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  #1   ^
Old Thu, May-02-13, 09:37
ajewett07's Avatar
ajewett07 ajewett07 is offline
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Plan: Atkins Induction
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Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Default Vitamin D

Hey, everybody. I've not been feeling that great lately, not awful, just not myself and not sleeping very well. I had bloodwork done on Tuesday and my doctor just left me a message saying my Vitamin D levels were "dangerously" low and he'd called in this super dose of Vitamin D. From what I've read, people who follow a vegetarian diet and don't eat much meat, cheese and eggs, tend to have low levels. Hello??!!?? Pretty much ALL I eat are meat, cheese, and eggs....so I'm a little concerened. Anybody else have this issue??
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  #2   ^
Old Thu, May-02-13, 10:49
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zeph317 zeph317 is offline
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Plan: carnivore
Stats: 205/152/150 Female 66.5 inches
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actually that's pretty common. we take 10,000iu of D3 daily and i think it really helps. we never (or rarely) get sick, even when everyone around us is coughing and sneezing. did your doctor prescribe D3? what is the dosage?
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  #3   ^
Old Thu, May-02-13, 10:55
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Liz53 Liz53 is offline
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Plan: Mostly Fung/IDM
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Location: Washington state
Default

I think you may be thinking of Vitamin B12 which is the vitamin that has no plant sources. Vitamin D deficiency is very very common now that people spend so much time indoors and wear sunscreen. Sunlight is the biggest/fastest source of Vitamin D (especially this time of year). I've been supplementing with 1-2000 units daily for several years (low by the standards on this board) and have raised my levels from 40 something to 70 something.

Vitamin D is actually a hormone, not sure why it is called a vitamin.
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  #4   ^
Old Thu, May-02-13, 12:40
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Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
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Plan: DDF
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You don't really get much Vit. D from food at all, unless you're eating lots of fish livers. Vit. D comes from sunshine or supplements.

Go to the healthfood store and buy some D3, cholecalciferol and take 10,000 iu a day and retest in 3 months. Then continue to take 5-10k and retest.

Not a huge fan of Dr. Mercola, but here's what he has written about it: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...y-part-one.aspx seems pretty good.

Being low in D3 is associated with lots of bad things like cancer, so you definitely want to get this handled.
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  #5   ^
Old Thu, May-02-13, 13:20
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WereBear WereBear is offline
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Default

Also, as we age, our ability to make it from sunshine decreases.

I'm in the 10k a day club! After about 2 months of supplementing, I started feeling really good!
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  #6   ^
Old Fri, May-03-13, 08:15
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ajewett07 ajewett07 is offline
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Plan: Atkins Induction
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Thanks everybody...the doctor called in a prescription for 50,000 units...I think I take it for a week, haven't picked it up yet.
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  #7   ^
Old Sat, May-04-13, 00:10
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earthy earthy is offline
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My Vitamin D levels were low too. My blood test showed a reading of 6 but normal is 30+. After taking the weekly megadose for 8 weeks, it went up to 12. Now I'm back on the megadose. Trying to improve those numbers!

Good luck to you and let us know how it goes.
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  #8   ^
Old Sat, May-04-13, 03:49
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JEY100 JEY100 is online now
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Plan: P:E/DDF
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Default

When I took the prescription 50K/wk, it was Vit D2. Not the D3 made by the body and it was useless. Never budged my levels, tried a number of rounds, but I was also on a low fat vegetarian diet at the time.
After going low carb, high fat, adding some coconut oil, and taking OTC 4-6,000 IU Vit D3 for about a year, tested over 50! The other difference was I stopped using sunscreen. I naturally now do not burn and stay out in sun much longer than before, sometimes using coconut oil on my skin as well.
Getting sun makes Vit D, which protects you from sun. Nature again gets it right. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/8-na.../#axzz1r58Fvffj

For a more scientific look at sunlight, Dr BarrY Groves had a good article with a focus on cancer. http://second-opinions.ginwiz.com/l.../sunlight.html/

Last edited by JEY100 : Sat, May-04-13 at 04:00.
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  #9   ^
Old Sat, May-04-13, 07:29
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WereBear WereBear is offline
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Plan: EpiPaleo/Primal/LowOx
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Gosh, yes, to what JEY100 says. When you said "prescription" I should have caught on. Had a number of similar discussions with people who had the same experience. "But it's prescription!" They couldn't believe the cheaper thing from the drugstore was much better.

But it's true.
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  #10   ^
Old Sat, May-04-13, 07:53
Nancy LC's Avatar
Nancy LC Nancy LC is offline
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Plan: DDF
Stats: 202/185.4/179 Female 67
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Default

D3 is really cheap too, so don't feel like you have to use it in prescription. It is probably the vegetable based D, which is D2, and it isn't converted well.

