[james1947]

I have made a compilation regarding benefits, side effects and dossage of Vitamins, attached as PDF. The information is from the Internet.
Some of the vitamins are dangerous if overdosed. I am proposing to people that are taking vitamins to read the relevant paragraph.
James

[cowboyfood]

Thank you!

[james1947]

slowandsteady

Long time ago you have stated you will give a try to hydroxocobalamin.

You have try it? Had some positive (or negative) results?

James

[slowandsteady]

Nothing noticeable. I think it's a nice form of B12, but didn't find it had any particular effect on Peyronies Disease.

[james1947]

It is a vitamin?

[George999]

I have to say, personally, I see Homocysteine more as a marker than as a causal factor.  Therefore, unless you are actually getting it down by way of the actual causal factor, you are probably wasting your time.  Just addressing the marker itself may not actually achieve a whole lot.  I know I am up against LEF on this, but they also cite elevated fibrinogen levels as a risk factor and suggest use of nattokinase to lower them.  Certainly elevated fibrinogen, unlike homocysteine, is a PROVEN risk factor on its own.  But why not just lower blood sugar and insulin levels?  That will wipe out a whole raft of risk factors and certainly among those will lower fibrinogen levels, most likely down into the normal range.  So I would take a more Functional Medicine approach and look for the REAL ROOT of the problem rather than trying to prune all the branches issue by issue and symptom by symptom.  - George

[james1947]

HYDROXOCOBALAMIN (hye drox oh koe BAL a min) is a form of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 helps the growth of healthy blood cells, nerve cells, and proteins in the body. It also helps with the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. This medicine is used to treat people with low levels of vitamin B12 or those who can not absorb vitamin B12. It also helps with the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. It is also used as an antidote to treat cyanide poisoning.

My question is how it will help with Peyronie's? I didn't read posts that are stating vitamin B12 as helping for Peyronie's.

James

[goodluck]

I too have not read anything that says B12 will help with Peyronies.  If your B12 is low you will be very fatigued.
If you did want to supplement B12 I have read the better form is the Methylcobalamin.  It is reduced so your body has less work to do to use it.

Some people have trouble converting the cobalamin form to the more usefull methyl form.

Jarrow makes a nice sublingual form of this in  5000 mg tablets.  I brake them up and take 1/4 tab per week just as insurance.

[phil]

George, just wondering where the info on Vit C and fat in the stomach causing stomach cancer.  I have not heard that link.

[George999]

Phil, I wish I could tell you.  I read through a whole lot of stuff and that actually just came out of my memory bank from something I had previously read.  It was not something of enough interest to me to fully document it, so I didn't record where I found it at.  I always remember it though, because I, myself, take vitamin C and ever since reading that, I use time-release C and I take it just before bed time so I have as little food as possible in my stomach.  At this point I am following the "eat early, eat often" strategy, so even at late night I have some food in my stomach, but I try to work around that risk (which is not really substantial, to be honest), but I still try to avoid it as much as I can.  If I need to take more vitamin C than that for some reason, I just make sure I take the time release kind so as not to flood my stomach with ascorbic acid while there is food in it.  - George

PS - Well, with a little sleuthing, I actually came up with the story.  It is from way back in 2007.  No wonder I don't remember where or when.  Here's a link:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/81612.php

[james1947]

I came across this article while reading newses on yahoo.
Many contradinctions, I can't see anything conclusive.

