I agree. My doc sent me for blood tests in 2019 to see why I felt foggy brained and forgetful. Of all the things they tested for, it was D that showed up as deficient. It was dangerously low at 18 ng/mL. Things are much clearer now at ~60 ng/mL.
What is really interesting in relation to this discussion is an OTC memory product Prevegen. They claim the active ingredient is some compound from a jellyfish yet the only other listed ingredient is vitamin D3.
There is more to this story. Vit K has to be part of it. I take K along with D3 to shuttle the calcium into the correct locations. K is not technically a vitamin.
K2 and D3 for sacral pain? First heard so I would love to know more. Not chronic, but when I do throw my lower back out, any semblance of normal life is over. I'm completely debilitated for the next 5-15 days. And that happens 3-4 times a year. Please tell your (dosing?) secrets. Mahalo!
Oh, and Mahalo! Hubs & I were in Maui for 1 week in 2015 (anniversary trip) and my 💗 is still there!! I made friends post 2020 steal with a gal on Oahu who is part of our 50 state Election Integrity team...They are really working hard to push back on all those radical nuts in paradise 🙄🙏
I have a connective tissue disorder, dural ectasia with tarlov cysts, so I can't sit without pain. Years of suffering until I saw my OBGYN and me now being old enough to start getting bone scans. The last bone density test I had showed mild osteopenia (thinning of the bones) but not bad enough for meds; my doctor recommended exercise; Vitamin D at least 2000 IU daily, calcium 500mg (if no kidney stones), PLUS magnesium (400mg minimum), and Vitamin K2. I take Life Extension low dose (45mg) but you can prob get combo with the calcium, mag, Vitamin K2 in a healthfood store. Hope that helps!!
Correctomundo Janet! K is what Weston A Price found that indigenous people ate the most of, and why they had such beautiful jaws and teeth, without brushing. Are you familiar with Weston A Price?
Roman, your comment made me go to Al Gore's Information Superhighway to see what *are* the food sources of K2, anyway? (I take a daily D3/K2 supplement, but also get out in the sun) And lo and behold, they're animal and fermented foods, and it's not inherent in them, but created by the bacteria. For a physician with a life-long interest in food and nutrition, I am so, way, behind.
I have a source for traditional sauerkraut and I use that. I don’t like kimchis. I used to make my own kombucha. But I killed the SCOBY and never tried again. I had quite the bottling factory going on in my kitchen. LOL. I make smoothies with milk kefir I can buy unflavored, but I need to check if it’s pasteurized. I would think that would kill the good bugs.
Hmmm, kombucha? I just started some again for the 3rd or 4th time. I’m limited on sources of good bacteria because cabbage doesn’t agree with me, nor does dairy. I thought kefir might be different but no. The thing about kombucha that I question is the sugar content. My homemade is much sweeter than the bottled products.
I don't know what recipe you use so can't say for sure what results you might get. Typically, a longer fermentation results in less sweet, more tart, the yeast continuing consume the sugar. Suggest experimenting. Maybe try 3-5 more days than the fermentation you've been using? Then taste test. Or go longer? Just a thought. As a basis for comparison, I use 1.25 c (organic cane) sugar/gallon AND add 1/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice (yes, at the beginning of the ferment) for acidity, no vinegar. I also don't use a SCOBY; never have. Use a different fermentation setup. Don't know if lemon juice is practical w a SCOBY. -?
Thanks for your reply - interesting! I’ll bet you’re right about the longer fermentation to eat up the sugar. My recipe is 3 quarts filtered water, 1 cup organic cane sugar, boil sugar & water 5 min. remove from heat and add tea bags (I use 3 Newman’s organic black) steep 15 minutes then allow to cool completely. Pour into sterile gallon jar, add 1-2 cups of starter from previous batch and scoby.
I’ve heard of using vinegar instead of the starter but never of making it without a scoby, or with lemon juice- so interesting! I’ve always loved lemon in tea anyway so I think I’ll try your method next time. Does it form a scoby without adding one? And how many days do you typically allow it to ferment? My first batch was 14 days.
