Reading about the combined beneficial effects of zinc and VitD, I decided to have my D-level checked in my regular bloodwork for the first time. I was concerned from reading that maybe my D level might be high.
It was 31, which is at the bottom of the recommended range of 30 to 100 (optimum range 40-80) ng/ml. I was surprised and started taking 5000IU 2X daily with my morning and evening pills.
In 3 months it checked at 51, and three months later at 48. This is right in the "best" range to be at in what I read so I am fine with being near 50 two different times.
I am large, and my Dr said that unlike water soluble materials, getting the D level up in "large" people would be expected to require a higher dose.
"Suffice it to say that humans can make it (vitamin D), IF we get adequate sunshine, or eat very large amounts of healthy ocean fish. Here in the temperate zone, we used to get a lot of sunshine in the summer, but very little in the winter. Years ago, the typical farmer, working all day in the summer sun might generate 40,000-60,000 IU’s of vitamin D each day, much of which his body stored in his fat cells. These higher doses of stored D3 were later available to him in the winter months."
These were pre-sun-avoidance and pre-sunscreen days back then.
Note that when they do high supplementation for treating certain diseases or D deficiency, from 24,000 to 60,000IU daily or weekly may be given.
"Taking 60,000 international units (IU) a day of vitamin D for several months has been shown to cause toxicity. This level is many times higher than the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for most adults of 600 IU of vitamin D a day."
So you have to take A LOT!!! of D supplementation - 100X the RDA for MONTHS - to get to toxicity levels.
Note that K2 is recommended along with D to make sure the D doesn't have a negative effect of calcium levels. K2 supports good calcium levels.
Note that K2 is recommended along with D to make sure the D doesn’t have a negative effect of calcium levels. K2 supports good calcium levels.
Excess vitamin d reduces vitamin k. You only need more vitamin k if you take excess vitamin d.
Taking 30 micrograms of vitamin d per day is enough to reduce vitamin k in many people.
Many publications tested whether increasing vitamin D in people with a level between 20 ng/ml and 30 ng/ml would produce a specific benefit. Almost always, it does not benefit.
Signalman:
Thanks for posting this information - if having done so saves just one life, you’ve done something truly amazing and worthy of great credit. However, please note that a lot of what gets out in the popular press (including health-related sites like “Eat this not that”) takes seemingly forever to get out to the public where it will actually do some good for peoples’ health. WRT to the topic of this thread, this information has been known for quite some time. Please see the following article: https://www.lifeextension.com/newsletter/2007/2/new-meta-analyses-point-to-strong-colorectal-and-breast-cancer-preventive-benefit-for-vitamin-d
Also see this article: https://www.lifeextension.com/newsletter/2007/8/higher-vitamin-d-levels-could-prevent-600000-cases-of-breast-and-colorectal-cancer-annually
Note that these articles are 14 years old!
“So you have to take A LOT!!! of D supplementation - 100X the RDA for MONTHS - to get to toxicity levels.”
“Note that K2 is recommended along with D to make sure the D doesn’t have a negative effect of calcium levels. K2 supports good calcium levels.”