James

Vitamins and Supplements: Do They Work?
Vitamins and dietary supplements are big--more than 110 million Americans forked over a collective $28 billion in 2010 on little bottles of would-be health magic. Research is unclear, however, on whether shoring up your diet with extra vitamins, minerals, and other supplements helps or hurts--in the short run or in reaching for the century mark.
For more than a decade, for example, researchers followed more than 35,000 men enrolled in SELECT, a clinical trial designed to see whether taking selenium and vitamin E might help prevent prostate cancer. In 2008, study participants received phone calls and letters: Stop the pills. Not only was the answer "no," but vitamin E apparently increased the chance of prostate cancer, if very slightly, and selenium seemed to do the same to diabetes risk. Later the same year, researchers from the Physicians' Health Study-II reported that neither vitamin E nor vitamin C reduced the chances of major cardiovascular problems or cancer as hoped.
That so many people seem to believe they need to boost their intake of vitamins and supplements is a triumph of marketing. Most Americans are well-nourished (besides being amply fed). Because much of our food is fortified with nutrients, once-common deficiency diseases such as scurvy and rickets, caused by inadequate vitamin C and D, respectively, have nearly disappeared in this and other developed countries. Researchers generally believe that with a few exceptions, like pregnant women or the elderly, most people don't need supplements. Over the 22-year course of the Iowa Women's Health Study, supplemental vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and zinc were associated with a slightly higher risk of premature death, copper to an 18 percent increased risk. Findings were published last year in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The study authors highlighted concerns about the long-term use of supplements and vitamins among those who do not have severe nutritional deficiencies. The pills, they concluded, are best used when recommended by doctors--not for general prevention.
A 2009 editorial in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, meanwhile, warned that most vitamin studies show no cancer benefits, and that some found unexpected harm. Two studies of supplemental beta carotene, for example, found higher lung cancer rates, and folic acid research suggested a higher risk of colon polyps among those taking supplements than among those in a placebo group.
Still, some researchers maintain that the diets of many Americans fall somewhat short on certain key nutrients--not enough to threaten a return of those debilitating deficiency diseases, but perhaps enough to call for a little extra help. What follows is the current thinking--pro and con--on popular key supplements that have been well-studied.
Multivitamins. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force neither recommends nor advises against multivitamins (or other supplements) for preventing cancer or cardiovascular disease. Yet many researchers say a multivitamin has a role as "a very inexpensive insurance policy," says David Schardt, senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition advocacy group in Washington, D.C. There's no need for anything fancy that claims "heart health" or "prostate health" benefits, he says; an inexpensive, basic brand is fine. In 2008, Harvard Men's Health Watch newsletter editor Harvey Simon recommended against multivitamins. His chief worry was that on top of already fortified foods, the folate in a multi could spur cancer. But a study since then showed that cancer was not increased in women at risk for heart problems who were given folic acid supplements. Simon is now less concerned about breast cancer risk, but prostate cancer still worries him.
[See: Popular but Dangerous: 3 Vitamins That Can Hurt You]
Calcium and vitamin D. Thumbs up. Extra calcium to protect bone health is safe and routinely prescribed for adults who get too little from food. In one study, men who consumed the most calcium (about 2,000 mg. a day) were 25 percent less likely to die over the next decade than their peers who got the least, according to findings published in 2010 in the American Journal of Epidemiology. The Iowa Women's Health Study also found that calcium supplements were associated with reduced risk of death over nearly two decades.
And consensus is building that Americans need more vitamin D to promote calcium uptake. It is produced by sun-exposed skin and is difficult to get from unfortified foods--fatty fish is the only major food source. Studies suggest vitamin D also may help fend off cancer and ward off infections. Still, no large-scale randomized controlled clinical trials prove vitamin D supplements offer benefits beyond bone health. Researchers are hungry for more evidence.
In 2010, the Institute of Medicine released new recommendations for daily calcium and vitamin D intake. Between 600 and 4,000 international units of vitamin D are advised, depending on age and gender, and between 700 and 2,500 milligrams of calcium.
[See: 4 Herbal Supplements Your Doctor Hates]
Fish oil. New findings are at odds with past evidence for the worth of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil, especially for heart-related conditions. An April analysis published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that fish oil may not do much to ward off heart attacks and strokes in people who already have heart disease. Those taking fatty acid pills had about the same rates of heart disease, death from heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and stroke as those on placebo pills. But the findings don't necessarily mean that fish oil supplements are useless in heart patients. The study participants were all taking statins, powerful cholesterol-lowering medications, which could have trumped any benefits from fish oil.
The American Heart Association continues to recommend fish oil supplements for those at high risk of a heart attack. Simon, no fan of nutrients in pill form, says that, for those with heart risks who don't eat fatty fish like tuna and salmon twice a week, taking 1,000 mg or so is a good idea.
[See: Greek Yogurt Vs. Regular Yogurt: Which Is More Healthful?]
Antioxidants. The glowing promise of antioxidants remains elusive. These substances, among them selenium and vitamins A, C, and E, are believed to help sop up molecules called free radicals. These react with other molecules in the body and promote oxidative damage--another name for cellular wear and tear. "There's a lot of data supporting the idea that oxidation, over time, has a role in chronic illnesses," says J. Michael Gaziano, a chronic disease epidemiologist with Brigham and Women's Hospital and coauthor of the Physicians' Health Study-II papers.
Many observational studies suggest that people who gobble antioxidant-laden fruits and veggies or supplements have a reduced risk of some forms of heart disease and cancer. Most clinical trials, however, do not support this. Some research, in fact, has shown that supplemental vitamin E may actually increase the risk of lung cancer among smokers, as has been found with beta carotene, as noted above. Vitamin E may do the same. And cancer patients shouldn't add more vitamin C than the amount in a multi; research suggests that too much of the vitamin helps cancer cells withstand treatment.
Researchers are still studying whether supplemental antioxidants might slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration and perhaps prevent noise-related hearing loss. But "no doctor would recommend them for the prevention of cancer, of cardiovascular disease, or of dementia," says Simon.
What about you? Nutritional profiles are not all the same. Recommended intake varies by age, gender, and even race. And genetic differences mean everyone utilizes or responds to vitamins differently, says K. Simon Yeung, a research pharmacist in the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Diet preferences, such as a low-fat or vegetarian regimen, will alter the mix of nutrients taken in. Moreover, lab tests that analyze the nutrients in your system and indicate which ones might need boosting or trimming are, with a few exceptions, not readily available and not often performed. "You can get your cholesterol checked, but not your niacin levels," says Thomson. However, keeping tabs on your dining habits for a few days with SuperTracker, a U.S. Department of Agriculture tool, will give you a sense of whether you're on the right course. (It helps you plan, analyze, and track your diet and physical activity.)
Alice Lichtenstein, a professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition, worries that supplements give Americans license to continue their unhealthful ways so long as they pop a pill after the steak and hot fudge sundae. A balanced diet is still the best source of nutrients. Adding supplements--or fruits and veggies, for that matter--to a high-calorie diet is not going to work magic. Good health begins with physical activity and a balanced diet that is heavy on fruits, veggies, whole grains, "good" fats, and fish and light on red meat, "bad" fats, and processed food--and not too high in calories. "Nature," says Lichtenfeld, "is probably better than our manufacturers."
Updated on 5/9/2012: This story was originally published on Dec. 9, 2008. It has been updated.

