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Vitamin D test results back, any input appreciated

keenly

Senior Member
Messages
814
Location
UK
Should I supplement?

I thought there was a train of thinking that Vitamin D is not ideal for us. Is this test helpful?
 

drob31

Senior Member
Messages
1,487
Wow that's low. Do you supplement with vitamin D? Also, just for the future, I would black out your personal info in the document.
 

TigerLilea

Senior Member
Messages
1,147
Location
Vancouver, British Columbia
I was also going to recommend you block out your personal information. Your D is too low. It leaves you at a much higher risk of getting cancer and osteoporosis. Also if you have any pain, it tends to be worse in people with low D. Make sure when you supplement that you use D3 (not D2). And I wouldn't use the low dose of 400 IU which is the "daily" value set by the gov't. Until you get your numbers up, I would think you would need to be taking at least 5,000 IU per day. Just be sure to get it checked again in three months time and also get your calcium levels checked as Vitamin D can cause them to go too high.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,321
Location
Southern California
If mine were that low, I would definitely supplement. My doctors in general have wanted my levels at at least 50 and D3 is the kind to take. I think 5000 IU is a good dose, as @TigerLilea said, and do get retested.
 

Neunistiva

Senior Member
Messages
442
I also got low levels, even lower than you actually, I am at 8 ng/mL.

I found this meta-analysis by Mayo Clinic:
http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(13)00404-7/fulltext

From the section Type of Vitamin D Supplementation I would say vitamin D2 and D3 are equally effective, or close enough, so D2 is probably fine for people who want to avoid animal products.

In the section Food Sources they said

An analysis of the vitamin D intake of children and adults in the United States revealed that they were unable to achieve the RDA for vitamin D from any dietary sources.

I found this especially interesting because I am bedridden and light sensitive, so I obviously don't get any vitamin D from sunlight, but I eat a very varied diet, which includes a lot of fish and some eggs, and still my 25(OH)D was so very low.

It's a long and complicated document, but I think it all comes down to this

There is potentially a great upside (in terms of improving overall health and well-being) to increasing serum 25(OH)D levels above 30 ng/mL.

I started taking 1000 IU per day, and trying to get my parents to open a window when there's some sunlight coming in. It's torture though, because of the noise and heat.
 

5150

Senior Member
Messages
360
There's a version of D @2000 IU which comes in emulsion form. / mixes with water, ~1/2 cup.
I had a really low D scare about 2years ago and my very knowledgeable naturopath uses it in her practice.
Also accompanied by a very low B 12 level. Both conditions improved dramatically with those supplements.

These two low levels at the same time are very dangerous. I was extremely sick, and unnerved by the ER experience.
Bio-D-Mulsion Forte from Biotics Research... on Amazon I believe, but it can be ordered directly I'm sure.

Naturopath said start high(5000) and work toward maintenance, but maintain at about 2000.

* this was my personal experience. we are all different; your needs may not be what mine are*

Best to you.
 

TigerLilea

Senior Member
Messages
1,147
Location
Vancouver, British Columbia
From the section Type of Vitamin D Supplementation I would say vitamin D2 and D3 are equally effective, or close enough, so D2 is probably fine for people who want to avoid animal products.
I totally disagree with you that D2 and D3 are equally effective. Vitamin D3 is much closer to what the body makes naturally from exposure to sunlight. I've also come across several people over the years who were using prescription D2 and their blood levels weren't coming up, and when they switched to OTC D3 their levels came up quickly. Check out the "Vitamin D Council" for more info.
 

Neunistiva

Senior Member
Messages
442
@TigerLilea I just supplied meta-analysis for people to read and told in short what is says in there. That sections is short enough for everyone to read and make up their own mind.

I do however strongly urge people to form their opinions based on peer-reviewed research, (meta-analysis are even better). Avoid anecdotal evidence and certainly avoid private websites such as "Vitamin D Council" owned by a corporation started by a controversial doctor, plastered with commercials and trying to sell products.
 

Neunistiva

Senior Member
Messages
442

Have you read the bolded parts?

"these studies offered little information for lower doses, which are more realistic in terms of what individuals are likely to be able to consume within their daily diet and gain from sunlight exposure and the concentrations of ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol available in commercial supplements.

Thus, in combination with the small and underpowered study populations (n = 19–89) and lack of data in lower doses, there is a clear need for additional research to ascertain whether the results obtained within the studies included in this review translate across the entire dose-response curve.

In conclusion, our results suggest a favoring toward cholecalciferol rather than ergocalciferol supplementation with respect to the more effective improvement of vitamin D status. When the frequency of dosage administration was compared, there was a significant response for vitamin D3 when given as a bolus dose (P = 0.0002) compared with administration of vitamin D2, but the effect was lost with daily supplementation."



I think it's fair to say more research is needed, since they don't seem to know anything about the difference in metabolism of D2 and D3, meta-analyses disagree and are based on small research with some flaws.

Luckily, 25(OH)D levels are relatively easy to check to know if one is on the right track personally.
 

Neunistiva

Senior Member
Messages
442
@keenly what are the 1,25 dehydroxy vitamin D results?? thats important i think, when deciding to supplement or not

I was wondering about this myself.

In another recent thread on Vitamin D a video was linked of Dr. Kenny De Meirleir saying 1,25(OH)D was more important, yet I could find no lab that measures it and this was the general attitude across all studies I found:

Although 1,25(OH)D is the biologically active form, it provides no information about vitamin D status because it is often normal or even elevated in children and adults who are vitamin D deficient.
 
Last edited:

*GG*

senior member
Messages
6,389
Location
Concord, NH
Should I supplement?

I thought there was a train of thinking that Vitamin D is not ideal for us. Is this test helpful?

You live in the UK and had blood sent to the USA? I would supplement with Vitamin D. I found that 1K IUs usually brought my blood level up around 10 ng/ml, although as you go higher, or with time, you need to take more. I take 5k IUs year round, I get a little sun, and take 10K IUs during the shorter months Sept into April or so.

GG
 

keenly

Senior Member
Messages
814
Location
UK
Wow that's low. Do you supplement with vitamin D? Also, just for the future, I would black out your personal info in the document.

No, I do not supplement, and I can not stand the heat right now. I have probably been in the sun once, maybe twice in the last 4 months or so. Not that be get much in the UK anyway.

The personal info is not that personal, no worries.

Cheers
 

Daffodil

Senior Member
Messages
5,875
@Neunistiva @keenly most every lab does this test...even Canadian labs. but they charge extra here. you have to ask your doctor to order it.

as for the significance of it, I know that high 1,25 and low 25 means inflammation...but now I cannot remember anything else lol I will have to google.

maybe I am wrong and it isn't important...but all the CFS specialists measure it and it used to mean something...
 

Neunistiva

Senior Member
Messages
442
@Daffodil I called every private and government owned lab in my city. They only do 25(OH)D

I will supplement vit D and see how I feel. I don't have the 1,25 (OH)D test available so I am just making an educated guess that being in a darkened room for 2 years did indeed dangerously lower my vit D levels.