I use 10-12 teabags/gallon filtered water in a glass gallon jar (old pickle jar) and set it in the sun, covered (screw top) for several hours, all year long. No boiling. Sun tea. (Solar energy is a thing. Even cloudy days - it's only light out because my part of the earth is facing the ol' homestar which never quits - though bright sunlight is best.) Then flavor the tea with the required sugar, the not-required lemon juice though I learned way back that some acid is best for flavor balance not so much necessary for fermentation. This goes into a glass gallon jug (via funnel). Then, shy of filling to the neck, I inoculate with existing kombucha, which I've bottled from previous brews. There's millions of organisms in a 16 oz bottle, plenty to populate a new brew and reproduce. Then fill into the neck but not all the way to the lip. This gets capped with a stopper with a trap and release for the gas produced; some will escape to release pressure (otherwise the bottle would explode), some is trapped. No SCOBY forms. Usually 10 days fermenting. I used a balloon, just a regular rubber balloon, over the top of the jug when I first started. The balloon inflates as the ferment progresses producing gas. It traps the gas and just keeps expanding throughout the fermentation. If it doesn't expand, which happened a couple of times, don't know why, then there's no fermenting going on.
If you want to feel safe about it, you can get the procedure I've described from the guy who "invented" it. (I think he must have had a moment of inspiration or something. Like: Hey, wine ferments in bottles; there must be a way to do this kombucha thing in a narrow neck bottle. - I don't know. Just guessing.) I think you have to purchase his cultures to get access to this Easy Brew Method (I think that's what he calls it). His website: https://kombuchaamerica.com/ One thing's for sure: it's sure a he** of a lot cheaper to DIY compared to retail products. Not to mention, everyone I serve it to (even when flavored with berry juices or ginger juice or pick your flavor) comments it's better tasting than store-bought. Love the stuff.
Yes. I tried a more paleo plan in 2012 and I learned about WAP. I have a cookbook put out by the WAP organization. He called it vitamin X or something like that. But K is very important. I have learned so much—and not from doctors. I just took a look at the bottle of antibiotics that a doctor recommended I take before any dental procedure since I had a partial hip replacement. OMG. This is a black box antibiotic that can give you C-diff and ruin your micro biome to a chronic level which can lead to all sorts of trouble. They just hand these prescriptions out like candy. Clindamycin. BEWARE!!!!
Same. I had both knees replaced in 2020, and last year the dentist insisted on an antibiotic for dental work. Foolishly, I took two rounds of Amoxicillin, maybe not as bad as yours, but it was bad enough to ruin my gut for 2-3 months. And I knew better, I should have said not just no, but H- no! That was in the spring of last year and I’m still dealing with it off and on.
BTW, most dentist will allow you to sign a waver to the requirement of antibiotics.
Thanks for the info on denying antibiotics. I took doxycycline in 2022 for a possible tick bite infection. It was not fun, as we were camping out west in the sun. Doxy sensitizes you to the sun and even trying to cover up, I itched and rashed. Plus then got tinnitus in one ear. Also sure about some gut stuff too. I took another antibiotic from an ear nose guy years ago (Avalox) and it also has dangers the docs don’t tell you about. It affected my mood and anxiety. I have to check everything now.
They’re much worse than we’ve been lead to believe. I’m learning (late) to try other means. Someone on here recommended the book by Stephen Buhner, “Herbal Antibiotics”, it’s worth reading. However, one thing I learned long ago from an old pediatrician, for topical infections, use a poultice of Epsom salts applied to a hot rag and then covered with plastic (from the dry cleaners) then covered with a dry towel. Soak for at least 2-3 hours per day. My husband had a badly infected tick bite and this worked for him. He continued working and used the Epsom salts in the evening for 2-3 days. Honey is also powerful for topical infections.
I take K2. Not sure of the difference between it and K- just know I read specifically needed for D3 absorption.
Another trace mineral/element that helps teeth and degenerative bone disease at bay is Boron. I can post a link for a lecture on its benefits, dosage, etc if anyone is interested.
Yes. Please. I’ve read some about that. I’m concerned about bone health without taking those horrible drugs. DONT TAKE PROLIA. The side effects can be monstrous. Class action suits are in the near future.
One of my Drs (OBGYN) years ago told me to lift. weights, NOT supplement with calcium or any of the Rx for osteopaenia . No idea when I’ll ever get another dexascan done but looking forward to see potential results. I do lift ALOT as well. Helps with stress too.
1.) Also read up on considering getting an REMS Echolight scan. It is FDA approved (which post covid scandal makes me ? that nod) but uses ultrasound & doesn’t just evaluate bone density (like DEXA scans that use radiation) but also measures bone strength- which may be even more important. This new technology is also less prone to operator positioning errors.
Recommend “The Myth of Osteoporosis: What every woman needs to know about creating bone health,” by Gillian Sansone. Made me open my eyes to the quacks out there on osteoporosis.
