GrassRootsHealth on Disease Incidence
GrassrootsHealth.net is a very fine Web site that is helping to get the word out about vitamin D. It would have to be one of the first sites that we had checked out in depth on our quest to see if the entire media buzz about the health benefits of vitamin D was for real. Still, no site is above criticism.
Overall, we had found the layout of the GrassrootsHealth site to be rather confusing. It contains a wealth of information, but a lot of it is hard to locate. You can read through it. But, trying to find again what you had previously managed to stumble across is rather hard to do. Believe me, nobody has probably checked out GrassrootsHealth more than we have.
Next, what is with their D'Action menu tab? This section of their site appears to be very much out of date. It had us signing up for D'Action, just to find out that NOT only has their 5-year study been completed, but it has already been published. What is the deal GrassrootsHealth? Is there going to be another study published? Will new participants actually be accomplishing anything by signing up? We were diffidently confused on that issue, especially when you have to submit the equivalent of a medical examination on their questionnaire, NOT to mention having to basically pay twice for their first blood test.
Carole Baggerly runs Grassroots Health
Carole Baggerly is the founder of Grassroots Health, a non-profit organization that sponsors grassroots vitamin D research studies. Baggerly's efforts as a spokesperson has been rather disappointing, which we can all over look due to her advanced age. Nevertheless, as a breast cancer survivor her silence on how she managed to survive her ordeal is rather shocking. While the public assumes that it must have had something to do with vitamin D, she has never explained in detail what her personal experiences battling cancer were. Given the number of real women currently battling breast cancer, you would think that Carole would be motivated to be a heck of a lot more vocal on that important issue. Instead, we a see leader who is content to be laid back, most of the time. It has taken Dr. Joseph Mercola a couple attempts to get the founder of Grassroots Health, Carole Baggerly to finally say something truly profound in this 2013 interview of his.
Disease Incidence Prevention by Serum 25(OH)D Level
Our biggest bone to pick with these people lies with their very well known chart on the Disease Incidence Prevention by Serum 25(OH)D Level. On first glance, the chart blows you away. Upon closer examination, however, we found a number of problems with it.
Their chart is rather confusing and unorganized, IMHO. Further, on the issue of Breast Cancer, it was rather misleading. It suggests that you should STOP at 50ng/mL when the latest data suggests that 60ng/mL is worthy of obtainment. The references shown below it are just plain hard to read, and worst yet, are inconvenient to research. What the public wants are links to the full-text of studies that are worthwhile reading.
Heatlh conditions that improve as 25(OH)D blood levels goes up.
The Natural Health Perspective has moved beyond the awestruck phase. We have conducted our own search of the research literature on the Web, first hand. There indeed is more than enough published research out there to justify supplementing with vitamin D.
Having thought long and hard about the GrassrootsHealth's chart on Disease Incidence Prevention by Serum 25(OH)D Level; we have come up with an original chart of our own. It is a lot more simplified, and practical. This improved chart has gone through several variations. At the bottom of the chart in our Web page on supplementing with vitamin D, are references shown directly below it in text along with links to all the research studies listed at the bottom of the Web page. Plus, it provides in most cases direct quotations from the full-text of these studies. These excerpts should preclude the necessity of having to read through all these studies, for most readers.
The references are NOT repeated again on this editorial in order to avoid duplicate content in Google. To see them, just double click directly on the chart above.
Sample blood levels of 25(OH)D in various types of test subjects.
Here, breast cancer prevention should be viewed as representative of all forms of cancers, as well as for all possible lifestyle diseases. Insulin Sensitivity is a stand in for diabetes, as well as for people who are overweight. Protection from Influenza is a stand in for all forms of communicable diseases, such as TB.
This improved and original chart clearly answers a lot of important questions. It shows you, how much vitamin D you should be taking. Visually, it explains why you should be taking that amount. Further, it clearly shows viewers how different 25(OH)D blood levels impacts upon several important health conditions. And, even more importantly relates the suggested blood levels to several specific categories of test subjects. As a result, the casual viewer is better able to relate to why these recommendations are both very reasonable and obtainable.
While the people at GrassrootsHealth are clearly happy with their chart, this improved version is worth some recognition of its own, as it is quite original.
