OT: Vitamin D deficiency

[RUaMoose_rivals]

Early last year I get a routine blood test at the VA and it shows I'm Vit-D deficient. It was 10.7 with the normal range being 30-100. So I start taking supps -- about 2000-3000 IU a day. I got it tested again a couple months back and it was 26.4. Better, but still under the minimum. I went on Amazon and got 5000 IU tablets and have been taking one a day for about a month now. Doctor says to make sure you take it with food (
I had been taking it in the morning with coffee.) so it gets properly absorbed. Question, how long should I wait to get tested again ? I've read anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months. I got to thinking, there must be a lot of people walking around Vitamin D deficient and don't know it especially in winter when you're not getting much sun. PSA: get you level checked because as I understand it there's many health problems that can stem from low vitamin D levels.

 

[Rutgers'02]

Insurance will only cover vitamin D levels three times/year. Surprisingly, its an expensive test to get, so if you go over that limit, you'll get hit with a nice bill. However, you are a VA patient, so I'm not sure if that'll apply to you.

At any rate, I recommend waiting 3-6 months before getting it re-checked. I suspect at that point, you'll be able to go back to 1,000/daily.

We don't really know what the "optimal" vitamin D level should be, but you're quite close and I wouldn't be overly concerned about it. I'm assuming that you don't have a history of kidney stones, high calcium levels. Higher dose vitamin D may not be optimal in that case and since your levels were already increasing, I'd use the lower (1-2,000/day) dose instead.

 

[LETSGORU91_]

Vitamin D is a fat soluble supplement. Meaning it needs to be taken with food that has fat to be dissolved and absorbed into the body . Coffee has no fat and therefore not able to break it down and absorb it through your lymph system. Mega doses can lead to toxic levels as fat soluble vitamins are stored in the body for later use. Only take recommended doses

 

[soundcrib]

"For people who've been ingrained with the one-a-day-concept as the sensible way to take supplements, nutrition experts say vitamin D is a forgiving vitamin, and many different approaches work equally well.

People can pop a lot at once, even a week's worth at a single sitting, with no adverse effects. And unlike the other fat-soluble vitamins, A, E and K, the sunshine vitamin is absorbed well without food, so it can be taken any time.

"Take it on a full stomach, take it on an empty stomach. Take it once a day, take it twice a day. Take it with fat, take it without fat. None of that matters," said John Cannell, head of the Vitamin D Council, a California-based advocacy group promoting the nutrient."

*****

"The fact is that the studies are so conflicting, and the 25(OH)D measurement techniques are so variable, that it simply does not matter if you take vitamin D in oil or as a powder, it does not matter if you take food with your vitamin D, or on an empty stomach. What matter is that you take enough so that you obtain vitamin D levels of 50 -60 ng/ml. This means you are no longer suffering from substrate starvation (your vitamin D system has all the vitamin D it needs for all of its many uses and is beginning to store some vitamin D for the future)."

 

[Upstream]

Isn't Moose the guy who says he'd rather sit inside and watch Rutgers football on TV, instead of going out to the stadium and tailgate and watch the game live in the sunshine.

 

[RU4Real]

Take a walk. Get some sun.

 

[LETSGORU91_]

"For people who've been ingrained with the one-a-day-concept as the sensible way to take supplements, nutrition experts say vitamin D is a forgiving vitamin, and many different approaches work equally well.

People can pop a lot at once, even a week's worth at a single sitting, with no adverse effects. And unlike the other fat-soluble vitamins, A, E and K, the sunshine vitamin is absorbed well without food, so it can be taken any time.

"Take it on a full stomach, take it on an empty stomach. Take it once a day, take it twice a day. Take it with fat, take it without fat. None of that matters," said John Cannell, head of the Vitamin D Council, a California-based advocacy group promoting the nutrient."

*****

"The fact is that the studies are so conflicting, and the 25(OH)D measurement techniques are so variable, that it simply does not matter if you take vitamin D in oil or as a powder, it does not matter if you take food with your vitamin D, or on an empty stomach. What matter is that you take enough so that you obtain vitamin D levels of 50 -60 ng/ml. This means you are no longer suffering from substrate starvation (your vitamin D system has all the vitamin D it needs for all of its many uses and is beginning to store some vitamin D for the future)."

