The July 2024 issue of Life Extension (LE) magazine* starts off with an article
entitled “Another Tragic Error” [1]. In summary, the article is regarding the recent
proclamation by the USPSTF (U.S. Preventative Services Task Force) advising against
routine testing of Vitamin D blood levels and why LE believes that the VITAL study used
by the USPSTF to make this determination was short-sighted in its reported results.
Siting their own study, LE based their rebuttal of this proclamation on the results of
21,990 blood tests reviewed through their own testing program. They highly recommend
that 25-hydroxyvitamin D (the level tested for vitamin D levels in humans) be in the
range of 50-80 ng/ml for optimal health benefits.
While it is that Vitamin D is a notorious player in the arena of bone density, it is
also a major factor in supporting health where autoimmune disease and advanced
cancers are concerned - cancers specific to breast among them. As a matter of fact,
the sited VITAL study did show a 22% reduction in the risk of autoimmune disease and
yet, the USPSTF still advised against routine testing of Vitamin D. This leaves us
wondering what the underlying reason is for not supporting this vital testing moving
forward. Could this be another key piece of the current narrative of disease care aimed
at increasing profits and not health?
Thankfully, those of us in “the know” from doing our own research realize the
benefits of an optimal level of Vitamin D for good health. Aside from bone density,
autoimmune and cancer risks, an optimal level of Vitamin D has been shown to be
needed in support of a strong immune system which can in turn help to ward off illness
and thus, inflammation, in the body [2]. An optimal level can indeed lead to a healthier
body with fewer infections and, in the long run, disease diagnosis, which we all strive to
avoid.
But there is a caveat to Vitamin D that is sometimes overlooked with
supplementing, and even sunlight exposure. For the body to absorb and activate
vitamin D, magnesium and Vitamin K must be present as “co-factors” in the process.
Specifically, magnesium is necessary to convert Vitamin D to its usable form in the liver
and kidneys by way of enzymes that are dependent on it. Additionally, to get Vitamin D
transported through the body through the bloodstream it must do so through a binding
protein that requires magnesium to be successful. Vitamin K, on the other hand, is
necessary to enable calcium - together with Vitamin D - to protect bone mass. The sad
reality is that most of us do not ingest enough of either of these vital co-factors causing
a deficiency that renders Vitamin D from optimally being absorbed and used by the
body. This could account for the reason why when Vitamin D3 supplementation alone is
used it does not elevate the blood serum level enough over time to reach a level to be
considered in the optimal range.
The point to make with Vitamin D versus any area of concern in the body is that
to convert it and get the most from either sunlight exposure or supplementation, the
necessity of Vitamin K2 and magnesium are needed and not just Vitamin D alone. Just
as vitally important as continuing to know your blood level of Vitamin D, your
magnesium level should not be overlooked. Supporting your body with the necessary
co-factors to assimilate Vitamin D is equally as important. When using a supplement to
raise the Vitamin D level or maintain it, supplementing with magnesium and vitamin K2
should be considered. Knowing your levels is important to your outcome.
Supplementation should never be undertaken without knowing your own results. Be
sure to continue to ask your healthcare practitioner to include Vitamin D and its co-
factor testing into your annual blood work or consider getting a MDS (Magnesium
Depletion Score) to determine if you are deficient in this important mineral. [3]
If you are unable to get a referral for a Vitamin D test or if your insurance
company has deemed it no longer necessary and will not cover it, you can do this
testing on your own by way of an at-home blood spot kit that is easy to do and provides
quick results allowing you to know your level yourself. From there, you can make the
determination on whether to supplement or not.
Need an at-home test kit or have additional questions on Vitamin D and its
importance to your health, contact Insight Holistic Imaging.
Incidentally, the USPSTF has also recommended against PSA screening for men
leading to an uptick in metastatic prostate cancer diagnoses “that would have been
curable if they had been caught in early stages using PSA blood tests.” [1] Definitely
makes you wonder what the motivation is here. Don’t be a statistic – Educate for
Empowerment!
References:
[1] Faloon, W., Another Tragic Error. Life Extension, Vol. 30, No. 7 July 2024, pgs 7-12.
[2] Ao T, Kikuta J, Ishii M. The Effects of Vitamin D on Immune System and Inflammatory Diseases.
Biomolecules. 2021 Nov 3;11(11):1624. doi: 10.3390/biom11111624. PMID: 34827621; PMCID:
PMC8615708.
[3] Magnesium Deficiency: The Silent Killer Linked to a 4x Higher Death (greenmedinfo.com)
Comments