Vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol, is both a vitamin and a hormone. It is considered a hormone because it is made in the body by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. It acts as a vitamin when it binds with calcium for proper absorption. Humans cannot digest calcium without adequate amounts of Vitamin D3.
Vitamin D3 is responsible for regulating calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood by absorption from food and re-absorption of calcium in the kidney. It promotes bone formation and is essential in the development of strong bones. It also inhibits paraththyroid hormone secretion from the parathyroid gland. Vitamin D affects the immune system by promoting immunosuppression and anti-tumor activity.
Vitamin D3 is part of the Vitamin D complex, essential nutrients that the human body uses to grow and develop healthily. Ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol are the two forms of D vitamins and are known as vitamins D2 and D3 respectively. Both of these nutrients must be incorporated in the diet to prevent harmful deficiencies.
When examining the medical literature, it becomes clear that Vitamin D3 affects human health in an astonishing number of ways and that not obtaining enough of this important nutrient can leave the door open to developing a number of health conditions.
Anti-cancer benefits -- A large study about a year ago showed that people who kept their vitamin D3 levels above 55 ng/ml would have a 50% reduction in their risk of stomach, lung, colon, breast and prostate cancer. No side effects and a very cost-effective way to reduce cancer risk.
Immune modulation -- Doctors routinely find very low levels of this vitamin in patients with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. Clinical improvement can occur when the level is restored to normal.
Regulate hormones -- Women with polycystic ovary syndrome who are not menstruating usually get a return to normal period cycling and become fertile when vitamin D3 is included.
Insulin effects -- studies with Vitamin D3 and calcium have shown these two can reduce your risk of diabetes.
Asthma -- children supplemented with adequate Vitamin D3 show improvements in their asthma, presumably because of it's immune effects.
Arthritic and fibromyalgia pain -- research supports the testing of vitamin D3 and use in high enough doses to reduce the pain of arthritis and fibromyalgia up to 50%.
Flu -- it has been known for years that flu outbreaks are highest in countries with least winter sunshine. Research into the ability of Vitamin D3 to improve your resistance to H1N1 (swine) flu is going on now.
If you don't get enough vitamin B3, you are going to develop a vitamin B3 deficiency, and more likely get sick. Vitamin B3 is essential to overall good health and individuals that do not get an adequate amount of vitamin B3 in their diet have been shown to be more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases, cancer and mental health problems.
A lack of sufficient vitamin D3 can leave your body more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases and cancer. Obesity, kidney stones, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, psoriasis, fibromyalgia, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and chronic fatigue syndrome are all linked to vitamin D3 deficiency. Mental conditions may rise from a lack of vitamin D3, as well. Those with insufficient levels of vitamin D3 have suffered from mood swings, depression and even Alzheimer's disease.
Eventually, Vitamin D deficiency may even lead to cancer (especially breast, prostate, and colon cancers). Vitamin D3 is believed to play a role in controlling the immune system (possibly reducing one's risk of cancer and autoimmune diseases), increasing neuro-muscular function and decreasing falls, improving mood, protecting the brain against toxic chemicals, and potentially reducing pain.
The most common reasons for Vitamin D3 deficiency in the United States relates to lack of exposure to sunlight and infrequent consumption of cold water fish such as wild salmon, mackerel and sardines.
However, getting the necessary amount of vitamin D3 from the sun is not as simple as it sounds. For one thing, people in northern hemisphere may have difficulty getting vitamin D3 from sun in the winter due to infrequent exposure to direct sunlight (light coming through a glass window of a car or building doesn't count, because it filters out vitamin D3). During cold months, pill or liquid supplements may be necessary for many adults. Also, the recent explosion in the number of skin cancer cases has caused the public to use more and stronger sunscreen, which inhibits the body's ability to manufacture its own vitamin D3 from sunlight. However, if you have a history of skin cancer, it is probably best to try to get the vitamin D needed from your diet instead rather than the sun.
As a result, supplementing vitamin D3 is suggested for many adults; however, it is unwise to rush to the vitamin shelf in the drug store and grab the first bottle marked "D." A generic vitamin D tablet is likely to contain high levels of vitamin D2. While D2 is healthy in small amounts, large quantities of the vitamin can be toxic to the body. In contrast, there is no risk of toxicity with vitamin D3. Foods are uncommonly enriched with vitamin D3, but it can be found on sale in pill or liquid form.
