Vitamin D Reduces Cortisol In Humans By 40%

[haidut]

No need to introduce the well-known vitamin and its role in pathologies like diabetes and even cancer. The interesting part is that the study was very short (only 14 days) and used not too high of a vitamin D does (2,000 IU daily). A key finding was the reduction in cortisol by over 40%, as well as the reduction in blood pressure. The reduction in blood pressure has also been confirmed in another human study, (see here: viewtopic.php?f=218&t=5087) and given cortisol's role in the pathology the effect of vitamin D is not surprising.

http://www.endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0 ... 38p204.htm

"...Methods: A randomised placebo controlled single-blinded parallel trial was conducted in healthy subjects. They received 2000 IU vitamin D3 per day (n=8) or placebo (n=5) for 14 days. Body composition, BP and arterial elasticity (PWV) were recorded at baseline, day 7 and day 14 of intervention. Two 24 h urine samples were collected to estimate free cortisol and cortisone levels. Exercise performance was assessed at baseline and day 14 of intervention using a bike ergometer in which BP and PWV were measured before and after exercise. The distance cycled in 20 min and Borg rate of exertion scale were recorded.
Results: In the intervention arm, vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced systolic and diastolic BP; from 114.65±16.41 and 78.58±12.65 to 105.41±11.12 (P=0.022) and 66.25±11.69 mmHg (P=0.014) respectively. However, PWV was only reduced slightly (P=0.085). Urinary free cortisol levels were significantly reduced from 162.59±58.9 to 96.4±37.25 nmol/day (P=0.044), and cortisol/cortisone ratio from 2.22±0.7 to 1.04±0.42 (P=0.017). Exercise-induced systolic and diastolic BP were significantly reduced post vitamin D intake from 128.2±14.67 to 117.45±8.6 (P=0.049) and from 75.20±8.35 to 70.12±7.28 mmHg (P=0.045) respectively. The distance cycled in 20 min significantly increased from 4.98±2.65 to 6.51±2.28 km (P=0.020), whilst the Borg rate of exertion scale reduced from 5.13±1.36 to 4.25±0.71 RPE (P=0.021). In the placebo arm, no significant effects on CVD risk factors and exercise performance were observed. Conclusions: These results suggest that daily vitamin D supplementation may ameliorate CVD risk factors including a decrease in 11β-HSD 1 activity and improve exercise performance in healthy individuals. However, large scale studies are required to verify our findings."

 

[aguilaroja]

Kashif Munir has another recent publication that may be of interest to forum readers, though on a different topic (my emphasis added):

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26670921
Lamos EM, Levitt DL, Munir KM.
A review of dopamine agonist therapy in type 2 diabetes and effects on cardio-metabolic parameters.
Prim Care Diabetes. 2015 Dec 3. pii: S1751-9918(15)00154-0. doi: 10.1016/j.pcd.2015.10.008. [Epub ahead of print]

Dopamine action appears to play a role in changes that are seen in obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Bromocriptine-QR (Quick Release), a dopamine agonist, is approved for use in treatment of type 2 diabetes. It has demonstrated modest improvement in glycemic parameters, cholesterol and weight in certain cohorts. Limited data using cabergoline, a long-acting dopamine agonist, also demonstrate glycemic efficacy. Additionally, bromocriptine-QR appears to have a favorable cardiovascular risk reduction. The direct mechanism by which bromocriptine-QR, or central dopamine agonism, achieves modest glycemic control and favorable cardio-metabolic profile is unclear. This relationship appears to be more complex than the historical explanation of "resetting" the circadian clock and may further be elucidated using data in individuals with hyperprolactinemia and prolactinoma.

 

[Suikerbuik]

Interesting finding, even to me who is cautious about vit. D supplements.

Have you or someone else got the full study on hand? Hopefully they plan a follow-up for some longer; I imagine it'd so much stronger if these results lasts for say at least 3 months. I also wonder what their definition of healthy subjects was? And what their vitamin D levels were before intervention and after? Hopefully they next-time include people with CVD and see if these findings still hold up, or whether v.D is only preventative.

more or less related

The increase in performance is really interesting, and similar to my experience when supplementing v.D for the first time. However, that effect wore off after about 2-3 months, leaving me worse then before. It is some powerful stuff.

