Reply #10: Do some research on current medical judgement on Vitamin D

[Jim Pivonka]

The knowledge we fear is a weapon to be used against us.

When presented with information, it is not generally the best policy to regard it as a ploy to scare us. We are too easily frightened, if information can scare us.

On the other hand, if information about nutrition can improve health without recourse to the administration of drugs and expensive testing and institutionalization in hospitals - who is threatened? It is not you, Tom Reed, or me. It is the sellers of these drugs and services who stand to gain from our poor dietary habits and ignorance of nutrition.

I agree that much of what passes for information in the nutrtional supplement and vitamin industry is BS and worse. It all has to be evaluated very critically. On the other hand there are a few "fads" which are based upon sound research that has not yet received the attention it deserves by physicians, the media, or the public. I'd list magnesium, vitamin D3, and slow release Niacin (inositol hexanicotinate) as the top three. Do your own research, and do NOT use or trust supplementation industry research when you do.

Tom, I'd suggest you do some research on current medical judgement on the extent of Vitamin D deficiency in populations across the world. My research persuades me there is a growing conscensus that Vitamin D deficiency is a serious health problem, and that supplementation is appropriate - in cases where people are unwilling or unable to get the exposure to sunlight that enables the body to produce the vitamin D they need.

This would include older people, people who have had certain kinds of skin cancer and people who have been frightened by the "wear a hat when you go outdoors" crowd. (Talk about fear mongers - there is a good example.)

Supplementation is remarkably cheap - vitaming D, in the D3 form is inexpensive and readily available. Check your local Walgreens or Walmart for price, neither of those corporations are building their balance sheets on Vitamin D sales.

Until we start getting out and getting some sun, we'd better get it through supplements - we definitely need it, and a lot of us do not get enough of it.