Trauma, longevity and health

Recently Andrew Pelequin wrote this interesting article in the Longevity Journal. I may not agree that this is true in all cases as I have experienced many of the childhood traumas mentioned in the article and have not suffered from the many consequences...HOWEVER, I have had extensive work in the trauma release department through energy balancing, counseling, meditation and lots of deep internal work to let go and heal these traumas as I am so very grateful that I chose to go on the healing journey and dive deeply into what and why I think, act, speak and behave the way that I do.

I investigate every response or trigger I experience and see it as an opportunity to heal.

I am by no means perfect as I believe healing is still part of my journey within and health is what I chose on a daily basis. Some days I hit the goal and some days I miss and on those days I give myself grace and kindness.

I hope you find this article as interesting and thought provoking as I did.

Seek help when you need it. IT is NOT a sign of weakness. It is a sign of immense courage and it is a BIG step in taking your power back and choosing health and wellbeing for yourself and your circle of life. 

In one study conducted by the CDC of nearly 14,000 adults [1], more than 50% had at least one type of childhood trauma (or Adverse Childhood Experience, a.k.a. ACE), while more than 25% reported more than two types of trauma.

According to the study, there were seven types of trauma:

1. Physical abuse
2. Sexual abuse
3. Psychological abuse
4. Living with members of the household who were drug addicts, alcoholics, or substance abusers
5. Witnesses violence against their mother
6. Living with members of the household who were ever incarcerated
7. Living with members of the household who suffered from mental illness or were suicidal

People who had experience multiple types of traumas during their childhood experienced a number of seriously negative long-term effects, including:

• Higher alcoholism risks
• Higher drug abuse risks
• Higher depression rates
• Higher suicide attempt rates
• Higher rates of STDs
• Severe obesity and reduction in physical activity
• Higher rates of adult diseases, including liver disease, chronic lung disease, cancer, skeletal fractures, and heart disease

All of these contribute to accelerated biological aging, leading to the breakdown of the body at a much faster rate than would be expected of the chronological age of those in the study.

Another meta-analysis from 2020 [2] further reinforced the theory that “early life adversity” (in the form of those types of trauma listed above) led to accelerated biological aging.

Combing through data from more than 50 studies, the meta-analysis examined various aspects of biological aging that were caused by trauma, including:

• Telomere shortening
• Increased DNA methylation age
• Cortical thinning
• Reduced functional connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex
• Accelerated pubertal timing (among children going through puberty)

These are concrete biomarkers that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that trauma can contribute to increased biological aging.

It’s important to understand that many of these things begin to show up during adolescence and young adulthood, sometimes even as early as childhood. As the study’s senior author said in an interview [3], “The fact that we see such consistent evidence for faster aging at such a young age suggests that the biological mechanisms that contribute to health disparities are set in motion very early in life. This means that efforts to prevent these health disparities must also begin during childhood.”

How to Deal With Your Trauma

The American Psychological Association [4] offers some effective strategies for helping you (and your children, if they have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences) cope with trauma you may have suffered in response to traumatic events.

Be patient. Your body can’t heal from mental or psychological wounds any faster than from physical wounds. On the contrary, traumatic events may taken even longer to heal from. Give yourself time and space to recover, and be patient if recovery doesn’t happen overnight.

Face what you’re feeling. Hiding from or ignoring the feelings won’t make them go away; you’ll just end up leaning on unhealthy coping and ignoring mechanisms. A bit of avoidance is normal, but don’t let it go on too long or it will begin to affect your life in far greater ways than the trauma itself.

Get help. Whatever you’re going through, you need to know you can’t heal alone. Just like you’d go to a doctor for a physical wound, you need to seek professional help for the wound to your psyche. Talk to a therapist, counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist.

Lean on your friends and family. Fight the urge to withdraw and isolate; that’ll only make things worse. Instead, rely on your social connections for support during the difficult time.

