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.
