|
|
Vitamin D: amounts needed?
12-29-2009, 08:43 AM
|
#1
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,323
|
Vitamin D: amounts needed?
I've looked at a number of websites and am just confused now. Some say you need 600 i.u. a day, other say less, another said 35 i.u. for every pound you have. Dr. Oz on tv says he takes 5 - 1,000 i.u. a day in Winter, 3 in Fall and none in Spring and Summer when he is outside gardening and walking.
Since I had been having shooting pains again this year (as last year) in my legs and hip joints just lately this December, I spoke to some pool buddies who went to the Dr. for the very same thing, and they said lack of Vitamin D; since there is no sun visible many Winter days in this part of Illinois, I thought "yup, that must be it." So, I started popping the 5 - 1,000 i.u. a day = 5,000 i.u. of Vitamin D, and all the leg cramps and pain left.
However, my friend who has a Ph.D. in chemistry said to find out if this is too much and might be harmful. Great idea if the literature would all have the same answer.
Has anyone done more study on this than I have and have the answer as to how much Vitamin D one needs in Winter? Does Dr. Oz's suggestion seem about right or too much Vitamin D?
__________________
Please consider adopting a rescue animal. So very many need a furr-ever home and someone to love them! And if we all spay/neuter our pets there won't be an overpopulation to put to death.
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
12-29-2009, 08:52 AM
|
#2
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: S.W. Minnesota
Posts: 134
|
Vitamin D (D3 is the more effective form, by the way) is a very interesting subject. I take 6,000 IU in the winter. You can get tested for your blood level. Here is more info. (neat blog, too)
The Heart Scan Blog: vitamin D
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 08:57 AM
|
#3
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Two Harbors
Posts: 54
|
I had the Vitamin D blood test last summer and was quite low. Dr put me on 6000 per day for a couple of months and then the test was within normal but still on the low side. I am now taking 4000 per day until next test.
BTW...seems D3 is preferable as mentioned above. Costco has a D3 2000 that seems fine.
TomCat
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 09:02 AM
|
#4
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 969
|
There are a couple of sites that I start with to research these questions because I like the way they are presented; and, they are not trying to sell anything (books, supplements, etc.):
National Institutes of Health (NIH) at Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D for Vitamin D info.
Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute at Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University for Vitamin D info.
Personally, I aim for at least 400 IU plus at least 20 minutes in the sun several times per week.
__________________
If there's one thing in my life that's missing; It's the time I spend alone
Sailing on the cool and bright clear waters; There's lots of those friendly people
Showin me ways to go; And I never want to lose your inspiration
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 09:07 AM
|
#5
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: S.W. Minnesota
Posts: 134
|
20 minutes in the sun!!! It's 10 below zero, here
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 09:17 AM
|
#6
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,323
|
I'm beginning to understand why geezers head to Florida now. Would love to get 20 minutes in the sun IF I didn't have to bundle up with coat, gloves, hat, muffler. It's darn cold here (4 degrees last night).
Both studies posted by Coolchange seem to state 600 i.u. is adequate for a female over 65, but I'm telling you the shooting pains left with 5,000 i.u. I'll try scaling that back and see what happens out of curiousity.
Something is out of whack with all these studies 'cause doesn't seem right you can suggest 600 i.u then all the way up to 5,000 i.u.
How I wish I had more medical knowledge...sigh.
__________________
Please consider adopting a rescue animal. So very many need a furr-ever home and someone to love them! And if we all spay/neuter our pets there won't be an overpopulation to put to death.
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 09:26 AM
|
#7
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 969
|
I do admit that getting my 20 minutes of sun per day is tough this time of year. I'm in Missouri; and, we usually get into the upper 40's or low 50's during the day at least one or two days per week. Not this week though; so, I won't be getting my sun either.
I am planning to head to the Caribbean in a few weeks to stock up though.
__________________
If there's one thing in my life that's missing; It's the time I spend alone
Sailing on the cool and bright clear waters; There's lots of those friendly people
Showin me ways to go; And I never want to lose your inspiration
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 09:44 AM
|
#8
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: minnesota
Posts: 13,228
|
Here is a thread where I inquired about http://www.early-retirement.org/foru...n-d-31240.html. Rich has some good links on the state of the research. Currently, I take calcium with D added but not a megadose.
__________________
.
No more lawyer stuff, no more political stuff, so no more CYA
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 09:54 AM
|
#9
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,323
|
Thanks, Martha. I had put "Vitamin D" in the search column. Must not have looked down the pages enough. But read them, and looks like between 800-2,000 i.u. is okay for someone female and 65 to do safely. However, on some studies you are to take 35 i.u. per lb., which means at 140 you would be taking something like 4,800+ close to the 5,000 i.u. Dr. Oz takes.
