Sangye
12-27-2010, 03:23 AM
I've been meaning to start this thread for awhile to make sure people know how important vitamin D is to Weggies. Your doc should be monitoring your D levels very regularly--much more than for a healthy person. Dr Seo checks mine every 3 months.
Reasons to keep D levels normal:
1) Vitamin D is even more important than calcium in protecting your bones.
Pred causes bone loss as we all know. So does inactivity, abdominal fat and poor diet-- all common with Weggies.
2) Proper levels of D have been shown to protect against flu and shorten the duration and intensity of symptoms if you do get the flu.
3) Many of our meds cause photosensitivity (sunburn easily) so we can't manufacture much D.
4) Vitamin D deficiency is very common with autoimmune diseases and may play a part in their onset and/or flares.
5) Vitamin D deficiency can cause pain throughout the body.
6) Since vitamin D is connected to calcium absorption, and calcium is an alkaline mineral that's important for maintaining the body's pH, low levels of D cause pH problems. This makes you a petri dish for all types of infections.
What type of D should I take?
If you are quite deficient in D, you may need a lot of D to get into normal range. When blood levels of D are very low, MDs like to prescribe D in the form "ergocalciferol" because they can give you much higher doses than you can get in OTC supplements. However, ergocalciferol is a poor form of D and does not act the same way in the body as natural forms.
The type of D to take is "cholecalciferol." If you are very deficient, you'll need to get a high-potency supplement from a healthcare provider (eg chiropractor, naturopath, nutritionist). Weggies often have poor nutrient absorption so you may need to take a lot just to absorb a reasonable amount.
How much should I take?
You might need a surprising amount. I've had to take 8,000 IUs just to get into normal range. But in the last couple months (due to seasonal changes), I'm too low again. I have to bump it up to a whopping 10,000 IUs a day. (OTC supplements are 200-400IUs)
Holy Petunias, is that safe?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning your body stores it and mega-dosing can cause toxicity. You should never take high doses without regularly monitoring labs. Having said that, neither Dr Seo nor my chiropractor are the least bit worried about me getting too much.
If I live in a sunny area can I still be deficient?
Yes. Many of my patients in Arizona were D-deficient. There are many reasons why just being exposed to sun isn't enough to keep your levels in proper range. It's way too long to explain here.
Please ask your docs to measure your current D levels. It can take awhile to build it up in your body and you might need repeat testing. This is one simple way to avoid many of the winter illnesses. :thumbsup:
Reasons to keep D levels normal:
1) Vitamin D is even more important than calcium in protecting your bones.
Pred causes bone loss as we all know. So does inactivity, abdominal fat and poor diet-- all common with Weggies.
2) Proper levels of D have been shown to protect against flu and shorten the duration and intensity of symptoms if you do get the flu.
3) Many of our meds cause photosensitivity (sunburn easily) so we can't manufacture much D.
4) Vitamin D deficiency is very common with autoimmune diseases and may play a part in their onset and/or flares.
5) Vitamin D deficiency can cause pain throughout the body.
6) Since vitamin D is connected to calcium absorption, and calcium is an alkaline mineral that's important for maintaining the body's pH, low levels of D cause pH problems. This makes you a petri dish for all types of infections.
What type of D should I take?
If you are quite deficient in D, you may need a lot of D to get into normal range. When blood levels of D are very low, MDs like to prescribe D in the form "ergocalciferol" because they can give you much higher doses than you can get in OTC supplements. However, ergocalciferol is a poor form of D and does not act the same way in the body as natural forms.
The type of D to take is "cholecalciferol." If you are very deficient, you'll need to get a high-potency supplement from a healthcare provider (eg chiropractor, naturopath, nutritionist). Weggies often have poor nutrient absorption so you may need to take a lot just to absorb a reasonable amount.
How much should I take?
You might need a surprising amount. I've had to take 8,000 IUs just to get into normal range. But in the last couple months (due to seasonal changes), I'm too low again. I have to bump it up to a whopping 10,000 IUs a day. (OTC supplements are 200-400IUs)
Holy Petunias, is that safe?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning your body stores it and mega-dosing can cause toxicity. You should never take high doses without regularly monitoring labs. Having said that, neither Dr Seo nor my chiropractor are the least bit worried about me getting too much.
If I live in a sunny area can I still be deficient?
Yes. Many of my patients in Arizona were D-deficient. There are many reasons why just being exposed to sun isn't enough to keep your levels in proper range. It's way too long to explain here.
Please ask your docs to measure your current D levels. It can take awhile to build it up in your body and you might need repeat testing. This is one simple way to avoid many of the winter illnesses. :thumbsup: