Vitamin D May Be A Viable Therapy For Autism (human Study)

[haidut]

This is one of the rare human studies using direct intervention for autism. As you can see, there was significant improvement in symptoms with a dose of 300 IU / kg of bodyweight, given daily for 4 months. In addition to the pro-metabolic effects of vitamin D, it is also a known inhibitor of TPH (as I posted in another thread) and as such probably lowers serotonin. Serotonin and the 5-HT2 receptor are directly implicated in autism as I posted in yet another thread, and the beneficial effects of vitamin D in these autistic children probably has something to do with this anti-serotonin activity.

Randomized controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation in children with autism spectrum disorder - Saad - 2016 - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry - Wiley Online Library
"...Supplementation of vitamin D was well tolerated by the ASD children. The daily doses used in the therapy group was 300 IU vitamin D3/kg/day, not to exceed 5,000 IU/day. The autism symptoms of the children improved significantly, following 4-month vitamin D3 supplementation, but not in the placebo group. This study demonstrates the efficacy and tolerability of high doses of vitamin D3 in children with ASD.

"...Conclusions: This study is the first double-blinded RCT proving the efficacy of vitamin D3 in ASD patients. Depending on the parameters measured in the study, oral vitamin D supplementation may safely improve signs and symptoms of ASD and could be recommended for children with ASD. At this stage, this study is a single RCT with a small number of patients, and a great deal of additional wide-scale studies are needed to critically validate the efficacy of vitamin D in ASD."

 

[Sucrates]

Very interesting. There's a correlation with ASD and endotoxin also, and vitamin D can counteract the detection and inflammation, down-regulating TLR(4), NF-kB, etc. I'm sure that's not news here though.
Maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D is inversely correlated with fetal serotonin - Murthi - 2016 - Clinical Endocrinology - Wiley Online Library

 

[mayweatherking]

good research

 

[haidut]

Very interesting. There's a correlation with ASD and endotoxin also, and vitamin D can counteract the detection and inflammation, down-regulating TLR(4), NF-kB, etc. I'm sure that's not news here though.
Maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D is inversely correlated with fetal serotonin - Murthi - 2016 - Clinical Endocrinology - Wiley Online Library

I think it is worth repeating a few times Namely, that vitamin D is a TLR4 antagonist among many other beneficial things. Most people don't think of it as such. I was listening to Peat's KMUD interview about vitamin D and calcium today. In it he said that vitamin D and thyroid cannot be separated from each other. Raising one raises the other and lowering each does the same with the other. Their effects are also inseparable. He has been recommending vitamin D so consistently to people over email lately that I suspect vitamin D can be used as both a thyromimetic and a surrogate of thyroid function. Given the widespread vitamin D deficiency across all age groups we get an immediate idea of just how "healthy" everybody is these days.

 

[Sucrates]

I've been thinking I might start taking some, now that it's winter and I'm eating liver regularly.

 

[raypeatclips]

I think it is worth repeating a few times :) Namely, that vitamin D is a TLR4 antagonist among many other beneficial things. Most people don't think of it as such. I was listening to Peat's KMUD interview about vitamin D and calcium today. In it he said that vitamin D and thyroid cannot be separated from each other. Raising one raises the other and lowering each does the same with the other. Their effects are also inseparable. He has been recommending vitamin D so consistently to people over email lately that I suspect vitamin D can be used as both a thyromimetic and a surrogate of thyroid function. Given the widespread vitamin D deficiency across all age groups we get an immediate idea of just how "healthy" everybody is these days.

Fascinating, looking forward to listening to that one.

 

[beachbum]

I've been thinking I might start taking some, now that it's winter and I'm eating liver regularly.

I looked up foods high in vitamin d and noticed liver isn't very high but fatty fish is. I think some mushrooms are higher then liver also, but better than nothing. I personally get sleepy from vitamin d, even the sun. not sure what that means. The only thing I can think of is maybe the body adjusting. I also get more joint pain.

Beachbum

 

[raypeatclips]

@haidut Something which didn't come up in Peat's recent Vit D KMUD talk was oral vs topical. I know Peat himself uses topical vitamins mainly, and he didn't seem bothered about people taking them orally. Do you know of any benefits or drawbacks in topical vs oral in regards to vitamin D? Topical having longer lifespan but less circulating?

