Vitamin D - the effects from Chemo...and the importance of understanding it!

One of the things that the chemo does to the body is wipes out the vitamin D levels.  So a blood test is done each time to keep tabs on the levels.  Vitamin D is essential for the body so it can absorb calcium, which of course is required for healthy bones.

So I got a call on Friday from the Marisa, the Oncology Nurse, saying my Vitamin D levels were low (not real real low but low).  So she said to increase the supplement dosage.  In the meantime I have done additional research in this area ...here is a bit more for you.  If you have any friends going through chemo please share with them!

Off to take another vitamin d supplement!

Some Useful information on Vitamin D:

To keep bones strong, your body is constantly breaking down old bone cells and growing new ones, the same way it sheds and replaces skin cells. To fuel bone growth, keep bone density strong, and prevent osteoporosis, you need a good supply of calcium from dairy products and other foods.
But you also need enough vitamin D. Without it, you could drink milk all day and the calcium in it wouldn't do you much good. Vitamin D is key in absorbing calcium from the food you eat -- calcium that would otherwise get sent out of the body as waste.
Along with weight-bearing exercise, calcium and vitamin D go together for good bone density -- and good health in general. Here's some advice on how to get more calcium and vitamin D in your diet.

Boost Your Diet

Your body doesn't make calcium on its own. The best way to get more calcium is to improve your diet. You already know that dairy products -- such as milk, cheese, and yogurt -- are good sources of calcium for those who don't have lactose or other dairy intolerance. Other foods that are high in calcium include:

• Spinach
• Kale
• Okra
• Collards
• Soy beans
• White beans
• Some fish, like sardines, salmon, perch, and rainbow trout
• Foods that are calcium fortified, such as some orange juice, oatmeal, and breakfast cereal

It's a lot harder to get enough vitamin D from foods. Vitamin D is only in a few foods and often in very small amounts. Foods that provide vitamin D include:

• Fatty fish, like tuna, mackerel, and salmon
• Foods fortified with vitamin D, like some dairy products, orange juice, soy milk, and cereals
• Beef liver
• Cheese
• Egg yolks

Getting enough vitamin D from your diet isn't easy. Studies show that typically only about 20% of our vitamin D comes from the foods we eat.
Your body can make vitamin D on its own. When you walk out into the sunlight with exposed skin, your body naturally produces vitamin D.

How to Get Enough

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I have added another article here....

How can vitamin D levels be maintained during chemotherapy?

Research on maintaining vitamin D levels during chemotherapy treatment is still in early stages. Doctors at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute tested 2000 IU/day of supplemental vitamin D given to their colon cancer patients in a randomized trial. The average level of vitamin D for all patients at the start of the trial was 17.5 ng/ml. After six months of supplementation, this rose to a healthy 37.5 ng/ml for non-chemotherapy patients, but to only 29 ng/ml for patients on chemo, which is still insufficient. A similar trial was run with breast cancer patients, using low dose (1000 IU/day) or high dose (50,000 IU once per week). Patients started the trial with an average of 27.5 ng/ml. On the low dose, patients' levels increased by only 9.4 ng/ml. However, the high dose increased patients' vitamin D by 24.3 ng/ml, which brought their levels into a healthy range. These trials confirmed that chemotherapy may reduce a patient's ability to utilize supplemental vitamin D, requiring them to take much higher doses than normal to achieve sufficiency.

The mechanisms by which chemotherapy drugs lower vitamin D in cancer patients remain unclear, but could include decreased absorption via subclinical mucositis or increased metabolism of vitamin D via the activation of enzymes such as CYP3A4. Until further research is completed, there is a risk that most (if not all) chemotherapy drugs may depress patients' vitamin D levels. Cancer patients taking these drugs should therefore consider monitoring their vitamin D status throughout the treatment period as well as aggressive supplementation to maintain adequate levels which are associated with a better prognosis.


Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037663_chemotherapy_drugs_vitamin_D_deficiency.html#ixzz2XhP6iVli

PS-thanks Marg for sending through the photo of the hummingbird in your garden...I LOVE IT!