[George999]

There is much worthwhile information in that quote.  I would add a couple of points.

1)  The most important thing to take away from all of the debate over supplements is that supplements DO NOT fix an unhealthy diet and/or lifestyle.  They will IN NO WAY make up for those factors.

2)  Secondly, it is very important to have your blood tested for levels of key nutrients in order to KNOW what deficiencies, if any, you might have.

3)  You have to understand that vitamins and supplements CAN CREATE DEFICIENCIES by depleting other vitamins and/or nutrients.  One vitamin will deplete another.  That is why you ALWAYS have to take vitamin K with vitamin E, because vitamin E will counteract vitamin K, which is why people taking large doses of vitamin E often encounter bleeding problems AND cardiovascular problems.  That is also why you have to take a NATURAL, BALANCED form of vitamin E, because the Alpha Tocopherol component of vitamin E will DEPLETE the Gama Tocopherol component of vitamin E, which is why guys taking synthetic Alpha Tocopherol in isolation are ASKING for PROSTATE CANCER.  Extended periods of LOW GAMMA TOCOPHEROL LEVELS are a breeding ground for prostate cancer.  I could give numerous examples of how other vitamins, minerals, supplements, etc can kill you if you don't use them correctly.  If in doubt, consult an expert such as a naturopathic doctor who understands the synergies between various supplements.

4)  A fair amount of vitamins and supplements are compounded in ways that make them non-absorbable and thus totally ineffective.  You need to no the difference between oil/fat based nutrients and water based nutrients and make sure you get them in optimal packaging and delivery systems or you are just throwing your money away.

5)  A lot of research studies are conducted in ways that are so biased, they are guaranteed to come up with the desired result.  You have to look at HOW the study is conducted and WHAT TYPES of supplements were used and in WHAT surrounding nutritional environment they were used in order to make sense of the study.  This is why one study often seems to negate another.

