Wednesday, March 13, 2013

How long will it take for my vitamin D deficiency to get better?

Q. I was diagnosed as having a severe deficiency (9.7) and started taking prescription supplements. I was wondering how long it took others to start feeling less fatigued and achy once they got treatment. (My doctor is out of town so I have to wait to ask her.)

A. your doctor will do more blood work to see what the new level is. Be sure that you are taking vitamin D3 which is natural like from sunlight and if you only take 10,000 - 15,000 IU or so on prescription then you can get the same from dietary supplements OTC and save some money. Just tell your doctor


do you get vitamin D from a suntan bed the same as from the sun?
Q. I have heard that vitamin D3 is important for good health and that sun exposure increases D3 in the body, would the rays from a suntan bed or standup tanning lights have the same effect?

A. Sensible sun exposure provides the body with the vitamin D that it needs to help ward off depression, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and osteoporosis. However, many people have trouble incorporating sunshine into their daily routines, especially in winter months when daylight hours are few and outdoor activities scarce. When sunshine is hard to come by, it might be tempting to substitute a trip to the tanning salon for time spent outdoors. Can tanning beds offer the same health benefits as sunshine? Specifically, are tanning booths a safe source of vitamin D? Tanning salons might like you to think so, but don�t be fooled. Indoor tanning is not an advisable source of vitamin D. The reason lies in the characteristics of ultraviolet light rays, and how these rays affect the body.

Both the sun and tanning beds emit two types of ultraviolet light rays, UVA and UVB. The skin absorbs both types, but in different ways. UVA rays have longer wavelengths that penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin, whereas UVB rays� wavelengths are short and only reach the surface layers of skin. Both types of rays contribute to the health risks associated with excessive sun exposure, such as the risk of developing skin cancers. However, UVB rays also trigger the synthesis of the vitamin D precursor in the skin, and thus are solely responsible for the healthy benefits of sunshine. For most people, exposing one�s arms and face to sunshine for about 20 minutes per day provides the skin with enough UVB rays to eliminate vitamin D deficiencies, without causing long-term damage to the skin.

However, while UVB rays account for the health benefits of sunshine, tanning salons are more interested in UVA rays. This is because overexposure to UVB rays, which affect the surface layers of skin, quickly causes sunburns. On the other hand, UVA rays are responsible for the golden-brown tan sought after by most salon patrons. As a result, most tanning salons calibrate their tanning beds to emit approximately 95 percent UVA rays. This calibration maximizes the tanning effects of the machine and minimizes the risk of burning. Unfortunately, it also minimizes the amount of vitamin D that can be metabolized relative to the exposure to damaging ultraviolet rays.

In theory, a tanning bed can be calibrated to emit a greater percentage of UVB rays. However, it is important to remember that the safety of exposure to either type of ultraviolet rays depends upon its moderation. Most people do not enter tanning beds wearing pants and T-shirts, and exposing too much surface area of the skin can quickly result in excessive absorption of ultraviolet light rays.

That something as simple as being in the sun can have such profound effects on our health is exciting news, but do not disregard the risks of overexposure. Remember, 15�20 minutes of sunshine a day, several times per week, provides sufficient UVB absorption for most Caucasians to optimize their vitamin D levels; however, the darker your skin, the more time you need. In addition, this natural mechanism does not work equally well at all latitudes and seasons and in all people. If you are unsure of the amount of sunshine needed, you can get your vitamin D levels tested and consider supplementing your vitamin D3 intake. Most tanning beds, while they might offer a golden-brown hue, put you at risk of unnecessary, excessive exposure to dangerous UVA rays, and are by no means a substitute for old-fashioned sunshine.


How much potential sunlight to get regular vitamin d from 21 of vitamin d?
Q. Does anyone know? My doctor says my vitamin d level is 21 even after having been on a presription of 50,000 iu for a minth two months ago, now im trying 5,000 a day with a lot of sunlight. Wondering what to possibly expect. Thanks.

A. Do you avoid saturated fats? Saturated fats are required to make vit.D (as well as calcium, other vitamins & minerals & even omega 3 fatty acids) bioavailable so they can be incorporated into the body structure.

The 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 150# person needs minimum of 5250iu per day & the rda is 400iu. This amount is for minimal needs and does not replenish depleted stores.

Research published by Grassroots Health from the D*Action study shows that 97.5% of the adult population needs to take 9,600 IU's of vitamin D per day in order to elevate their levels above 40ng/ml, which they believe is the absolute minimum for disease prevention.

*Even if* you get sufficient sun exposure, if you wash within 48 hours of sun exposure, you wash off the oil that would have converted to vitD.

To prevent vitamin D deficiency, one should spend 20 minutes daily in the sunshine with 40% of the skin surface exposed. High concentration of melanin in the skin slows the production of vitamin D; similarly aging greatly reduces skin production of vitamin D. Use of sunblock, common window glass & clothing, all effectively block UVB radiation. People who work indoors, wear extensive clothing, regularly use sunblock, are dark skinned, obese, aged or consciously avoid the sun, are at risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Despite the abundance of sunshine in the Middle East allowing vitamin D synthesis all year round, the region registers some of the lowest levels of vitamin D and the highest rates of vitamin D deficiency worldwide.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3068797/

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/QAA400676/More-Vitamin-D.html

I also highly recommend a low carb way of eating for optimal health.


http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1560518#i
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/10/Vitamin-D-Experts-Reveal-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/health/deficiency/am-i-vitamin-d-deficient.shtml



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/healthynutrition/vitamind.aspx



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/2008/05/vitamin-dthe-cure-for-many-diseases.html


Excess of vitamin D can cause dark skin tint?
Q. Also do you know what is the normal amount to take for an adult?
Is taking 2000 IU (vitamin D3) daily too much?

A. I've taken 5000IU of vitamin D for a 1 1/2 years and have no dark skin tint. I am still vitamin D deficient however! so a major tip is make sure you are not deficient in magnesium - i have severe deficiency :( Magnesium is the main co factor for vitamin D absorption.

http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/





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