So according to that, vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that really isn't fat soluble and is any soluble? That's the first I have ever heard of that.

 

[theRU]

I just found out too... been out of the sun lately and stuck in the office. Started taking D vitamin but haven't been doing it with food.

 

[czxqa]

There are two kinds of vitamins- fat soluble and water soluble. The difference isn't due to how you have to take them, It's how they act once already in your system. An excess of vitamin C, being water soluble, would be filtered by the kidneys from the bloodstream and passed in the urine. Fat suloble vitamins are stored in the body's fat cells and drawn down from there when needed. That's why it's important not to take large doses over long periods of time as toxicity can result.

That said, the medical community has reassessed appropriate vitamin D levels in the last decade and raised them quite a bit. My hepatologist told me to take 5,000 IU every day. I've been doing that for nearly a year and my levels are in the normal range now. He himself takes 25,000 to 30,000 IU once a week.

I take mine in the morning with my other pills and a glass of water. Food, what kind, etc. really doesn't matter.

 

[RU#1fan]

Isn't Moose the guy who says he'd rather sit inside and watch Rutgers football on TV, instead of going out to the stadium and tailgate and watch the game live in the sunshine.

Yeah but we had too many cloudy /rainy games over the last few seasons...

 

[LETSGORU91_]

There are two kinds of vitamins- fat soluble and water soluble. The difference isn't due to how you have to take them, It's how they act once already in your system. An excess of vitamin C, being water soluble, would be filtered by the kidneys from the bloodstream and passed in the urine. Fat suloble vitamins are stored in the body's fat cells and drawn down from there when needed. That's why it's important not to take large doses over long periods of time as toxicity can result.

That said, the medical community has reassessed appropriate vitamin D levels in the last decade and raised them quite a bit. My hepatologist told me to take 5,000 IU every day. I've been doing that for nearly a year and my levels are in the normal range now. He himself takes 25,000 to 30,000 IU once a week.

I take mine in the morning with my other pills and a glass of water. Food, what kind, etc. really doesn't matter.

I'm not sure how you are arriving at the conclusion that fat soluble vitamins can be taken on an empty stomach or with food. Soluble is a term which denotes how something dissolves. Fat soluble vitamins need fat to dissolve and thus absorb through the small intestine. Water soluble vitamins break down in water and are more easily broken down and absorbed.

 

[Scarlet Haze]

Save time when you need to take vitamins with food with this helpful hint.....you are welcome!

 

[wheezer]

a few years ago, when I was working and dealing with such questions, the upper amount of a daily dose was suggested to be 3,000 IU..... a quick scan of a more recent article or two now suggests up to 4,000...... if you needed more than that, the doctor would prescribe
a prescription dose, I believe it was 50,000 IU, one tablet per week.

If the thinking has been changed, and doctors are comfortable with 5,000 daily of the OTC, I would
stay regularly monitored.

 

[DJ Spanky]

Save time when you need to take vitamins with food with this helpful hint.....you are welcome!

DUDE! We've got a new Grease Truck sandwich: The Fat Vitamin!

 

[beaced_rivals]

Isn't Moose the guy who says he'd rather sit inside and watch Rutgers football on TV, instead of going out to the stadium and tailgate and watch the game live in the sunshine.

And the rain and the snow. Speaking of sunshine at RU Games.I,my son in law and my three grandsons almost got sun stroke watching a 12:00 PM game against VTECH a bunch of years ago.

 

[Scarletnut]

I'm not sure how you are arriving at the conclusion that fat soluble vitamins can be taken on an empty stomach or with food. Soluble is a term which denotes how something dissolves. Fat soluble vitamins need fat to dissolve and thus absorb through the small intestine. Water soluble vitamins break down in water and are more easily broken down and absorbed.

You're a little off. Fat soluble vitamins are absorbed into body fat, metabolized by the liver. High doses can be toxic. Relatively new (last 10-20 years), fat soluble vitamins have been formulated in a water soluble formula so that any excess is passed through the urine, making toxicity a non issue. I recommend any high (mega) dose of vitamins be taken in a water soluble formula to prevent any toxicities.

