Dr. Sunil J Wimalawansa explains why vitamin D is vital for overall health, playing key roles in musculoskeletal, immune, and cardiovascular functions.
To read further research on vitamin D3 cholecalciferol supplementation and the need for 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L = 1 part in 20,000,000 by mass) circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D calcifediol, please see: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00-evi/.
Attaining this level is so important that I suggest the IMA develop a vitamin D3 protocol, which is applicable to everyone, of all ages.
While infants who are substantially breast fed by 25-hydroxyvitamin D replete moms can obtain sufficient vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D for good health in breast milk, no other food sources contain more than a small fraction of the vitamin D3 required to maintain 50 ng/mL or more 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the bloodstream. (This 25-hydroxyvitamin D is made, over several days, primarily in the liver, by hydroxylating vitamin D3 at the 25th carbon. This is what is tested in "vitamin D" blood tests. Neither of these compounds are hormones - they are not signaling molecules.)
The centerpiece of such a protocol should be Prof. Wimalawansa's average daily vitamin D3 supplemental intake quantities, as specified above as three range of ratios of body weight. The first range, 70 to 90 IU vitamin D3 a day per kilogram body weight, suits everyone except those suffering from obesity. Higher ratios are needed for those suffering from obesity, since this reduces the rate of hydroxylation in the liver and the excess adipose tissue absorbs both vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00-evi/#obesity-deficit.
These recommendations should be followed by all people, unless there is medical advice to the contrary, with the exception of the breast babies just mentioned and those who have such high levels of ultraviolet-B skin exposure that they generate sufficient vitamin D3 in their skin to attain 50 ng/mL or more circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D all year round. Far from the equator, such UV-B is not naturally obtainable except in the middle of cloud-free summer days, without glass, clothing or sunscreen intervening. Those with brown or especially black skin require very high levels of UV-B to generate sufficient vitamin D3 for full health.
Although general and skin exposure to sunlight has health benefits, and although in the absence of vitamin D3 supplementation, modest UV-B exposure is healthy, since it substantially raises otherwise terribly low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, all such UV-B exposure damages DNA and so raises the risk of skin cancer.
If we had no supplemental vitamin D3, health would be optimised by some level of UV-B skin exposure which trades off the skin cancer risk against the essential benefits of improving immune system function by raising 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. However, since vitamin D3 is so inexpensive and readily available, the best approach is to supplement properly and avoid excessive UV-B exposure.
For average weight adults, 5000 to 7000 IUs (International Units) a day sounds like a lot - especially in countries like Australia where the greatest capacity capsule available over the counter is 1000 IU (25 micrograms). An IU is 1 40,000,000th of a gram. 5000 IU(125 micrograms = 1/8th of a milligram) a day is a gram every 22 years. Pharma-grade vitamin D3 costs about USD$2.50 a gram, ex-factory. (A credit card weighs about 5 grams.)
Proper vitamin D3 supplementation, without risk of toxicity and without the need for blood tests or medical monitoring, as Prof. Wimalawansa recommends, is by far the most important single step which most people can take to improving their health, since without this many people, at least in winter, have half or less of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D their immune system needs to function properly. Some - especially those with brown or black skin, the elderly and/or those with sun-avoidant lifestyles - have levels as low as 5 ng/mL (12.5 nmol/L).
Inadequate vitamin D3 supplementation during pregnancy, and so low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, raise the risk of pre-eclampsia, pre-term birth, autism, mental retardation: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00-evi/#3.2, drives infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases and condemns many to cognitive decline -> dementia in old age https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00- evi/#3.3).
For those facing critical illness such as sepsis, severe COVID-19, Kawasaki disease, MIS-C (PIMS), ARDS etc. and who have today's very common, low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, there is an urgent need to boost this level in such clinical emergencies. Daily supplemental intakes of vitamin D3 in quantities Prof. Wimalawansa recommends take months to raise the level of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D to 50 ng/mL.
