Vitamin D. Odds are, you need more.

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  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
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    Vitamin D has literally changed my life. I have so much more energy, no longer feel sluggish or need as much sleep and I credit my weight loss so far to it. I preach to everyone to take 1000 mg of D3 a day. Additionally it boosts your immune system.
  • stevenleagle
    stevenleagle Posts: 293 Member
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    I can personally vouch for the value of vitamin D supplements and good ol' exposure to the great outdoors. I too had a vitamin C deficiency and obesity and inactivity did not help. No energy whatsoever. I now routinely take vitamin D (and other supplements) and try to walk outdoors as much as possible. I have a lot more energy now, although losing 20kg and regularly exercising are perhaps other contributing factors.
  • mdebbie1026
    mdebbie1026 Posts: 164 Member
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    bump
  • kcoftx
    kcoftx Posts: 765 Member
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    A hairdresser I only saw one time discovered mine!

    I'd hold on to her! She sounds like a guru, and good hairdressers are hard to find.

    I was out of town at the time! Talk about cosmic timing!
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    I'm bad, I go tanning, but I live in the PNW where it rains 9 months of the year and everyone is severely defficient in D.. and man getting in the tanning bed definitely improves not only my energy level but my mood as well.

    Well...you already know its bad for you, so I'm not going to chastise you! :wink: We all have our poisons. But for any unsuspecting readers out there...tanning beds are probably not your best option. Or rather, I should say, you don't *need* to go to a tanning bed to solve the problem. Supplementation works *just* fine and doesn't have the negative side effects that regular tanning bed use does. (I don't remember why, but tanning beds are worse for you than regular sunlight...something about a different proportion of UV ray types...)

    I will beg to differ with this. UV rays are not the enemy. I have been doing some reading and research along with my Dr and he recommended the tainning bed along with the oral Vitamin D supplement when my level was at its lowest, being a 4.

    Light therapy, in which tanning beds give that raise Vitamin D levels faster than pill form due to encouraging the body to produce it on its own.

    The chronic use of unsafe sunscreen (due to the ingredients) is contributing to the amount of vitamin D deficiency.

    http://www.naturalnews.com/032792_tanning_beds_vitamin_D.html

    http://www.naturalnews.com/029895_skin_cancer_tanning_beds.html

    http://www.naturalnews.com/024687_Vitamin_D_deficiency.html

    And a video....

    http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=5A62FC73922FD51A88E62E42C5A0AD5E
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    Tanning beds DO NOT always help with Vitamin D!

    UVA Rays: Deep-penetrating rays that cause premature aging, skin cancer and all the other nasty stuff deep down under the skin.

    UVB Rays: Damage the surface only and are responsible for Sunburn. More importantly, UVB Rays are the ones that help with Vitamin D.

    Now we know that; Most Sunbeds emit 95% UVA and only 5% UVB (Not as bad as it looks, it's about the same as natural sunlight!) BUT that 95% UVA is TWELVE TIMES stronger than the UVA we get from the sun.

    So PLEASE if you want your Vitamin D from UVB rays, get it by going outside instead of risking your life (and wasting your money) a sunbed.

    [EDIT] OR if you know a tanning place that uses mostly UVB rays, if those even exist, that would be a far safer option than the regular death-machine types.

    My insurance pays for tanning bed therapy during the months of October - March. This will be my last month going to the tanning bed for the light therapy until October.

    April - September the sun shines brightly in the midwest.
  • rubysphoto
    rubysphoto Posts: 254 Member
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    Some helpful links:

    http://drlauraruby.com/essential-nutrition/the-sunshine-vitamin-part-2-the-connection-between-vitamin-d-chronic-disease/

    http://drlauraruby.com/essential-nutrition/vitamin-d-the-sunshine-vitamin-2/
  • jackie6411
    jackie6411 Posts: 8
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    I found out my levels for Vit D were 30 which is very low..I don't drink milk, and I live in Ohio, which is pretty dreary most of the time in the winter.. So for the last 2 weeks I've been on 5000 a day and I already feel better! :) It really is a wonder vitamin!
  • spngebobmyhero
    spngebobmyhero Posts: 823 Member
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    I figured I probably am low in Vitamin D (don't drink milk and I live in New England!) and bought some the other day. I have taken it twice (with food!) and ended up with terrible stomach cramps both times...