Regarding the relationship between vitamins K and D, see specifically the “Putting The Pieces Together” section about 1/4 of the way down in this article: https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2021/7/why-vitamin-studies-fail
Not just Vitamin K, but also magnesium needs to be taken with Vitamin D for maximum effectiveness - and the combined benefits of D and magnesium are stunning (vs. doing nothing) in many areas of health. Please refer to this article: https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2021/7/vitamin-d-magnesium-connection
Here again is that article (the science-based, meant-to-grab-your-attention, opinion piece that always appears first in each issue of Life Extension magazine each month), discussing the failures of a lot of vitamin studies - in this case specifically dealing with the relationship between Vitamin D and Vitamin K (as you pointed out, muffaletaman, Vitamin K is important WRT calcium). Specifically, Vitamin K regulates calcium and keeps much more of it in the bones and teeth, where it belongs, rather than in the bloodstream where it can lead to hardening of the arteries (that’s what the hardening IS - excess calcium in the walls of your arteries!). https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2021/7/why-vitamin-studies-fail
Notes:
1) I have been a member of Life Extension Foundation (LEF) for about 27 years. I derive NO benefit whatsoever from putting out their information (and it is voluminous - please check out their website https://www.lifeextension.com, it is completely FREE, FREE, FREE), other than the knowledge that people whom I reach will have the information necessary to improve their (and their loved ones’) health and longevity. Note that among the most valuable parts of the website, IMHO, is the Health Protocols section, which deals with hundreds of different diseases and conditions; it details what they are, what causes them (if medical science knows), how they affect your health and longevity, what the present state-of-the-art typical/convention wisdom treatments are for those diseases and conditions, what innovative procedures and drugs are available (or on the near-term horizon), and how one can ameliorate the effects of (or prevent/postpone in the first place) those diseases and conditions via nutrition (and, oftentimes, by other lifestyle changes such as exercise, better sleep, reducing stress, hormone treatment, etc.). https://www.lifeextension.com/protocols
2) Every issue of their magazine is available FOR FREE on their website. https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine The most recent issue is usually available about 2-3 weeks after members get the magazine in the mail, but the August 2021 issue is now available - and I haven’t even received it yet! Note also that ALL of their articles are extremely well footnoted - they are not selling pseudo-science, but the real thing: actual studies that back up what is being stated in their articles. By the way, many times they will have a feature article that debunks some badly-designed study that comes out against supplements that could help prevent or treat a particular disease or condition. Knowing what has happened WRT the entire Covid-19 situation, any thinking person now knows that the medical establishment is NOT always in our corner, and that it often (especially in conjunction with drug companies) will fund and/or conduct studies that dismissively bad-mouth the role of proper nutrition in preventing and curing diseases and conditions because...follow the money.
3) For those who think that LEF benefits greatly from articles in its magazine (i.e. that they’re pushing vitamins, minerals, etc. to make money), please understand that both Vitamin D3 and magnesium are incredibly cheap, so there is no substantial profit to be made (and I personally have obtained my D3 from either Costco or Sams Club for years, as it is cheaper than at LEF - the simple fact is that D3 is D3, and the only thing that you need to do to absorb it well is to consume it with dietary fats. However, other formulations available through LEF (or other reputable suppliers - and there are several) will generally have higher bioavailability (and cost more because achieving that isn’t free) than generic brands sold at grocery and drug stores, and certainly those sold online as the cheapest vitamins & minerals. Yes, quality counts. Note also that LEF puts the vast majority of profits back into research that they fund - though (and this is a BIG deal) they take research that is valuable from wherever it comes and make it available to their members and anyone else who frequents their website (again, FOR FREE). Here is the sitemap, so that anyone can check out areas that are of interest to them: https://www.lifeextension.com/sitemap
Note that they also have free e-books available for download (see about 1/2 way down the sitemap page).
3a) Their membership is cheap, only $40/year for 12 issues. As a member, you get discounts on all supplements, and (THIS IS IMPORTANT) also on lab tests through LabCorp for a very wide variety of blood measures - and knowing what is going on with your body is of critical importance (and you would also like to be able to see how taking certain supplements, such as Vitamin D in particular dosages, affects the level of those nutrients that are available to your body).
This tells you about the lab tests available to members:
https://www.lifeextension.com/lab-testing
Here’s a list of the lab tests available, with pricing: https://www.lifeextension.com/lab-testing/lab-tests-a-to-z
Note that you do NOT need a prescription (or a time-consuming and possibly expensive visit to a doctor’s office) to get “permission” to have these tests; these tests are obtained through LEF and are discounted for members (because of the high volume of business given to LabCorp) and are, even if not on sale, often cheaper than even your insurance deductible or co-pay!
3b) They have periodic sales for supplements and lab tests (and there is a sale on lab tests going on right now), so you can save even more.
3c) They have a loyalty program for $49.95/year, but as soon as you buy it you get a $50.00 credit for whatever you wish to buy. With the program you get free shipping on all products, plus 4% back as “LE Dollars” from every purchase to use as a credit on future purchases.
Anyone seeing this post who knows LEF, or who (after looking at their site) believes as I do that they are a first-rate organization that is oriented toward improving everyone’s health and longevity, is invited to copy the post and send it along to whomever they wish. I don’t need any credit, as I don’t benefit in any way from others joining or buying from LEF. I suppose that I might benefit when God judges me for having helped people (or tried to, at any rate), but I am really posting all of this information just because I think that it is the right thing to do for my fellow human beings.