Most readers will not believe what is written in this column. A few readers will change their behavior. Most of them will succeed in preventing cavities, osteoporosis (and the associated joint and ligament pains), and anorexia. These few, however, will not really know why they have succeeded and will be more likely to attribute their good fortune to other behaviors.

Here’s one extreme example. Sunshine was proven in published reports by medical scientists to prevent rickets way back in the 1820’s. Still, in the 1870’s rickets affected 90% of the children in Leiden, New York City, and Boston (and surely was still pandemic elsewhere). Were it not for government action to supplement the food supply with vitamin D, overt rickets from sun phobia would probably still be causing pandemics today. Don’t blame the doctors. Starting back in the early 1800’s doctors were proving to us that sunshine is good for your health. A minority of physician scientists still tell you this today. We don’t like their opinions. We pay physicians with opinions we like and don’t pay physicians with opinions we don’t like. We get the medicine the want – not the medicine backed by science.

If you have a health problem, some one out there is claiming that it can be cured with vitamins. This just isn’t true. In fact, many chronic health problems can’t really be fixed. The underlying cause is a wound or some other type of damage that won’t heal because crucial parts are irreversibly broken. Too much alcohol will cause irreversible damage to your liver. No amount of vitamins can cure a liver broken this way.

What vitamins can do is prevent problems. Many problems have multiple causes. Good examples are heart disease and cancer. Therefore, I will not claim that vitamins will prevent heart disease and cancer. I’ve been looking for common problems that are predominantly caused by vitamins. The first condition I found was anorexia. Anorexia either is a vitamin deficiency disease or it isn’t. Anorexia has been publicized on the internet as a vitamin deficiency disease for over three years. So far, all the data I’ve seen supports the assertion. Either it is, or it isn’t, and the data will provide clear answers. Sadly, mainstream medicine is still not being helpful. Most internet sites about anorexia will not even acknowledge that many holistic health professionals (and even a minority of mainstream physicians) believe that anorexia is caused (not cured) by vitamin deficiency. There is no cure for anorexia.

The second condition I found was cavities. Again, either cavities are a vitamin deficiency disease or they aren’t, and the data will provide clear answers. Again, sadly, most dentists will not even acknowledge that many holistic health profesionals (and even a minority of mainstream dentists) believe that cavities are caused (not cured) by vitamin deficiency. There is no cure for a decayed adult tooth. Once it has rotted and been removed, no amount of vitamins will grow a new tooth.

Anorexia and cavities are not conditions of the majority. Dental care today is good enough that a large majority of young adults rarely have a cavity drilled. Cavities do not become a pandemic problem until old age sets in. It is very difficult to change the behavior of the elderly so it isn’t clear how long it will take to get clear data.

Very recently I’ve concluded that osteoporosis, osteopenia, and associated joint and muscle pains are a vitamin deficiency disease. What’s exciting about this conclusion is that there is a higher probability of seeing the idea tested quickly. Osteopenia and the muscle and joint pains associated with it are shockingly common among middle-aged adults. I’m in my forties, and a majority of my friends, colleagues, and family members in my age group are curtailing activities due to joint and muscle pains. They believe this is inevitable aging. I believe it is mostly vitamin deficiency.

Many readers are also in their forties. Many of them will be curtailing activities too. With so many readers, some will test the idea that osteopenia and associated joint and muscle pains are caused by vitamin deficiency. A few of them will write back in with comments. The data will be there and will either prove that osteoporosis, osteopenia, and associated joint and muscle pains are caused by vitamin deficiency or have multiple causes (like heart disease and cancer).

The advice doesn’t change. Here’s how to start:

1) Regular sunshine between 11 am and 3 pm (summer) and between 10 am and 2 pm (winter). Do not stay out long enough to tan. Never burn. Noontime sun is dangerously powerful. Only seconds is enough to get some people a maximum dose of vitamin D (e.g. 30 seconds lying face up, 30 seconds lying face down, and 30 seconds lying on both side for a total of 120 seconds).

2) 2000 mg/day of vitamin C
3) several cups per day of dark roast coffee (or 250 mg time release niacin tablets two or three times per week)
4) 10,000 IU of vitamin A once per week
5) 200 mg/day of thiamine

Personally, I prefer an obscure thiamine supplement called TTFD. TTFD needs to be rubbed into the skin (not preferred) or taken as an enteric coated tablet. I don’t expect readers to act on this advice until TTFD is more widely available. In the meantime, 200 mg/day of drug store thiamine will provide many readers with most (or all) of the benefits of lower doses of TTFD.

For the majority, excellent health is a choice. A large majority have genes capable of getting them into their eighties in excellent health. This majority just needs to know what choices to make. The choice to follow the advice above is safe and inexpensive. There is much to gain and little to lose by giving it a try.

Steve