Catalyst Athletics Forums - Nightshades and Vitamin D

Catalyst Athletics Forums (http://www.catalystathletics.com/forum/index.php)

- Supplements (http://www.catalystathletics.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=9)

- - Nightshades and Vitamin D (http://www.catalystathletics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4815)

Nightshades and Vitamin D

In the PM article pack on Nightshades, Dr. G cites multiple instances where nightshades were cause for concern because of their Vitamin D concentration. The remaining articles in the pack never expanded on the dangers of the Vitamin D in nightshades. I've done some poking around, and I haven't been able to find any detail as to why Vitamin D in nightshades might be a danger, and I actually found this article (wfs), which says high Vitamin D levels are actually no longer a concern pertaining to nightshades. Any insight would be appreciated.

Zack,
The nightshades contain calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, not cholecalciferol aka vitamin D3), which if I recall correctly, is 1000x more potent than D3. Production of calcitriol is extremely tightly regulated by the kidney, because too much quickly leads to calcinosis. See the linked studies in the first article, where they specifically talk about calcitriol causing calcinosis in animals. Look to the human drug information on places like Rxlist.com or Drugs.com to see what excessive calcitriol does in humans.

We are not supposed to bypass the body's control mechanism for calcitriol. Nightshades do this to our detriment.

Calcitriol will not show up on a normal blood D3 test, and the transient elevations of calcitriol from eating nightshades are something that doctors wouldn't ever be looking for.

I'll write more on this later, I'm actually ironing all this out for my WAP presentation in less than a week. :D

I'd definitely appreciate more detail. The Vitamin D supplement (wfs) that I take is the Cholecalciferol form of Vitamin D3, the inactive form.

It appears that the liver hydroxylizes this form of D3 into Calcidiol, which is then converted to calcitriol in the kidneys. Link (wfs)

Why doesn't calcitriol show up on a blood test? Why is the measurement of the Calcifediol form of D3 thought to be the best measurement of Vitamin D in the blood?

Is it possible to take measured doses of the active form of Vitamin D3, calcitriol, to get the benefits of Vitamin D supplementation, or is it best just to take the inactive form and let the body regulate activity as needed?

There is a blood test for calcitriol. This is a tightly controlled pathway, hence it doesn't change much.

D3 shows how much "raw material" is in the blood.

From Dr. Cannell of the Vitamin D Council:
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/vitaminDPhysiology.shtml

Quote:

Calcitriol (1,25(OH)2D3 or 1,25D3)

Calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D) is made from calcidiol in both the kidneys and in other tissues and is the most potent steroid hormone derived from cholecalciferol. Calcitriol has powerful anti-cancer properties. It is sometimes referred to as the active form of vitamin D. Calcitriol levels should never be used to determine if you are deficient in vitamin D.

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/treatment.shtml

Quote:

Calcitriol Contraindicated in Vitamin D Deficiency

Ergocalciferol has been used safely by physicians for years for a variety of indications. Unfortunately, when doctors don't prescribe ergocalciferol, they sometimes prescribe calcitriol or newer analogs of calcitriol, costing thousands of times more than cholecalciferol. Calcitriol, and its analogs, are contraindicated in vitamin D deficiency because they may cause hypercalcemia and they fail to address the real problem: low stores of 25(OH)D. Cholecalciferol repletes the vitamin D system by filling up your vitamin D tank with 25(OH)D, the vitamin D fuel. Vieth R. The pharmacology of vitamin D, including fortification strategies. In:Feldman D, Glorieux F, eds. Vitamin D, Chapter 61, in press, 2nd ed. Academic Press, San Diego.

Giving calcitriol, or its analogs, for vitamin D deficiency is like shooting ether into your engine to keep your car running. In addition, they pose a significant risk of hypercalcemia (high blood calcium). If you have a simple vitamin D deficiency and your doctor insists on prescribing calcitriol or an expensive analog of vitamin D (other than cholecalciferol or ergocalciferol), find another doctor.

Let the body regulate it, unless you like your soft tissues getting calcified.

Very good. Thanks for the information.

Can't help myself.

Calcitriol in tomatoes.

Side effects and symptoms of overdose of calcitriol.

Calcinosis symptoms:

Quote:

Dystrophic Calcification. Many restrict the use of the term calcinosis to those patients who have calcium deposits in the soft tissues but have no generalized disturbance in calcium or phosphorus metabolism. Dystrophic calcification is often seen at sites of previous inflammation or damage to the skin. Calcinosis has been associated with connective tissue disease, such as in systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) or polymyositis-dermatomyositis.

The standard method of detection of dystrophic calcification has been the plain X-ray. However, computed tomographic (CT) scanning has been reported to identify calcinosis in symptomatic, but radiographically normal areas.

Causes and Risk Factors of Calcinosis
A variety of local and regional sites of calcification have been associated with rheumatic complaints. Occasional calcification has followed corticosteroid injections. In addition to the common syndromes of the shoulder and hip, idiopathic calcific tendinitis and tenosynovitis produce calcific deposits.

Sounds like osteoarthritic deposits fit perfectly in there.

The possible nutrient to reverse the damage of the nightshade-type calcinosis:
Effect of vitamin K2 on experimental calcinosis induced by vitamin D2 in rat soft tissue.

You heard it here first. ;)