Questions about Vitamin D

[Gabby]

Hi all,

A nutritionist told me that Vitamin D should be taken along with foods containing some fat like a nut butter, for example, in order for it to be absorbed properly. Does anyone know if this is true? And is it possible to take too much Vitamin D?

Thanks for all your wisdom,

Gabby

[dgshelton]

Gabby - I have been taking vitamin D for several years and have never been told to take it with anything. I was even on a prescription mega dose of 50,000 iui, but I only took it once a week for a couple of months then went to once a month because my level got too high. I'm sure you can take too much, but I'm not sure how much is too much. I know in recent studies they are finding that having a higher level is better. I now take 5,000 iui a day because my level dropped again when I went to 50,000 once a month. You can have your level monitored with a blood test if you are concerned.

Hugs,

[tex]

Hi Gretchen,

I agree with Denise - timing is not particularly critical. I try to avoid taking anything on an empty stomach, (except for thyroid supplement), but it usually takes more than just 2 or 3 hours for the stomach to empty, after a substantial meal. Vitamin D is one of the fat-soluble vitamins. That's why the nutritionist recommended taking it with fat-containing foods. My normal pill-taking routine is to take my thyroid supplement first thing in the morning, and then I take everything else, (at least everything that is not reserved for bedtime, such as certain BP meds), right after eating breakfast.

Yes, it's possible to overdose on vitamin D, but one would have to take a very high dose for a long time, before reaching toxic levels. The toxic threshold probably varies somewhat for many individuals, but, for example, for most people, taking the equivalent of approximately 20,000 IU daily, will eventually, (over a period of several months or longer), lead to symptoms of toxicity. In some cases it might take less time, (as we all know, we all respond somewhat differently to meds, supplements, etc.). Taking 10,000 IU daily, for example, for most individuals, should never lead to a toxic condition, even if taken indefinitely. For someone taking 10,000 IU daily, for the long term, their 25(OH)D blood level would almost surely eventually exceed the normal range, but it shouldn't ever reach the toxic level.

Water-soluble vitamins are more easily eliminated by the body, and they need to be replaced regularly. Fat-soluble vitamins, on the other hand, are stored in the liver and in fatty tissues, and the body eliminates them much more slowly than the water-soluble vitamins. That's why fat-soluble vitamins have the potential to develop toxic levels, if we regularly ingest high levels of them, while water-soluble vitamins generally do not carry this risk. The fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K.

You're most welcome, of course,

Tex

[Gloria]

My daughter was prescribed 50,000 IUs of vitamin D twice a week for about two months. She recently had her level tested and it went from about 25 to 52. She's now on a maintenance level of 2,000 a day, which may be acceptable in the summer, but is too low for the winter IMHO.

Gloria

[Joefnh]

Gretchen my nutritionist has said the same thing and she wants me to take it with a meal that has some fat content.

Joe

[sarkin]

I've heard that advice, and think someone even cited a study (it could have been Dr. Weil, or RealAge?) - I don't worry about it too much, but I do try to have some fat in every meal, because now that I've dialed my carbs so far back, if I'm not getting fat and protein, I am just not eating enough. I put fish oil in my morning smoothie now, for example, or we cook the breakfast sweet potatoes in coconut oil and I have duck bacon along with.

I like the idea of spreading my supplements out through the day, but am not in a good enough routine, so make sure I get the biggies in with my first meal.

And I try to get sun, brutal as that feels this time of year,

Sara