William Faloon

A law took effect 30 years ago that prohibited the FDA from criminalizing the dissemination of truthful, non-misleading information about dietary supplements.¹

Before October 1994, the FDA raided vitamin companies at gunpoint, seizing the vitamins and sometimes arresting the owners.^2-4

Nutrients like coenzyme Q10 were considered “unapproved drugs.” One company pled guilty to the crime of selling CoQ10 and providing information about it to the public.⁵

Consumers often stocked up on a year’s supply of nutrients in the event the FDA forcibly removed them from the market.

When the FDA threatened to convert many supplements into prescription drugs, consumers rebelled. Congress was inundated with mail asking that legislation be enacted to curb the FDA’s arbitrary powers.

Critics of the legislation predicted that without strict FDA oversight, a health catastrophe would erupt. They argued that mass injuries and deaths would occur if dietary supplements were not heavily regulated like drugs were.

Somehow, after 30 years, the health catastrophe never happened with responsible supplement use.*

What did occur was the removal of dozens of FDA-approved drugs because of mass injuries/deaths that collectively cost pharmaceutical companies over $25 billion in damages. Pharma still largely profited from selling dangerous drugs even when later paying enormous civil/criminal penalties.

As we mark three decades of greater health freedom, consumers often pay less per-milligram for nutrients today compared to what they cost prior to October 1994. Prescription drug prices, on the other hand, soared to exorbitant levels.

The majority of Americans now take supplements⁶ and are able to learn about how they work in the body.

For supporters who fought to achieve the legislative victory, October 15, 2024, represents a celebratory 30-year anniversary of relative health freedom.⁷**

Americans today enjoy access to low-cost, high-potency vitamin D supplements available from many reputable companies.

In countries that regulate supplements as “drugs,” health authorities have historically limited vitamin D potencies to only 400-800 IU per day.

This is far less than what’s needed to achieve even modest 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood levels.^9,10

A 2024 published review⁸ described:

1. Widespread vitamin D deficiencies,
2. The adverse impacts of these deficits,
3. Recommendations to increase the minimum daily vitamin D intake.⁸

This 2024 publication argues for a higher vitamin D supplementation dose than currently recommended by many health authorities.⁸

While modest by standards we pioneered decades ago, the authors of this review advocate for a vitamin D dose of 2000 IU (50 mcg) per day as an efficient/safe approach to prevent and treat vitamin D deficiency in adult populations worldwide.

The authors recognize that the evidence under- pinning recommendations for 2000 IU per day is not (yet) well-recognized or established in the scientific literature or the currently published vitamin D guidelines.

They nevertheless drafted their review with the aim that it may serve as a basis for consideration regarding future health-authority guidelines for vitamin D.

They emphasize worldwide prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood levels that are a frighteningly low 10-12 ng/mL in 5% to 18% of the population.

In 24% to 49% of people worldwide, 25-hydroxy-vitamin D blood (serum) levels are below 20 ng/mL.

Minimum adequate 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels by conventional standards are at least 30 ng/mL.¹² Many in the alternative fields advocate for ranges of 40-60 ng/mL and higher.

The authors of the 2024 published review suggest that while individualized dosing to protect against vitamin D deficiency is the optimal approach, it is not practical or feasible in many at-risk populations.

Individualized approaches require baseline and follow-up 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood tests, which most readers of Life Extension Magazine® do at modest cost. These tests are not feasible or affordable for most at-risk populations globally.

The authors of this 2024 review, therefore, argue that a universal daily 2000 IU dose of vitamin D is reasonable.

They suggest adjusting doses according to individual needs, with characteristics such as low baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D, obesity, or malabsorption syndromes justifying the 2000 IU/day dose.

Widespread Individual Variability

We at Life Extension have collectively reviewed tens of thousands of 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test results.

Some people are high absorbers and only need 2000-3000 IU a day of supplemental vitamin D to achieve 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels above 40-50 ng/mL.

Many aging individuals, on the other hand, require vitamin D doses of around 7000 IU a day to optimize their 25-hydroxyvitamin D status.

I’ve observed when I temporarily discontinue taking a 5000 IU daily vitamin D capsule and rely on a 2000-3000 IU dose in multi-nutrient supplements, my 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels decline faster than anticipated.

Easy Way to Boost Vitamin D Blood Levels

For those challenged to achieve the desired 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood levels, in many cases all one needs to do is take their vitamin D supplement with a meal that contains some fat.

One study found > 50% greater absorption of vitamin D when taken with a fat-containing meal compared to taking it on an empty stomach.¹⁴

Taking vitamin D with some fat enhances absorption and can reduce the potency/frequency of vitamin D capsules needed.

Vitamin D is fat soluble and can remain stored in a good range in the body for variable time periods after a high dose is lowered.¹³ I’ve reviewed hundreds of vitamin D blood test results and often find 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels do not always correlate to the dose of vitamin D ingested.

This is why 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood tests are so important.

The next page describes a CBC/Chem/Lipids Panel with 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test that costs around $700 at commercial labs. This comprehensive panel is available with a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test as a special offer for only $56, through November 4, 2024.

Most of our readers perform blood tests frequently.

I want to make it easy for all of you to conveniently and affordably test your blood to optimize health parameters, including ensuring adequate vitamin D blood levels.

* Examples of irresponsible use are taking high-dose stimulant supplements while engaging in excess physical exertion in hot climates. This can cause heat stroke. Even without excess physical activity/heat, high-dose stimulants can cause heartbeat irregularity, transient hypertension, and other health issues.

** The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), enacted in October 1994, had two primary goals: to ensure continued consumer access to a wide variety of dietary supplements, and to provide consumers with more information about the intended use of dietary supplements.¹¹

For longer life,

William Faloon, Co-Founder, Life Extension®

References

1. Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/About/DSHEA_Wording.aspx. Accessed July 23, 2024.
2. Available at: https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/1996/9/freedom. Accessed July 23, 2024.
3. Available at: https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/05/28/the-great-vitamin-raid/. Accessed July 23, 2024.
4. Available at: http://www.myopia.org/fdaraids.htm. Accessed July 23, 2024.
5. Available at: https://www.naturalnews.com/021791_the_fda_medical_racket.html. Accessed July 24, 2024.
6. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db399.htm. Accessed July 25, 2024.
7. Available at: https://vitaminretailer.com/30-year-review-1994-2024/. Accessed July 24, 2024.
8. Pludowski P, Grant WB, Karras SN, et al. Vitamin D Supplementation: A Review of the Evidence Arguing for a Daily Dose of 2000 International Units (50 microg) of Vitamin D for Adults in the General Population. Nutrients. 2024 Jan 29;16(3):391.
9. Veugelers PJ, Ekwaru JP. A statistical error in the estimation of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D. Nutrients. 2014 Oct 20;6(10):4472-5.
10. McCullough PJ, Lehrer DS, Amend J. Daily oral dosing of vitamin D3 using 5000 TO 50,000 international units a day in long-term hospitalized patients: Insights from a seven year experience. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2019 May;189:228-39.
11. Dickinson A. History and overview of DSHEA. Fitoterapia. 2011 Jan;82(1):5-10.
12. Williams SE. Vitamin D supplementation: Pearls for practicing clinicians. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. 2022;89(3):154-60.
13. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/vitamin-d-and-your-health-breaking-old-rules-raising-new-hopes. Accessed July 24, 2024.
14. Dawson-Hughes B, Harris SS, Lichtenstein AH, et al. Dietary fat increases vitamin D-3 absorption. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015 Feb;115(2):225-30.