Vitamin D Deficiency

Hey,

I have a vitamin D deficiency (just look how pale I am haha!). I have been taking vitamin D on and off, and I find when I really stick to it that it does help my energy levels. However, I have really improved my diet so don't make vitamin D the only 'excuse' that you have love energy, make sure you're eating really good food as well!

In regards to weight, couldn't tell you. I have hypothyroid as well so it's a bit different, and I'm not too obsessed with losing my weight (I'm a healthy weight now, just want my little tummy to go).

Just make sure you take Vitamin D, because if you don't you will be unable to absorb any calcium regardless of how much you eat, and will get weak bones etc in the long run... it's super important!

And at that, I will take my daily tablet thanks for the reminder haha!

My doc told me that Vit D also (along with all the other important things it does) is a necessary part of insulin production. So that a lack of Vit D makes the body not process sugars properly, which in turn can then lead to diabetes. Crazy, huh?

If you take vitamin D you need to also take magnesium. It's an important cofactor for Vitamin D absorption, and a major underlying reason for vitamin D deficiency in the first place. You can take 1million IUs of vitamin D3 and if you're magnesium deficient won't absorb enough. People get put on higher and higher doses of D3, when they really need a lower D3 dose and a magnesium supplement. Magnesium oxide is better than Magnesium citrate, don't take the dose all at once. Most supplements come with the dose split in several pills, take them a couple times a day for best absorption. If you take more than you can absorb, it acts as a laxative.

Other symptoms that can indicate low magnesium are frequent headaches, muscle cramps- often in the neck (sometimes even having knots that won't go away for months), trouble sleeping, fatigue, sometimes constipation...basically anything where something in your body is clenched and needs to relax.

Thanks!

Go outside and play! Seriously, sun triggers our vitamin d production, so play ball!

If you take vitamin D you need to also take magnesium. It's an important cofactor for Vitamin D absorption, and a major underlying reason for vitamin D deficiency in the first place. You can take 1million IUs of vitamin D3 and if you're magnesium deficient won't absorb enough. People get put on higher and higher doses of D3, when they really need a lower D3 dose and a magnesium supplement. Magnesium oxide is better than Magnesium citrate, don't take the dose all at once. Most supplements come with the dose split in several pills, take them a couple times a day for best absorption. If you take more than you can absorb, it acts as a laxative.

Other symptoms that can indicate low magnesium are frequent headaches, muscle cramps- often in the neck (sometimes even having knots that won't go away for months), trouble sleeping, fatigue, sometimes constipation...basically anything where something in your body is clenched and needs to relax.

+1 since I came in here just to confirm that you were magnesium crusading :flowerforyou:

Another concern is Vitamin D is formed on the skin and can be removed by washing:
"Agnes Helmer and Cornelius Jensen published a remarkable human/animal study in 1937, showing that significant amounts of Vitamin D are made on the surface of human skin. Reverend Jensen, the senior author, was a professor of biophysics as St. Thomas Aquinas, the precursor of the University of Dayton. The authors collected surface oils from young men before showering, irradiated the oils, and showed those oils contained large amounts of Vitamin D, enough to cure rickets in animals. Then, they tested a very practical question; can those oils be removed by washing? Indeed they found washing, even with plain water, removed much of the Vitamin D from the surface of human skin."
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/news-archive/2009/showering-after-sunbathing/

Vitamin D metabolism - http://adc.bmj.com/content/48/1/2.full.pdf

I have Vitamin D deficiency-- and have a perscription for 50,000 IU (international units) which I take monthly. My dad has the same perscription but takes it twice a month. I definitely notice a difference.

If you take vitamin D you need to also take magnesium. It's an important cofactor for Vitamin D absorption, and a major underlying reason for vitamin D deficiency in the first place. You can take 1million IUs of vitamin D3 and if you're magnesium deficient won't absorb enough. People get put on higher and higher doses of D3, when they really need a lower D3 dose and a magnesium supplement. Magnesium oxide is better than Magnesium citrate, don't take the dose all at once. Most supplements come with the dose split in several pills, take them a couple times a day for best absorption. If you take more than you can absorb, it acts as a laxative.

