NEJM vitamin a study flawed - Letters to the Editor

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  May, 2003  

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Editor:

Health editors, before you do a story on the NEJM study on vitamin A, please consider the following:

1. The study was conducted in Sweden

2. The men are not taking supplements (the high vitamin A was attributed to eating a lot of liver)

3. Vitamin A does play a role in bone repair (helps to remove old bone cells) but vitamins D and K are required to regenerate new cells

Sunlight is required for our bodies to make vitamin D (out of cholesterol). Much of our vitamin K intake comes from leafy green vegetables. These results are probably only possible in northern latitudes. But even in Sweden, the answer is probably not to cut down on vitamin A, but rather to increase both vitamin D and vitamin K.

From www.bolenreport.com: In the northern latitudes, rather than limiting vitamin A, which has a role clearing old cells from bone, authorities should recommend supplemental vitamin D (produced in the body from sunlight) and vitamin K (found in leafy green vegetables). Both vitamins D and Kare required to generate new bone cells. The Swedish men studied had an unusually high intake of vitamin A (from eating liver), even though very few were taking supplements. Magnesium deficiencies should also be ruled out before blaming vitamin A and advising people all over the world to limit their intake."

Vitamin A is not only important for eyesight (especially night vision), it crosses the blood brain barrier -- and it is known that people with high levels of vitamin A have less risk of suffering a stroke.

Owen Fonorow

The Vitamin C Foundation

630-416-1438

Fax 630-416-1309

fonorow@foxvalley.net

www.vitaminCfoundation.org

www.bolenreport.com

COPYRIGHT 2003 The Townsend Letter Group
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group