- George

[james1947]

Just an other article regarding the importance of Vitamin D

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/17/benefits-vitamin-d-weigh-less-smile-more/

In the article is not written which food contains Vitamin D and I don't understand also the sentence bellow:

obese women who were put on a 15-week diet and took 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day lost six times more weight than women who followed the diet alone

Is calcium increasing Vitamin D in our body?
If calcium bad for Peyronies, how we will increase the vitamin D level?

James

[George999]

In the article is not written which food contains Vitamin D and I don't understand also the sentence bellow:

Fatty fish contains small amounts of vitamin D as do vitamin D fortified foods.  But the ONLY way to get meaningful amounts of vitamin D is through carefully measured SUMMER sun exposure and/or vitamin D supplements.

obese women who were put on a 15-week diet and took 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day lost six times more weight than women who followed the diet alone

Is calcium increasing Vitamin D in our body?

I doubt it.  More likely Calcium, by virtue of its own effects, also results in weight loss.  I took Vitamin D myself for a period of years, meticulously measuring blood level every three or four months and saw no blood level changes during a time I was adding and removing other supplements INCLUDING Calcium.

If calcium bad for Peyronies, how we will increase the vitamin D level?James

There is absolutely no evidence that Calcium is "bad" for Peyronie's.  That is simply speculation on the part of some.  It is like saying that water is bad for people whose body retains water when in fact water retention is caused, in part, by lack of sufficient water.  People who use simplistic reasoning often arrive at the wrong conclusion.  Only controlled unbiased research can inform us as to whether something like Calcium is beneficial or harmful in terms of Peyronie's or any other malady.

- George

[swolf]

But the ONLY way to get meaningful amounts of vitamin D is through carefully measured SUMMER sun exposure and/or vitamin D supplements.

Completely anecdotally, I've had a few people tell me that they've noticed the years they get outside and get plenty of good sun exposure during the summer months, those are the years they barely get sick during the winter.

It is like saying that water is bad for people whose body retains water when in fact water retention is caused, in part, by lack of sufficient water.  People who use simplistic reasoning often arrive at the wrong conclusion.

"For every complex problem there is a solution that is neat, plausible, and wrong." - H.L. Mencken

[james1947]

George, thanks for the clarifications.
Swolf, thanks for the remark regarding sun exposure.
My next question is, how much skin should be exposed to the sun to get increases vitamin D level.
I am living now in a 12 months a year summer place, but my skin will burn if it exposed to the sun for more than 15 minutes if not using sun block. Is the sun effective to get the vitamin D early in the morning and late afternoon? The only time I can expose my skin to the sun for longer than 15 minutes.

James  

[George999]

If you have good sun exposure in mid day, 15min is MORE than enough.  With plenty of UVB the skin can manufacture Vitamin D3 rapidly and in large volume.  In fact, its a good idea to use a timer and get full back exposure.  10min 2 or 3 times a week should be very adequate.  You will also find that as your Vitamin D levels rise, your susceptibility to burning may actually decrease.  - George

George, thanks for the clarifications.
Swolf, thanks for the remark regarding sun exposure.
My next question is, how much skin should be exposed to the sun to get increases vitamin D level.
I am living now in a 12 months a year summer place, but my skin will burn if it exposed to the sun for more than 15 minutes if not using sun block. Is the sun effective to get the vitamin D early in the morning and late afternoon? The only time I can expose my skin to the sun for longer than 15 minutes.

James

[james1947]

Thanks George

James

[newguy]

George certainly knows what he's talking about when it comes to vitamins. Nowadays I supplement vitamin D from time to time and make sure that I get out in the sun on the rare occasion that it shows itself . For many a year, I really didn't get some sun at all, was very pale and as not many foods here are fortified with vitamin D I dread to think what my levels were.

[ashtown]

My understanding on Vitamin D is that the best way to get it is via the sun. In fact I remember reading a few years ago that California had higher incidences of skin cancer than other parts of the US but far lower numbers of many other cancers and it was thought this might well be related to Vitamin D produced by the sun.


I'm new to all of this and have been taking CoQ10 complete with Bioperine in addition to Acetyl L-Carnitine and L-Arginine. I now wonder if Bioperine could be messing with the other substances since I've heard it is unpredictable.