I usually buy 5000iu and get it from iherb or swansonvitamins, but you can get it in 10000iu from other sources. I think Biotek was one... they even have a 50,000iu one, which I used to take once a week, but I've heard it is better to get some everyday.
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  #11   ^
Old Sat, May-04-13, 11:55
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ajewett07 ajewett07 is offline
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Plan: Atkins Induction
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Default

It's D3...I take one pill each week for the next 4 weeks and then get my level checked again...if it hasn't gone up much, then I'll try something every day...Thanks, guys!
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  #12   ^
Old Wed, May-29-13, 17:24
Edward-WL Edward-WL is offline
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Plan: Medium low-carb
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I've never heard this matter
I think that vitamin D is good for fat burning, what do you think!!
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  #13   ^
Old Sat, Jul-20-13, 21:04
cindy_cfid cindy_cfid is offline
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Plan: Atkins
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As others have said, diet isn't a source of vitD *but* saturated fats are needed to make vitD bioavailable & that's why vegetarians have a hard time increasing their vitD.

Vitamin D3 deficiency has become an epidemic, probably because people are washing daily. If you wash skin exposed to the sun within 48 hours, you wash off the oils where the vitamin D production starts. In northern latitudes (above that of Atlanta, Georgia) the sun is at too low an angle for half the year to provide sufficient UV radiation. If even available, UVB rays are only accessible while the sun is directly overhead. Most people need to take vitamin D, especially seniors, as the ability to synthesize vitamin D in the skin declines with age.

With exposure to sunlight in the summer, the body can generate up to 20,000iu of vitamin D per hour with no ill effects. In addition, no adverse effects have been seen with supplemental vitamin D intakes up to 10,000 IU daily.

Vitamin D3 is not a vitamin at all but a necessary hormone that effects the immune system, bones & nearly every aspect of health. Having low Vitamin D levels greatly increases risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, MS & being deficient can create or greatly exacerbate health problems. Many researchers claim that optimized vitamin D levels are more effective than a flu shot in preventing viral infections.

Always take your vitamin D with a fat-containing meal to ensure absorption.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA4006...-Vitamin-D.html

Some prescription vitamin D supplements are the wrong type (ergocalciferol - vitamin D2). As warned by the National Institute of Health -

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17023693

Luckily you can buy vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) over the counter and the upper limits are extremely high. U.S. RDA are much too low. Current recommendations from researchers are for 35iu per pound - a 143# person needs minimum of 5000iu per day (which is for minimal needs and does not replenish depleted stores) & the rda is 600iu.

Research published by Grassroots Health from the D*Action study shows that 97.5% of the adult population needs to take 14,100iu's of vitamin D per day in order to elevate their levels above 50ng/ml, which they believe is the best for disease prevention & Universal intake of up to 40,000 IU vitamin D per day is unlikely to result in vitamin D toxicity.


http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1560518#i
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/a...-the-Truth.aspx

Your vitamin D level should never be below 32 ng/ml, and any levels below 20 ng/ml are considered serious deficiency states, increasing your risk of as many as 16 different cancers and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, just to name a few.


They found that the body does not reliably begin storing cholecalciferol in fat and muscle tissue until 25(OH)D levels get above 50 ng/ml (125 nmol/L). That is, at levels below 50 ng/ml (125 nmol/L), the body uses up vitamin D as fast as you can make it, or take it, indicating chronic substrate starvation—not a good thing. 25(OH)D levels should be between 50–80 ng/ml (125–200 nmol/L), year-round.



http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/heal...deficient.shtml


http://www.womentowomen.com/healthy...n/vitamind.aspx

http://enews.endocrinemetabolic.com...y-diseases.html




The cheapest source I've found for vit D3 -


http://www.vitacost.com/Referee?wls...ralCode=2287858

preferred recommendation - Country Life Vitamin D3 in MCT -- 5000 iu - 200 Softgels $8.62
2nd option - Vitacost Vitamin D Drops -- 2000 IU 900 servings - 1 fl oz = 365 days at 4960 iu $9.99
cheapest - 10,000 iu vit D for 365days $16.99 = $1.42 for a month's supply


Quick, free, self test of *severe* vitamin D deficiency -

Sternum and both tibia feeling pain when pressed probably represents vitamin D <20-25 ng/ml
If "yes" to both of these tests then you have a 93% chance of being Vit. D deficient.
http://www.vitamindwiki.com/tiki-index.php?page_id=2095


Order the Correct Test. There are two vitamin D tests -- 1,25(OH)D and 25(OH)D.
25(OH)D also called 25 hydroxy is the better marker of overall D status.
http://www.directlabs.com/
Vitamin D, 25 Hydroxy regularly $59


Symptoms of acute vitD deficiency can include -

Hair Loss
Weakness, Sadness, Listlessness, Tiredness, Muscle-Pain,
Cramps,
Circulation problems,
Twitching, (Eyelid, Arm, or Legs)
fingernails have small white spots,
Dizzyness,
Headache,
Standing causes back, hip, groin, and/or leg pain.
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  #14   ^
Old Fri, Nov-17-17, 06:13
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is online now
Posts: 13,370
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
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Can’t find the existing long thread on Vitamin D, so putting this new study here.

