Karen Reynolds Acupuncture

  • Home
  • About
    • Meet Karen Reynolds
    • Learn More about Acupuncture
    • How Acupuncture Works
    • Questions about Acupuncture?
    • Free Acupuncture eBook
  • Specialties
    • Pain Management
    • Pregnancy Loss
    • Fertility Services
    • Endometriosis
    • Autoimmune Issues, Allergies
    • Electro Acupuncture Autoimmune Diseases
  • Services
    • Acupuncture Services
    • Specialty Clinic
    • Expanded Clinic
  • New Patients
    • New Patient Process
    • Schedule an Appointment
    • Forms
  • Blog
  • Appointments
  • Contact

Vitamin D: Part II What is the Best Dosage of Vitamin D?

August 17, 2019 By Karen Reynolds Leave a Comment

Welcome to Vitamin D Dosages~New Information Part II. Yesterday, in Part I, I discussed some background about why Vitamin D is so important for optimal health. There I also reviewed how sunlight and food sources help the body manufacture Vitamin D and what the risks are when your Vitamin D level is low. Today, Part II addresses the big question: what is the best dosage of Vitamin D? Here you’ll find recommended Vitamin D dosages  from current sources and how to safely monitor your Vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D levels in your body are most accurately measured by the blood test:   

            25-hydroxyvitamin D.**

**Please note this is NOT the same lab test as 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D].                           1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] is considered less accurate for Vitamin D measurement because it is directly impacted by the brain’s regulation of calcium and does not reflect Vitamin D deficiency until it is very severe.

The beauty of this test is that it can cost as little as $32 for the test and lab draw. As a licensed acupuncturist in California, I often order this lab work for my patients. If you are taking Vitamin D supplements but are not quite sure how your body is absorbing them, blood testing every 2-3 months is a perfect way to keep tabs on your Vitamin D level and only take a safe amount. Additionally, blood draws will help you determine your body’s unique response to the amount of Vitamin D dosage supplementation you are taking. I advise guidance of a health care professional with this process.

Lab work reference levels

Your lab work will show your Vitamin D levels measured in nanomoles per liter (nmol/L) or nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml). Later in this article you will see recommended ranges.

What dosage of Vitamin D should I take?

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements recently released a new Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals

Many respected sources disagree with NIH recommendations for Vitamin D dosages citing that they are too low.

This is not an easy answer because there are multiple recommendations from well-respected sources. As I mentioned in Part I, there is also ongoing debate in the medical community about this topic. For example: the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommendations are far lower than other sources. I will provide you the recommended doses per the NIH and Harvard Medical School as well as some authors who contest the NIH positions. Also, integrative and functional  medicine practitioners advocate higher levels of Vitamin D.

The following Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are the daily dosage recommendations for Vitamin D taken from Table: 2 in the newly released Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionalsby the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements 1

Age Male Female Pregnancy Lactation
0-12 Months 400 IU (10mcg) 400 IU (10mcg)
1-13 Years 600 IU (15mcg) 600 IU (15mcg)
14-18 Years 600 IU (15mcg) 600 IU (15mcg) 600 IU (15mcg) 600 IU (15mcg)
19-50 Years 600 IU (15mcg) 600 IU (15mcg) 600 IU (15mcg) 600 IU (15mcg)
51-70 Years 600 IU (15mcg) 600 IU (15mcg)
>70 Years 800 IU (20mcg) 800 IU (20mcg)

Dosage debates

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee of the National Institutes of Health previously concluded that: Practically all people are sufficient at levels ≥50 nmol/L (≥20 ng/mL); the committee stated that 50 nmol/L is the serum 25(OH)D level that covers the needs of 97.5% of the population.2

It does not take a wide review of research to discover there are strong medical community opinions about optimal blood levels of Vitamin D needing to be higher. There is great debate that Vitamin D blood levels of  ≥50 nmol/L (≥20 ng/mL) is too low. The IOM committee also stated that it did not know if there are non-skeletal benefits with respect to Vitamin D levels.

Biology tells us that Vitamin D is necessary for the many tasks in the human body, not just bone health. Additional functions are: improving immune status, maintaining cellular health, reduction of inflammation and controlling overgrowth of cancerous cells. All of these are important mechanisms for health of your body. Thus, it makes sense that the committee could not make any concrete statements as to the blood levels that would support best Vitamin D levels in other body tissues. However, making a statement that 20ng/L is enough does not logically follow. It is more accurate to say that we are not exactly sure what other body tissues need as far as serum blood levels and we cannot rule out that it is necessary.