Traumatic events don’t have to affect your longevity or ruin your life. The damage they cause can be temporary; it’s up to you to take the steps that will lead you down the path forward to recovery, both in body and mind.

POPULAR WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS AND THEIR GNARLY SIDE EFFECTS...

 

Popular Weight Loss Drugs Can Carry Some Gnarly Side Effects

Lindsay Kalter

June 13, 2023

Johnna Mendenall had never been "the skinny friend," she said, but the demands of motherhood – along with a sedentary desk job – made weight management even more difficult. Worried that family type 2 diabetes would catch up with her, she decided to start Wegovy shots for weight loss.

She was nervous about potential side effects. It took 5 days of staring at the Wegovy pen before she worked up the nerve for her first .25-milligram shot. And sure enough, the side effects came on strong.

"The nausea kicked in," she said. "When I increased my dose to 1 milligram, I spent the entire night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. vomiting. I almost quit that day."

Mendenall is among a growing number of people sharing personal stories online about the weight loss medication Wegovy – and similar drugs – delving into their sometimes unpleasant, and potentially gut-wrenching, side effects. 

While gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms seem to be the most common, a laundry list of others has been discussed in the news, on TikTok, and across online forums. Those include "Ozempic face," or the gaunt look some get after taking the medication, along with hair loss, anxiety, depression, and debilitating fatigue. 

Mendenall’s primary side effects have been vomiting, fatigue, and severe constipation, but she has also seen some positive changes: the "food noise," or the urge to eat when she isn’t hungry, is gone. Since her first dose 12 weeks ago, she has gone from 236 pounds to 215.

Warning Label

Wegovy’s active ingredient, semaglutide, mimics the role of a natural hormone called glucagon-like peptide, or GLP-1, which helps you feel well-fed. Semaglutide is used at a lower dose under the brand name Ozempic, which is approved for type 2 diabetes and used off-label for weight loss.  

Both Ozempic and Wegovy come with a warning label for potential side effects, the most common ones being nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting.

With the surging popularity of semaglutide, more people are getting prescriptions through telemedicine companies, forgoing more in-depth consultations, leading to more side effects, said Caroline Apovian, MD, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Specialists say starting with low doses and gradually increasing over time helps avoid side effects, but insurance companies often require a faster timeline to continue covering the medication, Apovian said. 

"Insurance companies are practicing medicine for us by demanding the patient go up in dosage [too quickly]," she explained. 

Mendenall’s insurance has paid for her Wegovy shots, but without that coverage, she said it would cost her $1,200 per month. 

There are similar medications on the market, like liraglutide, sold under the name Saxenda. But it is a daily, rather than a weekly, shot and also comes with side effects and has been shown to be less effective. In one clinical trial, the people being studied saw their average body weight over 68 weeks drop by 15.8% with semaglutide, and by 6.4% with liraglutide.

Tirzepatide, branded Mounjaro – a type 2 diabetes drug made by Eli Lilly that may soon gain FDA approval for weight loss – could have fewer side effects. In clinical trials, 44% of those taking semaglutide had nausea and 31% reported diarrhea, compared to 33% and 23% of those taking tirzepatide, although no trial has directly compared the two agents.

Loss of Bowel Control

For now, Wegovy and Saxenda are the only GLP-1 agonist shots authorized for weight loss, and their maker, Danish drug company Novo Nordisk, is facing its second shortage of Wegovy amid growing demand. 

Personal stories online about semaglutide range from overwhelmingly positive – just what some need to win a lifelong battle with obesity – to harsh scenarios with potentially long-term health consequences, and everything in between. 

One private community on Reddit is dedicated to a particularly unpleasant side effect: loss of bowel control while sleeping. Others have reported uncontrollable vomiting.

Kimberly Carew of Clearwater, FL, started on .5 milligrams of Ozempic last year after her rheumatologist and endocrinologist suggested it to treat her type 2 diabetes. She was told it came with the bonus of weight loss, which she was hoping would help with her joint and back pain. 