 

[RUnTeX]

Doctor says to make sure you take it with food (
I had been taking it in the morning with coffee.) so it gets properly absorbed. Question, how long should I wait to get tested again ? I've read anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months.

I dunno but I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest you ask this question to said doctor...the one who gave you sound advice about taking the supplement with food.

 

[DJ Spanky]

I dunno but I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest you ask this question to said doctor...the one who gave you sound advice about taking the supplement with food.

Seriously? You think that doctor is going to know more than this board?

 

[LETSGORU91_]

You're a little off. Fat soluble vitamins are absorbed into body fat, metabolized by the liver. High doses can be toxic. Relatively new (last 10-20 years), fat soluble vitamins have been formulated in a water soluble formula so that any excess is passed through the urine, making toxicity a non issue. I recommend any high (mega) dose of vitamins be taken in a water soluble formula to prevent any toxicities.

In order for those vitamins to be broken down, they must dissolve and be brought into the lymphatic system. Thus fat soluble (soluble meaning able to dissolve) vitamins need fat to break down. I find it hard to believe they will be absorbed through the small intestine without dissolving first. That's my interpretation of it. This is the first thing I came across when looking up fat soluble vitamins: "The fat-soluble vitamins are soluble in lipids (fats). These vitamins are usually absorbed in fat globules (called chylomicrons) that travel through the lymphatic system of the small intestines and into the general blood circulation within the body." And this: "Fat-soluble vitamins are most abundant in high-fat foods and are much better absorbed into your bloodstream when you eat them with fat." And as per a 2016 study published in the NEJM: "The fat-soluble vitamins (FSV) A, D, E and K, are absorbed in the intestine in the presence of fat." I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

 

[Retired711]

My impression is that borderline or low Vitamin D levels are common. The usual comprehensive metabolic panel that doctors ask for on blood tests does not include D testing, and so it's hard to know exactly how prevalent it is. You might want to look at your calcium levels; if they're low, that is a strong sign you are not getting enough D because the body needs D to absorb calcium.

I am always suspicious of supplements (comes from my doctor), and so I would urge you to eat more foods with Vitamin D and try to get more sun. Sun is a very effective source of D.

 

[Scarletnut]

In order for those vitamins to be broken down, they must dissolve and be brought into the lymphatic system. Thus fat soluble (soluble meaning able to dissolve) vitamins need fat to break down. I find it hard to believe they will be absorbed through the small intestine without dissolving first. That's my interpretation of it. This is the first thing I came across when looking up fat soluble vitamins: "The fat-soluble vitamins are soluble in lipids (fats). These vitamins are usually absorbed in fat globules (called chylomicrons) that travel through the lymphatic system of the small intestines and into the general blood circulation within the body." And this: "Fat-soluble vitamins are most abundant in high-fat foods and are much better absorbed into your bloodstream when you eat them with fat." And as per a 2016 study published in the NEJM: "The fat-soluble vitamins (FSV) A, D, E and K, are absorbed in the intestine in the presence of fat." I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

I think we're talking about 2 different things. The absorption of fat soluble vitamins from the gut and the storage of fat soluble vitamins in the body. Yes, you are right, fat soluble vitamins are better absorbed with meals (not necessarily fatty meals) but the term "fat soluble" refers to where they are stored in the body (fat and fatty organs like the liver) and therefore have the potential of being retained in high quantities that are detrimental to your health. Water soluble vitamins are not stored anywhere and any amounts not used are excreted in the urine.

 

[RUaMoose_rivals]

" .... because the body needs D to absorb calcium. "

This is true, I chew a 750mg Tums every day as well -- poor man's calcium supplement.

 

[ponyfoot19]

My doctor is a proponent of his patients taking D3 supplements too. His other recommendation, and I wonder if others have heard this as well, is that men over 50 taking a multi vitamin, make sure it is one without iron. Supposedly its not good for the heart.

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

It is a lot easy for your body to get Vitamins from food than from a pill, you always end up pissing most of it out .

Sunlight helps a lot! So walk outside a bit everyday, only a few minutes is all you need.

Also change your diet to include more foods with VD, still take the pills too, but remember they are a supplement NOT a substitute.

Here are some foods with good VD:

FISH: Fatty fish like Salmon, trout, mackerel, and tuna.

