Home Have you checked your vitamin D lately?

[CurlySue]

This is so timely! Just the other day, I decided to start taking Viactiv chews (taste like chocolate) to increase my calcium intake. What I didn''t realize until I read the packaging was that the chews also have 125% of recommended daily Vitamin D intake. I don''t really like taking pills, so this is an easy alternative for me.

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 6/2/2009 11:50:48 AM
Author: lyra
I have to avoid direct sunlight too because of a medication I''m on. But I''m definitely going to check into supplements, this sounds interesting. Hopefully they come in a non-gag size? I can''t swallow pills easily at all!

My prescription ones are pretty small and they''re gel capsules... so they go down really easily.

I hate vitamin supplements because so many of them are like horse pills! They''re HUGE!

 

[lyra]

I bought D3 tablets (can''t swallow capsules at all!) yesterday, and they are quite small, yay!

These ones are 1000IU/day, which I think is okay. I wonder how long before I notice any effects?

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 6/3/2009 2:22:21 PM
Author: lyra
I bought D3 tablets (can''t swallow capsules at all!) yesterday, and they are quite small, yay!

These ones are 1000IU/day, which I think is okay. I wonder how long before I notice any effects?

I''m taking 50,000 IU/week, and I noticed effects pretty quickly (I''m sure some is placebo, of course

)

The biggest improvement I''ve noticed is in my sleeping. I sleep so much better now... HUGE difference. Second is my mood, definitely less moody. Plus, the skin improvement which has been gradual, but increasing.

By the end of week 1, I did notice a differnce.

 

[icekid]

Vitamin D is such a hot topic in medicine these days, too. It's a cure-all

I've been meaning to start supplementing myself. Work really limits my sun exposure

That and my copious sunscreen.

 

[Ellen]

Ok, I''m wondering if anyone has any thoughts. I recently started taking Calcium with Vit D, as I''m at that age. However, my face is breaking out, rather horribly (for me). Is this just an uncanny coincidence, or could it be the Cal/VitD? There''s no other reason I can think of, not doing/using anything different....

 

[VRBeauty]

Date: 6/14/2009 9:34:03 AM
Author: Ellen
Ok, I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts. I recently started taking Calcium with Vit D, as I'm at that age. However, my face is breaking out, rather horribly (for me). Is this just an uncanny coincidence, or could it be the Cal/VitD? There's no other reason I can think of, not doing/using anything different....

Could it be due to hormonal fluctuation?

 

[Ellen]

Date: 6/14/2009 10:26:19 AM
Author: VRBeauty


Could it be due to hormonal fluctuation?

Well, I suppose it could, but I have never broken out like this (and no ther symptomes of a fluctuation, i.e. emotional). So, it just seems rather coincidental. And not only am I breaking out, it''s in places I never do, and they aren''t going away at the rate they normally do. It''s just all so abnormal, and I''ve had fluctuating hormones for years now, so I''m pretty versed in the swings and what to expect.

I''m going to quit taking it and see what happens.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Vit D is becoming a hot topic, every month in my update paper, I have an article on the front page. The article I have to read this is is regarding Vit D deficiency in adolescents causing hypertension....hmmmm

Recommendations have changed in newborns, now all BF babies are supplemented at birth (it used to be 2 months). At birth, the problem is that the stuff makes such a mess that very few parents actually give it. Formula fed babies do not need to be supplemented. Babies under 6 mo of age, should not be out in the sun....if they get burned, that could be a lifelong scar. Babies over 6 mo of age should have sunscreen on if they are out in the sun. With all the risks of the sun on newborn skin, and the ability to supplement with vitamin D, the risks of sun exposure outweigh any benefits in infants.

For adults, remember, that the sun is responsible for a majority of the wrinkles you have and skin cancer can be deadly. I would say no more than 10-15 minutes a day without sunscreen.

Also, remember, Vitamen D is a fat solibule vitamen. Which means if you take to much your body cannot clear it. Therefore, if you take too much, you can have vitamen D toxicity. Vitamen D regulates your Ca++ adsorption, and if you have too much Ca++ that can lead to all kinds of problems (kidney stones, mental status changes, abnormal heart rhythms to name a few) .

Here is a great article that is free to the public Click here

 

[Cind11]

The nurse practioner I go to just recommended that I take vitamin D3. Is that what all of you take? She said you don't get it (or maybe enough of it) in milk or a multivitamin. I assume that's different than plain old vitamin D.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

From what I read there are two types of Vit D supplements D2 and D3. It appears that D3 is better at metabolizing into the active form of Vit D in your body and may last longer than the D2 (your kidneys have to convert VitD into the active form).

ETA: To answer your question about what I take, I live in San Diego, a city with a very high UV index, and despite my sunscreen use, I get some sun. I also still drink milk. So I don't make an effort to get sun (I know my accidental exposure will be more than enough - just got a little burnt on my scalp this weekend from an outdoor event) and do not worry too much about Vit D. I focus more on Calcium supplementation because with my body type, I am at high risk for osteoporosis. I take 1-2 of the chocolate vitamin chews a day. If I actually took 2 a day (I sometimes forget), I would get 1000 mg of Ca (enough for me since I get at least 300 mg a day in milk) and 400 IU of Vit D which is double the daily recommended amount for my age. I just checked the box and it appears to be the D2 (ergocalciferol). Being that I am taking this for Ca++, I am probably not going to change. BTW, the name for the D3 is cholecalciferol.

 

[Mara]

the article i read said that dr''s are going to start recommending people get 2-3x a week 30 min of midday sun. so who knows ... but i would encourage anyone who is interested or has Q''s to ask their own dr''s about it, and not get the advice solely from PS....

it will be interesting too to see if the daily recommended values change as well. Vit D helps your body absorb calcium, so apparently if you have the right levels of VitD then you don''t need to take as much calcium for your body to absorb enough correctly.

 

[chrono]

I am taking huge doses of CA which is best taken with Vit. D to help the body better metabolize it. I’m taking 1500 mg of calcium with 375 mg of magnesium and 75 IU of vitamin D daily. It seems that the calcium helps hormonally too or maybe it’s all in my head.

 

[Dreamgirl]

That''s rather interesting elle! I feel sluggish a lot anymore. I didn''t know if it was my age or what! But I could very well be lacking in that. However, I do take 2 calcium pills with vitamin D plus a multi vitamin daily. We also often think it''s because I don''t eat meat too though...