Hi Fred. Link is about 3 comments up. I take 60mg. The Dr said anywhere from 30 to 70 has been found to be adequate. If you watch his lecture you learn some countries or certain areas provide this much boron in food/water due to its soil content. I only recall Israel and perhaps Turkey(?) menrtioned. He did say osteoporosis and arthritis are pretty much non-existent in populations native to these areas.
Fascinating stuff. He also has lectures on iodine and silicon I want to find. Mentioned in comments of this video as worthy information too.
Inflammation of vascular epithelial cells causes serum calcium and some LDLs to adhere resulting in placques. Vitamin D maintains epithelial integrity (reduces inflammation) which keeps the vasculature smooth rendering CA++ and lipids more irrelevant than advertised. While sunlight derived vitD is ideal, supplements are the next best thing.
Supplementing D-3 is practically required for the typical American lifestyle unless you have the habit of regular sunbathing. However, one MUST also supplement with Vit K2-MK7 to prevent calcium from being deposited in your soft tissues. I try to keep my D levels close to 100.
I found it interesting that my bloodwork in 2018 with D over 50 was flagged high. Bloodwork in 2022 with D at 90 was not flagged at all. (Both times done at Mayo JAX).
I remember reading somewhere that lab test results were compared more to “norms” rather than to recommendations. I wish I had saved a link, as I have no idea where I read that. Could it be that in 2018, a D level of 50 was well above “normal”, but higher levels are now more common after 4 years of hearing “C, D, and Zinc” (even from the Evil Elf himself back in spring 2020, when asked what supplements he personally was taking to stay well; the question probably caught him by surprise and he was startled into a truthful answer). IDK, just a thought…
Vitamin D prevents the neuroinflammation that causes neurodegenerative conditions.
I agree. My doc sent me for blood tests in 2019 to see why I felt foggy brained and forgetful. Of all the things they tested for, it was D that showed up as deficient. It was dangerously low at 18 ng/mL. Things are much clearer now at ~60 ng/mL.
What is really interesting in relation to this discussion is an OTC memory product Prevegen. They claim the active ingredient is some compound from a jellyfish yet the only other listed ingredient is vitamin D3.
From what I've seen that is just a bunch of marketing hoopala.
Yes but esp. from the Sun. Did you know that D supplements can cause calcification and ruin our organs?
https://romanshapoval.substack.com/p/why-vitamin-d-supplements-dont-work
There is more to this story. Vit K has to be part of it. I take K along with D3 to shuttle the calcium into the correct locations. K is not technically a vitamin.
Yep. Life changer for me! Starting K2 with D3 took away years of chronic sacral pain
K2 and D3 for sacral pain? First heard so I would love to know more. Not chronic, but when I do throw my lower back out, any semblance of normal life is over. I'm completely debilitated for the next 5-15 days. And that happens 3-4 times a year. Please tell your (dosing?) secrets. Mahalo!
Oh, and Mahalo! Hubs & I were in Maui for 1 week in 2015 (anniversary trip) and my 💗 is still there!! I made friends post 2020 steal with a gal on Oahu who is part of our 50 state Election Integrity team...They are really working hard to push back on all those radical nuts in paradise 🙄🙏
I have a connective tissue disorder, dural ectasia with tarlov cysts, so I can't sit without pain. Years of suffering until I saw my OBGYN and me now being old enough to start getting bone scans. The last bone density test I had showed mild osteopenia (thinning of the bones) but not bad enough for meds; my doctor recommended exercise; Vitamin D at least 2000 IU daily, calcium 500mg (if no kidney stones), PLUS magnesium (400mg minimum), and Vitamin K2. I take Life Extension low dose (45mg) but you can prob get combo with the calcium, mag, Vitamin K2 in a healthfood store. Hope that helps!!
Correctomundo Janet! K is what Weston A Price found that indigenous people ate the most of, and why they had such beautiful jaws and teeth, without brushing. Are you familiar with Weston A Price?
Roman, your comment made me go to Al Gore's Information Superhighway to see what *are* the food sources of K2, anyway? (I take a daily D3/K2 supplement, but also get out in the sun) And lo and behold, they're animal and fermented foods, and it's not inherent in them, but created by the bacteria. For a physician with a life-long interest in food and nutrition, I am so, way, behind.
I have a source for traditional sauerkraut and I use that. I don’t like kimchis. I used to make my own kombucha. But I killed the SCOBY and never tried again. I had quite the bottling factory going on in my kitchen. LOL. I make smoothies with milk kefir I can buy unflavored, but I need to check if it’s pasteurized. I would think that would kill the good bugs.
