Vitamin d deficient

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Hopelessbird
Hopelessbird Posts: 133
in Food and Nutrition
I went to my doctor for a physical exam and blood work before my diet. My blood work came back mostly ok, except for vitamin d deficiency. A little strange since I eat a whole egg everyday, cheese wedges for snacks and fish 2x/week. Maybe I should more red meat.

Anybody else have this problem?

Blood chemistry is complicated.

Replies

  • htmlgirl
    htmlgirl Posts: 314 Member
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    I also have a vitamin d deficiency (diagnosed by a doctor) and I think it's mostly due to low sunlight (lived in NY) so now I am taking supplements.
  • bisland
    bisland Posts: 245 Member
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    Vitamin D deficency is very common for those of us that live in the northern areas. I have taken a suppliment for years. In addition to the cardiovascular affect of the vitamin it helps absorb vitamin B (the stress vitamin). I do not know if it is the vitamin or my increased exercise, but I notice a huge decrease in my stress level.
  • samf36
    samf36 Posts: 369 Member
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    My dd is ( we are so Not sun people and she is dairy free) She takes rather large doses of d3 and feels much better.
  • whatevany
    whatevany Posts: 109 Member
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    What I have read that it is best to get Vitamin D from sun exposure. That being said, I am not an outdoor girl so I supplement. I take 5,000 IU of D3 a day and my level are at a normal 55.
  • helenaahh
    helenaahh Posts: 3
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    Vitamin D is not present in many foods - generally only those that are fortified (have it added when manufactured). Depending on where you are in the world, this can be different foods (e.g. margarines, milk, breakfast cereals). It is found in oily fish and eggs (more in free range than in battery-farmed).

    The good news is that it is also made by the body when skin is exposed to sunlight. It depends where in the world you are, here in the UK and places on the same lattitude, the sun does not reach a high enough angle in the sky for it to be made the whole year (so it is only April - September). The body store vitamin D in summer months, and many people become deficiant in late winter / spring (as the body has not been making any new viatamin D since september)

    The more skin you have exposed to the sun, the greater that can be made (i.e. having your forearms exposed is better than just the face). After about 30 mins, the process is down-regulated by the body as large quantities are toxic. Skin that gets sun-burnt will not make vitamin D, so do use sun-lotion and cover up after 30 mins of exposure.

    You could consider taking suppliements, and then make an effort to get out in the sun in summer months.

    So as I said, it is not uncommon for people to be Vitamin D deficiant, but was your doctor concerned about this?
  • hdlb123
    hdlb123 Posts: 112 Member
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    We take supplements, all my kids and me. Our winters are 5 months long, we don't get near enough sunlight to get what we need. We use D drops. Completely tasteless.
  • Tulipgirl1223
    Tulipgirl1223 Posts: 91 Member
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    I've been reading a lot lately about vitamin d. I take a multi vitamin daily, but if I'm going to ask my Dr to test for it, how long should I not take a vitamin (I want the results to be as true as possible, if that makes sense) also do you have to fast for this test?
  • hilsen
    hilsen Posts: 7
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    It takes about 2/3 months to see the results of D vitamin supplements.
    I was dangerously low because of immune disease - despite consuming diary, eggs, shellfish etc... my body had problems converting fats and absorbing all the vitamins due to a number of food intollerances.
    I'd strongly suggest to check out your food intollerances, since they can heavily affect your vitamin processing and usage and weight. In ten days since started a therapy for my intollerances and a special diet which do not exclude the foods I have problems with, but combine them and allows them on conditions, I have seen a huge difference: water retention almost gone, dresses looser and feeling better.
    Sometimes it is not only the latitude we live in, but the poisonous food we are constantly exposed to which makes most people intollerant to apparently innocuos foods (who woud ever cut tomato out of their diet? people intollerant to Nichel or to salicid acids). But you do not know until you don't test.
  • Curvy1taliana
    Curvy1taliana Posts: 371 Member
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    mushrooms have lots of vitamin D
  • Hopelessbird
    Hopelessbird Posts: 133
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    I've been reading a lot lately about vitamin d. I take a multi vitamin daily, but if I'm going to ask my Dr to test for it, how long should I not take a vitamin (I want the results to be as true as possible, if that makes sense) also do you have to fast for this test?

    I fasted before I took the blood test.
  • Hopelessbird
    Hopelessbird Posts: 133
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    Vitamin D deficency is very common for those of us that live in the northern areas. I have taken a suppliment for years. In addition to the cardiovascular affect of the vitamin it helps absorb vitamin B (the stress vitamin). I do not know if it is the vitamin or my increased exercise, but I notice a huge decrease in my stress level.

    I live in Boston so I guess the lack of sunlight most days has an effect.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
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    yep, when i was first diagnosed, my vit d level was 7.. yay living in the pacific northwest!!! lol (i guess normal levels are in the high 30s?)
    i took a perscription for a while, but now i just take a supplement from costco, two a day
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    I went to my doctor for a physical exam and blood work before my diet. My blood work came back mostly ok, except for vitamin d deficiency. A little strange since I eat a whole egg everyday, cheese wedges for snacks and fish 2x/week. Maybe I should more red meat.

    Anybody else have this problem?

    Blood chemistry is complicated.

    Whole egg - 20 IU
    1oz cheese - 10-15 IU
    4oz fish - 400 IU
    Red meat - 0 IU

    Sunlight - only 5-10 minutes of exposure is needed in summer months, but if you live north of Atlanta you will not be able to get enough exposure between Nov and Feb. North of NYC, you won't be able to get enough exposure between Oct and March. Take a supplement (either a vitamin D capsule, or a tablespoon of cod liver oil).
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    It's very common. The American Dietary Guidelines of 2010 said this was a big concern, esp since it is important for the absorption of calcium. The amount of Vitamin D deficiency varies widely by cultures. For instance, Vit D deficiency is really common among Indian men. Some people can get enough thru diet and eating outside but it really depends on the individual, so you may need to supplement. I usually take a supplement with both calcium and vitamin d in it since osteoporosis runs in my family (and I take it with meals for better absorption)

    Mushrooms are high in vitamin d if they're UV treated. Fish is great, also contains good fat for the heart. Milk, soymilk, and cereals tend to be fortified with it.

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