But after she increased the dose to 1 milligram, her GI symptoms, which started out mild, became unbearable. She couldn’t keep food down, and when she vomited, the food would often come up whole, she said. 

"One night I ate ramen before bed. And the next morning, it came out just as it went down," said Carew, 42, a registered mental health counseling intern. "I was getting severe heartburn and could not take a couple bites of food without getting nauseous."

She also had "sulfur burps," a side effect discussed by some Ozempic users, causing her to taste rotten egg sometimes.

She was diagnosed with gastroparesis, the weakening and paralysis of stomach muscle contractions that make it harder to digest food. Some types of gastroparesis can be resolved by discontinuing GLP-1 medications, as referenced in two case reports in the Journal of Investigative Medicine.  

Gut Hormone

GI symptoms are most common with semaglutide because the hormone it imitates, GLP-1, is secreted by cells in the stomach, small intestines, and pancreas, said Anne Peters, MD, director of the USC Clinical Diabetes Programs.

"This is the deal: The side effects are real because it's a gut hormone. It's increasing the level of something your body already has," she said. 

But, like Apovian, Peters said those side effects can likely be avoided if shots are started at the lowest doses and gradually adjusted up.

While the average starting dose is .25 milligrams, Peters said she often starts her patients on about an eighth of that – just "a whiff of a dose." 

"It'll take them months to get up to the starting dose, but what's the rush?" 

Peters said she also avoids giving diabetes patients the maximum dose, which is 2 milligrams per week for Ozempic (and 2.4 milligrams for Wegovy for weight loss). 

When asked about the drugs' side effects, Novo Nordisk responded that "GLP-1 receptor agonists are a well-established class of medicines, which have demonstrated long-term safety in clinical trials. The most common adverse reactions, as with all GLP-1 [agonists], are gastrointestinal related."

Is It the Drug or the Weight Loss?

Still, non-gastrointestinal side effects like hair loss, mood changes, and sunken facial features are reported among semaglutide users across the internet. While these cases are often what's known in the medical world as "anecdotal," which are personal, but not always easily verified clinical experiences, they can be very heartfelt.

Celina Horvath Myers, also known as CelinaSpookyBoo, a Canadian YouTuber who took Ozempic for type 2 diabetes, said she began having intense panic attacks and depression after starting the medication.

"Who I have been these last couple weeks, has probably been the scariest time of my life," she said on her YouTube channel. 

While severe depression and anxiety are not established side effects of the medication, some people get anhedonia, or the "reduced ability for pleasure," said W. Scott Butsch, MD, MSc, director of obesity medicine in the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at Cleveland Clinic. But that could be a natural consequence of lower appetite, he said, given that food gives most people pleasure in the moment.

Many other reported changes come from the weight loss itself, not the medication, said Butsch.

"These are drugs that change the body’s weight regulatory system," he said. "When someone loses weight, you get the shrinking of the fat cells, as well as the atrophy of the muscles. This rapid weight loss may give the appearance of one’s face changing."

For some people, like Mendenall, the side effects are worth it. For others, like Carew, they’re intolerable.

Carew said she stopped the medication after about 7 months, and gradually worked up to eating solid foods again. 

"It’s the American way, we've all got to be thin and beautiful," she said. "But I feel like it's very unsafe because we just don’t know how seriously our bodies will react to these things in the long term. People see it as a quick fix, but it comes with risks."

Sources:

• Johnna Mendenall.
• Kimberly Carew, Clearwater, FL.
• Caroline Apovian, MD, professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School.
• Anne Peters, MD, director, USC Clinical Diabetes Programs.
• W. Scott Butsch, MD, MSc, director of obesity medicine, Bariatric and Metabolic Institute, Cleveland Clinic.
• Novo Nordisk.
• Health.harvard.edu.
• Reddit.com.
• Insider.com: "People on Ozempic for weight loss say they're pooping their pants and the bed.”
• Myclevelandclinic.org.
• Ozempic.com.
• Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports: "Medication-Induced Gastroparesis: A Case Report.”
• The Journal of the American Medical Association.
• YouTube: "The Dark Side of Ozempic – My Story," CelinaSpookyBoo.