Respectful and logical dissention of NIH recommendations

Two members who participated on the same Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee noted above wrote a 2011 article of respectful dissention. In that article the authors, Robert P Heaney and Michael F Holick, state:

… during the evolution of human physiology, the intake to which, presumably, that physiology is fine–tuned. So far as can be judged from numerous studies documenting the magnitude of the effect of sun exposure…the primitive intake would have been at least 4000 IU/day and probably two to three times that level, with corresponding serum 25(OH)D levels ranging from 40 to 80ng/mL. The fact that primitive levels would have been higher than current IOM recommendations does not, of course, prove their necessity today. But such intakes should be given the presumption of correctness, and the burden of proof must be placed on those who propose that lower intakes (and lower serum levels) are without risk of preventable dysfunction or disease. The IOM, in its report, has utterly failed to recognize or meet that standard.3

Furthermore, the authors state that an intake of 600 IU of Vitamin D per day will produce only negligible increases in individuals who are overweight or obese.4

There exists a “rule of thumb” in the science world that

for each 100 IU of Vitamin D per day you take in,

your serum 25(OH)D levels will only increase by about 1ng/ml.

Other studies reflect that it might not even be a full 1ng/ml increase. Those studies show only 0.7ng/ml increase for every 100IU of Vitamin D consumed. This means that if you have severely low Vitamin D levels and take just 600IU of Vitamin D per day as a supplement your levels may not raise much.

Interestingly, the 2011 IOM panel acknowledged that intakes of up to 10,000 IU/day are

Supplementation with 600IU of Vitamin D per day will likely only raise blood levels of Vitamin D 0.7-1ng/mL

Supplementing with 600IU of Vitamin D per day will likely only raise your Vitamin D blood levels by 0.7-1ng/mL. People with low Vitamin D deficiency are typically in need of much more of an increase.

probably safe for everyone, yet they only officially stated a Total Upper Intake Limit (TUIL) of 4,000 IU/day.4 In contrast the Harvard School of Medicine states that up to 2,000 IU/day of Vitamin D is considered safe.5

Functional medicine ideal ranges of Vitamin D levels

Functional medicine practitioners currently tend to encourage 25(OH)D blood levels in the range of greater than 50 ng/ml and more toward 80 ng/ml.

Safe ways to gauge the best Vitamin D dose you need

Clinically, over the years I have seen many patients who require larger Vitamin D supplementation to maintain their serum Vitamin D levels over 50ng/L. These are patients who started supplementing at lower dosages but did not see increases in their Vitamin D blood levels until they increased their daily dosage. These are patients who also consistently monitored their blood levels through laboratory blood draws at intervals over time and had no complaints about any negative side effects of too much Vitamin D.

Vitamin D can become toxic in excessive doses

Amid the confusion with respect to dosage of Vitamin D, I encourage patients to be careful, consistent, and seek guidance. By monitoring your blood work, you will see what your blood level is and how your body responds to supplementation over time.

Vitamin D does have the risk of toxic side effects in very excessive doses.

Side effects of taking too much Vitamin D can be grogginess and constipation or even death with exessive intake. Monitoring Vitamin D levels with regular blood draws can help you determine what dose is best for your body.

Follow up blood work is key. Taking too much can cause side effects such as grogginess or constipation. Massive doses can cause extreme toxicity which leads to elevated calcium levels in the blood. The Harvard Medical School cites that it can even cause death.6 It is best to be under the care of a licensed health care practitioner to be sure you take the right amount of Vitamin D that you need.

I hope this two-part blog series on Vitamin is useful information for you. Thank you for reading! •Please leave any questions you may have here and I am happy to answer them.

  • If you found this article helpful, I would appreciate liking my Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/KarenReynoldsLAc

I write all the content in this blog. My goal is for it to be helpful to you as you strive for great health. If you want to share or repost this content, please include the link for this blog entry to credit me as the author.

For scheduling information and appointment availability, do please visit my website at: http://www.kreynoldsacupuncture.com/

Be well!