A crucial part of a future IMA vitamin D3 protocol would be boosting this level with a single oral dose of calcifediol - which *is* 25-hydroxyvitamin D. The amount required is not critical but Prof. Wimalawansa recommends 0.014 milligrams (14 micrograms) of calcifediol per kilogram body weight. For 70 kg 154 pounds, this is 1 milligram.
Calcifediol is more readily absorbed into the bloodstream than vitamin D3 since it has two hydrophilic hydroxyl group, while vitamin D3 has only one. It goes straight into circulation as the 25-hydroxyvitamin D many types of immune cell need to run their intracrine (inside each cell) and paracrine (to nearby cells, typically of different types) signaling systems. These systems are crucial to the ability of individual immune cells to respond to their changing circumstances.
A bolus (loading) dose of vitamin D3 is the next best approach is calcifediol is not available. (Packets of ten 0.266 mg calcifediol capsules are available over the counter in countries including Spain and Italy - but 0.01 mg is the highest amount available per tablet without prescription in the USA: https://dvelopimmunity.com/products/vitamin-d-times-three.)
For average weight adults, 10 mg (400,000 IU) vitamin D3 is a good amount. Only about 1/4 of this is hydroxylated in the liver to circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D - and this takes several days. Critically ill patients are fighting for their lives, so every hour counts. 1 milligram of oral calcifediol will raise the 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of average weight adults, from any low level to at least 50 ng/mL in four hours or less.
People who eat liver every week and take cod liver oil daily seem to do well with their vitamin A and D levels. Do you know of a study that shows that vitamin D3 supplementation works well in the long run? Otherwise, I would revise your claims to be more cautious. There are very few examples where man-made ingredients outperform mother nature.
One can’t include everything in an article written for the public like this one, such as the roles of vitamin K2 and other micronutrients like magnesium and cofactors. These are important as they synergize the actions of vitamin D/calcitriol and its interactions with VDR and cofactors for DNA binding.
Interested readers need to consult/read related articles and/or review some from the reference list provided at the end of this articel.
The Coimbra protocol is helpful for a tiny group of selected people with vitamin D resistant syndromes, as highlighted by Robin below. Again, most of these have been addressed in detail in the references the author has included in this brief article.
For the vast majority, there is no reason to spend on vitamin D (25OH)D testing, as the recommended doses do not cause toxicity for a non-obese person who needs to take over 30,000 IU daily for many months.
Most doctors don’t give enough information about vit D and D3. Even in sunny areas, many people don’t squire enough of this essential vitamin. No money was paid to the researchers.
Sunlight is crucial for health along with many other natural ways (foods) to get VitD, and definitely supplements are necessary especially in the winter months. For most people nowadays spending so much time indoors working, and fully clothed when when outside in sun, there's even more need to supplement.
Be careful about how much proof there is for these claims. It may be better for everyone to insist that we stop spraying our skies and that our children be allowed more time outdoors in the sunshine, and to add liver and cod liver oil to our diets. We do need more vitamin D3, but we should also be cautious about whether supplements are really a solution that works in the long run. Our current health outcomes suggest that we’ve been misled many times by advice that has no basis in measured long-run health outcomes.
I agree with you and stand corrected, in as much as (of course) we need to stop the chemtrails/geoengineering and be allowed more time outside... Realistically though there are situations where supplements are the best mitigation, even allowing for the uncertain outcomes and qualities of supplements. I certainly agree about liver (preferably grass fed, beef or lamb, or bison). Salmon is a good source too, although there are heavy metals in a lot of fish. There are also uncertainties about the quality of many cod liver oils. Sadly we live in times when as you rightly say, "we’ve been misled many times by advice that has no basis in measured long-run health outcomes."
The Coimbra Protocol uses super-high doses of Vit D3 to address autoimmune conditions such as MS, et.al. This protocol must be supervised by a qualified doctor as very high doses of D3 can result in too high blood calcium which can cause major problems if not managed appropriately.
Indeed. For more on the Coimbra protocol and similar high 25-hydroxyvitamin D protocols for treating cluster headaches, migraine, psoriasis and other such inflammatory disorders, please see the research cited and discussed at: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/06-adv/.