3x4 Genetic testing and commonly asked questions

 

7 Most Commonly Asked Questions About Genetic Testing

We already know the benefits of genetic testing here at Natural Health Haven LLC, and know that it's the key to providing more personalized care for our patients. Did you know that your genes can give you such specific insights into how your body works that you'll be able to tailor your diet and lifestyle choices around what’s best for your body?

Many of us, however, are still learning about the full range of benefits that genetic testing can provide, and the real impact it can have on our lives — and our patients have a lot of questions, concerns, and curiosity as to what genetic testing is and the benefits it can deliver as well.

Here are a few common questions we encounter when it comes to genetic testing.

 Q. "Aren't my genes set in stone? If I can't change anything, why get tested?"

A. It's often assumed that we can't change our genes — so why even try? The truth is that while we can't change our DNA code, our gene expression is a bit of a different story. Our genes express themselves in different ways, and not only affect how we interact with the world around us, the world around us affects how our genes express themselves. That means that lifestyle and food choices we make can actually influence how our genes work. Our genes aren't set in stone, and there's a lot we can do to help them impact our health.

 Q. "Isn't genetic testing just used to determine my ancestry?"

A. Genetic testing has gained a lot of popularity in the past decade through ancestry companies who can test your DNA and track your family's history. But genetic testing can be used for a lot more than seeing where you came from, and can be used a lot more proactively as well. Genetic testing can tell you how your body functions, right down to the cellular level, and can help you understand how your body processes nutrients, how it metabolizes caffeine, how well it handles inflammation, and much more. It can help you look forward to a healthy future as well as backwards to your ancestors.

 Q. "Can't my genetic test be shared? What if my employer finds out about my results?"

A. It's a common concern to worry about whose hands your genetic test will fall into, and if it'll be used for malicious purposes. But HIPAA laws prevent practitioners from sharing information about a patient's genetic test, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, or GINA, protects individuals from being discriminated against for what's in that test. That means that your employer can't make hiring or firing decisions, nor can your health insurance company restrict coverage, based on a genetic test.

 Q. "Is the science even advanced enough around genetic testing to make it applicable?"

A. Our knowledge of all areas of science is always evolving. The study of genetics has certainly come a long way since DNA was first studied in the 1950s. Like any other science, our knowledge around genes, their expression, and how they impact health and functionality increases each day. And like with any other science, we practice with what we have, and expand our practice as our knowledge expands. We would never hold back the ability to help a patient just because someone thinks the science "isn't there yet"!

 Q. "Isn't genetic testing only really looking at one or two genes?"

A. While there may be some genes that are more popular or given more attention than others, genes can't be looked at in isolation. What matters is how genes work together to create an overall picture of a person's health and wellness. We like to say that knowing a person’s genes is like having a blueprint to how their system works. Just as you would never try to build a house with the plans for just one wall or floor, you wouldn't just look at one or two genes in isolation.

 Q. "Isn't genetic testing just for genetic testing's sake? Will I be able to use any of that information practically?"

A. Like the question above, a genetic test's results don't just stand alone. They can be used to make patient care much more personalized, can help determine better foods to eat, can influence better lifestyle choices, can lead to more targeted screening and testing, can point the way towards the best supplements, and more. Genetic testing isn't something to take in isolation, but can be incorporated into the portfolio of healthcare approaches.

 Q. "Isn't genetic testing just used to predict the possibility that I have a specific disease?"

A. Genetic testing can certainly screen for certain genetic variants to determine if someone might be more predisposed to a disease — and many people use genetic testing in just that way. But like we've already seen, genetic testing can be used for much more, including informing lifestyle and food choices to address root causes of illness and disease before they even start. It’s important to understand which genetic tests focus on food choices and lifestyle changes — what we call nutrigenetic tests — and medical genetic tests that look for rare genetic variants that may by themselves cause disease.