~Karen Reynolds, RN, MS, LAc

 

We encourage you to become fully informed from multiple reliable sources about all health related topics and/or practices or products discussed on this blog. Please consult a team of licensed and trusted health care professionals before making health related decisions for yourself, family or loved ones. The information here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

 

1 National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
2 Heaney, R.P., Holick, M.F. (2011). Why the IOM recommendations for vitamin D are deficient. Retrieved from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Online Library website: https://asbmr.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jbmr.328
3Ibid
4Ibid
5Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School. Vitamin D and your health: Breaking old rules, raising new hopes. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/vitamin-d-and-your-health-breaking-old-rules-raising-new-hopes
6Ibid

Filed Under: Women's Health

Vitamin D Dosages: New Information Part I

August 16, 2019 By Karen Reynolds Leave a Comment

Just last week the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements released a new Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals pertaining to Vitamin D dosages. This comes on the heels of two decades of continuous debate within the medical community about the advisable daily intake amount of Vitamin D. Debate on this is still going strong.

You may have heard that Vitamin D deficiency is alarmingly common in the United States.

Vitamin D production starts with sunlight hitting your skin.

Limted, safe sun exposure will help you make Vitamin D.

This is true. Formerly we were a farming and agricultural centered society. That being the case: we naturally got our Vitamin D while tending gardens or working outside. Because modern society transitioned to city dwelling and indoor offices and manufacturing, this now means most of us don’t get the natural sunlight that our bodies need. Because we cannot produce Vitamin D on our own, if we can’t be outside to receive it from sunlight, the other option is through certain foods or supplements.

Part I of this blog discusses how your body makes Vitamin D, how to improve it, and how to identify the signs of deficiency related to low Vitamin D. Part II (to be released tomorrow) discusses how to easily check, improve, and monitor your Vitamin D levels as well as Vitamin D dosages.

Most people know we need Vitamin D for strong bones. However, Vitamin D is also important to build our immunities that help us avoid colds and flu.

Vitamin D is necessary for preventing cell overgrowth which happens in cancer.

Vitamin D is necessary for optimal cell functioning. It prevents cell overgrowth which happens in cancer.

Adequate Vitamin D also helps reduce inflammation and aids proper cellular functioning. It also has an enormously important role in healthy cell growth and limiting the overgrowth of cancer cells. This all means that quite literally everycell in your body needs access to Vitamin D to be healthy.

 

Part I

How sunlight helps your body manufacture Vitamin D

Sun exposure is one way your body manufactures Vitamin D

Small, safe amounts of sunlight exposure will help your body produce Vitamin D.

 

Your body cannot make Vitamin D on its own. There are two ways to get it:

Sunlight exposure and by consuming foods or supplements that contain Vitamin D dosages.

 

How Vitamin D is received through sunlight:

The pros and cons

When the UVB part of sun’s rays hits your skin this causes a chemical reaction which makes what is called D3. This D3 is processed in your liver and kidneys to make it into the type of Vitamin D which your body can use. If you wear sunscreen, the UVB is blocked UVB and this process will not ocurr.

This does not mean keep away from sunscreen—we all need to use it to avoid skin cancer. However, as you’ll see noted below, it is difficult to eat enough of the foods that contain Vitamin D to get our daily necessary dose. That being the case, you may want to consider having limited sun exposure on certain areas of your body which normally are not exposed to the sun. As a matter of daily life, our faces, forearms and chest typically get the most sun exposure, but in as little as 10 minutes a day, some sun on your legs or back can give you your daily dose of Vitamin D without huge risk. If you have very fair skin it is advisable to do this before 10AM or after 2PM.

Please Note: if you have darker skin, you probably do need to be taking a Vitamin D supplement regularly. The darker your skin is, the less the UVB rays are processed in your skin. It is estimated that over 90% of nonwhite populations are at risk of reduced Vitamin D production, simply due to their skin pigmentation.1

 

Foods that Contain Vitamin D

Vitamin D is found in surprisingly few foods and generally in very small quantities in those foods. The highest Vitamin D level is found in cod liver oil. The next highest amounts are found in fatty fishes such as sockeye salmon, swordfish and tuna fish. The smallest naturally occurring amounts of Vitamin D are found in beef, liver, and egg yolks.

In the 1930s it became standard to enrich milk

Foods like cereal, milk products and infant formula are typcially enriched with Vitamin D

Since the 1930’s milk products have been enriched with Vitamin D.

with Vitamin D in order to prevent the childhood disease called rickets. Milk and infant formulas are still Vitamin D enriched in both the U.S. and Canada.2 Many products such as breakfast cereals, yogurt and orange juice also have Vitamin D added.