 

[Vinero]

Why be cautious about vitamin D? I go with zero sunlight for most part of the year due to the climate (northern winters and autumn). Isn't it a good idea to supplement like 1000 to 2000 units per day to compensate for the lack of light?

 

[YuraCZ]

post 115877 Why be cautious about vitamin D? I go with zero sunlight for most part of the year due to the climate (northern winters and autumn). Isn't it a good idea to supplement like 1000 to 2000 units per day to compensate for the lack of light?

lol.. vit D is essential for humans. So best thing you can do is blood test and then supplement if needed. Some people don't need any supplemental vit D and some people need 5000-10000-15000 iu or whatever it takes for optimal vitd Levels..

 

[Suikerbuik]

post 115877 Isn't it a good idea to supplement like 1000 to 2000 units per day to compensate for the lack of light?

As Yura notes, depends on your physiology.

The metabolite calcitriol is actually known to stimulate 11b-HSD1 and cortisol release, subsequently increasing VDR content. So in some cases I'd not be surprised if vitamin d actually induces higher cortisol -- especially plausible in those suffering.
Unknown to me at this point is, how and which tissues contribute to 1,25D blood levels, as endotoxin for example is known to increase 1,25D conversion and lower VDR content in immune cells. PTH does so in other cell types, and calcium in any case seem to normalize these biochemical pathways; however, in malfunctioning tissue, supplemental calcium can be tricky and lead to calcification and malfunctioning of other pathways instead.
So rather complex matter, and instead of vitamin D simply being immune enhancing, immunosuppressive, stress releasing or whatever, my advise is to use vitamin D supps only if you can monitor what's going on.

 

[Vinero]

What do you supplemental calcium can lead to calcifiction? Ray pointed out that the body will get it's calcium from the bones if dietary calcium is not sufficient by increasing PTH. So supplemental calcium should stop calcification because it lowers PTH. Vitamin D also lowers PTH and thus calcification. If you ingest zero calcium you can still calcify because the body pulls calcium out of the bones.

 

[LucH]

post 115898 Vitamin D also lowers PTH and thus calcification. If you ingest zero calcium you can still calcify because the body pulls calcium out of the bones.

Yes, right, but you need K2 to let enter Ca where needed when supplementing above 400 - 2000 UI Vit D3. K2 functions as a key.

Excerpt
Interaction between vitamins A D K (Synergy)
Vitamin K2 is the substance that makes the vitamin A- and vitamin D-dependent proteins come to life. While vitamins A and D act as signalling molecules, telling cells to make certain proteins, vitamin K2 activates these proteins by conferring upon them the physical ability to bind calcium. In some cases these proteins directly coordinate the movement or organization of calcium themselves; in other cases the calcium acts as a glue to hold the protein in a certain shape.33 In all such cases, the proteins are only functional once they have been activated by vitamin K.
Osteocalcin, for example, is a protein responsible for organizing the deposition of calcium and phosphorus salts in bones and teeth. Cells only produce this protein in the presence of both vitamins A and D;34 it will only accumulate in the extracellular matrix and facilitate the deposition of calcium salts, however, once it has been activated by vitamin K2.35 Vitamins A and D regulate the expression of matrix Gla protein (MGP),36,37 which is responsible for mineralizing bone and protecting the arteries from calcification; like osteocalcin, however, MGP can only fulfil its function once it has been activated by vitamin K2.33 While vitamins A and D contribute to growth by stimulating growth factors and promoting the absorption of minerals, vitamin K2 makes its own essential contribution to growth by preventing the premature calcification of the cartilaginous growth zones of bones.38
Source: “On the Trail of the Elusive X-Factor: A Sixty-Two-Year-Old Mystery Finally Solved”
http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topi ... ly-solved/ Weston Price - February 14, 2008 by Christopher Masterjohn.

