Comments on: You Should Be Taking Vitamin D Supplements

By: How To Get Started Eating Healthy: Stock Your Pantry | Summer Tomato

How To Get Started Eating Healthy: Stock Your Pantry | Summer Tomato — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:31:12 +0000

[...] fish My canned fish of choice lately is sardines. Sardines are incredibly rich in omega-3s and vitamin D. When skinless and boneless, they are also delicious on bread or in a stir fry. My second choice is [...]

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:29:00 +0000

I heard that excess vitamin D can cause a kidney stone. True? I heard from the same source that a kidney stone is more painful than going through childbirth- neither of which I want to experience. I’m not going to get a kidney stone by taking the TJs 1000IU Vit D supplement am I?

By: Eboni

Eboni — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 10:43:00 +0000

Yes... I'm taking multivitamins from eVitamins.

By: Darya Pino

Darya Pino — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:47:00 +0000

@Jenny

I actually just read in the Berkeley Wellness letter that cod liver oil has so much vitamin A that it can leech calcium from the bones. You may look for a regular vitamin D supplement instead. I just bought the supplement from Whole Foods recommended by StephG. It looks virtually perfect to me.

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@StephG

Great recommendation! I just bought the 1000IU from Whole Foods. It has everything I am looking for in a vitamin D supplement

By: StephG

StephG — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:52:00 +0000

i take 2000IU vitD daily under my doctor's recommendation. it helps quite a bit in managing depression. 1000IU wasn't enough to maintain an optimal blood level. i'm relatively small--5'4" 117lbs, fairly muscular and i live in the northeastern US.

according to my dr, the rda for vitamins has typically been determined by taking a random cross section of the population (which is not necessarily a healthy cross section) and figuring the average level range. this may account, in part, for why the suggested level has been so low.

Whole Foods offers a good 1000IU vitaminD3 supplement in softgel form (what i take now). they do contain gelatin which can be an issue for the strict vegetarian.

btw, great post.

By: Darya Pino

Darya Pino — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:59:00 +0000

@Healthyliving

That dosage is on the low end, but it may be enough if you are getting plenty of sunshine and eating lots of fatty fish like salmon and sardines. Keep munching those Lily eggs too!

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@Jenny

Cod liver oil is great. I kind of doubt you need to increase the dosage, but you can have your vitamin D levels measured to be sure (I think). Getting too much extra oil may cause some digestive problems, so be sure to increase doses slowly if you do. You should always check with your doctor before making any big decisions like that.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:26:00 +0000

I have been taking Vitamin D which is contained in a cod liver oil supplement that I bought online from Goldshield and it has been great in reducing the pain in my wrists which have been giving me discomfort for many years. If I increased the dose would it result in a beneficial or negative impact?

By: Healthyliving

Healthyliving — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:34:00 +0000

Alright Darya, so my multivitamin has 400 IU of cholecalciferol which says 100% of RDA. It is trader joe’s brand. Is that enough? Do you think it is even absorbed?

By: Matt Shook

Matt Shook — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:27:00 +0000

I take 2000 IU of D-3, along with a 400 IU of D with Ca (1000 mg)and Mg (500 mg) daily. It make such a difference…especially for those in colder/shadier climates like the Pacific Northwest where the sun disappears for weeks at a time.

The other supplements that I have found to be phenomenal and essential (at least for vegetarians/vegans) are Coenzyme B-complex (derived from methylcobalamin, not cyanocobalamin) and astaxanthin (derived from algae). The latter has really helped me overcome general body soreness from commuting to work by bike everyday. I noticed a big difference when I stopped taking it for three weeks.

By: Darya Pino

Darya Pino — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 05:09:00 +0000

@jed

Great question! From what I have read there are few, if any, contraindications for vitamin D. Ubermega doses can cause soft tissue calcification, and some people have reported digestive issues (that were probably caused by the calcium that was included in the mega dose). Most studies show no problems whatsoever with doses in the 2000 IU range