Apart from that I'm taking Vitamin E, Vitamin D with calcium and magnesium, garlic and Omega 3. I think I'll add Vitamin K now I know more and I may start eating Marmite for Vitamin B, which is similar to Vegemite mentioned earlier. I'll also look into Cur cumin. One point bugging me is the question of vitamin quality i.e is the cheap stuff found at the supermarket junk or is the crazy priced stuff at the health store just a ripoff? Could we be doing it all with a multivitamin?

I am throwing the kitchen sink at this because of the apparent difficulty in getting a doctor to prescribe Pentox in the UK. They want to take a wait and see approach which probably sounds very reasonable when it's not your problem...

[james1947]

ashtown

I am not a specialist on vitamins, on this subject George is a real expert as Newguy has written.

I strongly agree with you that:

wait and see approach which probably sounds very reasonable when it's not your problem...

The sad thing is that most of the doctors today are like that.

James

[ashtown]

On this whole question of vitamin E I had a quick look at the back of a bottle yesterday that I bought from a supermarket listed as 250IU per tablet and says not to take more than one a day. Looking closer it said this amount already represented more than 15 times our daily requirement, which already seems pretty excessive considering how much we are likely to obtain in our normal diet.


Given the very limited evidence we have that Vitamin E helps Peyronies Disease in any way at all I think caution should be urged in this instance and I cannot understand why some people are taking so much. Trying to fix Peyronies Disease with something that may cause prostrate cancer or other serious problems seems counter productive. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/press_releases/2004/11_10_04.html

[George999]

I would not take vitamin E for Peyronie's.  But only because vitamin E is not effective, or at least not nearly as effective as other options.  Having said that, there was a day when things like vitamin E were all we had.  I, personally, used huge amounts of it (close to 3000IU per day for a month or more) without problems.  But I did that safely by 1) taking a NATURAL vitamin E, not the cheap synthetic stuff that has been used in EVERY study that demonstrated serious side effects, 2) taking a full spectrum vitamin E to prevent the depletion of specific toco's in my body which WILL cause serious side effects, like cancer and potentially other serious diseases, and 3) taking vitamin K along with the vitamin E to prevent depletion of vitamin K in my body which WILL cause serious side effects, including things like catastrophic bleeding and cardio-vascular disease.  The problem with MOST research done on supplements is that it is invariably done using cheap synthetic knock offs AND it is done in ways that disrupt the body's normal balance of nutrients.  It is also usually paid for by institutions that have a serious conflict of interest when it comes to testing supplements.  - George

[George999]

I can say without any reservations that your diet is going to have a whole lot more impact on your prostate cancer risk than even taking synthetic E.  The risks are way overblown by the medical establishment and the risks of poor diet are extremely underestimated.  - George

[goodluck]

George is right on.  I just want to add that many foods fortified with Vit D use D2.  For example milk, almond milk, even coconut milk.  Read the lables.

My herbal teacher has told us that there are studies out now that suggest D2 may cause cancer.

Most ND's will tell you to get your D level upto 50.  Most lab ranges start at 25 or 30 and a MD will not say anything if you are 31.  
My level was around 30 for years and not untill I started to supplement and get is up around 50 did I find I get sick less often.

I know of one ND that says to get your D level to the  60-100 range if you have an autoimmune condition.  It has a modulating effect on the immune system and can slow down the self attack.  Keep in mind D is really a hormone and not a vitamin.  It was misclassified when it was discovered.

WRT Vitamine K I believe George is talking about K2.  K1 AND k2 are different vitamins and people may get confussed.  K2 helps keep calcium in your bones and not in your soft tissue.  This Includes your artieries.  The recent August editon of Life Extention magazine has written about this.

[George999]

WRT Vitamine K I believe George is talking about K2.  K1 AND k2 are different vitamins and people may get confussed.  K2 helps keep calcium in your bones and not in your soft tissue.  This Includes your artieries.  The recent August editon of Life Extention magazine has written about this.

Exactly!  Both are important.  K1 is related to clotting.  With insufficient K1 and large amounts of E, you can have bleeding problems.  K2 is related to calcium.  With insufficient K2 and large amounts of E, you can have soft tissue calcium problems.  So both forms of K go together with all forms of E.  - George

[ashtown]

I hear zinc can be useful for good erections but I haven't heard it mentioned often in relation to Peyronies Disease. Does anybody have any thoughts on zinc either positive or negative?


