Pregnancy and vitamin D

[Islander]

From: "John Cannell, M.D." <vitamindcouncil@vitamindcouncil.org>
Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Vitamin D Council
May 3, 2011

Dear Readers:

It is with deep regret that I accept the resignation of Dr. Bruce Hollis from the Board of Directors of the Vitamin D Council. We thank Professor Hollis for his service.

For those who do not know, Professor Hollis is the scientist who provided the best reason to keep your vitamin D level around 50 ng/ml. Some scientists say 20 ng/ml is good enough because parathyroid hormone (PTH) is pretty much suppressed with levels of 20, other scientists say levels should be 30 because calcium absorption is maximized with that level. That is, PTH suppression and calcium absorption are biomarkers for adequate vitamin D blood levels.

Professor Hollis provided another biomarker, one every woman – and most men – can immediately accept as the best biomarker yet: how much vitamin D does a woman need to be sure that her breast milk has adequate vitamin D? When you think about it, that’s about as good as biomarkers get.

Professor Hollis answered that question in his research, finding that when a lactating woman has vitamin D blood levels of 40-50 ng/ml, her breast milk finally has enough vitamin D to support the vitamin D levels of her nursing infant. At levels below 40, the vitamin D content of breast milk becomes unpredictable. I’d say Bruce’s discovery is more important than PTH or calcium absorption. I also say the women (and men) on the recent vitamin D FNB panel should be ashamed of themselves for apparently not knowing this.
I always wondered how that could be, after first learning in medical school that human breast milk – unlike the breast milk of wild mammals – has little or no vitamin D. How could Nature’s perfect food be void of the pre-hormone needed for infant growth and development? Bruce answered the question, breast milk is not void of it, it is just that virtually all modern lactating women are void of it.

Thanks Bruce, you will be missed.

John Cannell, MD
Executive Director
Vitamin D Council
1241 Johnson Ave., # 134
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

[hlahore]

Vitamin D is important Before, During and After Pregnancy
Overview from VitaminDWiki