 The Biggest Question?

In many ways, genetic testing itself answers the biggest question most patients have: What can I do to get the best health, based on how my body uniquely works? Today can be the day to find out.

Ready to start your personalized health journey? 

"Email us at Natural Health Haven LLC...naturalhealthhaven@gmail.com...for more information or to order your test today"

Vitamin D and it's possible links to support health during Cancer journey.

 

Taking Vitamin D Daily May Reduce Cancer Mortality by 12%

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola 

• June 16, 2023

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis found daily vitamin D supplementation reduced cancer mortality by a significant 12%
• Daily vitamin D supplementation was particularly beneficial for people aged 70 and over, as well as those who took vitamin D daily and were later diagnosed with cancer
• Among people who took daily vitamin D doses of 5,000 IU to 50,000 IU daily, no adverse effects were found
• Past research has found women with a vitamin D level at or above 60 ng/mL (150 nmol/L) had an 82% lower risk of breast cancer compared to those with levels below 20 ng/mL
• To optimize your vitamin D levels, regular sun exposure is the best option; however, if you’re unable to get adequate sun exposure each day, supplementation may be necessary

On a typical sunny day, your body may produce up to 25,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D.1Yet, in the U.S., the average daily recommended intake is only 600 IU for people between the ages of 1 and 70, and 800 IU for those over 70.2

These amounts are likely far too low for most people to optimize their vitamin D levels and take advantage of all the related health benefits — like a reduced risk of dying from cancer.3 The fact is, adequate daily sun exposure over a large portion of your skin is the best way to increase and maintain your vitamin D levels.

But many people either don’t get outdoors enough to achieve this, or live in areas where it’s too cold to comfortably do so for much of the year. While you should strive to get sensible sun exposure as much as possible, since it offers important benefits beyond vitamin D, research also shows that daily vitamin D supplementation is safe4 and significantly advantageous for your health.

Daily Vitamin D Lowers Cancer Mortality by 12%

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease.5 Yet, despite the fact that so many people are dying of this condition — and vitamin D could help — health officials rarely recommend vitamin D for cancer prevention or treatment.

A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis published in Ageing Research Reviews found vitamin D3 supplementation reduced cancer mortality by 6%. This wasn’t considered statistically significant, but when only studies involving daily vitamin D intake were analyzed, cancer mortality dropped by a significant 12%.6 According to the researchers:7

“From a biological perspective, it is plausible that a sufficient vitamin D status has an impact on cancer prognosis: by binding to the vitamin D receptor (VDR), the active hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) influences signaling pathways that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, and cell survival, and thus acts as an anti-proliferative agent in many tissues and can slow the growth of malignant cells.”

Meanwhile, risks of lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer and lymphoma are higher in people with low vitamin D levels, while having higher levels is associated with a better prognosis in cases of breast and colorectal cancers.8

The Ageing Research Reviews study further revealed that daily vitamin D supplementation was particularly beneficial for people aged 70 and over, as well as those who took vitamin D daily and were later diagnosed with cancer. Study author Ben Schöttker, Ph.D., with the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, explained:9

“This does imply that basically everyone aged 50 and older, including people who have never had cancer, might profit from vitamin D supplementation if they are vitamin D insufficient … Doctors cannot know who might develop cancer at a later time. 

However, in Germany, the risk [of developing] cancer once in life is very high — 43% for women and 51% for men — and thus, the chance to treat someone who might profit from that in the future is quite high … the lifetime risk to develop cancer is comparable in most other industrialized countries.” 

Many Studies Show Vitamin D Lowers Risk of Cancer Death

Other research also supports vitamin D’s role in protecting against cancer death. In one study of 25,871 patients, vitamin D supplementation was found to reduce the risk for metastatic cancer and death by 17%. The risk was reduced by as much as 38% among those who also maintained a healthy weight.10,11

What’s particularly noteworthy is this study only gave participants 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily and didn’t measure their blood levels. Despite these research flaws, a significant benefit was still found. However, other research has found even more striking benefits.