I'm reading great things about beetroot for boosting nitric oxide. It's cheap and readily available.  

[goodluck]

Zinc is a critical minieral in so many bodily functions.  I know it is nessisary for good prostate and testicle health.  It is also good for a healthy thyroid.
It may help with testosterone synthesis. But I don't know.
It supports immune function.  If you take too much it can suppress copper. That is why copper and zinc are always used togeather in a multi-mineral.  They also say you should take it opposite Iron if you supplement with it.

[ashtown]

Bearing in mind everything you've written goodluck, which seems to be backed up by other information I've read on the net I'm surprised that zinc isn't mentioned more often in relation to Peyronies. Apart from the physical points you highlighted I understand zinc is effective in fighting depression and lets face it many men with Peyronies Disease are depressed so could this be an essential supplement that we should all be considering?


I understand there are downsides with taking too much but a low dosage of 10-15mg per day should be safe as part of a healthy all round diet. I just managed to pick up a bottle from the supermarket with a 180 tablets (6 months supply) for £4 about $6.

[swolf]

They also say you should take it opposite Iron if you supplement with it.

I drink some water with apple cider vinegar and blackstrap molasses in it (almost) every morning; blackstrap molasses is supposed to be high in iron.

Actually now I'm looking it up and reading more about it and it seems to be just as high in copper (and a handful of other things). Maybe a good thing to drink in conjunction with supplements.  

[goodluck]

I eat pumpkin seeds every day which are high in Zinc.  I put them in salads and in my morning cereal.

For those in the US you can get organic at Trader Joe's.  Often called pepitas which I think is a specific type of pumkin seed.

If I feel a soar throat coming on I will start to take zinc lozengers.  I personally don't see a problem exceeding 50mg a day for a few days to stave off a cold or atleast reduce its duration.

[TomP]

Vitamin e is really a question for me. For coq10 or Acl, there are evidences (research, testimony...) that it can help in the treatment of the Peyronies Disease. I understand that vitamin E was the only oral treatment we had some years ago. But I didn't find any research about Peyronie and vitamin E. While there are on other products (coq10...). So do we have to forget it ?

In the same time, it seems to be a good anti-oxydant so it must participate in the whole process. So I think I have to keep it. But I also read vitamin E (PENTOX (where to get it and does it work?) - My Experience - Peyronies Society Forums [Page 3]) can increase scar tissues ! Then I discovered we have to take vitamin K2 (manage calcification) if we take vitamin E (and avoid the pb with scar t issues ?).

But which posology of vitamin k do we have to take (for 400 ui vitamin E) ? What other vitamin depletion do I have to expect if I take vitamin E&K ?

Thanks

Tom

[james1947]

TomP

You are right, many doctors in the past and even today are giving to new Peyronies sufferers vitamin E and telling them to come back after 6 months or a year. It is not because the vitamin E is a Peyronies treatment, is because they don't know more than that. It is a negative approach.
We had a debate in the past on the forum, not long time ago regarding vitamin E. We have some members that stated that vitamin E helped them.
Most of the people think that vitamin E is useless and even damaging.
I am proposing you to read the forum posts on the subject, you may find the answers to your questions.

James

[George999]

If you are taking Alpha Tocopherol, you need to also be taking 1) Gamma Tocopherol to prevent Gamma Tocopherol depletion and resulting free radical issues, 2) Vitamin K1 to prevent blood clotting issues, and 3) Vitamin K2 to prevent calcium issues.  That pretty much sums it up.  There are a number of balanced Vitamin E products available that provide both Alpha Tocopherol and Gamma Tocopherol.  There are also balanced Vitamin K products that provide both K1 and K2 in the same capsule.  In fact, Life Extension produces a product containing all of them EXCEPT the common Alpha Tocopherol form of Vitamin E, and markets it as "Super Booster".  http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item01680/Super-Booster-Softgels-with-Advanced-K2-Complex.html  - George

[George999]

As James suggests, any benefit you might get from Vitamin E would be extremely small, so it is far more important to get on the Pentox/CoQ10/Acetyl L Carnitine regimen if at all possible.  - George