My partner was recently told by her doctor that she's really Vitamin D deficient; I think the lower limit is 40 and she registered a 12. And she eats a fair bit of mackerel (she loves saba) and loves to get out in the sun (when we get it).
My understanding was that the study was actually aimed at vitamin D supplements which give you megadoses of the vitamin. The idea being that these high doses are not proven to be beneficial in any way and may even be harmful.
I gotta agree here, that study has been misrepresented or perhaps misrepresented vitamin D levels in the population. I just had a doc here in Wisconsin tell me that most people here in winter don't get enough. I mean, about 5% of my skin is showing most of the time, and that's inside.
Oh no, you are totally deficient in this crucial vitamin! Luckily, I can sell you these pills to cure your deficiency. Just take 2 of the yellow pills every day. Or, you could just eat cow liver or mackerel every day - that's always an option! Oh, you'll take the pills? You'll need to come back in 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 6 months so I can do vital checkups - don't worry, I'll bill your insurance directly! Now don't forget to buy all your refills or else you'll totally get rickets or something.
Damn, my and 7's anecdotes conflict. So they cancel out, right? BX z Z%*()Â %Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’Å’
Doesn`t it all depend on how you define "enough" or a "deficiency?"
To quote the article:
"Some labs have started reporting levels of less than 30 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood as a deficiency. With that as a standard, 80 percent of the population would be deemed deficient of vitamin D, Dr. Rosen said. Most people need to take supplements to reach levels above 30 nanograms per milliliter, he added. But, the committee concluded, a level of 20 to 30 nanograms is all that is needed for bone health, and nearly everyone is in that range. "
So maybe 98% of Seattlites are in that 20-30 range, but Paul's wife's doctor belongs to the >30 school of thought.
@7, then I don't get enough. 30 minutes, are you kidding? It's dark when I leave and dark when I come home. I don't think you get much Vitamin D from fluorescent tubes, though the glow of my monitor might help a little.
mine D count was a paltry 14 two years ago when my docotr checked, and I garden in the summer. two thousand miligrams twice a day. I can feel the difference. but then again, I am susceptible to the placebo effect.
My doctor told me that he has Vitamin D-deficient patients who are mailmen. Being outside all day in the Seattle winter doesn't help because of the clouds and the fact that the sun is at such a steep angle.
By the way, he also said the body does a very good job of storing Vit D... unlike other vitamins. So you can take 4000mg/day without adverse impact on your kidneys or just peeing it out.
Um, you whiny bitches. "It's sooo dark here all the time ...waaa waaa!" Apparently you all are forgetting how it's light out till almost 10PM in the summer in Seattle. I think I got sunburnt one day from hanging out in the sun around 8pm. Shit doesn't happen in sunny Florida or California. Ever.
My Doctor said the same thing, about many people here in this area being Vitamin-D deficient. I had to take megadoses for 6 weeks and now I am on a daily supplement. My blood gets tested every 6 mos to check those levels, among other things. Don't feel any different, though.
The study only evaluated bone health. It found that most people have enough vitamin D for healthy bones. So give your self an extra foot or so when your hanging yourself from depression because your bones will be in ok shape and your neck might require a bit more force than you thought to snap it.
I need to learn some recipes that will make organic beef liver tasty, else I'm going to just get desiccated liver and get my B12, Vit A and other nutrients. Two years ago my Vit. D3 level was 48.4, that was when I was taking cod liver oil and 4000 IU/day. In December I take 6000 IU with fat for absorption, 5000 IU in Nov + Jan, 4000 IU in Oct + Feb, 2000 IU in March + April, and do without from Mayl to August.
I need to learn some recipes that will make organic beef liver tasty, else I'm going to just get desiccated liver and get my B12, Vit A and other nutrients. Two years ago my Vit. D3 level was 48.4, that was when I was taking cod liver oil and 4000 IU/day. In December I take 6000 IU with fat for absorption, 5000 IU in Nov + Jan, 4000 IU in Oct + Feb, 2000 IU in March + April, and do without from Mayl to August.