Treatment and prevention of vitamin D3 deficiency includes increasing your intake of vitamin D through diet, supplements, and/or through spending more time in the sun. The goal is to get your blood level of vitamin D above 30-50 ng/mL.
If you take Vitamin D supplements make sure it is Vitamin D3 and not D2. Take Vitamin D3 supplements with food.
Recommend doses of Vitamin D3 to treat a deficiency is about 3000-8000 IU per day.
To prevent a deficiency of vitamin D3, consuming 2,000 to 4,000 IU per day of this nutrient at times of the year when sunlight is scarce is a prudent way to improve overall health.
If you have bone loss or osteoporosis, spend 20 minutes daily in the sunshine with 40% of your skin surface exposed. Morning sun is best; Don't allow your skin to burn. Tanning beds do not provide Vitamin D3.
Foods high in Vitamin D3 includes Cod liver oil, fortified milk, salmon, mackerel, sardines, egg yolks, and beef liver. Exposure to the sun, in moderate doses, also gives large amounts of this vitamin. The ultraviolet radiation in these sources converts 7-dihydrocholesterol to previtamin D3 in the skin. Indeed, the human body produces vitamin D3, but most people do not synthesize healthy levels of the nutrient.
10 minutes of sun on your hands and face provides enough vitamin D to reach the daily value. Consumers can save money on expensive supplements and avoid eating foods they may not enjoy by soaking in the sun's free UV lamplight. Morning sun is the safest for the body. Head outside for at least 20 minutes each day and expose a minimum of 40 percent of your body to the sun for maximum D3 synthesis.
Because overdoses are rare, most people will not reach the upper intake levels and those that do generally will not reach them often enough to trigger any type of overdose symptoms. If you are concerned that you may be consuming too much of the nutrient, contact your healthcare provider who can order the simple blood test for Vitamin D3 25 (OH) levels.
Since Vitamin D3 is a vitamin and not a drug, it does not have "side effects" as often referred to when discussing pharmaceutical and over-the-counter drugs and supplements. The exception would be if one were to ingest poorly manufactured D3 supplements or extremely high doses - far higher than recommended on most supplement labels.
An overdose of Vitamin D3, resulting in possible toxicity, is usually possible only if the vitamin is taken as an oral supplement. The exact dosages considered to be safe have as yet not been totally decided upon. An overdose of Vitamin D3 could lead to a condition known as hypercalcemia, which is the term used for an elevated calcium level. This condition is rare enough so that diagnosis can be difficult, but the symptoms can vary from mild to quite serious. The milder Vitamin D3 side effects usually consist of nausea or vomiting, constipation and abdominal cramps, dry mouth, and a metallic taste in the mouth. Muscle fatigue and pain in the muscles and bones is also experienced at times. If a high level of toxicity is prolonged, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, seizures, and even coma can result. High levels of toxicity and corresponding hypercalcemia do not occur all at once but in almost all cases develop over an extended period of time.
Early signs and symptoms of hypercalcemia include headache, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, metallic taste, constipation, abdominal cramps, dry mouth, weakness, fatigue, muscle and bone pain, ataxia, tinnitus, and vertigo. Later hypercalcemia may result in pruritus, mental confusion, coma, hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, seizures, metastatic calcification, and renal insufficiency manifested by polyuria, nocturia, polydipsia, and proteinuria.
The Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of Vitamin D3 is set so low those mature individuals who consume this small amount (400 to 600 International Unites (I.U.'s)) are still likely to be deficient if they live north of the Tropic of Cancer or south of the Tropic of Capricorn. In fact, researchers have discovered that the RDI, which was considered adequate to prevent osteomalacia (a painful bone disease) or rickets, is not high enough to protect against the majority of diseases linked to 1,25-dihyroxy Vitamin D3 deficiency. For example, an analysis of the medical literature found that at least 1,000 to 2,000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day is necessary to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and that lower doses of Vitamin D3 did not have the same protective effect.
In an editorial in the March 2007 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a prominent group of researchers from leading institutions such as the University of Toronto, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Tufts University and University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, lashed out at the conventional media for its inaccurate reporting of Vitamin D supplementation.
