Vitamin D deficiencies, how do you know besides blood work? And, is VA south eno!

To get adequate vitamin D from the sun you must be outside when the sun is directly overhead (noonish) with exposed skin & nearer the equator. It is possible that upper atmosphere pollution is blocking the needed UVB light from the sun. Vitamin D3 deficiency is becoming an epidemic. U.S. RDA are much too low.

Many researchers claim that optimized vitamin D levels are more effective than a flu shot in preventing viral infections. So just getting a cold or flu is a common symptom of low vitamin D. Some theorize that is why we (mostly) only get colds & flu in the winter.

Vitamin D3 is not a vitamin at all but a necessary hormone that effects the immune system & 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.

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

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17023…

Luckily you can buy vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) over the counter and the upper limits are extremely high. Current recommendations from researchers are for 35iu per pound - a 150# person needs minimum of 5250iu per day & the rda is 400iu. This amount is for minimal needs and does not account for depleted stores. March is when stores are at their lowest.

I have Fibromyalgia -Vitamin D3 supplementation has cleared the constant muscle pain. I did high levels for 3 weeks & was pain free. I knocked the dose down to 2000iu's a day & a week later the pain was back. After restarting high levels, the pain is managed again after 3 days.

I personally did 35,000iu per day for 2 months trying to refill my stores. It is highly recommended that you have your vit.D levels tested but my research shows toxicity only at outrageous, long term levels.


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.

25(OH)D test level - between 50–80 ng/ml (125–200 nmol/L), summer and winter

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/health/de…

Vitamin D deficiency may contribute to the wide set of disorders associated with metabolic syndrome (syndrome X), as well as to PCOS. In a study published in 2004, the authors saw a 60% improvement in insulin sensitivity in healthy, vitamin D replete adults

http://www.womentowomen.com/healthynutri…

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. 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 between 10,000 IU and 20,000 IU 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.

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

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400676/Mo…

Dr. Joe Prendergast, an endocrinologist /diabetologist has managed over 1500 diabetic patients and, in the last decade, not one of his patients has had a stroke or heart attack. Only one has even been hospitalized! His secret—50,000 units of Vitamin D3 daily. Dr. Joe further reports:

* Reversal of advanced coronary disease
* Reversal of advanced lung disease, avoiding a lung transplant!
* Cure of multiple sclerosis
* Cure of amotrophic lateral sclerosis
* Regression of rheumatoid arthritis
* Improvement in allergies
* Control of many cancers including prostate, breast, colon, brain tumors, leukemia, myeloma, etc
* Reversal of osteoporosis
* Prevention of influenza
* Cure of depression and many other mental disorders
* Hashimoto’s hyperthyroidism

In summary, the evidence for safety and remarkable efficacy of Vitamin D3 suggests that virtually ALL adults should probably take 50,000 units of D3 daily. This is certainly true for those with virtually any illness.

http://enews.endocrinemetabolic.com/2008…

http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1560…
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articl…

You can live in South America and still have a Vitamin D deficiency.

Sometimes it's due to genetics, an impaired immune system or disease....there are many reasons for it.

My aunt has fibromyalgia and has a low Vitamin D count...and lives in South Carolina.

I live in Washington state, have multiple sclerosis and have to take a lot of Vitamin D because my body isn't able to absorb it. Most of the blood test show a trace to nothing of Vitamin D.

Talk to your doctor about this if you are concerned.

Low vitamin D can weaken your immune system. It can also weaken your bones. Besides calcium you also need vitamin D for strong and healthy bones and if your vitamin D is low you will absorb less calcium.

If you are not getting much Sun a good supplement to take would be fortified cod liver oil. One capsule a day contains 400 IU of vitamin D and 4,000 IU of vitamin A.

I don't know about symptoms. Although, I do know that Vitamin D deficiency makes it more difficult to absorb calcium into your bones. And there is no such thing as being far South enough to not be at risk. I have very severe Vitamin D deficiency after being raised in South Carolina, as do many South Carolinians. The only way I know of is a blood test.

My life.