Take, for example, a GrassrootsHealth analysis published in June 2018 in PLOS ONE. It showed women with a vitamin D level at or above 60 ng/mL (150 nmol/L) had an 82% lower risk of breast cancer compared to those with levels below 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L).12

An earlier U.K. study found that having a vitamin D level above 60 ng/mL resulted in an 83% lower breast cancer risk,13,14 which is nearly identical to GrassrootsHealth's 2018 analysis. Another meta-analysis looking at breast cancer reviewed 70 observational studies, finding that for each 2 ng/mL (5 nmol/L) increase in vitamin D level there was a corresponding 6% decrease in breast cancer incidence.15

Overall, this translates into a 71% reduced risk when you increase your vitamin D level from 20 ng/mL to 60 ng/mL (50 to 150 nmol/L).16 Similarly, a Canadian study showed that women who reported having the most sun exposure from ages 10 to 19 had a significantly reduced risk of developing breast cancer.17

Did High-Dose Vitamin D Cure Pancreatic Cancer?

Vitamin D may even help in cases of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer with a five-year survival rate of just 7.2%.18 Researchers published the case of an 83-year-old woman with pancreatic cancer “who errantly took supratherapeutic doses of vitamin D 50,000 U daily, achieving a serum 25(OH)D level of more than 150 ng/mL, with no appreciable side effects.”

Personally, I strongly disagree with high dose therapy as it is unnecessary and non-biological and if you are supplementing I would recommend taking it once a day.

Eight months after diagnosis — and consistent daily intake of high-dose vitamin D — scans revealed “no evidence of disease progression.” Further, the researchers noted, “Currently she describes as feeling quite well with no difficulty accomplishing her activities of daily living.” They called for further research to investigate:19

“One cannot conclude that her vitamin D dose was in any way related to this outcome. There is only one CT scan before the initiation of vitamin D, and there is no way to know what her pace of disease would have been in the absence of vitamin D supplementation. In addition, she was taking several other supplements such as shitake mushrooms, although inconsistently and for a shorter duration, which were also intended to treat her malignancy.

Nonetheless, given the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer and the limited treatment options for patients, this case should stimulate further investigation. The daily dose of 50,000 U of vitamin D3 was well tolerated in our patient for over 10 months at the time of writing. Consideration should be given to a clinical trial that evaluates a similar dose.”

High-Dose Vitamin D Deemed ‘Safe,’ Beneficial

There’s a lot of controversy over taking higher doses of vitamin D, in part because excessive vitamin D, particularly in combination with lack of vitamin K2 and magnesium, may cause overabsorption of calcium, which in turn may result in calcium deposits in your heart and kidneys.

A team of researchers conducted routine vitamin D screenings on more than 4,700 hospital patients upon admission.20 Most were then given vitamin D supplements in the amount of 5,000 or 10,000 IUs a day to correct deficiencies. In some cases, patients took 20,000 to 50,000 IUs daily to target certain diseases.

“Deficiency is strongly linked to increased risk for a multitude of diseases, several of which have historically been shown to improve dramatically with either adequate UVB exposure to the skin, or to oral or topical supplementation with vitamin D. These diseases include asthma, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, rickets and tuberculosis,” the researchers explained.

While three patients with psoriasis had “marked clinical improvement” upon taking higher vitamin D doses daily, none of the patients experienced hypercalcemia due to vitamin D — nor did they experience any other adverse event from vitamin D supplementation.