Hmmm, kombucha? I just started some again for the 3rd or 4th time. I’m limited on sources of good bacteria because cabbage doesn’t agree with me, nor does dairy. I thought kefir might be different but no. The thing about kombucha that I question is the sugar content. My homemade is much sweeter than the bottled products.
I don't know what recipe you use so can't say for sure what results you might get. Typically, a longer fermentation results in less sweet, more tart, the yeast continuing consume the sugar. Suggest experimenting. Maybe try 3-5 more days than the fermentation you've been using? Then taste test. Or go longer? Just a thought. As a basis for comparison, I use 1.25 c (organic cane) sugar/gallon AND add 1/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice (yes, at the beginning of the ferment) for acidity, no vinegar. I also don't use a SCOBY; never have. Use a different fermentation setup. Don't know if lemon juice is practical w a SCOBY. -?
Thanks for your reply - interesting! I’ll bet you’re right about the longer fermentation to eat up the sugar. My recipe is 3 quarts filtered water, 1 cup organic cane sugar, boil sugar & water 5 min. remove from heat and add tea bags (I use 3 Newman’s organic black) steep 15 minutes then allow to cool completely. Pour into sterile gallon jar, add 1-2 cups of starter from previous batch and scoby.
I’ve heard of using vinegar instead of the starter but never of making it without a scoby, or with lemon juice- so interesting! I’ve always loved lemon in tea anyway so I think I’ll try your method next time. Does it form a scoby without adding one? And how many days do you typically allow it to ferment? My first batch was 14 days.
I use 10-12 teabags/gallon filtered water in a glass gallon jar (old pickle jar) and set it in the sun, covered (screw top) for several hours, all year long. No boiling. Sun tea. (Solar energy is a thing. Even cloudy days - it's only light out because my part of the earth is facing the ol' homestar which never quits - though bright sunlight is best.) Then flavor the tea with the required sugar, the not-required lemon juice though I learned way back that some acid is best for flavor balance not so much necessary for fermentation. This goes into a glass gallon jug (via funnel). Then, shy of filling to the neck, I inoculate with existing kombucha, which I've bottled from previous brews. There's millions of organisms in a 16 oz bottle, plenty to populate a new brew and reproduce. Then fill into the neck but not all the way to the lip. This gets capped with a stopper with a trap and release for the gas produced; some will escape to release pressure (otherwise the bottle would explode), some is trapped. No SCOBY forms. Usually 10 days fermenting. I used a balloon, just a regular rubber balloon, over the top of the jug when I first started. The balloon inflates as the ferment progresses producing gas. It traps the gas and just keeps expanding throughout the fermentation. If it doesn't expand, which happened a couple of times, don't know why, then there's no fermenting going on.
If you want to feel safe about it, you can get the procedure I've described from the guy who "invented" it. (I think he must have had a moment of inspiration or something. Like: Hey, wine ferments in bottles; there must be a way to do this kombucha thing in a narrow neck bottle. - I don't know. Just guessing.) I think you have to purchase his cultures to get access to this Easy Brew Method (I think that's what he calls it). His website: https://kombuchaamerica.com/ One thing's for sure: it's sure a he** of a lot cheaper to DIY compared to retail products. Not to mention, everyone I serve it to (even when flavored with berry juices or ginger juice or pick your flavor) comments it's better tasting than store-bought. Love the stuff.
Thank you for this - love it!
Al Gore's Information Superhighway. 😂🤣
You are not alone!
Yes. I tried a more paleo plan in 2012 and I learned about WAP. I have a cookbook put out by the WAP organization. He called it vitamin X or something like that. But K is very important. I have learned so much—and not from doctors. I just took a look at the bottle of antibiotics that a doctor recommended I take before any dental procedure since I had a partial hip replacement. OMG. This is a black box antibiotic that can give you C-diff and ruin your micro biome to a chronic level which can lead to all sorts of trouble. They just hand these prescriptions out like candy. Clindamycin. BEWARE!!!!
Same. I had both knees replaced in 2020, and last year the dentist insisted on an antibiotic for dental work. Foolishly, I took two rounds of Amoxicillin, maybe not as bad as yours, but it was bad enough to ruin my gut for 2-3 months. And I knew better, I should have said not just no, but H- no! That was in the spring of last year and I’m still dealing with it off and on.
BTW, most dentist will allow you to sign a waver to the requirement of antibiotics.
Thanks for the info on denying antibiotics. I took doxycycline in 2022 for a possible tick bite infection. It was not fun, as we were camping out west in the sun. Doxy sensitizes you to the sun and even trying to cover up, I itched and rashed. Plus then got tinnitus in one ear. Also sure about some gut stuff too. I took another antibiotic from an ear nose guy years ago (Avalox) and it also has dangers the docs don’t tell you about. It affected my mood and anxiety. I have to check everything now.
