Vitamin D Cause of Depression?

OK, so now I'm convinced I was wrong about vitamin D. I am supposed to be a "guru" about vitamins. Ive known for years that vitamin D is one of the "fat soluble" vitamins that can be dangerous if overdosed. I have believed the propaganda put out by Big Pharma and the FDA totally controlled by Big Pharma) about dangerous vitamin D. I, of all people should have known better. I do live in South Florida, and I get 30 minutes a day exercising in a pool walking or swimming, so assumed that was enough. (Sunlight doesnt penetrate water however.) My wife uses an Alternate Health oriented MD, and he advised her to start taking 2000-4000 IU per day of vitamin D3. The improvement in her skin and general overall health was noticeable, so I started taking the same, a month or so ago. I really didnt think I needed it, but what the heck? I'm 82 and have spent much of my life in the sun without using any sun protection except a tan. I've sailed for years, including 3 years cruising around the Caribbean. Now, after living in South Florida, and only getting short exposure, Ive developed some occasional large purple blotches on my arms, plus some smaller pre-cancer skin areas. They gradually disappear as I take 4 grams of vitamin C per day, but I admit they are somewhat worrisome all the same. The VA dermatologist took one look several years ago, and was disgusted. My skin condition was (to him) simply beyond hope. He froze off a few pre-cancer small areas (which were probably better left to the vitamin C to get rid of). The first effect of taking 2000-4000 IU of vitamin D3 - the large purple blotches are gone, and my skin looks and feels much better. This is from only a month of vitamin D use. Remember that I live in South Florida. What about those of you who live further north? How about those of you who are prone to depression? (Im not.) Theres tons of data linking depression to vitamin D deficiency! Vitamin D is only found in a few foods - eggs, liver and fatty fish. I eat eggs about once a week or more, but I never eat liver or any fish. So, my only source of sufficient vitamin D up to recently was the sun. The sun's rays act on the human skin to transform cholesterol into vitamin D. By more exposure to the sun, cholesterol is lowered, and more vitamin D is made. There is a huge amount of data showing clearly that a vitamin D deficiency is a major cause of depression, and insomnia, and the further north a person lives is directly correlated to this. We have all been "brainwashed" about the "dangers" of skin cancer and getting too much sun exposure, and this leads to more sales of various creams and sprays (more profits to Big Pharma) to "protect" us. Is this overprotection (losing vitamin D) what we need? Was Sarah Palin right to use that tanning booth while living in Alaska? Maybe, we need a "balance" of sun exposure to get enough vitamin D, but not skin cancer. Or, maybe we need more vitamin C to avoid skin cancer, and more vitamin D to avoid depression and other mental problems, not to mention the skin problems. Vitamin C does kill viral mediated cancers, and if you've been reading my newsletter you know that I've advocated a minimum of 4 grams of vitamin C per 150-200 pounds for many years. The RDA of 75 mg of C for all humans is a joke, and a dangerous one! It has been said by more than one expert that vitamin C helps every health problem or disease. Vitamin C does not stop hormone mediated cancers such as breast or prostate. (Linus Pauling took 18,000 mg per day and died from prostate cancer.)

Got a wart or preliminary skin cancer - mix up a combination of vitamin E oil and powdered vitamin C to a "sludgy" mix, and put it on such skin areas twice a day under a Band-Aid. It should be gone in a week or so. Years ago, I found that vitamin A is also one of the fatty vitamins can be dangerous if overdosed, so most people don't get enough, particularly as they get older. This "danger is so over hyped that few people get enough, particularly older people. Years ago I was a permanent guest on Thursday nights from 7 to midnight on the Bud Brewer talk show in Orlando. An older woman called in and asked what she could do to improve her failed night vision. I told her to go and get a bottle of 100 vitamin A capsules of 25,000 IU, and take 4 a day until she ran out (25 days). Then start taking only 25,000 per day. A few calls later, a man called and said You are a dangerous quack with that advice dont you know that vitamin A in those amounts is very unsafe? I asked him Are you an MD? He answered Yes. I then asked When was the last time anyone died from vitaminosis A? A fairly long pause as he thought, and then answered I dont know. I then told him For future reference, it was a long time ago, and it was supposedly a man caught on a boat in the Artic ice, and he supposedly killed a polar bear and ate the liver. For an older woman with severe night vision, those amounts are not dangerous at all, and should restore her night vision. I then asked him if he routinely prescribed aspirin to patients with various complaints. He answered of course. I said For your information, over 1500 patients every year die of bleeding to death from aspirin. And you routinely prescribe it. Whos the real quack here, doctor? Unfortunately MDs are educationally handicapped by not enough vitamin or mineral information given in Medical school, and either no truth or actual lies given in Med Journals which are totally supported by Big Pharmas advertising. My quack advice is that if you live almost anywhere and get very little sun exposure on your skin, start taking 2-4 capsules of vitamin D3 daily. Your skin will thank you, and maybe your brain will as well. In this world of growing pollution, and lower food quality with all vitamins, we all need supplements, and need to listen less to propaganda of Big Pharma. Their drugs are a part of the problem, and not a part of many answers. Taking their drugs for depression or insomnia is the most expensive solution, with their profit their only consideration. Losing deficiencies with cheap vitamins is much better and much cheaper. I really should have known better, as I knew they were wrong about vitamins A, E and K for many years, and should have at least suspected the truth about vitamin D.