In the video above, John Campbell, a retired nurse educator based in England, details the study, noting, “There’s no question at all in my mind that authorities around the world … should increase the recommended amount of vitamin D. The current recommended amounts … are way too low.”21

There’s a Good Chance You’re Vitamin-D Deficient

The global prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (defined as a level of less than 20 ng/mL) and insufficiency (defined as a level of 20 to less than 30 ng/mL) is 40% to 100%.22

Further, 20 ng/mL has repeatedly been shown to be grossly insufficient for good health and disease prevention and, to maintain your health, your level should be between 60 ng/mL (150 nmol/L) and 80 ng/ml (200 nmol/l). A level of 100 ng/mL (250 nmol/l) appears safe and beneficial for certain conditions, especially cancer.

Research has shown that once you reach a minimum serum vitamin D level of 40 ng/mL, your risk for cancer diminishes by 67%, compared to having a level of 20 ng/mL or less.23

Among older adults in the U.S., vitamin D deficiency may affect up to 100% of the population,24 not only because they tend to spend a lot of time indoors but also because they produce less vitamin D in response to sun exposure than a younger person with the same sun exposure.

The Best Way to Raise Your Vitamin D Level

The best way to get your vitamin D is from sun exposure. While many are unable to do this, it is possible. As I am writing this at the end of May, my vitamin D level was 99 with no supplementation. When you aren’t taking a vitamin D supplement, your D level is a strong marker for sun exposure and confirmation you are getting enough near infrared (IR) in addition to UVB radiation.

There’s a good reason to ensure your vitamin D levels are within the optimal range. Aside from combating cancer, giving vitamin D to people with COVID-19 cut risk of death from SARS-CoV-2 by 51% and reduced risk of admission to the intensive care unit by 72%.25

I launched an information campaign to raise awareness about the use of vitamin D for COVID-19 back in June 2020 and published my own vitamin D review October 31, 2020, in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients.26 It shows that 14 observational studies suggest vitamin D levels are inversely linked with the incidence or severity of COVID-19 and recommends vitamin D supplements for prevention or treatment.27

To optimize your vitamin D levels, regular sun exposure is the best option, as not only will it naturally raise your vitamin D levels, but it will provide numerous other benefits, such as enhanced production of melatonin — another potent anticancer agent.28 However, if you’re unable to get adequate sun exposure each day, supplementation may be necessary.

To determine how much sun exposure is enough and/or how much vitamin D3 you need to take, you’ll need to measure your vitamin D level, ideally twice a year. When supplementing, also remember vitamins D and K2, calcium and magnesium all work together and must be properly balanced for optimal health.

 Sources and References

• 1, 4, 20 J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2019 May;189:228-239. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2018.12.010. Epub 2019 Jan 4
• 2 National Institutes of Health, Vitamin D, Recommended Intakes
• 3, 6, 7, 8 Ageing Research Reviews June 2023, Volume 87, 101923
• 5 U.S. CDC, An Update on Cancer Deaths in the United States
• 9 Medical News Today May 17, 2023
• 10 JAMA Network Open 2020;3(11):e2025850
• 11 The Sentinel November 22, 2020
• 12 PLOS ONE June 15, 2015 (PDF)
• 13 European Journal of Cancer 2005 May;41(8):1164-9
• 14 GrassrootsHealth, Breast Cancer Reduction and Vitamin D
• 15 Aging 2019 Dec 28;11(24):12708-12732
• 16 GrassrootsHealth Blog, Lower Breast Cancer Risk with Vitamin
• 17 Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev (2007) 16 (3): 422–429
• 18, 19 Case Reports in Pancreatic Cancer May 1, 2016
• 21 YouTube, Dr. John Campbell, Vitamin D Doses, May 15, 2023, 0:23
• 22 Endocr Pract. 2021 May; 27(5): 484–493
• 23 PLOS ONE 2016; 11 (4): e0152441
• 24 J Aging Gerontol. 2014 Dec; 2(2): 60–71
• 25 Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 Jan; 16(1): 130
• 26, 27 Nutrients 2020, 12(11), 3361
• 28 Bitchute, The Joe Cohen Show, Episode 1, October 25, 2022, 4:00