 

[haidut]

@haidut Something which didn't come up in Peat's recent Vit D KMUD talk was oral vs topical. I know Peat himself uses topical vitamins mainly, and he didn't seem bothered about people taking them orally. Do you know of any benefits or drawbacks in topical vs oral in regards to vitamin D? Topical having longer lifespan but less circulating?

Anything taken orally will go mostly to the liver and what makes it to the bloodstream will depend on what the liver lets through. Vitamin D, being TLR4 antagonist and some of its conversion happening in the liver may be one of the substances that could have more benefit when taken orally. It really depends on whether the theory about calcitriol being the only "activated" vitamin D capable of binding the vitamin D receptor is right. If it is, then the vitamin D taken as supplement will need to be converted into the "active" form and for this getting as much as possible to the liver helps. If it is not then getting it topically will allow more organs to get a bigger dose then when taken orally as the liver will be bypassed the first time.

 

[raypeatclips]

Anything taken orally will go mostly to the liver and what makes it to the bloodstream will depend on what the liver lets through. Vitamin D, being TLR4 antagonist and some of its conversion happening in the liver may be one of the substances that could have more benefit when taken orally. It really depends on whether the theory about calcitriol being the only "activated" vitamin D capable of binding the vitamin D receptor is right. If it is, then the vitamin D taken as supplement will need to be converted into the "active" form and for this getting as much as possible to the liver helps. If it is not then getting it topically will allow more organs to get a bigger dose then when taken orally as the liver will be bypassed the first time.

Interesting, thank you for the reply. I think I may try around 2000 IU both topically and orally.

I was listening to Peat's KMUD interview about vitamin D and calcium today. In it he said that vitamin D and thyroid cannot be separated from each other. Raising one raises the other and lowering each does the same with the other. Their effects are also inseparable.

It was this exact quote that inspired me to create the clips for this KMUD talk straight away. I believe the section you are talking about is here:

 

[haidut]

Interesting, thank you for the reply. I think I may try around 2000 IU both topically and orally.




It was this exact quote that inspired me to create the clips for this KMUD talk straight away. I believe the section you are talking about is here:

Yep, that's the part. Thanks for making this.

 

[Quality]

Being diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome myself I can tell you that 10.000 IU of (5.000iu morning with high fat breakfast and 5.000iu with high fat dinner) has improved my mood and communication drastically.

Currently doing a trial with Sulforaphane, and starting to notice good benefits so far.

 

[Luann]

Nice, Haidut! Take a look at what Vit D does to one of the FOXO's.

Stimulation of Sirt1-regulated FoxO protein function by the ligand-bound vitamin D receptor. - PubMed - NCBI

 

[Birdie]

Being diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome myself I can tell you that 10.000 IU of (5.000iu morning with high fat breakfast and 5.000iu with high fat dinner) has improved my mood and communication drastically.

Currently doing a trial with Sulforaphane, and starting to notice good benefits so far.

That's great news about the vit D helping mood and communication. How did you decide on the dose?
I see that sulforaphane also is used in cancer prevention. Does RP say anything about this form of sulfur? Just wondering.

 

[Birdie]

Thank you @haidut !
This study is wonderful.
@raypeatclips thanks for the clip too.

One thing Ray said, that I have pinned to my supplement shelf is that when you are increasing vitamin D, increase only by 2000iu/week.
Good to remember when increasing toward winter.

 

[haidut]

Thank you @haidut !
This study is wonderful.
@raypeatclips thanks for the clip too.

One thing Ray said, that I have pinned to my supplement shelf is that when you are increasing vitamin D, increase only by 2000iu/week.
Good to remember when increasing toward winter.

Hhm, another recommendation that mimics thyroid. Same thing about thyroid dose - both Peat and Barnes said not to increase the thyroid dose by more than 1/4 grain / week.

 

[Quality]

That's great news about the vit D helping mood and communication. How did you decide on the dose?
I see that sulforaphane also is used in cancer prevention. Does RP say anything about this form of sulfur? Just wondering.

Trial and error & bloodtests.
Not sure what peat thinks about sulforaphane, its a part of brocolli and some other vedgies.
Vitamin D is far from a cure, but it has its benefits and its cheap in comparison to most supplements out there, alot of bang for buck.