The fundamental problem is not related to 25-hydroxyvitamin D, though very high 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels can suppress the extreme inflammatory (indiscriminate cell destroying) immune responses which drive all these disorders. The fundamental problem is lack of helminths - intestinal worms. This is not easily explained in a Substack comment - please see above page.
The LACK of intestinal worms??? Not what I have been hearing. Did Hurricane Sabine Hasan agree with that? Angus Delglish on John Campbell says for 20 yrs he is treating CA pts and if you have CA your Chemo won't work if your level of D is low. I believe he said 50 of 25hydro should be your normal level. 100-200 if you have CA. He has documentation. The government's manipulation of vit D and the appropriate higher levels has been surpressed. It seems to fit like a puzzle with the genocide conspiracy.
I'm with Anguis Dalgleish on this. And the government lies about VitD and the benefits of sunshine (heliotherapy) is definitely part of the depopulation strategies.
Please read the research cited and discussed at: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/06-adv/. There are evolutionary reasons why humans, like other mammals, developed overly aggressive inflammatory (indiscriminate cell destroying) immune responses to target multicellular parasites: these emitted compounds which down-modulated these responses which targeted them.
Now, without such helminths, and so without the down-modulation our ancestors evolved with, humans have generally too strong an inflammatory response. Due to genetic variation some people have a stronger such response than others. If it is triggered these people suffer most from inflammatory disorders such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, posirasis etc.
There is research by Dr. Weston A. Price that shows that it’s a good idea to get vitamins A, D, and K2 in the proportions that occur in organic/biodynamic nutrient-dense foods like cod liver oil, shell fish, and/or pasture-raised/pasture-finished liver, (raw) cheese, raw spring butter, and so forth. See talks about his and further nutritional studies by Sally Fallon. (I recommend the annual WAPF conference coming up in Oct.)
This author’s book, Healing With Whole Foods, has many remedies that have worked well for me, including the mineral tea for keeping calcium in the bones, and the diabetes diet, and some remedies that have been important for my grandnephew. I recommend looking up any specific health issue in the index.
Check out the “The Vitamin D Solution” 2007 Book. It documents Life Guards have 150 ng/mL of 25(OH)D. They are super healthy. The Blob wants us sick. Question everything.
Thank you for this important overview of the importance of Vitamin D. Unfortunately, it has been downplayed and outright rejected by those who should have been advocating for its use.
This is a great article. However, what is the deal with one-shot vitamin D test kits costing around $100 USD? This seems outrageous and is one of those hidden problems in taking control of one's own health. Sure, you could go to a doctor or nutritionist and get tested but would you trust the results (especially from a doctor)? I wouldn't at this point. I don't trust anyone who continues to jab people on what is essentially a murder-for-money scheme.
Here's hoping the next few years see a revolution in home testing across a wide range of substances. Much of what MDs and GPs get paid for these days should really go away: Spending 15 minutes with you (at most), prescribing antibiotics or some other pill after they search on the Internet a) what to do, b) what the FDA/CDC/NIH allows them to do and c) whether the person has the "correct beliefs" to be treated. (Oh, and d) offer them assistance in dying in Canada.)
"Health care" no longer requires these "people". Bring on the AI.
I typically use lab tests sold by Life Extension.com
They are a supplement company based on Fort Lauderdale FL USA. They seemingly offer A to Z tests. You purchase a test and then get a blood draw at a local lab.
No mention of vitamin K2 to prevent D3 promoting calcification?
To read further research on vitamin D3 cholecalciferol supplementation and the need for 50 ng/mL (125 nmol/L = 1 part in 20,000,000 by mass) circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D calcifediol, please see: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00-evi/.
Attaining this level is so important that I suggest the IMA develop a vitamin D3 protocol, which is applicable to everyone, of all ages.