Other symptoms that can indicate low magnesium are frequent headaches, muscle cramps- often in the neck (sometimes even having knots that won't go away for months), trouble sleeping, fatigue, sometimes constipation...basically anything where something in your body is clenched and needs to relax.

Thanks for the info. I live in the Pacific NW - we have no sun so I've been taking Vitamin D but didn't know about the Magnesium.

If you take vitamin D you need to also take magnesium. It's an important cofactor for Vitamin D absorption, and a major underlying reason for vitamin D deficiency in the first place. You can take 1million IUs of vitamin D3 and if you're magnesium deficient won't absorb enough. People get put on higher and higher doses of D3, when they really need a lower D3 dose and a magnesium supplement. Magnesium oxide is better than Magnesium citrate, don't take the dose all at once. Most supplements come with the dose split in several pills, take them a couple times a day for best absorption. If you take more than you can absorb, it acts as a laxative.

Other symptoms that can indicate low magnesium are frequent headaches, muscle cramps- often in the neck (sometimes even having knots that won't go away for months), trouble sleeping, fatigue, sometimes constipation...basically anything where something in your body is clenched and needs to relax.

hey, I'm on vid D and for years (since senior high school) have had horrid trouble with muscle pain in my shoulders/neck. I have bruxism (grinding) too and my dentist mentioned magnesium to help this, so perhaps it really is worth a shot. Thanks

Do you need more Magnesium than you get from food? It's in lots of foods, and in multivitamins. Bran, herbs, dark chocolate, almonds, edamame, peanut butter, yogurt, avocados, bananas, milk, spinach, corn, and a lot of other things. So, if you're eating those things regularly do you actually need a magnesium supplement? Does the Vit D and the Magnesium have to be taken together to be effective? Or can it acculmulate?

I think we all can use a supplement in magnesium. The foods that are high in magnesium are usually the ones we rarely eat and the soil is also very deficient in magnesium, so it's really hard to tell if we are getting enough through our diet. But research shows, about 80% is deficient. Also, magnesium can be easily lost through stress, excess sweating, etc, also if you drink a lot of caffeine. So it does not hurt to supplement. If your body has too much it will let you know. It helps to regulate the digestive system, so that you go regularly and if your stool is runny you know your taking too much and reduce the dosage. I take Natural Vitality Natural Calm. You can find it on amazon and read the amazing reviews. Magnesium is not only good for relaxing muscles, but it helps in creating energy to our cells, it helps to stabilize serotonin levels in the brain, helping with anxiety and depression as well. Dr. Carolyn Dean has a book call Magnesium, The Miracle Supplement. It's really a great read. I've noticed such a huge difference in my overall health after taking it. This article might be helpful: http://bit.ly/XaEiVU

I buy MagOx through Walmart. It's cheap and the dose is nice and high. Two pills per day usually work.

The other vitamin that's good to take if you're weight lifting is Sulfur - also known as MSM. I've noticed that it makes a big difference for weight lifting and getting over muscle pain.

Don't forget Potassium....night cramps sometimes are a symptom of a deficiency in it. I take a few pills and notice a difference in days usually.

Monica

Do you need more Magnesium than you get from food? It's in lots of foods, and in multivitamins. Bran, herbs, dark chocolate, almonds, edamame, peanut butter, yogurt, avocados, bananas, milk, spinach, corn, and a lot of other things. So, if you're eating those things regularly do you actually need a magnesium supplement? Does the Vit D and the Magnesium have to be taken together to be effective? Or can it acculmulate?

The problem with dietary magnesium is there's no real way to know how much you're getting. The mag content in food relies on magnesium coming from the soil, and there's been a chronic soil magnesium depletion problem in recent agrigultural history. If you prefer not to supplement with pills, Magnesium can also be absorbed through the skin in an epsom salt bath- it's what makes it so relaxing and good for muscle aches !