Indications

• Vitamin D3 SAP can be used to prevent suboptimal levels of hydroxyvitamin D in the body.
• Vitamin D3 SAP is used to help promote healthy bone development and for prevention of osteoporosis.
• Vitamin D3 SAP is used to support healthy immune function by stimulating the innate immune response.
• Vitamin D3 SAP may help to prevent the development of several autoimmune diseases.
• Vitamin D3 SAP may help prevent and treat various types of cancer, including colon, breast and prostate cancers.

Ingredients

CAPSULES
Each vegetable capsule contains:
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) (1,000 IU) ... 25 mcg

LIQUID
Each bottle contains:
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) (1,000 IU/drop) ... 25 mcg/drop

Contains no: preservative, artificial flavor or color, sugar, dairy, wheat, gluten or yeast.

Description

In recent years, the importance of vitamin D has been thoroughly researched, and it has been found to be a critical vitamin to overall human health. It was once thought that a deficiency would have its impact only on the skeletal system, manifesting as rickets or osteomalacia. However, it has come to light that a suboptimal level of serum hydroxyvitamin D, known as an insufficiency, may contribute to a host of disease processes including cardiovascular disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases and infections.(1)

PURITY, CLEANLINESS and STABILITY Vitamin D3 SAP has undergone third-party testing to ensure it is free of any heavy metals, solvents, pesticides or other impurities.

BIOCHEMISTRY Vitamin D has 2 forms: vitamin D2, called ergocalciferol, and D3, cholecalciferol. Cholecalciferol is produced in the skin after exposure to UVB sunlight and can also be found in the diet in foods including liver, fatty fish including salmon, sardine and cod or in egg yolks. Since few foods have naturally high vitamin D content, the majority of dietary vitamin D is ingested through fortified foods or supplements.(1) Ergocalciferol is found in some plants in the diet and can also be produced commercially by irradiation of yeast.(1) Vitamins D2 and D3 both undergo identical metabolism in the liver and are converted to 25 hydroxyvitamin D. It is this serum level that is measured to determine overall vitamin D status. The 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] is then hydroxylated in the kidney to 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D, which is the biologically active form.(1) The 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D predominately acts in the duodenum and increases calcium absorption, as well as acts on bone cells to mobilize calcium stores.(1) Serum Levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D Status < 10 ng/ml or 25 nmol/ml Deficiency 11–20 ng/ml or 25.5–49.9 nmol/ml Insufficiency >20 ng/ml or 50 nmol/ml Optimal

BONE HEALTH The function of vitamin D is to maintain serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations through regulating calcium absorption from the intestine or calcium re-absorption from bone, making vitamin D necessary for maintenance of healthy bone. The role of vitamin D insufficiency in osteoporosis is strongly recognized. For men and women over 50 years of age, evidence suggests that the plasma level of 25(OH)D needed to minimize fracture risk is at least 50 nmol/L, with 75 nmol/L being a more optimal level, and that an intake of 800–2000 IU/day of vitamin D3 is needed to bring the population average to this level.(2, 3)

