Recipe of the Month
Remember our recipes are courtesy of Chef Kelly (kellychez@gmail.com). If you have recipes you would like to share or convert to follow the rules of The Vitamin D Cure send them to contact@thevitamindcure.com .
Roasted Tomato and Vegetable Soup
Yield: 8 servings (1 1/3 cup)
Ingredients:
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 14-oz. cans chicken stock (low sodium)
• 2 cups butternut squash; peeled, seeded and cut into 1-in. pieces
• 1 14.5-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 15-to 19-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 cup small broccoli and/or cauliflower florets
• 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
• In a 4-quart pot, cook onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in chicken stock, squash, and undrained tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes covered.
• Add beans, zucchini, broccoli and/or cauliflower, oregano, salt and pepper; cook for another 5 minutes.
• Slow Cooker Option: Omit the olive oil and combine all ingredients except the zucchini, broccoli and/or cauliflower and fresh oregano in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Add zucchini, broccoli and/or cauliflower and fresh oregano and cook 30 minutes more on high.
• You can have a grilled chicken breast or nice piece of white fish with a bowl of this soup.
Vitamin D in the News
In the book we speculated that HIV transmission might be greater with lower vitamin D levels. This data from Africa and Harvard suggests that the spread of HIV in Africa particularly between mother and child is at least in part due to lower vitamin D levels. These data also suggest that our lifestyles that lead to low vitamin D levels and malnutrition are facilitating another epidemic, HIV/AIDS.
High frequency of vitamin D deficiency in ambulatory HIV-Positive patients.AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2009 Jan;25(1):9-14.
Infectious Disease Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
Several reports have suggested an increased prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis in HIV-infected individuals. Vitamin D deficiency may be a risk factor for osteoporosis and bone fractures. These researchers determined the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in an outpatient HIV clinic in Boston. They collected serum levels of 25-OH vitamin D and evaluated calcium and vitamin D intake in adult HIV-positive outpatients during the winter and spring of 2005. Fifty-seven subjects were enrolled. The prevalence of moderate (< or = 20 and>10 ng/ml) and severe (< or =10 ng/ml) 25-OH vitamin D deficiency was 36.8% and 10.5%, respectively. Lower vitamin D intake was significantly associated with severe 25-OH vitamin D deficiency (p=0.01). Lactose intolerance tended to be associated with severe vitamin D deficiency (p=0.08). Antiretroviral use and low daily calcium intake were significantly associated with elevated parathyroid hormone levels (p=0.01 and 0.03, respectively). Vitamin D deficiency was frequent in ambulatory HIV-positive patients. HIV-infected individuals living in areas with low exposure to ultraviolet light during winter may benefit from vitamin D supplementation.
Perinatal Outcomes, Including Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, and Child
Mortality and Their Association with Maternal Vitamin D Status in Tanzania.
J Infect Dis. 2009 Aug 12.
Departments of Epidemiology, Nutrition, Biostatistics, and Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, and Channing Laboratory, Department Of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Departments of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Community Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dares Salaam, Tanzania.
Background. Vitamin D is a strong immunomodulator and may protect against adverse pregnancy outcomes, mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and child mortality. Methods. A total of 884 HIV-infected pregnant women who were participating in a vitamin supplementation trial in Tanzania were monitored to assess pregnancy outcomes and child mortality. Results. No association was observed between maternal vitamin D status and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm birth. In multivariate models, a low maternal vitamin D level (
Vitamin D Success Story
Please share your successes at success@thevitamindcure.com or online at Amazon. Your success story has a powerful impact on motivating others to change their lifestyle.
Dr. Dowd,
First I’d like to say that your book has made quite an impact on my life. Because I have a sun-sensitive porphyria I have always avoided sunlight, but over the years that led to constant battles with viruses, anemia, and eventually heart failure and cancer. I became convinced that many of my problems were related to a vitamin D deficiency so I had my blood checked and sure enough I was deficient in spite of excellent DEXA scans.
I tried various levels of exposure to see what I could tolerate without triggering a porphyria attack and have come up with 15 minutes between 9 and 10am MST (Colorado) or after 4pm. I’ve done this three times a week most of the summer and my recent kidney scan showed that my cancer had decreased in size. My overall health is getting much better including my heart and lung function and viral load (I had viral pneumonia, CMV and Parvo all at one time!). Thanks so much for your work.
Janet, Colorado Springs
Many patients with diseases that prevent them from getting adequate sun exposure are vitamin D deficient. Supplementation using the tables in The Vitamin D Cure is safe, convenient, and inexpensive