The thing about foods that contain Vitamin D is that it is very hard to consume enough of those foods to get adequate amounts of Vitamin D.

VITAMIN D CONTAINING FOODS                                  IUs PER SERVING

Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon **                                                                             1360

Cooked swordfish, 3 ounces cooked                                                                  566

Sockeye salmon, 3 ounces cooked                                                                      447

Tuna fish, canned in water 3 ounces                                                                  154

Orange juice, 1 cup                                                                                                 137

Milk nonfat, reduced fat, whole & Vitamin D fortified 1 cup                        115-124

Egg, 1 large (Vitamin D contained in the yolk)                                                  41

Ready-to-eat cereals, 1 cup                                                                                    40

Swiss cheese, 1 ounce                                                                                                6

** Please note the Harvard Medical School article Vitamin D and your health: Breaking old rules, raising new hopesstates that cod liver oil should not be taken daily because it has high levels of Vitamin, A which can be toxic.3, 4

What happens if you don’t have enough Vitamin D?

Too little Vitamin D in your body greatly increases the possibility of bone fractures and even osteoporosis. Studies indicate that lack of Vitamin D leads to higher rates of hip or back fractures.

Many people think Vitamin D is more important for women because women are more prone to osteoporosis; however, a connection to prostate cancer has been found in men who do not get enough Vitamin D. As I mentioned earlier, Vitamin D is necessary for healthy cell growth and preventing overgrowth or abnormal growth like that of cancer cells. The tissue of the prostate is at higher risk for overgrowth especially in people with low levels of Vitamin D.

In general, risks of colon, breast and other types of cancers are higher in populations which are farther from the equator. It is proposed that less sun exposure and thus lower Vitamin D levels may be part of why this occurs.5

This concludes Part I of Vitamin D Dosages~New Considerations. Stay tuned for Part II about recommendations for Vitamin D dosages and best ways to monitor your levels to be both safe and healthy!

Thank you for reading!

  • Please leave any questions you may have here and I am happy to answer them.
  • If you found this article helpful, I would appreciate liking my Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/KarenReynoldsLAc

I write all the content in this blog. My goal is for it to be helpful to you as you strive for great health. If you want to share or repost this content, please include the link for this blog entry to credit me as the author.

For scheduling information and appointment availability, do please visit my website at: http://www.kreynoldsacupuncture.com/

Be well!

~Karen Reynolds, RN, MS, LAc

 

We encourage you to become fully informed from multiple reliable sources about all health related topics and/or practices or products discussed on this blog. Please consult a team of licensed and trusted health care professionals before making health related decisions for yourself, family or loved ones. The information here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

 

1Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School. Vitamin D and your health: Breaking old rules, raising new hopes. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/vitamin-d-and-your-health-breaking-old-rules-raising-new-hopes
2National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
3IBID
4Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School. Vitamin D and your health: Breaking old rules, raising new hopes. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/vitamin-d-and-your-health-breaking-old-rules-raising-new-hopes
5IBID

 

Filed Under: Women's Health

Homemade Remedies to Help Heal an Injury

May 5, 2019 By Karen Reynolds Leave a Comment

As a Licensed Acupuncturist and RN, I specialize in helping people heal from traumatic injuries. Typical injuries on a given day might be: rib fractures from a mountain bike wipe out, low back pain after lifting a heavy suitcase or neck pain following a motor vehicle accident. This blog is about safe and easy to make homemade remedies you can use to help heal after an injury.
Homemade hotpacks after injury

Nutrition, supplements and topical patches that help with healing after injury

Supplements & Nutrition for Healing Injuries

•Please temporarily cut grains out of your diet, especially gluten. Grains aggravate inflammation. When your body is healing from an accident, gluten is like gasoline being thrown on an already raging fire. This is the case irrespective of whether your are sensitive or allergic to gluten or not.

•As long as you have no allergies or medication conflicts, supplement orally with Turmeric capsules.
Start with 1,000mg/day by mouth. You can work up to 2,000mg/day x 30 days maximum. Then reduce dose back to 500-750mg/day.
•As long as you have no allergies or medication conflicts, supplement orally with Omega fish oils 1,000mg/day by mouth. Nordic Naturals is a quality brand you can find in health food stores.