While infants who are substantially breast fed by 25-hydroxyvitamin D replete moms can obtain sufficient vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D for good health in breast milk, no other food sources contain more than a small fraction of the vitamin D3 required to maintain 50 ng/mL or more 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the bloodstream. (This 25-hydroxyvitamin D is made, over several days, primarily in the liver, by hydroxylating vitamin D3 at the 25th carbon. This is what is tested in "vitamin D" blood tests. Neither of these compounds are hormones - they are not signaling molecules.)
The centerpiece of such a protocol should be Prof. Wimalawansa's average daily vitamin D3 supplemental intake quantities, as specified above as three range of ratios of body weight. The first range, 70 to 90 IU vitamin D3 a day per kilogram body weight, suits everyone except those suffering from obesity. Higher ratios are needed for those suffering from obesity, since this reduces the rate of hydroxylation in the liver and the excess adipose tissue absorbs both vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00-evi/#obesity-deficit.
These recommendations should be followed by all people, unless there is medical advice to the contrary, with the exception of the breast babies just mentioned and those who have such high levels of ultraviolet-B skin exposure that they generate sufficient vitamin D3 in their skin to attain 50 ng/mL or more circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D all year round. Far from the equator, such UV-B is not naturally obtainable except in the middle of cloud-free summer days, without glass, clothing or sunscreen intervening. Those with brown or especially black skin require very high levels of UV-B to generate sufficient vitamin D3 for full health.
Although general and skin exposure to sunlight has health benefits, and although in the absence of vitamin D3 supplementation, modest UV-B exposure is healthy, since it substantially raises otherwise terribly low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, all such UV-B exposure damages DNA and so raises the risk of skin cancer.
If we had no supplemental vitamin D3, health would be optimised by some level of UV-B skin exposure which trades off the skin cancer risk against the essential benefits of improving immune system function by raising 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. However, since vitamin D3 is so inexpensive and readily available, the best approach is to supplement properly and avoid excessive UV-B exposure.
For average weight adults, 5000 to 7000 IUs (International Units) a day sounds like a lot - especially in countries like Australia where the greatest capacity capsule available over the counter is 1000 IU (25 micrograms). An IU is 1 40,000,000th of a gram. 5000 IU(125 micrograms = 1/8th of a milligram) a day is a gram every 22 years. Pharma-grade vitamin D3 costs about USD$2.50 a gram, ex-factory. (A credit card weighs about 5 grams.)
Proper vitamin D3 supplementation, without risk of toxicity and without the need for blood tests or medical monitoring, as Prof. Wimalawansa recommends, is by far the most important single step which most people can take to improving their health, since without this many people, at least in winter, have half or less of the 25-hydroxyvitamin D their immune system needs to function properly. Some - especially those with brown or black skin, the elderly and/or those with sun-avoidant lifestyles - have levels as low as 5 ng/mL (12.5 nmol/L).
Inadequate vitamin D3 supplementation during pregnancy, and so low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, raise the risk of pre-eclampsia, pre-term birth, autism, mental retardation: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00-evi/#3.2, drives infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases and condemns many to cognitive decline -> dementia in old age https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00- evi/#3.3).
For those facing critical illness such as sepsis, severe COVID-19, Kawasaki disease, MIS-C (PIMS), ARDS etc. and who have today's very common, low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, there is an urgent need to boost this level in such clinical emergencies. Daily supplemental intakes of vitamin D3 in quantities Prof. Wimalawansa recommends take months to raise the level of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D to 50 ng/mL.
A crucial part of a future IMA vitamin D3 protocol would be boosting this level with a single oral dose of calcifediol - which *is* 25-hydroxyvitamin D. The amount required is not critical but Prof. Wimalawansa recommends 0.014 milligrams (14 micrograms) of calcifediol per kilogram body weight. For 70 kg 154 pounds, this is 1 milligram.
Calcifediol is more readily absorbed into the bloodstream than vitamin D3 since it has two hydrophilic hydroxyl group, while vitamin D3 has only one. It goes straight into circulation as the 25-hydroxyvitamin D many types of immune cell need to run their intracrine (inside each cell) and paracrine (to nearby cells, typically of different types) signaling systems. These systems are crucial to the ability of individual immune cells to respond to their changing circumstances.
