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Vitamin D3
By
Published: Oct 18, 2012
Category:
Beyond Classification
Does this ever happen to you? You hear about something from a friend. Then you see a commercial for it. Then someone sends you an article about it. So you investigate — and learn that the thing you just “discovered" has been around for years.
That just happened to me with vitamin D3.
The benefits are many. The risks seem to be nonexistent. And others have been on to it for years.
Where have I been?
I need this!
Why? Because I’m older. I live north of the Mason-Dixon line. I could be thinner. I don’t get a lot of sunlight in winter. No need to get my blood tested — I’m almost surely vitamin D3 deficient.
What is D3? For most of the last century, people were encouraged to take vitamin D3 to prevent rickets and promote bone health. Now you see doctors and health experts saying this: “Vitamin D3 may be the single most important supplement we can take for our health.”
Fun fact: D3 used to be considered a vitamin. It’s not. It’s a prohormone that your body converts to a vitamin.
Why take a supplement in pill form? If you live in a warm climate and spend at least 10 minutes a day in direct sunlight, you’re covered. If you don’t and you can tolerate cod liver oil and eat five fish a day, ditto.
But really, the pill’s the easy way to go.
Consider what D3 does:
— strengthens bones.
— helps regulate your blood sugar.
— helps absorption of the key minerals calcium and phosphorus.
— reduces the lesions of psoriasis.
— shortens the duration of colds and bronchial infections.
— may help treat prostate, breast and colon cancer.
How much should you take?
First, consider that it takes months to bring your levels up. And that this isn’t a supplement you can take too much of — you don’t hurt yourself if you take a higher dosage.
The standard dosages are:
— infants to 1 year-olds: 400 IU daily.
— children to 70 year-olds; 600 IU daily.
— over 70: 2,000 IU daily.
I take 5,000. And I’m still here.
To buy Vitamin D3 600 IU Capsules from Amazon, click here.
To buy Vitamin D3 1000 IU Softgels from Amazon, click here.
To buy Vitamin D3 5000 IU Softgels from Amazon, click here.
D3 works best in combination with Calcium. Here’s a pill that combines them. To buy it from Amazon, click here.
Want an expert opinion? Try this:
Very low levels of vitamin D3 (below 20 nanomoles/liter) increase your risk of dying OVER 100% greater than those with even low levels of D3. In general, 50,000 units of D once a week is the least expensive and best way to take it. Blood levels of D3 up to 100 nanomoles/liter are safe. Levels above 100 nanomoles/liter could be risky, largely by raising blood calcium too high.
In people with normal kidney function this dosage of D3 is safe and reduces the incidence of colds and flu over 80%. For children, I recommend 50,000 units once a month. As a SINGLE health enhancer, I know of nothing as good as D3!! D3 effect is synergistically enhanced with vitamin K 2, 100 mcg daily — not to be taken by those on blood “thinners.”