Arnica Patches for Healing from Injuries

•Here is how to make topical night time Arnica patches. 
Before bed, liberally apply to Arnica ointment to the skin over your injury site. Do NOT apply to broken skin. Loosely tape small square of Suran or plastic wrap over site to maintain absorption while you sleep. This is far more effective that spot applications of topical Arnica.
NEVER place plastic wrap around full circumference of any limb(s) or your neck. Use only a small strip or square of the clear wrap. Loosely tape into place with bandage tape. If you have sensitive skin, you’ll want to buy paper bandage tape versus adhesive bandage tape.
If helpful, you can wear Arnica patches during the day too. Just make sure you change the patch at least once per day.
Cleanse skin at least once per day and allow to skin dry thoroughly before reapplication. Stop if irritation, discomfort or excess moisture noted.

Kinesiology Tape for Healing from Injuries

•Kinesiology tape (aka “K-tape”) is helpful for joint support for some injuries. Sporting goods stores and many drugstores carry an assortment of different kinds. You tube videos are execellent resources for wrapping directions of various joints.  Kinesiology tape should not be binding or tight, simply supportive.

Kinesiology Tape use after a traumatic injury

Kinesiology Tape can be used for support of joints after an injury

Do keep in mind you’ll need to remove that K-tape at some point. That being said: it may be wise to shave or use a depilatory product before application. That way it will be less painful later. If shaving, do your best not to nick the skin.

Do not apply K-tape over broken skin.

Topical Hot Packs for Healing from Injuries

For pain relief, better circulation and reducing inflammation, you can make the following topical hot packs

•Epsom Salts Topical Hot Packs

Epsom salts hot packs are soothing. These are ideal for pain, especially bone pain. The salts are used in full rock form. They are not dissolved.

Epsom salts hot packs are helpful for pain after a surgery or traumatic injury

Epsom salts hot packs are helpful for pain after a surgery or injury

Directions:

  • Place 1-2 cups Epsom salts into pillowcase. It is better not to buy salts with essentials oils in them or they will cake or solidify more.
  • Warm salts in microwave or to comfort level for your skin (perhaps 1 minute).
  • Apply to: painful or injured areas or lean against pack while seating or reclining.
  • Salts can be reused.
•Castor Oil Topical Hot Packs
Castor oil hot packs are more detoxifying. This style hot pack is  better on an injured area which is inflamed or perhaps red.

You can order The Palma Christi Castor Oil Pack Kits from Amazon or you make your own Castor Oil hot packs.

Directions:

  • Place liberal amount Castor oil onto washcloth.
  • Warm in microwave to comfort level for your skin (perhaps 1 minute).
  • Apply to:  Painful joints or Injured areas (but NOT to broken skin).
  • Do not re-use washcloths. Use a fresh cloth for each application.
Castor oil may stain so do use a towel to protect linens, clothing, furniture etc.
Thank you for reading and I hope you are feeling better soon!
  • Please leave any questions you may have here and I am happy to answer them.
  • If you found this article helpful, I would appreciate liking my Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/KarenReynoldsLAc

All content here is written personally by me in with the goal that it is be helpful to you. As long as you include the link for this blog entry to credit me as the author, it is fine to repost or share if you wish.

 For scheduling information and appointment availability, do please visit my website at: http://www.kreynoldsacupuncture.com/

Be well!

~Karen Reynolds, RN, MS, LAc

Statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. All information on this site is provided as education and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. No information on this site is intended to replace or delay the use of any conventional medical treatment.

 

 

Filed Under: Car accidents, Injury, Natural remedies, Women's Health Tagged With: healing from injury, homemade hot packs for healing from injury, natural treatments after injury, reduce pain after injury, supplements that help with healing from trauma

Questions and Answers About HPV and Newest Vaccine

April 1, 2019 By Karen Reynolds Leave a Comment

Welcome to my three-part blog series, examining Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and the most recent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil 9. This is Part II where I am addressing common questions and answers about HPV and the newest vaccine. As I was reviewing research, it became clear that HPV infections have serious impacts to millions of people in all countries. Long term community health risks of HPV infections, development and use of HPV vaccines, and opposition are all complicated topics. Please know that as a public health issue & research focus, HPV extends well beyond our United States. The World Health Organization has published on HPV as well as Australia, France, Japan, Scandinavia, and Italy to name only a few other countries.

For more detailed information about recommended ages for Guardasil-9 vaccination, please see Part I of this series at: http://kreynoldsacupuncture.com/womens-health/what-are-the-recommended-ages-for-the-new-human-papillomavirus-hpv-vaccine

The topics of vaccine ingredients, legal issues of clinical research, and community responses will be discussed in Part III of this series. My hope is that you consider the information for yourself, discuss with your medical team, and make decisions which are personally best for you and your loved ones.

