Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Vitamin D ?

OK, now I'm really confused. I've been taking Calcium with 800 ius vitamin D daily. I decided to up my intake of D in preparation for upcoming treatment. So I started adding another 1000 iu's. Of course, lazy me, I did this without checking my levels but I figured if everyone is so low I must be as well. Today I hear that we are taking too much vitamin D and it is not healthy. They also are thinking of lowering the bottom of the normal range from 30 to 20. What is everyone doing?








































28 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
979080 tn?1323433639
also remember while on tx you will most likely have to avoid sun because
your skin will be a lot more sensitive.
if you are doing 48wks that`s a year in the shade ...
on the other hand it takes a while to build up a good level

My recommendation is check your VIT D level and bring it up within
your lab reference. Personally i would go at least to 60-70
That`s in the middle of my lab`s reference

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Remember the acronym "faked" - meaning "f" for fat soluble vitamins (vitamins that your body will store in fat and that can become toxic) are the vitamins a, k, e, and d.  

Also, going out into the sun is great so long as you aren't covered head to toe in sun block ;).
Helpful - 0
96938 tn?1189799858
"Google Admiral Perry expedition, they died because they ate Polar bear liver, which has way more of these vitamins then humans can tolerate. "

Where do you get this stuff from?  He lived to a ripe old age, for his time.
Helpful - 0
96938 tn?1189799858
Peary, not Perry.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
IOM Report: Most North Americans Receive Enough Calcium, Vitamin D


November 30, 2010 — Most North Americans receive enough calcium and vitamin D, according to a report containing updated dietary reference intakes that was released today by the Institute of Medicine.

Catharine Ross, PhD, from Pennsylvania State University, in Philadelphia, chaired a committee of 14 experts appointed by the Institute of Medicine to assess current data of health outcomes associated with calcium and vitamin D intake.

In the report issued today, the committee reviewed studies on the metabolism and physiology of calcium and vitamin D and their influence on health. Dietary reference intakes were determined using the estimated average requirement (EAR; the level at which 50% of the population's needs are met), recommended dietary allowance (level at which 95% of the population's needs are met), tolerable upper intake level, and adequate intake level.

The suggested daily calcium EAR is 500 mg for children aged 1 to 3 years and 800 mg for those aged 4 to 8 years. Adolescents should consume at least 1100 mg calcium daily to support bone growth (the recommended dietary allowance for this age group is 1300 mg calcium/day). The EAR for women aged 19 to 50 years and men up to 71 years of age is 800 mg daily; for women older than 50 years and men older than 71 years, the EAR is 1000 mg, and the recommended dietary allowance is 1200 mg.

The only group that did not meet EARs for calcium intake was girls aged 9 to 18 years. In contrast, most postmenopausal women met or exceeded recommendations with calcium supplementation; the report expresses concern that older women taking calcium supplements may be at increased risk for kidney stones. All groups met the EAR for vitamin D of 400 IU daily when considering dietary intake together with cutaneous synthesis from sun exposure, but not from food intake alone. As the committee highlights, this poses a challenging concern given the risk of skin cancer from sun exposure.

The committee determined that risk for harm increases when consuming more than 2000 mg calcium or more than 4000 IU vitamin D daily.

Several studies have reported widespread vitamin D deficiency in North American populations, which the committee attributes to inconsistent serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D cut-points that are often too high. The committee suggests that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of 50 nmol/L (20 ng/mL) are sufficient for all persons.

The group concluded that there is insufficient evidence to link vitamin D intake with cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, immune response, neuropsychological functioning, physical performance, falls, preeclampsia, or reproductive outcomes. However, this "does not mean that future research will not reveal a compelling relationship between vitamin D and another health outcome," the committee writes.

"We could not find solid evidence that consuming more of either nutrient would protect the public from chronic disease ranging from cancer to diabetes to improved immune function," said Dr. Ross during a press conference about the new report. "On the other hand, regarding bone health the amount of evidence that has been accumulating is really quite impressive."

According to Dr. Ross, the take-home message to physicians is that now there has been a systematic, evidence-based review, and there is new evidence on which they should base their recommendations to patients.

"We are still very enthusiastic about [vitamin D] that regulates hundreds or even thousands of genes in the body," said panelist Glenville Jones, PhD, from the Queen's University, in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, during the press conference. "What's missing is...a lack of translation of that information into public health recommendations.

"We have been quite amazed that the positive effects of vitamin D haven't been nearly as clear-cut as the advocates have suggested," he added.

Dr. Ross pointed out that the recommendations are for total intake, both through diet and supplements. "We think that many individuals will be able to obtain these recommended dietary allowances from diet, but we are not really specifying the source. A supplement may be appropriate for some age groups," she added.

"The major implications of this report are that after an extensive review of the data, the panel concluded that the strongest evidence was for the fact that vitamin D is helpful for bone health and reduction of fractures," said Sundeep Khosla, MD, president of the American Society on Bone and Mineral Research, in a telephone interview with Medscape Medical News.

According to Dr. Khosla, the main thing clinicians can tell their patients is that there are now some very clear guidelines about calcium and vitamin D intake that are based on solid evidence. "Vitamin D is hard to get from the diet, and the committee did not really advocate sun exposure because of risk of skin cancer, but it can be obtained through a multivitamin."

Dr. Khosla added that it is important to note that "the calcium level of 1000 to 1200 mg/day is to be obtained through diet plus supplement, and that each serving of a dairy product counts for 200 to 300 mg/day. If a patient is getting 4 servings of dairy product, they are probably getting enough calcium."

Future research should focus on understanding the role of vitamin D in nonbone outcomes, he said.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/733318?sssdmh=dm1.651289&src=nldne&uac=39980BG
Helpful - 0
1477908 tn?1349567710
I saw my PCP a month ago and asked her to run a test for my Vit. D level. It was at 20.3 - low by today's values-and this was after taking 800 IU's per day and spending plenty of time outdoors during the summer months. She recommended  that I up my dosage to 2000 IU's per day. I am seeing my liver Dr. next week and ask her about the level and dosage as well.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Hepatitis C Community

Top Hepatitis Answerers
317787 tn?1473358451
DC
683231 tn?1467323017
Auburn, WA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Answer a few simple questions about your Hep C treatment journey.

Those who qualify may receive up to $100 for their time.
Explore More In Our Hep C Learning Center
image description
Learn about this treatable virus.
image description
Getting tested for this viral infection.
image description
3 key steps to getting on treatment.
image description
4 steps to getting on therapy.
image description
What you need to know about Hep C drugs.
image description
How the drugs might affect you.
image description
These tips may up your chances of a cure.
Popular Resources
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.