    Guess I'll stick with the sun for now, its starting to reappear for spring!
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    I found out my levels for Vit D were 30 which is very low..I don't drink milk, and I live in Ohio, which is pretty dreary most of the time in the winter.. So for the last 2 weeks I've been on 5000 a day and I already feel better! :) It really is a wonder vitamin!

    I am not a dairy person and really have never been much of a dairy person........

    My doctor told me that the Vitamin D they put in milk is not the right kind - we need D3 and most people are so scared of the fat that they consume fat free, skim or 2% milk and it is not enough fat to absorb so your not missing anything by not drinking milk.
  • Rockerchick77
    Rockerchick77 Posts: 64
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    I can relate to low Vit D levels as well...however....a deficency isn't just from not being out in the sun. You really only need about 15min in the sun to absorb enough Vit D. However-all of my docs (5 specialists due to having Celiac and other autoimmune diseases) agree that getting your Vit D from the sun isn't the smartest because the risks of being in the sun out-weigh the benefits of getting your Vit D this way. Clearly you would rather be low on Vit D than have skin cancer! I worked 3 years in a cancer clinic and getting cancer from tanning beds is very real (and of course the sun itself). You can have a low Vit D levels due to an absorbtion problem. I found out I was low on Vit D and numerous other vits due to lack of absorbtion-and the absorbtion problem was created from gluten intolerance.

    My doctors suggestion? After I got my levels back up after using a perscription Vit D I now include food with higher Vit D and take a over the counter supplement. That is what works for ME, due to MY own diagnosis from my doctors. It's important to find out the cause of your Vit D def and treat it according to that cause. Just being in the sun more isn't going to help everyone. Also, often times it's not just Vit D that you are low on, so have a CBC (complete blood count) done and make sure ALL vitamin levels are checked before just popping a supplement or basking in the sun. Never self-diagnose/self-treat--that could lead to a whole other set of problems.

    It's all about balance....eating a balanced diet and balancing your sun exposure. :-)
  • aj_gettingfit
    aj_gettingfit Posts: 257
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    Maybe that's my problem. I could sleep all day and night if you let me.
  • spicy618
    spicy618 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    On March 1st, my complete bloodwork revealed I too am Vitamin D deficient. It showed me at 4 or 5. My doctor told me to take 4,000 IU daily until I get my levels to a more normal number.

    I live in the Sunshine state. I love the beach, I go rollerblading and I walk. The last think I expected was to be deficient in Vitamin D. The Dr. told me that i need to expose as much of my body as I can to the sun. So sitting in traffic everyday doesn't count as much as i thought it did. :laugh:

    Thanks for this topic. :flowerforyou:
  • EmCarroll1990
    EmCarroll1990 Posts: 2,849 Member
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    There are things called D Drops, people should look into them.
  • PaleoPath4Lyfe
    PaleoPath4Lyfe Posts: 3,161 Member
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    On March 1st, my complete bloodwork revealed I too am Vitamin D deficient. It showed me at 4 or 5. My doctor told me to take 4,000 IU daily until I get my levels to a more normal number.

    I live in the Sunshine state. I love the beach, I go rollerblading and I walk. The last think I expected was to be deficient in Vitamin D. The Dr. told me that i need to expose as much of my body as I can to the sun. So sitting in traffic everyday doesn't count as much as i thought it did. :laugh:

    Thanks for this topic. :flowerforyou:

    No girl it doesn't..........LOL.

    Put on that bikini and hit the beach as much as possible.
  • spicy618
    spicy618 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    On March 1st, my complete bloodwork revealed I too am Vitamin D deficient. It showed me at 4 or 5. My doctor told me to take 4,000 IU daily until I get my levels to a more normal number.

    I live in the Sunshine state. I love the beach, I go rollerblading and I walk. The last think I expected was to be deficient in Vitamin D. The Dr. told me that i need to expose as much of my body as I can to the sun. So sitting in traffic everyday doesn't count as much as i thought it did. :laugh:

    Thanks for this topic. :flowerforyou:

    No girl it doesn't..........LOL.

