This vitamin has been brought to our attention over the last couple of years as most of us living in the northern hemisphere are sadly lacking in the best source available, the sun!
Vitamin D is required by every system in the body and recent research has shown that extremely low levels are usually found in those with chronic health conditions including osteoporosis, cancer, auto-immune conditions, cardiovascular problems, Parkinson’s or even post-menopausal degenerative diseases.
The sensible thing to do before taking this vitamin as a supplement is to have a simple finger prick blood test. Overly high levels of this vitamin can be toxic so testing is very important to establish your initial level so you know how much you require as a dosage. The easiest way to purchase this home test kit is from the lab at Birmingham hospital for around £28, you send them the sample and they email you the results. Here is their contact details:
Site: http://www.cityassays.org.uk/vitamins.html
Tel: 0121 507 5889
Generally, in the UK, a test result of 50+ nmol/L is considered adequate but many holistic experts would suggest that this is too low. I supplement with Vitamin D and a recent test of mine came back 131 nmol/L, which I consider to be a healthy result, as does the Clinic’s resident nutritionist.
The dose required will vary according to your vitamin D starting level. If your results are found to be inadequate then a dose of around 2,000 iu per day would be a good place to begin. Everyone should re-test after 3-4 months to ensure they are on the correct dosage and then re-test again in another 3-4 months just to make sure. In the long term this very simple blood test should ideally be carried out a couple of times per year.
Vitamin D should be taken with K2 and I use Thorne’s liquid, which contains both, and can be purchased on Amazon. I put the drops on a spoon so I know exactly how many I am taking so I don’t overdo it. Once your vitamin D levels are at an optimum then consider taking a vitamin A supplement as this can become low with long term supplementation of vitamin D. In the UK we don’t have the benefit of the sun’s rays so supplementation is the only way for most of us to achieve a healthy vitamin D level.
If you would like further information, or are considering a test, then please do contact the clinic as our nutritionist will be more than happy to help you.