IMMUNE FUNCTION Influenza in North America and Europe reaches its highest levels between December and March, which coincides with when 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels are at their lowest. In a 3-year, 3-armed study performed in New York using post-menopausal women, researchers had a placebo group, one group taking 800 IU of vitamin D, and one group taking 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily.(4) In the placebo group, 26 women reported having suffered from influenza or the common cold at least once; 7 women in the 800 IU group reported having one of these illnesses; and only 1 woman in the 2000 IU group reported having suffered from either the common cold or influenza.(4) Vitamin D may contribute to the prevention and perhaps the treatment of both infections and autoimmune diseases. 1,25 Dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH2D)] has both immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. Immune cells, including macrophages, dendritic cells and B cells, have the ability to respond to and synthesize 1,25(OH2D), which results in the enhancement of innate immunity while simultaneously inhibiting the autoimmune response mediated by T helper cells (Th1).(5, 6) Several observational studies also support the hypothesis that vitamin D insufficiency leads to an increased risk of various autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes mellitus, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.(5) However, few interventional studies exist thus far, so this is certainly an area where more research needs to be conducted. CANCER Vitamin D is known to promote cellular differentiation, arrest cell proliferation and decrease the growth of various tumors in laboratory animals.(1) A meta-analysis of case-controlled studies of patients with or without colon cancer demonstrated that for every 20 ng/ml increase in serum 25(OH)D levels, the chances of colon cancer were reduced by more the 40%.(1) Some other studies have found that dietary calcium intake is also associated with a decreased risk of colon cancer, and since the majority of vitamin D in the diet comes from fortified dairy products, it is difficult to separate the effect of vitamin D from calcium.(1) Similar to colon cancer, breast cancer has also been associated with a deficiency in vitamin D. A combination of 7 observational studies reported a lower risk of breast cancer among women with the highest 25(OH)D levels compared to the women with the lowest readings.(1) In a study performed on mice, one group was fed a vitamin D– deficient diet, the second group was a control group. All mice were then injected with prostate cancer cell lines, either into their bone marrow or into soft tissue. The vitamin D–deficient group had significantly accelerated bone turnover, and at the end of the study, the total tumor area and tumor mitotic activity were all significantly increased in vitamin D–deficient mice, compared to controls; in contrast, there was no difference in soft tissue tumor growth from one group to the other.(7)

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In a meta-analysis that compared the results of 18 studies, it was concluded that the serum levels of 25(OH)D were inversely associated with hypertension.(8) A reduction in overall cardiovascular mortality has been demonstrated in patients with 25(OH)D levels greater than 40 ng/mL compared with patients whose values were less than 10 ng/mL.(1) In another observational study, patients who had undergone angiography had 25(OH)D levels monitored for 8 years after the procedure, while the patients in the highest 25(OH) D quartile (median 28 ng/mL) possessed a lower mortality rate than the patients in the lowest quartile (median 8 ng/mL).(1) These observational studies do not conclusively prove that low 25(OH)D levels increase cardiovascular mortality; however, low levels are also associated with serum markers of inflammation, which are indicators of cardiovascular disease risk.(1)

Quantity

180 capsules per bottle or 350 drops per bottle.

Dose

1 drop or 1 capsule daily with food or as directed by your health care practitioner

Potential side effects/Safety

Vitamin D is safe when taken by mouth in appropriate amounts. Most people do not experience
side effects unless too much is taken, and these may include weakness, fatigue, headache, dry
mouth, nausea or vomiting.

References

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1. Thacher TD, Clarke BL. “Vitamin D insufficiency”. Mayo Clin Proc. 2011 Jan;86(1):50-60.
2. Shils, M.E. Nutrition in Health and Disease. Tenth Edition 2006.
3. van den Bergh JP, Bours SP, van Geel TA, Geusens PP. “Optimal Use of Vitamin D When Treating
Osteoporosis”. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2010 Nov 27. [Epub ahead of print]
4. William B. Grant,* and Cedric F. Garland “The role of vitamin D3 in preventing infections”. Oxford
Journals Medicine Age and Ageing Volume37, Issue1 Pp. 121-122.
5. StrÖhle A, Wolters M, Hahn A. “Micronutrients at the Interface Between Inflammation and Infection
Ascorbic Acid and Calciferol. Part 2: Calciferol and the Significance of Nutrient Supplements”. Inflamm
Allergy Drug Targets 2010 Dec 24. [Epub ahead of print]
6. Adorini L, Penna G. “Control of autoimmune diseases by the vitamin D endocrine system”. Nat Clin Pract
Rheumatol. 2008 Aug;4(8):404-12. Epub 2008 Jul 1.
7. Zheng Y, Zhou H, Ooi LL, Snir AD, Dunstan CR, Seibel MJ. “Vitamin D deficiency promotes prostate
cancer growth in bone”. Prostate. 2010 Dec 28. [Epub ahead of print]
8. Burgaz A, Orsini N, Larsson SC, Wolk A. “Blood 25 hydroxyvitamin D concentration and hypertension:
a meta-analysis”. J Hypertens. 2010 Dec 28. [Epub ahead of print ]