A bolus (loading) dose of vitamin D3 is the next best approach is calcifediol is not available. (Packets of ten 0.266 mg calcifediol capsules are available over the counter in countries including Spain and Italy - but 0.01 mg is the highest amount available per tablet without prescription in the USA: https://dvelopimmunity.com/products/vitamin-d-times-three.)
For average weight adults, 10 mg (400,000 IU) vitamin D3 is a good amount. Only about 1/4 of this is hydroxylated in the liver to circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D - and this takes several days. Critically ill patients are fighting for their lives, so every hour counts. 1 milligram of oral calcifediol will raise the 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of average weight adults, from any low level to at least 50 ng/mL in four hours or less.
This treatment alone would have saved the great majority of people who died from COVID-19, and of the 11 million or so people worldwide a year who are killed by sepsis: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)32989-7/fulltext.
In Cordoba, Spain (https://vitamindstopscovid.info/00-evi/#castillo https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960076020302764) an initial dose of 0.532 milligrams calcifediol for hospitalized COVID-19 patients was the primary reason, in the Castillo et al. RCT, for ICU admissions dropping from 50% to 2% and deaths from 8% to zero.
Ivermectin is the best known early treatment for COVID-19, but this calcifediol treatment is even more beneficial.
People who eat liver every week and take cod liver oil daily seem to do well with their vitamin A and D levels. Do you know of a study that shows that vitamin D3 supplementation works well in the long run? Otherwise, I would revise your claims to be more cautious. There are very few examples where man-made ingredients outperform mother nature.
One can’t include everything in an article written for the public like this one, such as the roles of vitamin K2 and other micronutrients like magnesium and cofactors. These are important as they synergize the actions of vitamin D/calcitriol and its interactions with VDR and cofactors for DNA binding.
Interested readers need to consult/read related articles and/or review some from the reference list provided at the end of this articel.
The Coimbra protocol is helpful for a tiny group of selected people with vitamin D resistant syndromes, as highlighted by Robin below. Again, most of these have been addressed in detail in the references the author has included in this brief article.
For the vast majority, there is no reason to spend on vitamin D (25OH)D testing, as the recommended doses do not cause toxicity for a non-obese person who needs to take over 30,000 IU daily for many months.
Kind regards.
Most doctors don’t give enough information about vit D and D3. Even in sunny areas, many people don’t squire enough of this essential vitamin. No money was paid to the researchers.
Sunlight is crucial for health along with many other natural ways (foods) to get VitD, and definitely supplements are necessary especially in the winter months. For most people nowadays spending so much time indoors working, and fully clothed when when outside in sun, there's even more need to supplement.
Be careful about how much proof there is for these claims. It may be better for everyone to insist that we stop spraying our skies and that our children be allowed more time outdoors in the sunshine, and to add liver and cod liver oil to our diets. We do need more vitamin D3, but we should also be cautious about whether supplements are really a solution that works in the long run. Our current health outcomes suggest that we’ve been misled many times by advice that has no basis in measured long-run health outcomes.
I agree with you and stand corrected, in as much as (of course) we need to stop the chemtrails/geoengineering and be allowed more time outside... Realistically though there are situations where supplements are the best mitigation, even allowing for the uncertain outcomes and qualities of supplements. I certainly agree about liver (preferably grass fed, beef or lamb, or bison). Salmon is a good source too, although there are heavy metals in a lot of fish. There are also uncertainties about the quality of many cod liver oils. Sadly we live in times when as you rightly say, "we’ve been misled many times by advice that has no basis in measured long-run health outcomes."
So true
The Coimbra Protocol uses super-high doses of Vit D3 to address autoimmune conditions such as MS, et.al. This protocol must be supervised by a qualified doctor as very high doses of D3 can result in too high blood calcium which can cause major problems if not managed appropriately.