How do you get an HPV infection?

HPV is spread by skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal or oral sex. It can be passed even when your partner has no signs of infection.

Are all types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) the same?

The short answer is no. There are some 200 different types of Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) and a small number of those are known causes of cancers. HPV related cancers can happen in both men and women. Specifically: HPV is linked to cervical cancer. As I’ve stated in Part I of this blog series: 500,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and 250,000 die of it.1 

Please know that cervical cancer is not the only type of cancer which HPV infections cause. (See below for further detail). That being the case: most people agree that HPV is a giant public health dilemma.

Your body’s immune system will clear most HPV viruses, most of the time. However, there are some types of HPV which lead to cancer. HP 16 is the type of HPV which is most likely to cause cancer and HP 18 is the second most risky. Therefore: not all HPV infections are the same.

This is also why the newest Gardasil 9 vaccine is designed to target the 9 specific types of HPV which do most harm. Scientific research findings showed that simply vaccinating for one type of HPV does not give protection for other types.

Here is a sobering quote from esteemed NIH researcher Dr. Douglas R. Lowy:

Guadasil9 vaccination targets the 9 most dangerous forms of HPV which lead to cervical, anal and oral types of cancers.

HPV infections and the cancers they cause are world wide public health issues. HPV vaccinations prevent HPV related cancers later in life.

“Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are attributable to HPV infection.” 2

At what age should you get tested for HPV?

It is recommended that women start being tested at age 21. Please note that that HPV vaccination is recommended for both sexes.

When do HPV related cancers develop?

HPV related cancers typically develop 15-25 years after an initial infection. This means an unknown exposure during youth can have life threatening risks in midlife.

HPV cancers occur long after and HPV infection: 15-25 years

HPV is the known cause of many cancers such as cervical and oral cancers. These cancers typically occur 15-25 years after an initial infection.

What types of cancers does HPV cause?

HPV infections are known to cause: cervical, throat, anal, vaginal, vulvar, and penile cancers. HPV also causes genital warts, which are not cancer per se.3

Does Gardasil 9 contain HPV?

No. The Gardasil 9 vaccine is made with lab technology using what are called virus-like particles (VLP). VLP are not dead HPV cells. So: the vaccine does not expose your body to human papilloma virus or the genetic viral material of HPV. Instead the laboratory made VLP particles are proteins which copycat the ones normally found on the outside (capsid) of HPV.

Copycatting the “envelope” of the HPV stimulates your immune system to make cells (antibodies) to immediately attack anything your body sees as being similar. Having a hardy army of antibodies to crush HPV before it creates an infection is important.

Why should I get a vaccine if cervical cancer, genital warts, and other HPV related problems are treatable?

The short answer is this: it is far easier, cheaper and less stress to your body to prevent infection than treat it. It is preferable to prevent disease than to treat it after it has developed. Consider this: would you rather develop cancer and need to undergo surgeries and medical treatment as opposed to preventing the cancer from ever happening at all? Which possibility would you prefer for your daughter or son?

An absolutely reasonable argument is that HPV vaccines are expensive and pharmaceutical companies are profiting from them. I agree. That being said: consider costs for surgical procedures, monitoring, medications, office visits, travel time, recovery time off work and all of the fall out of needing to treat an HPV related cancer.  It is overwhelmingly less expensive to prevent HPV related illness than to treat cancer.

Why is the vaccine recommended for males and females as young as 9 years old or a child who is not even sexually active?

HPV vaccinations are recommended as young as 9 years of age because the immune system response better in that age range.

Adolescent aged children have superior immune systems as far as making antibodies which prevent HPV infections. Their immune system is even better than a teenager or young adult.

For most vaccines, your body responds most efficiently when you are young. Remember: your making antibodies is required to prevent HPV infections. Adolescent aged children produce higher levels of antibodies than even teens or adults. In fact, research found that adolescent aged children who had only 2 of the recommended 3 doses of the vaccine during a  6-month period had antibody levels equal or better than 16 to 23-year-old individuals who completed the recommended 3 vaccinations within 6-months. Considering the physical strength of the immune system of a young person, the HPV vaccine is best given before initiation of sexual activity. 4

Thank you for reading! In Part III of this series I will address controversial ingredients of vaccines, some legal regulations which influence development, testing and release of vaccines, as well as opposition opinions.