I wish these studies would be more consistent. This is frustrating.
__________________
Please consider adopting a rescue animal. So very many need a furr-ever home and someone to love them! And if we all spay/neuter our pets there won't be an overpopulation to put to death.
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 10:02 AM
|
#10
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: the City of Subdued Excitement
Posts: 5,588
|
I spend most of the year in Calgary, Alberta.
Last year my doc gave me a megadose and prescribed daily doses of D3. I read up on it and have been taking 6000 units/day ever since (together with Costco multivitamins with another 1000 units). I seem to recall that up to 30,000 is probably safe to the average person.
It is said to boost the immune system, particularly with regard to influenza. A colleague and I caught a 'cold' on the same day. I only got the sniffles but he was hit very hard. He is a younger man, strong and an athlete, while I am a sedentary old man. An apocryphal account, but I believe it does have a positive effect.
__________________
I have outlived most of the people I don't like and I am working on the rest.
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 11:02 AM
|
#11
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Hagersville
Posts: 794
|
Last fall and winter I took 2000 units most days and did not have a cold or flu for the first time in years. I then stopped in mid spring and almost immediately got a cold. This winter I have upped it to 3000 and so far so good as far a sickness is concerned. I am not stopping till May this time.
__________________
I wish I was half as good as my dog thinks I am!
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 11:32 AM
|
#12
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 606
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Orchidflower
Since I had been having shooting pains again this year (as last year) in my legs and hip joints just lately this December, I spoke to some pool buddies who went to the Dr. for the very same thing, and they said lack of Vitamin D; since there is no sun visible many Winter days in this part of Illinois, I thought "yup, that must be it."
|
I know this isn't quite what you're asking, but I just thought I'd mention something. I was having similar pains a few years ago, and started doing about 15 minutes of weight-bearing exercises every day. I also started taking calcium supplements with Vitamin D. The pains are pretty much gone now. Hard to pinpoint exactly what helped, but I have assumed at least some benefit from the exercises.
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 03:20 PM
|
#13
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
|
Orchid, here's a summary of most of the key research so far:
CBC News - Health - Vitamin D: Boning up on the sunshine vitamin
The recommended dose will obviously depend on where you live. There are specific recommendations for children.
I live north of you and I take 1000 units a day. One of my colleagues ho is an expert in this area takes 2000 units a day.
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 04:14 PM
|
#14
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,323
|
Went to WalMart and got the D3 5,000 i.u. Guess I'll just take those on the really bad days where I have pain? Don't want to have a heart attack. Now I'll have to get some in the 1,000 i.u. range for everyday, too.
***I wonder if I take these 5,000 i.u. ones for just 3 months of the worst part of winter/and pain if it was have a lasting negative effect? Anyone know?
(Thanks for all the information, folks. I never even was aware there was a D3 or what it was until this afternoon. Iz gett'n edu-ma-cated!)
__________________
Please consider adopting a rescue animal. So very many need a furr-ever home and someone to love them! And if we all spay/neuter our pets there won't be an overpopulation to put to death.
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 06:49 PM
|
#15
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
|
An ode to Vitamin D
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 07:01 PM
|
#16
|
Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Orchidflower
I'm beginning to understand why geezers head to Florida now..
|
And this geezer is packing a lunch and a good book and spending a sunny day at the beach to get my Vitamin D .
|
|
|
12-29-2009, 07:34 PM
|
#17
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,323
|
Well, we have nice 12 degree above zero weather here now...so there! Oh, wait...maybe that's not so good? Oops.
__________________
Please consider adopting a rescue animal. So very many need a furr-ever home and someone to love them! And if we all spay/neuter our pets there won't be an overpopulation to put to death.
|
|
|
12-30-2009, 01:37 AM
|
#18
|
Dryer sheet aficionado
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 30
|
What is the skin to sun to time contact time?
Could we do more skin to sun contact and drop the amount of required time needed in the sun?
|
|
|
12-30-2009, 02:23 AM
|
#19
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 5,350
|
From october thru april i'm never in the sun for more than a couple minutes per day. May thru spetember i'm still usually in the sun less than 5 minutes per day. I may be outside for an hour or two a hand full of times per summer but that's it. I never take a supplement either and haven't noticed any consequences.
|
|
|
12-30-2009, 06:45 PM
|
#20
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Orlando
Posts: 2,657
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronc879
From october thru april i'm never in the sun for more than a couple minutes per day. May thru spetember i'm still usually in the sun less than 5 minutes per day. I may be outside for an hour or two a hand full of times per summer but that's it. I never take a supplement either and haven't noticed any consequences.
|
Have you had your blood level tested? It would be interesting to know if you have a normal level of Vitamin D in your blood with such a low level of sun exposure.
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Quick Links
|
|
|