Indeed. For more on the Coimbra protocol and similar high 25-hydroxyvitamin D protocols for treating cluster headaches, migraine, psoriasis and other such inflammatory disorders, please see the research cited and discussed at: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/06-adv/.
The fundamental problem is not related to 25-hydroxyvitamin D, though very high 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels can suppress the extreme inflammatory (indiscriminate cell destroying) immune responses which drive all these disorders. The fundamental problem is lack of helminths - intestinal worms. This is not easily explained in a Substack comment - please see above page.
The LACK of intestinal worms??? Not what I have been hearing. Did Hurricane Sabine Hasan agree with that? Angus Delglish on John Campbell says for 20 yrs he is treating CA pts and if you have CA your Chemo won't work if your level of D is low. I believe he said 50 of 25hydro should be your normal level. 100-200 if you have CA. He has documentation. The government's manipulation of vit D and the appropriate higher levels has been surpressed. It seems to fit like a puzzle with the genocide conspiracy.
I'm with Anguis Dalgleish on this. And the government lies about VitD and the benefits of sunshine (heliotherapy) is definitely part of the depopulation strategies.
Please read the research cited and discussed at: https://vitamindstopscovid.info/06-adv/. There are evolutionary reasons why humans, like other mammals, developed overly aggressive inflammatory (indiscriminate cell destroying) immune responses to target multicellular parasites: these emitted compounds which down-modulated these responses which targeted them.
Now, without such helminths, and so without the down-modulation our ancestors evolved with, humans have generally too strong an inflammatory response. Due to genetic variation some people have a stronger such response than others. If it is triggered these people suffer most from inflammatory disorders such as Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, posirasis etc.
There is research by Dr. Weston A. Price that shows that it’s a good idea to get vitamins A, D, and K2 in the proportions that occur in organic/biodynamic nutrient-dense foods like cod liver oil, shell fish, and/or pasture-raised/pasture-finished liver, (raw) cheese, raw spring butter, and so forth. See talks about his and further nutritional studies by Sally Fallon. (I recommend the annual WAPF conference coming up in Oct.)
Here’s an article with cautions about “isolates”:
http://healingwithwholefoods.com/articles/should-we-supplement-with-d/http://healingwithwholefoods.com/articles/should-we-supplement-with-d/
This author’s book, Healing With Whole Foods, has many remedies that have worked well for me, including the mineral tea for keeping calcium in the bones, and the diabetes diet, and some remedies that have been important for my grandnephew. I recommend looking up any specific health issue in the index.
Check out the “The Vitamin D Solution” 2007 Book. It documents Life Guards have 150 ng/mL of 25(OH)D. They are super healthy. The Blob wants us sick. Question everything.
Thank you for this important overview of the importance of Vitamin D. Unfortunately, it has been downplayed and outright rejected by those who should have been advocating for its use.
No discussion here of
co-administration of K2, which may prevent excessive vascular calcification.
Thank you all
This is a great article. However, what is the deal with one-shot vitamin D test kits costing around $100 USD? This seems outrageous and is one of those hidden problems in taking control of one's own health. Sure, you could go to a doctor or nutritionist and get tested but would you trust the results (especially from a doctor)? I wouldn't at this point. I don't trust anyone who continues to jab people on what is essentially a murder-for-money scheme.
Here's hoping the next few years see a revolution in home testing across a wide range of substances. Much of what MDs and GPs get paid for these days should really go away: Spending 15 minutes with you (at most), prescribing antibiotics or some other pill after they search on the Internet a) what to do, b) what the FDA/CDC/NIH allows them to do and c) whether the person has the "correct beliefs" to be treated. (Oh, and d) offer them assistance in dying in Canada.)
"Health care" no longer requires these "people". Bring on the AI.
Self pay VitD serum tests are available in USA in the $35-$50 range and up of course.
Can you link to some? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.
I typically use lab tests sold by Life Extension.com
They are a supplement company based on Fort Lauderdale FL USA. They seemingly offer A to Z tests. You purchase a test and then get a blood draw at a local lab.
Very cool! Thank you.