My doctor presently has me on 50,000 IU of vitamin D weekly.
” Using an entirely different bag of tricks, vitamin D can stifle infections, a capability that was presaged nearly a century ago when doctors successfully treated tuberculosis with sun exposure. The strategy is now understood to stem from increased vitamin D, which has been shown to trigger cells to produce a handy protein fragment called LL-37 that kills the TB bacterium.
The vitamin appears to defend against viral infections, too. The annual winter flu season comes at a time when people garner little vitamin D from sunshine and blood levels fall. The timing may not be a coincidence, says Reinhold Vieth, a biochemist at the University of Toronto. Low vitamin D levels might offer the virus the edge it needs to gain a foothold in the population and spread from person to person.”
.... works for me
-
Never gave Vitamin D a thought until a blood test showed I was at level 10 for Vitamin D 25-Hydroxy. Waay below the recommended 20 to 30 or more.
Since taking the D-3 daily, My triglicerides have dropped to normal, as has my cholesterol and my glucose is nearly normal! Unbelievable, but I am now a believer!
Prone to infections, have also discovered that good old Alka Seltzer helps a lot to prevent and tame bacterial infections due to the alkalyzer in the tablets. Who knew!?
Much rather supplement with old tried and true remedies than take the awful antibiotics which are sometimes worse than the problem for which they are prescribed. I know on a personal level, having had Stevens-Johnson Syndrome last year from Keflex and related meds.
Vit D is definently my number one vitamin. I’ve found it makes a huge difference in my mood especially when I’m running low on sleep ect. I take it before bed and in the mornings. I’d recommend it to anyone who occasionally feels depressed, moody, etc. It’s cheaper and has less side effects than any antidepressent. Be careful with A-D combinations. Vitamin A can accumulate to toxic levels where as Vitamin D can not. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people who have migraines may be sufferring from Vit A toxicity.
I’ve been through a lot of supplements and other than Vitamin D the ones I stick by are Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) and Acetyl-L-Carnitine(ALCAR). I also take a Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc pill and Biotin for what its worth.
You'll not be disappointed.
Not at all disappointed. I liked the whole article.
The New Zealand study looks interesting. One pill monthly instead of daily doses. That would be more convenient and probably cheaper than daily doses.
This is the key fact--while the optimal level may not be known, the old minimum was based on a very inadequate criterion. Like saying the minimum requirement of calories is just what it takes to stave off starvation. I have seen the 50,000 prescription, but don't know what it is based on. Certainly a few thousand a day, at least, would be prudent. I take 2000 of D3 daily.
Anecdotal, but...
Four years ago I started taking 5,000iu of Vit D-5 per day. Since then I have not had any illness whatsoever. I was pretty healthy before, but never went four years with out some winter colds, etc.
I feel great. I use the Wal*Mart brand.
I have also read that D should be combined with K2. Supposedly most people are deficient in K2 and D can actually damage the cardiovascular system if there’s not enough K2 present. I switched from 5000 IU/day of just D to 1000 IU combined with K2 twice a day. Initially my D blood levels tested low. Time to retest and see where I am.
Vitamin D3 made a huge difference for me.
The multivitamins have for too little D3 to make a difference. 2000 I.U. minimum a day is what worked for me.
It is the only vitamin I ever taken that made an immediate and substantial change to my health. Unfortunately I went probably 25 years of my life seriously deficient of it. My skin is very light and I can’t take the sun. I don’t tan, just burn. I had odd immune system related health problems I thought I was going to have to live with the rest of my life, and they literally went away after taking D3.
Here’s what I’d like to know. Are Vitamin D supplements equivalent to getting it through exposure to the sun, or does the latter have some “natural” benefit?
Thanks for this info Blam.
bttt
sss
bump
Say what you want, but since my family seriously upped our D3, a year ago, we have had not one cold or flu between us. One boy got an upset stomach, a virus or food poisoning. That was it. Normally we all get a few colds and maybe one flu each a winter. Nothing!
I kept going back to my doc for blood tests until I got my blood level of D past 50. For me the correct dosage was 15,000 a day. Everyone is deficient in D so everyone should go and get tested. It’s nice to prevent disease. I don’t enjoy being sick or having sick kids.
marking
A very important note about Vitamin D are two small (?) groups of people on either side of the reaction to oral D3.
1) Some small (?) number get a reaction to as little as 3000 IU of Vitamin D supplements. Details are scant as to why, but it is essential that somebody finds out.
2) Another small (?) number do not properly *absorb* oral Vitamin D, so even if they take huge doses, it does not show up to any great extent in their blood. (This screams out some condition like pernicious anemia from the inability to absorb Vitamin B-12, but there is little or no research in this area.)
(In both of these cases, it is unknown if it is an either/or condition, or if there is a scale of responses, such as some people having a reaction to 3000 IU, others having a reaction to 6000 IU, etc. And the same with absorption, is it either/or, or does it vary in degree and does it change over time?)
It is always important to note that Vitamin D is not a typical vitamin, but more accurately described as a hormone. One that appears to be both essential to our immune system and is typically found in an unhealthily low level in many Americans.
Thanks for the great thread blam.
BTTT
May God guide our course.
Tatt