    Put on that bikini and hit the beach as much as possible.


    LOL!!! You don't have to tell me twice. :flowerforyou:
  • juliekaiser1988
    juliekaiser1988 Posts: 604 Member
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    My doc sent me to a nutritionist who specializes in vitamin deficiencies. Here's some tips she gave me:

    Eat WILD CAUGHT salmon a minimum of once per week. It's the highest D food out there. Do not waste your time on FARM RAISED, it only has a small fraction of the D as wild caught.

    Take your Vitamin D with some fat. It is a fat soluble vitamin and is better absorbed when taken with some fat (cheese, peanut butter, etc). And always remember to take them! Supplements can't help you if it's in the medicine cabinet..

    Get sun on your FACE ARMS AND LEGS for 15 minutes each day WITHOUT sunscreen (if you're going to be out longer, put it on after your 15 minutes is up) between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

    She was a wealth of information. It's been hard, though. I'm finally up to 39. Finally. And the best range is between 50-100!! Long way to go, but doc started me on an additional (prescription) D in addition to the OTC stuff.
  • Rockerchick77
    Rockerchick77 Posts: 64
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    My doc sent me to a nutritionist who specializes in vitamin deficiencies. Here's some tips she gave me:

    Eat WILD CAUGHT salmon a minimum of once per week. It's the highest D food out there. Do not waste your time on FARM RAISED, it only has a small fraction of the D as wild caught.

    Take your Vitamin D with some fat. It is a fat soluble vitamin and is better absorbed when taken with some fat (cheese, peanut butter, etc). And always remember to take them! Supplements can't help you if it's in the medicine cabinet..

    Get sun on your FACE ARMS AND LEGS for 15 minutes each day WITHOUT sunscreen (if you're going to be out longer, put it on after your 15 minutes is up) between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

    excellent edvice! :-)
  • SalishSea
    SalishSea Posts: 373 Member
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    Please go outside, people.


    I know you are trying to be helpful. But going outside for those of us in no sunshine climates will not help our levels.

    I live in the beautiful but extremely cloudy AND rainy Pacific Northwest. We have zero sun for at least 7 months of the year. If I went outside for 16 hours and day, naked even, I would not get one drop of sunlight on me. I would rust! But No Vit D sun would reach my skin.

    So for those of use in this climate please check with your doctor. This Vit D really does make a significant difference in our energy, lives, and over-all health.

    I agree at level of 50-100 is best. No matter what your doctor tells you. They are human too and limited to what they have read and not all of them have done extensive reading on Vit D.
  • sweet110
    sweet110 Posts: 332 Member
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    Its good to share information, but its also true that we all find our individual fixes in life. Some points I'd like to share:

    1. The interesting thing about Vitamin D deficiency is that you see it in folks that you'd normally not expect to see it in. Like people living in warm/sunny parts of the US. There are lots of reasons for this, but I think simply living too far away from the equator, where our ancestors originated, and spending too much time indoors are key causes. And unless you're a farmer or gardner, these are things that most of us can't do anything about. So, by all means, go outside, but as many posters have noted, being outside may not be enough.

    2. Tanning beds. I dont' want to argue. And there *are* cases where its standard medical practice to prescribe tanning or UV radiation therapy. But, its similar to a medication. And like all medications, there are side effects, and everyone has to weigh the pros and cons of medications, supplements, etc. Tanning beds carry a higher risk of melanoma skin cancer than sunlight. But, for some people, that risk is worth it. But I think its important that folks know that tanning rays aren't like sunlight and have a different risk profile. Particularly if you're under 30.

    3. Sunscreen. See above. People decide on their level of risk. I *don't* wear sunscreen. Ever. But I have a dear friend who got melanoma at the age of 27 and had to have part of her nose removed. She *always* wears sunscreen. She is also an outdoorsy person. She hikes, goes for long walks, camps, and spends a lot of time outside with her little boy. While I have a full-time office job. Different risks, different choices. What's important is that we're making informed decisions.

    Now. Its sunny and 70 degrees out. I'm going outside.

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