I've already stated my opinion and some facts on an earlier morning news update comment regarding Vitamin D3 and disease prevention.
"Today the majority of the world’s population lives above latitude 35° N and is unable to synthesise vitamin D from sunlight for much of the time between late October and early April owing to the angle of the sun. For example in London (52° N), from October to April UVB photons are blocked by the atmosphere so one’s skin cannot make vitamin D."
"Experts say vitamin D deficiency is much more common than previously believed — especially in northern climes like Washington, where solar radiation from October to March is too puny to maintain healthy levels. ... "You're in a dark, gloomy place," said Bruce Hollis, a leading vitamin D researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina. "In the winter, you could stand outside naked for five hours and nothing is going to happen.""
etc.
So the early sunset this month doesn't really effect the Vitamin D stuff.
People (outside the circle jerk of conventional medicine) have been talking about the link between Vitamin D deficiency and serious diseases like cancer for YEARS.
Having lived in Seattle for the last 16 years, I can say that up until I started taking vitamin d supplements (10,000 IU daily) last winter I have always been prone to depression every winter here. Last winter was the first winter that I did not slip into a depressed funk. Coincidence? I think not. The vitamin D helped a lot!
I echo many of the others here. In cincinnati, we are just at the latitude where winter sun is supposed to be ineffectual for Vit D production. I had my D3 tested a year ago and was at 17 ng/mL. So I've been on 2000 D3 supplements per day (plus calcium and flaxseed oil) during all months but summer. I also have felt more energized, etc and shall see what my D3 serum levels are soon.
I had some tests last year and my doctor (at a Ballard practice affiliated with PolyClinic) said mine of the only test he had EVER seen that showed an adequate Vitamin D level. I take a good supplement (Trader Joe's Men's Formula) and fish oil daily.
The angle of the sun is completely irrelevant to me, because I essentially never see daylight from October to April. I work in a server room - no windows anywhere near me, not even any that I can see from a distance. I don't go outside during the day at all (I don't leave my desk for lunch). It's dark when I come in and dark when I leave. I am a Mole Person (or a fungus - keep me in the dark and feed me horseshit).
I'm not taking megadoses, but I do take a Vit. D supplement; seems like a sensible precaution for a Mole Person to me.
You need like 30 minutes total outside, or near a window, on a cloudy day to get enough vitamin D.
Or just get addicted to gummy vitamins from Target like me and you can never leave the house!
Annnnnd.... that was my cat.
To quote the article:
"Some labs have started reporting levels of less than 30 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood as a deficiency. With that as a standard, 80 percent of the population would be deemed deficient of vitamin D, Dr. Rosen said. Most people need to take supplements to reach levels above 30 nanograms per milliliter, he added. But, the committee concluded, a level of 20 to 30 nanograms is all that is needed for bone health, and nearly everyone is in that range. "
So maybe 98% of Seattlites are in that 20-30 range, but Paul's wife's doctor belongs to the >30 school of thought.
We're DOOMED!!
I've already stated my opinion and some facts on an earlier morning news update comment regarding Vitamin D3 and disease prevention.
"Experts say vitamin D deficiency is much more common than previously believed — especially in northern climes like Washington, where solar radiation from October to March is too puny to maintain healthy levels. ... "You're in a dark, gloomy place," said Bruce Hollis, a leading vitamin D researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina. "In the winter, you could stand outside naked for five hours and nothing is going to happen.""
etc.
So the early sunset this month doesn't really effect the Vitamin D stuff.
People (outside the circle jerk of conventional medicine) have been talking about the link between Vitamin D deficiency and serious diseases like cancer for YEARS.
Sorry you're late to the party.
I'm not taking megadoses, but I do take a Vit. D supplement; seems like a sensible precaution for a Mole Person to me.
I gave my BF plenty of vitamin D last night. Hey Hey Hey!!