They’re much worse than we’ve been lead to believe. I’m learning (late) to try other means. Someone on here recommended the book by Stephen Buhner, “Herbal Antibiotics”, it’s worth reading. However, one thing I learned long ago from an old pediatrician, for topical infections, use a poultice of Epsom salts applied to a hot rag and then covered with plastic (from the dry cleaners) then covered with a dry towel. Soak for at least 2-3 hours per day. My husband had a badly infected tick bite and this worked for him. He continued working and used the Epsom salts in the evening for 2-3 days. Honey is also powerful for topical infections.
Yep, Clinda is one of the worst...
I take K2. Not sure of the difference between it and K- just know I read specifically needed for D3 absorption.
Another trace mineral/element that helps teeth and degenerative bone disease at bay is Boron. I can post a link for a lecture on its benefits, dosage, etc if anyone is interested.
Yes. Please. I’ve read some about that. I’m concerned about bone health without taking those horrible drugs. DONT TAKE PROLIA. The side effects can be monstrous. Class action suits are in the near future.
https://youtu.be/TJp7SW1pY2I?si=lSYNfaLKP9-qcdSh
Thanks!!
I was blown away by his results. (Dr Flechas)
One of my Drs (OBGYN) years ago told me to lift. weights, NOT supplement with calcium or any of the Rx for osteopaenia . No idea when I’ll ever get another dexascan done but looking forward to see potential results. I do lift ALOT as well. Helps with stress too.
And I’m old, lol.
1.) Also read up on considering getting an REMS Echolight scan. It is FDA approved (which post covid scandal makes me ? that nod) but uses ultrasound & doesn’t just evaluate bone density (like DEXA scans that use radiation) but also measures bone strength- which may be even more important. This new technology is also less prone to operator positioning errors.
Echolight- REMS.
http://www.echolightmedical.com/
2) Checkout the recent approval of a non pharmaceutical therapy that uses a vibratory belt device for spine osteopenia soon to be available!!!
(Bonehealth Technologies -“Osteoboost”)
Recommend “The Myth of Osteoporosis: What every woman needs to know about creating bone health,” by Gillian Sansone. Made me open my eyes to the quacks out there on osteoporosis.
Please share Janet! I was using prunes for boron, but now on keto diet, and prefer other sources of my few carbs. TIA! :)
Hi Fred. Link is about 3 comments up. I take 60mg. The Dr said anywhere from 30 to 70 has been found to be adequate. If you watch his lecture you learn some countries or certain areas provide this much boron in food/water due to its soil content. I only recall Israel and perhaps Turkey(?) menrtioned. He did say osteoporosis and arthritis are pretty much non-existent in populations native to these areas.
Fascinating stuff. He also has lectures on iodine and silicon I want to find. Mentioned in comments of this video as worthy information too.
Thank you for the reminder to restock vit. K.
Inflammation of vascular epithelial cells causes serum calcium and some LDLs to adhere resulting in placques. Vitamin D maintains epithelial integrity (reduces inflammation) which keeps the vasculature smooth rendering CA++ and lipids more irrelevant than advertised. While sunlight derived vitD is ideal, supplements are the next best thing.
Supplement with a natural source like cod liver oil....
Yes or straight up cod liver...although I've never tried that. Do you take cod liver / oil?
Yes
I take 4000 units (epa + dha) of Nordic Naturals fish oil daily. Is that similar to taking cod liver oil?
Thanks for the info Henry! Do you take D supplements?
Supplementing D-3 is practically required for the typical American lifestyle unless you have the habit of regular sunbathing. However, one MUST also supplement with Vit K2-MK7 to prevent calcium from being deposited in your soft tissues. I try to keep my D levels close to 100.
I found it interesting that my bloodwork in 2018 with D over 50 was flagged high. Bloodwork in 2022 with D at 90 was not flagged at all. (Both times done at Mayo JAX).
I remember reading somewhere that lab test results were compared more to “norms” rather than to recommendations. I wish I had saved a link, as I have no idea where I read that. Could it be that in 2018, a D level of 50 was well above “normal”, but higher levels are now more common after 4 years of hearing “C, D, and Zinc” (even from the Evil Elf himself back in spring 2020, when asked what supplements he personally was taking to stay well; the question probably caught him by surprise and he was startled into a truthful answer). IDK, just a thought…
It's true. "Normal" ranges were established by looking at population numbers.