(I've taken both of these forms of D3- really high quality sources.You can find the Metagenics D3 on iherb.com. Don't forget the coupon code left side)
To check this out you can get a test- 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25 OH vitamin D) which will let you know where you're at. According to my doctor if you test in the...
20-30 range it's not good
30-40 range still not good but you won't get rickets
50-60 good
80-90 range is the best.
My doctor recommends most people need to take around 10,000 mcg's daily until they come out from "depletion".
Dr. Frank Lipman posted really good information on Vitamin D3 on Huffington Post, and I reposted some of it below. Please check out the information in it's entirety- HERE.
Diseases Associated with Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to play a role in almost every major disease, including:
- Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
- 17 varieties of Cancer (including breast, prostate and colon)
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes
- Autoimmune diseases
- Multiple sclerosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Bursitis
- Gout
- Infertility and PMS
- Parkinson's Disease
- Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Pain
- Periodontal disease
- Psoriasis
What is Vitamin D? Although it's called a vitamin, Vitamin D is really a hormone not a vitamin. Vitamins cannot be produced by your body, we get them from dietary sources, whereas hormones like vitamin D are made in your body. It's your body's only source of calcitrol (activated vitamin D), the most potent steroid hormone in the body.
What does Vitamin D do? Like all steroid hormones, vitamin D is involved in making hundreds of enzymes and proteins, which are crucial for preserving health and preventing disease. It has the ability to interact and affect more than 2,000 genes in the body. It enhances muscle strength and builds bone. It has anti-inflammatory effects and bolsters the immune system. It helps the action of insulin and has anti-cancer activity. This is why vitamin D deficiency has been linked with so many of the diseases of modern society. Because of its vast array of benefits, maintaining optimal levels of D is essential for your health.
Where do I get Vitamin D from? The only 2 reliable sources of vitamin D are the sun and supplements. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way for your body to generate vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced by your skin in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. In fact, this is such an efficient system that most of us make approx. 20,000 units of vitamin D after only 20 minutes of summer sun without suntan lotion (or clothes!) That's 100 times more than the government recommends per day! There must be a good reason why we make so much in so little time.
You do not generate vitamin D when sitting behind a glass window, whether in your car or at home because these UV rays cannot penetrate glass to generate vitamin D in your skin Also sunscreens, even weak ones, almost completely block your body's ability to generate vitamin D.
The other reliable source is vitamin D3 supplements (not vitamin D2)
Only about 10% of your vitamin D comes from diet, so it is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from your food.
What are the food sources of Vitamin D? 1. Fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil.
Fatty wild fish like mackerel, salmon, halibut, tuna, sardines and herring
2.
Fortified milk, orange juice and cereal
3. Dried Shitake mushrooms
4. Egg yolks
My Doctor told me to avoid the sun, what do you think. There is an old Italian saying, "Where the sun does not go the doctor does." For about the last 25 years, doctors (dermatologists in particular) have demonized sun exposure and repeatedly told us it is bad for you and causes cancer. But is that true? In the last few years, numerous studies have shown that modest exposure to sunlight may actually be good for you, helping the body produce the vitamin D it needs to keep bones healthy and protect against cancer, including skin cancer. Though repeated sunburns--in children and very fair-skinned people--have been linked to melanoma, there is no credible scientific evidence that moderate sun exposure causes it. Since it's almost impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from food alone (including fortified milk and fatty wild fish), the sun is your best source. I'm not suggesting you go bake in the sun with your suntan oil or go to tanning salons. But getting some sun without getting sunburned makes healthy sense.
We evolved in the sun; we were made to get some sun, not to live our lives indoors and slather on sunscreen every time we go outside. If the sun is shining where you are today, get out and enjoy it, talk about a free natural treatment! All you need is a little common sense when heading outdoors, do it gradually and always avoid sunburn.
Special Note: Remember to take antioxidants when you sit in the sun, as these can help prevent skin cells from sun damage.
How much sunshine do I need? All living things need sun, the key is balance. Too much sun exposure can cause melanoma and skin aging, while too little creates an inadequate production of vitamin D. The amount needed depends on the season, time of day, where you live, skin pigmentation and other factors. As a general rule, if you are not vitamin D deficient, about 20 minutes a day in the spring, summer and fall on your face and arms or legs without sunscreen is adequate. It doesn't matter which part of the body you expose to the sun. Many people want to protect their face, so just don't put sunscreen on the other exposed parts for those 20 minutes.
If you live north of 37 degrees latitude (approximately a line drawn horizontally connecting Norfolk, Virginia to San Francisco, California) sunlight is not sufficient to create Vitamin D in your skin in the winter months, even if you are sitting in the sun in a bathing suit on a warm January day! The further you live from the equator, the longer exposure you need to the sun in order to generate vitamin D.
Good stuff right? Isn't it crazy to think how the sun is bad for us? Sometimes I think we go in circles before figuring it out. Here's to coming round! Full article can be found HERE.
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