My Vitamin D levels have finally increased up to the point of actually being in the normal ranges. They are at the lowest range acceptable, but I am actually in the range! Woo hoo! A year ago, my D level came back as 18. Normal ranges go from 32.0 – 100.0. I was terribly low. At that time, I began supplementing with a better calcium supplement that also had Vitamin D and Vitamin K. This past March I had a recheck and the levels came back at 22.9. Still, way too low and under healthy range.
Increasing Vitamin D is critical to me for many health reasons and especially since being diagnosed with osteoporosis and osteopenia a year ago. After the March results, I began super supplementation with even more additional Vitamin D each day. I am currently taking 2,600 IUs between my calcium supplement and an additional D pill . Plus I am also taking an enzyme along with my Vitamin D pill to help absorption. Vitamin D is fat soluble which means it is dissolved and absorbed through fats.
I believe I have had an issue breaking down my fats and dissolving them properly for a long time. I went through a phase a few years ago when I was breaking out with horrible acne (in my later thirties). After months of dietary changes and trying various things to solve the problem, I accidentally discovered that it was the fish oil supplementation that was causing the acne. During a vacation, when I ran out of fish oil pills and didn’t take them for a week, my acne began to clear up. Finally I have been able to put two and two together. Any time I have fried, greasy things or try to supplement with fish oil more than once a week, the acne promptly returns.
All that caused me to wonder if I am also having trouble absorbing Vitamin D because it seems that I also have trouble breaking down the fats. A few weeks ago, I purchased an enzyme supplement to take along with my Vitamin D to hopefully help this problem.
Along with pill supplementation, the weather here finally warmed up so I began sunning for a few minutes each day. Please note that you cannot make Vitamin D if you are using sunscreen. *No* sunscreen allowed during Vitamin D making moments. I started sunning around noon time for 15 minutes at a time, rotating my body around to the sun every few minutes. I expose as much skin as possible so I can make the most Vitamin D. I have increased now to sunning 25 minutes a day. That’s plenty of exposure, and I’ve also gotten a very nice tan. The key to making Vitamin D in a healthy way is never to allow your skin to burn. Burning the skin will break down Vitamin D and put you at risk for skin cancer.
When I had my levels rechecked a couple of weeks ago, after the extra supplementation and sunning daily, they had dramatically increased! I went from 22.9 in March to 37.3 in three months!! When in one previous year, I had only gone from 18 to 22.9. This is VERY exciting to me.
For more excellent information on Vitamin D making, health, and testing, etc., go to the Dr. Mercola website and read further at Vitamin D Resource Page and also at the Vitamin D Lecture Page.
I was going to go this month to recheck my bone progress with bone density scan. However, I’ve decided to wait longer now that my Vitamin D has come up to an acceptable range and also to give myself a few more months of more regular flamingo therapy.
Well yeah, getting out in the sun is going to raise your D level quite a bit. You make about 1,000 IU per minute when exposed to summer mid-day sun. So it's no wonder that taking only 2600 IU didn't raise your D level substantially. People with severe deficiency usually get put on 50,000 IU for a few weeks. I take no less than 5,000 IU per day. Your body's starved for it, and it's using it up faster than you can take it in. Up your dosage this winter if you're truly concerned about osteo issues.
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