Hypothesis: antibiotic resistant bacteria can be controlled with vitamin D

If more vitamin D (and perhaps Vitamin K2) then

1. Use less antibiotics for food animals

2. Use less antibiotics in hospitals

Food Animals

• Many of food animals (chicken, pigs, etc.) are now being raised indoors, away from sun.

• The farmers have learned to provide enough vitamin D in their feed to prevent rickets.

• The decreased vitamin D decreases the animal immune systems.

• The animals are raised in crowded conditions

Hospitals

• Vitamin D's potential to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections – May 2012

• Staph infection reduced 50 percent when have more than 30 ng of vitamin D – Aug 2011

• MRSA inpatient cost 2X higher if less than 20 ng vitamin D – June 2011

  • MRSA = Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

See also VitaminDWiki

• A review of the critical role of vitamin D in the functioning of the immune system and the clinical implications of vitamin D deficiency file, not web page, 2010

• Antibiotics for Q-Fever result in photosensitivity and huge drop in vitamin D levels – Dec 2013

• Vitamin D might reduce hospital-acquired infections – June 2012

• Cow, mouse, and human immune system and vitamin D – March 2012

• Bacterial infection in cows reduced with vitamin D – Oct 2011

• MRSA inpatient cost 2X higher if less than 20 ng vitamin D – June 2011

• In less than 3 weeks chickens have problems if they do not have vitamin D

• Soft Bones, Hard Arteries, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2 and antibiotics – Sept 2012

• Superbug (Clostridium difficile) 4.7X more of a problem if low vitamin D – Sept 2013

• Antibiotic use cut in half by elderly (over 70) after monthly 60,000 IU of vitamin D – RCT Dec 2013

• Antibiotics and Vitamin D are associated with many of the same diseases

• All items in category Antibiotics/probiotics and Vitamin D items

See web

• CDC study on antibiotic resistant bateria problem - Sept 2013 - attached at the bottom of this page

• Antibiotic resistance in bacteria associated with food animals: a United States perspective of livestock production 2007

• New study adds to concerns about animal-to-human resistance to antibiotics LA Times April 2011

  • The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, found staph on 47% samples of beef, chicken, pork and turkey.
  • 96% were resistant to at least one type of antibiotic
• Farm Use of Antibiotics Defies Scrutiny New York Times, Sept 2012
  • antibiotic resistant bacteria has increased tenfold on chicken breasts in 2012
  • 80% of the antibiotics sold in the US goes to chicken, pigs, cows and other animals
  • Producers of meat and poultry are not required to report how they use antibiotics
  • In 1977 the House and Senate passed resolutions against any such proposed FDA bans on antibiotics in feed
• Resistant Bacteria in Pork — And Problematic Pharmaceuticals Too Wired MagazineNov 2012
  • Out of 132 samples testing positive for Yersinia, 121 were resistant to at least one class of antibiotics, and 52 were resistant to two or more.
  • Out of 14 samples testing positive for staph, 13 were resistant to at least one class of antibiotics, and nine were resistant to two or more.
  • Out of 8 samples testing positive for salmonella, 6 were resistant to at least one class of antibiotics, and three were resistant to at least five drug types.
  • Out of 19 samples positive for enterococci, 12 were resistant to at least one class of antibiotics.
• What’s in that pork? -We found antibiotic-resistant bacteria and traces of a veterinary drug Consumer Reports Jan 2013
  • Wired Magazine reported on the Consumer Reports Article
• The Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance VegetablePharm Sept 2014
  • Natural antibiotics (= low concentration) don’t kill other flora, but “convince.” them to move
  • Antibiotics created by big pharma kill, not “convince.”
  • Antibiotics administered in large doses signal the creation of biofilms by pathogens and they become nearly impossible to eradicate

See also web - Vitamin K supplements probably needed when having antibiotics

• VITAMIN K DEFICIENCY AND ANTIBIOTICS LiveStrong June 2011

• Antibiotic-induced vitamin K deficiency and the role of the presence of intestinal flora. 1990

• Vitamin K Medline Plus

  • Vitamin K deficiency is very rare. It occurs when the body can't properly absorb the vitamin from the intestinal tract.
  • Vitamin K deficiency can also occur after long-term treatment with antibiotics .
• Vitamin K Univ. of Maryland
  • Antibiotics -- Antibiotics, especially those known as cephalosporins, reduce the absorption of vitamin K in the body.
  • Using them for more than 10 days may lower levels of vitamin K because these drugs kill not only harmful bacteria but also the bacteria that make vitamin K.
  • People who already have low levels of vitamin K, such as those who are malnourished, elderly, or taking warfarin (Coumadin) are at greater risk.
• Causes and Symptoms of Vitamin K Deficiency Yahoo Jan 2011
  • The most frequent cause of Vitamin K deficiency is the long term use of antibiotics.
  • Since about half of the Vitamin K in the body is produced by bacteria in the small intestines, the use of antibiotics, which kill that bacteria will lead to a drastic decrease in the amount of Vitamin K available for absorption.
  • For this reason, individuals taking antibiotics are often given Vitamin K supplements.