You can add Multiple Sclerosis to that list. The fact is, that vitamin D was once used as a therapy for a lot of diseases, but they used (in some cases) extremely high doses (500k to 1MIL I.U.), and swung the other way. A person, from what I’ve read needs about 30K I.U. per day, and that you could feesibly get that from a dose of about 40 min or so (IIRC), if you were sunbathing and had full exposure. Most people get virtually NO sun exposure these days, so I personally believe that we’re seeing a huge increase in a lot of other diseases that our own immune systems could fight.
For some time, I worked the graveyard shift. I live in a norther state (Border with Idaho), and we have harsh winters. My boss recommended taking vitamin D supplements, which I now do, because he was found deficient and had great pain throughout his body, lethargy, and weakness. I try to take about 10-20K in supplement, and get as much exposure as I can, but it has worked wonders for me. If I forget to take my vit. D for about 3 days, I get the extreme leg and hand pain again, and remember to take it, it begins to ease within an hour or two, and is gone the next morning. I recommended it to my dad and he noticed a difference almost immediately too.
I was very dismayed to find that I went back to the local Club (Sam’s), and they no longer offer 5k I.U. Vitamin D supplements, but have dropped to 2K. I’m looking for another store, but am pretty sad that they quit selling it. Also, I found the softgels to work for me, MUCH better than the tablets.
P.S. As A side note, there is vitamin D in some foods, but I have read that there was no *recorded* benefit, no matter the food intake, only with sun, or supplementation. I can’t eat a lot of dairy products anyway, so it’s sun or supplements for me, anyhow.
I have found Vit D3 online at very reasonable prices...and take 2K with each meal, plus some extra in other vitamins I take....
Also, if you get tested make sure you get the correct test.
I get all my supplements from here...
http://www.swansonvitamins.com
Vitamin D - 5,000 IU
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/SW1371/ItemDetail?n=0
Oh.... they have been around since 1969
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/AboutSwanson
Just one more in the the long list of products that are being down sized put at the same or higher price. Signs of the economic times.