Cow MILK or Fortified plant based Milk.

Egg yolks

Fortified cereal and drinks

Beef liver

 

[RUnTeX]

every day

If you take an antacid that regularly, you are not doing yourself any favors, even if you try to justify that you're getting supplemental calcium. Try cutting out foods/drinks that cause heartburn or acid indigestion.

 

[psychoRUfan]

I take one 5,000 iu every day, keep doing that you will be fine.

 

[LETSGORU91_]

I think we're talking about 2 different things. The absorption of fat soluble vitamins from the gut and the storage of fat soluble vitamins in the body. Yes, you are right, fat soluble vitamins are better absorbed with meals (not necessarily fatty meals) but the term "fat soluble" refers to where they are stored in the body (fat and fatty organs like the liver) and therefore have the potential of being retained in high quantities that are detrimental to your health. Water soluble vitamins are not stored anywhere and any amounts not used are excreted in the urine.

We should have a couple of beers and pop a few vitamins

 

[RobotHunter]

Seriously? You think that doctor is going to know more than this board?

Sadly, most Dr.'s know very little about vitamin and mineral deficiencies. They would rather just put you on a prescription med for any symptoms.

 

[yesrutgers01]

Seriously? You think that doctor is going to know more than this board?

I've heard some crazy bat shot crap on this board but to hear that someone thinks a doctor knows more than us is almost as bad as the OP saying it says to take with food and he thinks coffee is food.
I am not sure if a doctor or a Rutgers fan is going to be of any help...

 

[Scarlet_Scourge]

I've heard some crazy bat shot crap on this board but to hear that someone thinks a doctor knows more than us is almost as bad as the OP saying it says to take with food and he thinks coffee is food.
I am not sure if a doctor or a Rutgers fan is going to be of any help...

Doctors don't know jack about medicine, college football fans are the real experts in health, and I always eat a cup of coffee and drink a bagel for breakfast.

 

[Rutgers'02]

I’m a doctor and am going to blow all your minds. Vitamin D is more like a hormone than vitamin per se.

 

[BigRnj]

I’m a doctor and am going to blow all your minds. Vitamin D is more like a hormone than vitamin per se.

A beach Doctor?

 

[NewJerseyGuy]

I’m a doctor and am going to blow all your minds. Vitamin D is more like a hormone than vitamin per se.

 

[BIGTENITCH]

Moose, CONGRATS on being the first person ever to come up with a vaild reason for a noon start!

 

[Anon1654767511]

Early last year I get a routine blood test at the VA and it shows I'm Vit-D deficient. It was 10.7 with the normal range being 30-100. So I start taking supps -- about 2000-3000 IU a day. I got it tested again a couple months back and it was 26.4. Better, but still under the minimum. I went on Amazon and got 5000 IU tablets and have been taking one a day for about a month now. Doctor says to make sure you take it with food (
I had been taking it in the morning with coffee.) so it gets properly absorbed. Question, how long should I wait to get tested again ? I've read anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months. I got to thinking, there must be a lot of people walking around Vitamin D deficient and don't know it especially in winter when you're not getting much sun. PSA: get you level checked because as I understand it there's many health problems that can stem from low vitamin D levels.

Don't know how much time you spend outdoors but sun exposure (ultraviolet rays) aids in the body's production of Vitamin D. Getting more sun will likely help rectify your Vitamin D deficiency.

D is important because it aids in the body's absorption of Calcium thereby helping prevent kidney stones and osteoporosis.

 

[BIGTENITCH]

..and by the looks of your self- portrait in your avatar you R correct!

 

[RUaMoose_rivals]

If you take an antacid that regularly, you are not doing yourself any favors, even if you try to justify that you're getting supplemental calcium. Try cutting out foods/drinks that cause heartburn or acid indigestion.

I don't get heartburn. I take an antacid as a cheap Calcium supplement since it's the same active ingredient (Calcium Carbonate) as the higher priced Calcium supplements

 

[RUnTeX]

I don't get heartburn. I take an antacid as a cheap Calcium supplement since it's the same active ingredient (Calcium Carbonate) as the higher priced Calcium supplements

Gotcha...I get the economic decision but curious approach nonetheless. To each his own.