 

[Suikerbuik]

It seems that stress and scarred tissue tend to take up calcium faster, and unrelated to PTH. I am talking about supplemental calcium and not dietary calcium, possibly because of the fluctuation. Dietary calcium is something you should NOT limit. Another tricky thing is that vitamin D can also lead to calcification (one mechanism is via RANKL) and not necessary lower calcification.

typo

 

[ecstatichamster]

post 115905 It seems that stress and scarred tissue tend to take up calcium faster, and unrelated to PTH. I am talking about supplemental calcium and not dietary calcium, possibly because of the fluctuation. Dietary calcium is not something you should NOT limit. Another tricky thing is that vitamin D can also lead to calcification (one mechanism is via RANKL) and not necessary lower calcification.

i think taking it with K2 and A are important. The K2 "neutralizes" the "bad calcium" effects of vitamin D. I would never take D without K2.

 

[Suikerbuik]

Yes sure :), either K2 and A do.

 

[milk_lover]

Well this could explain why I feel relaxed immediately from supermarket cow's milk, which is fortified with 40 IU per 100 ml of vitamin D3 and has no vitamin A that could oppose vitamin D. I don't get the same immediate effect with raw milk or milk heavily fortified with vitamin A. Maybe it's the efficient calcium absorbance by the intestines that vitamin D provides.

If I drink 2 liters of that milk, that will give me about 800 IU of vitamin D, not a huge dose that will require vitamin A and K2 and cause problems (I get water retention from 5000+ IU of D3 supplementation), nor it is a small dose that will render it useless. I hope it is a sweet spot as far as vitamin D supplementation goes. Of course, sun exposure should help.

If you can find milk brands with only vitamin D3, that will make it less problematic digestion-wise than D3+A milk brands because simply you'll have less potential allergic agents in the milk. Fat soluble vitamins (A,D, K, E) are really pain in the **** to balance in my experience. I didn't get much improvements from my vitamin E and mk-7 experiment. But that's for another topic.

 

[Johnson Bagfoot]

As someone with low cortisol (mild adrenal insufficiency according to a response test). Does vitamin D risk reducing it further? Or does it have more of a regulatory function up/down depending on what's needed?

 

[mayweatherking]

Wow amazing, didn't know it did that

 

[Frankdee20]

As someone with low cortisol (mild adrenal insufficiency according to a response test). Does vitamin D risk reducing it further? Or does it have more of a regulatory function up/down depending on what's needed?

What does low cortisol feel like ?

 

[ddjd]

@haidut do you know if vitamin d can increase Serotonin by any chance? I noticed symptoms of increased Serotonin after supplementing Vitamin D

 

[Frankdee20]

@haidut do you know if vitamin d can increase Serotonin by any chance? I noticed symptoms of increased Serotonin after supplementing Vitamin D

Sorry to chime in, but I have definitely read studies showing a causal relationship with D activating/regulating Tryptophan Hydroxylase. Theoretically, activation would convert more substrate toward Serotonin. The links show this increase in the CNS, but inhibition outside of the BBB. However, Vitamin D also activates Tyrosine Hydroxlyase at similar doses.

 

[RedStaR]

What does low cortisol feel like ?

Besides the effect on MCR, I assume it's similar to high cortisol.

 

[ddjd]

Sorry to chime in, but I have definitely read studies showing a causal relationship with D activating/regulating Tryptophan Hydroxylase. Theoretically, activation would convert more substrate toward Serotonin. The links show this increase in the CNS, but inhibition outside of the BBB. However, Vitamin D also activates Tyrosine Hydroxlyase at similar doses.

Thanks for this Frankdee. Your thoughts would seem to backup my theory

 

[haidut]

@haidut do you know if vitamin d can increase Serotonin by any chance? I noticed symptoms of increased Serotonin after supplementing Vitamin D

It is possible. This study found vitamin D inhibits the gut-specific TPH isoform but increases the brain-specific TPH.
Vitamin D Lowers Gut Serotonin But Increases Brain Serotonin