Quote:
Vitamin D Linked to Fertility Outcomes in ART
Only 26% of women had sufficient levels

Adequate levels of vitamin D were associated with better fertility outcomes in women undergoing assisted reproduction treatment (ART), a meta-analysis of recent studies found.
The analysis of 11 studies including 2,700 women reported that those with adequate vitamin D were 33% more likely to achieve live birth than those with deficient or insufficient levels (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.08-1.65), said researchers led by Justin Chu, PhD, of the University of Birmingham in the U.K.
Women with adequate vitamin D were also 34% more likely to achieve a positive pregnancy test (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.04-1.73) and 46% more likely to achieve a clinical pregnancy (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.05-2.02), Chu's group reported online in Human Reproduction.
However, the meta-analysis found no significant association between vitamin D concentrations and risk for miscarriage (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.81-1.54), Chu and colleagues said.
Only 26% of women in the studies analyzed had sufficient levels of vitamin D (>30 ng/mL). Approximately 45% had insufficient levels (<30 ng/mL) and 35% were vitamin D deficient (<20 ng/mL), the investigators said.
"Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of abnormal pregnancy implantation as well as obstetric complications such as pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction. However, the effect of vitamin D on conception and early pregnancy outcomes in couples undergoing ART is poorly understood," Chu's group wrote.
"Testing for vitamin D concentrations is relatively cheap and widely available, and its treatment is not costly," Chu said in a statement. "It could be that correcting vitamin D deficiency could benefit women undergoing assisted reproduction treatment, but further research is needed to test this."
"In the meantime, women who want to achieve a successful pregnancy should not rush off to their local pharmacy to buy vitamin D supplements until we know more about its effects," Chu cautioned. "It is possible to overdose on vitamin D and this can lead to too much calcium building up in the body, which can weaken bones and damage the heart and kidneys."
The meta-analysis provides strong evidence for the role of vitamin D in pregnancy outcomes, said Lauri Wright, PhD, director of the clinical nutrition program at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, in an email to MedPage Today. Wright, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, was not involved in the study.
"We have long known the importance of vitamin D for bone health. Additional functions of vitamin D that we are learning about include its role in the immune system and preventing cancer. Recently, more and more studies have shown the importance of vitamin D for conceiving as well as having a healthy pregnancy," Wright said.
"I believe we are going to see practice guidelines to measure vitamin D levels in women trying to conceive and who are pregnant," Wright said. "And the guidelines will also include vitamin D supplementation recommendations."
The 11 studies included in the meta-analysis were published from 2010 through 2015. They were all cohort studies, six retrospective and five prospective. Sample sizes ranged from 84 to 517 women. Nine studies reported the women's ages, and, of these, seven had a mean age of approximately 37 years while two had a higher mean age of approximately 40 years.
Eight of the studies used serum measurements of vitamin D, two used both follicular fluid and serum vitamin D, and one study used follicular fluid alone. Some studies measured vitamin D before the start of ART, while others assessed vitamin D at the time of oocyte retrieval.
Previous studies have reported seasonal variation in conception rates, with higher rates in the summer and fall. "The exact mechanism behind this has not been explained," Chu and colleagues said. "It is possible that an increase in sun exposure and greater sunlight luminosity increases the body's store of vitamin D, thereby yielding higher conception rates in summer and autumn."
Previous research has also shown that vitamin D has an impact on immunomodulation within the endometrium, reducing levels of active inflammatory cytokines. "The expression of vitamin D receptors at the level of the endometrium and the role of vitamin D in the transcription of the HOX10A gene (found to be of key importance in implantation) suggest that the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D may have a direct impact on implantation and therefore the likelihood of reproductive treatment success," Chu's group stated.
However, it is also possible that vitamin D level is simply a marker for general good health, they said.
A potential limitation of the meta-analysis was that the cohorts of women had different characteristics and that the ART protocols also differed among the studies, Chu and colleagues said. "However, this is not necessarily a disadvantage as some degree of clinical heterogeneity can increase the generalizability of the findings to wider infertility populations," they added.
"To further investigate the value of treatment of vitamin D deficiency in the infertile population an interventional trial would be necessary," they said.

Note that "adequate" is only 30 ng/mL yet only 26% of women even had that minimal level, many were worse. Study was in the UK, at a high latitude having ethnic groups, but the results were supported by a group in Jacksonville, FL as well.

Last edited by JEY100 : Fri, Nov-17-17 at 06:21.
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  #15   ^
Old Fri, Nov-17-17, 06:42
doreen T's Avatar
doreen T doreen T is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JEY100
Can’t find the existing long thread on Vitamin D, so putting this new study here.

It's on the first page in the Buddies' section .. http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=396439

Interesting study; thanks Janet
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