The researchers wrote, "Almost every time the public media report that Vitamin D nutrition status is too low, or that higher Vitamin D intakes may improve measures of health, the advice that accompanies the report is outdated and thus misleading. Media reports to the public are typically accompanied by a paragraph that approximates the following: 'Current recommendations from the Institute of Medicine call for 200 IU/day from birth through age 50 years, 400 IU for those aged 51–70 years, and 600 IU for those aged >70 years. Some experts say that optimal amounts are closer to 1,000 IU daily. Until more is known, it is wise not to overdo it.' The only conclusion that the public can draw from this is to do nothing different from what they have done in the past."
The researchers point out that supplemental intake of 400 IU per day barely raises blood concentrations of 25(OH)D, which is the circulating Vitamin D metabolite that serves as the most frequently measured indicator of Vitamin D status. To raise 25(OH)D from 50 to 80 nmol/L requires an additional intake of 1,700 IU Vitamin D per day.
The researchers went on to write that, "The balance of the evidence leads to the conclusion that the public health is best served by a recommendation of higher daily intakes of Vitamin D. Relatively simple and low-cost changes, such as increased food fortification or increasing the amount of Vitamin D in Vitamin supplement products, may very well bring about rapid and important reductions in the morbidity associated with low Vitamin D status."
One of the challenges is the outdated acceptable upper limit for Vitamin D3 consumption, which was set at 2,000 IU. However, researchers point out that more recent studies have shown that 10,000 IU is the safe upper limit.
Dr. R. Vieth, one of the foremost authorities on Vitamin D3 supplementation, has extensively studied Vitamin D, and lamented the low requirements for Vitamin D3 in a recent issue of the Journal of Nutrition: "Inappropriately low UL [upper limit] values, or guidance values, for Vitamin D have hindered objective clinical research on Vitamin D nutrition; they have hindered our understanding of its role in disease prevention, and restricted the amount of Vitamin D in multivitamins and foods to doses (that are) too low to benefit public health."
However, some doses of
vitamin D have been studied in scientific research:
BY
MOUTH:
For preventing osteoporosis and fractures: 400-1000 IU per day has been used for older adults. Some experts recommended higher doses of 1000-2000 IU daily.
For preventing falls: 800-1000 IU/day has been used in combination with calcium 1000-1200 mg/day.
For preventing multiple sclerosis (MS): long-term consumption of at least 400 IU per day, mainly in the form of a multivitamin supplement, has been used.
For preventing all cancer types: calcium 1400-1500 mg/day plus vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) 1100 IU/day in postmenopausal women has been used.
For muscle pain caused by medications called "statins": vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) or vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) 50,000 units once a week or 400 IU daily.
For preventing the flu: vitamin D (cholecalciferol) 1200 IU daily.
Most vitamin supplements
contain only 400 IU (10 mcg) vitamin D.
Many experts recommend using vitamin D
supplements containing cholecalciferol (D3) in order to meet these
intake levels. This seems to be more potent than another form of
vitamin D called ergocalciferol (D2).
After being commissioned by the Canadian and American governments, the Institute of
Medicine (IOM) as of 30 November 2010, has increased the tolerable upper limit (UL)
to 1000 IU for infants (birth to 12 months), 2500 IU per day for ages 1–3 years,
3000 IU per day for ages 4–8 years and 4000 IU per day for ages 9–71+ years
(including pregnant or lactating women).
In many patient trials, even after consuming 2,000 to 4,000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day, their test results indicate that their Vitamin D3 levels have not increased. These patients needed to consume 8,000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day to achieve proper blood levels of the Vitamin. Patients should, therefore, have their physicians test their serum 1,25-dihyroxy D3 levels to determine the proper level of supplementation required. Testing is very important due to the fact that, in a small number of patients, Vitamin D3 supplementation can raise calcium levels to an excessively high level. This is especially true in African American patients. Testing for 1,25-dihyroxy Vitamin D3, PTH and calcium blood levels should therefore become a part of every woman's regular blood work.
A growing number of researchers who have widely studied Vitamin D3 are almost begging the general public to consume more of this important nutrient. Due to Vitamin D3's high safety profile in doses up to 10,000 IU per day and because of the wide role it plays in our health, consuming 2,000 to 4,000 IU per day of this nutrient at times of the year when sunlight is scarce is a prudent way to improve overall health.