  • Please leave any questions you may have here and I am happy to answer them.
  • If you found this article helpful, I would appreciate liking my Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/KarenReynoldsLAc

  • All content here is written personally by me in with the goal that it is be helpful to you. As long as you include the link for this blog entry to credit me as the author, it is fine to repost or share if you wish.
  • For scheduling information and appointment availability, do please visit my website at: http://www.kreynoldsacupuncture.com/

 

1Lowy,  D. R.  (2016)  . HPV  vaccination  to prevent  cervical  cancer and  other  HPV-

associated  disease: from  basic  science to  effective  interventions.  Journal of Clinical Investigation,  126(1) ,  5-11. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI85446.

 

2Ibid.

 

3DiPinho,  R. A.  (2015) .  A  Shot to  End  Cancer: HPV  Vaccination.  Retrieved  from    American  Society of  Clinical  Oncology website:  http://www.ascopost.com/issues/december-25-2015/a-shot-to-end-cancer-hpv-vaccination/

4 Lowy,  D. R.  (2016)  . HPV  vaccination  to prevent  cervical  cancer and  other  HPV-

associated  disease: from  basic  science to  effective  interventions.  Journal of Clinical Investigation,  126(1) ,  5-11. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI85446.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Public Health, Women's Health Tagged With: HPV infections, HPV related cancers, HPV vaccine, protect your children from HPV

What are the recommended ages for the new Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine?

January 17, 2019 By Karen Reynolds Leave a Comment

The newest HPV Vaccine is now recommended for women and men up to 45 years of age. It is called GARDASIL 9 (Human Papillomavirus 9-valent Vaccine, Recombinant).

In 2006 the first version of the Gardasil HPV vaccine was released. At that time, it was recommended for girls and women 11 to 26 years of age. Currently as of October 2018, the FDA is advocating broader age ranges and is urged for both men and women. The newer Gardasil-9 vaccine covers a total of 9 different types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV). In comparison: the original Gardasil vaccine addressed only 4 types of HPV. 

What kinds of cancers does HPV cause?

Dr. Douglas R. Lowy, distinguised NIH researcher has devoted more than 30 years to the study of HPV and preventing the cancers which it causes.

The source is Dr. Douglas R. Lowy, MD. Dr. Lowy is an NIH distinguished researcher of the Center for Cancer Research in Bethesda, Maryland. For more than 30 years, he has focused studies on HPV. Each year approximately 500,000 women develop cervical cancer and 250,000 die from it.1

Cancers caused mainly by HPV

  • Malignant anogenital tumors
  • Anal carcinomas
  • Vulvar cancers
  • Vaginal cancers
  • Penile cancers
  • Oropharyngeal cancers ¾ of which are in men2

“Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are attributable to HPV infection.” 3

~Dr. Douglas R. Lowy, MD. (Chief of Laboratory Cellular Oncology & NIH distinguished researcher of the Center for Cancer Research in Bethesda, Maryland)

Tomorrow I am posting an expanded blog about HPV and this newest vaccine. Is this vaccine good for you or your children? Please visit my blog to help make a decision for yourself.

Thank you for reading! 

•Please leave any questions you may have here and I am happy to answer them. 

~Karen Reynolds, RN, MS, LAc

All content here is written personally by me in with the goal that it is be helpful to you. As long as you include the link for this blog entry to credit me as the author, it is fine to repost or share if you wish. 

Citations 1,2,& 3:
Lowy, D.R. (2016). HPV vaccination to prevent cervical cancer and other HPV-associated disease: from basic science to effective interventions. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 126(1), 5-11.

Filed Under: Women's Health Tagged With: new HPV vaccine, new HPV vaccine for both women and men up to age 45, should you get the new HPV vaccine

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 6
  • Next Page »

Questions about Acupuncture?

Download this free ebook.

* indicates required

Connect With Karen

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Topics of Interest:

Articles about Acupuncture and Health

Connect with Karen online

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Voted Best Acupuncturist 2018 Reader’s Poll

Best of Marin 2018

Karen Reynolds Acupuncture offers acupuncture sessions, that help with women's health and fertility, healing after surgery and performance in sports.

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

(415) 737-0247 · karen@kreynoldsacupuncture.com · 45 San Clemente Dr, Suite B220 · Corte Madera, CA 94925