The following reviews have been selected:
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54 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Just What The Doctor Ordered!, July 5, 2010
By
G. Lake "1233fire" (Cool, California)
When visiting my doctor and describing my symptoms of lacking energy, lack of joy, some depression and several other factors, he said that I should consider taking 5,000mg of Vitamin D3 per day. I found it interesting that he said that many of the doctors in his building are taking it since finding that after about 2 months their energy and mood levels are significantly improved. Since I am always interested in what Doctors take themselves, I decided to study why this was true, so when at Bar and Nob, I found the Vitamin D Cure by James E Dowd, MD...and was very impressed. Nearly all my symptoms were noted in the V D3 deficiency list. As a matter of fact, both my teens and my wife have symptoms of V D3 deficiency as well! When telling my wife about my exciting "find", she said that her doctor had prescribed it for her two months earlier (5,000mg/day.)... Some Vitamin D deficiency symptoms from pg 10: fatigue, joint pain/or swelling, muscle pain pain, cramping, and/or weakness (leg cramps?), chronic pain, uncontrolled weight gain, high BP, restless sleep, poor concentration and memory, headaches, bowel and bladder problems. Unless you work outside most of the time, you are probably very deficient in Vitamin D...that is most of us!...,
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars It actually works, April 25, 2011
By
Dr. Curmudgeon
I am not a fan of alternative medicine nor do I [think it's anything special to] nutrition, but after all the flap about Vitamin D lately, I decided to give this a try.
It actually works, which is more than I can say for most prescription medicines I've dealt with. In a period of a few months, most of the minor maladies I'd been suffering from for years just went away. I was obviously suffering from a vitamin D deficiency.
These seem like a pretty darn good value, too. I take one every other day, which means that this bottle lasts me a year. And they're tiny little things, as opposed to those calcium chokers that my doctor keeps pushing on me. Easy to swallow, and no discernable side effects.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Vitamin D3: Necessary For Excellent Health, April 5, 2011
By
ArkitekT
Vitamin D3 5000 IU is a super vitamin. With many people being vitamin D deficient, this pill taken twice daily is highly recommended for ultimate health. Vitamin D is excellent for bone health and it's fantastic for the immune system. Instead of taking the flu vaccine this year, avoid it and just try taking Vitamin D. The FDA has said that over 400 IU daily is not safe but studies have found that taking over 50,000 IU's weekly had no bad toxicity outcome. Trust me, do some research. Don't take the flu vaccine unless you research what's inside of it and stay healthy. Good day and One Love <3
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth every penny and more..., March 18, 2011
By
R Smith
I purchased this because I am hypoglycemic (no, I am not, nor have I ever been diabetic - shocking, I know). I was [diagnosed] with hypoglycemia after gastric bypass surgery (which, happens to be a rare side effect of the surgery - but they don't tell you about that before hand). Yay me!!!
I read an article in a diabetes magazine that said Vitamin D3 regulates blood sugar. I thought, why not, since my body tells me I am fasting only 2-3 hrs after eating (and no, I do not eat huge meals. I can't. My stomach is literally the size of a large egg). Since taking these though, my body no longer feels like I've been "fasting".
I take one of these pills, once every 2-3 days, per instructions on the bottle. I have to tell you, I am impressed. My blood sugar is no longer yo-yoing, I rarely even check it (I get physical symptoms if my blood sugar is too high or too low). I was actually shocked that this tiny pill packs 5000 IUs.
The best purchase I've ever made. Will continue using/buying it.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Vitamin D and MS, March 1, 2011
By
MIke
I read Dr. Jelineks book "Overcoming MS".
He discribed how Vitamin D has a good influence on autoimmune issues especialy with MS.
So i tryed this Vitamin D supplement.
All of Dr Jelineks recommondations seem to proof as correct so far.
I will buy this Vitamin D again.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Good value, January 21, 2011
By
James L. Wright Jr. (Long Beach, CA USA)
I grew up being told to beware of Vitamin D poisoning, so it's only recently that the thought of a 5000 IU dose of Vitamin D hasn't induced fear. Recent studies and testimonials, and a blood test, had me rethinking "safe" dosages and vitamin D absorption, particularly for the obese. so I ordered a bottle.
My next blood test came back with healthy levels of vitamin D. I was surprised it wasn't "high" but I guess that confirmed the newer studies. I also noticed improved health and energy, which helped me lose 50 pounds...
I've seen both higher and lower dosages (10,000 IU, 1,000 IU) so be sure to confirm via blood tests which is best for you.
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