Vitamin D Deficiency

Hi Meghan,
As the previous mom stated, many of us have vitamin D deficiencies. In the summer, its not an issue. 10-15 minutes outside will give us the adequate amount of vitamin d that we all need. In the winter, when the sun isn't as plenty, a good supplement (a good multi-vitamin) is what we should take. Not all vitamins are created equally, so you want to make sure you are chosing a vitamin that has a strong science and research behind it.

I can offer you some information on how to go about looking for that. But you can do some research yourself, by contacting the company and asking about their science and research.

The other question you asked about is your daughter. Vitamin D is not passed through breast milk, so even if you did not have a deficiency, your daughter would need a supplement as well. There are a lot of children's vitamins with a ton of sugar and cannot guarantee that what is on the label is actually in the bottle.

I'd be happy to share some information with you, if you are interested.
B.

Hi Meghan--most of us do have a vitamin d deficiency-which leads to increased colds, flus and viruses. We need to get 20 minutes of sun everyday and expose 40% of our bodies (and we all know that this time of the year that is not going to happen).

You need to be taking vitamin d3 not d2. It is not the same. Children should get 2000-3000 iu's a day and adults should get 5000-6000 iu's. I get many of my supplements from vitacost.com. It is a great discount website. You can get liquid form for the babes. If you feel an oncoming cold or bronchial issue you can take a mega dose of 50000 iu's a day for 3 days ONLY and then back to a maintenance dose.

NSI is one of my favorite brands and has third parties endorsements supporting their products for purity and reasonably priced.

www.mercola.com has some great article regarding d3. You can also google it and get alot of great info.

Let me know if you have other questions!!

In great health!!

T.
detox coach

I do not have experience with a vitamin D deficiency, but make sure that you are getting adequate daily exposure to natural sunlight. Milk and fortified cereals are excellent sources (among others) for vitamin D. Vitamin D is also made by the body after exposure to sunlight, so try to get outside, sit near a window, etc. I know...Chicago winters are either gray and dreary or if it is sunny it is freezing outside, so it can be tough.

My sister in law had a vitamin D deficiency. She was given a prescription-though bought over the counter-for supplements and told to get lots of sunlight, the best way to get D . Open the blinds, sit by the wondow whenever possible etc. As others have mentioned, Vitamin D plays a big part. It also helps absorbtion of calcium in your body. I would mention nursing to your doctor when you get the results back. Lack of Vit-D can also lead to depression, thus the blue winters for some people.

My dr said that vit D doesn't get through in adequate amounts anyway. He tells me to give tri-vi-sol daily. It's A,C, and D. You can get it at Target or Wal-Mart, but you may need to ask the pharmacist if it's behind the counter. They also make poly-vi-sol, but I was told that my kids don't need all the extra vits. I think it's made by Enfamil.

Good luck!

I haven't had a vitamin D deficiency, but I am anemic, so I know how cruddy you can feel when your body is lacking what it needs. One of the best ways hands down to get vitamin D is to get daily sunlight. I beleie all you need is just 5 minutes a day, without sunglasses on because it is your eyes that absorb most of it. Also, alot of vitamins do a vitamin D/calcium/magnesium mix...they are all important for bone health, and they all help each other to be better absorbed by your body. Kind of like drinking orange juice when you take an iron supplement. Anyhow, a liquid vitamin is usually better absorbed by the body, and it's effectiveness is more readily apparent than in pill form. Hope this helps, and feel better fast.

You received some great suggestions so far. Add more foods such as spinach, kale, brussel sprouts.., all high in Vitamin D...as you can see, the food we just love to eat right? lol..but you can also see why we all may be so deficient. Your children should be taking Vitamin D in a liquid from through cod liver oil, the brand Nordic Naturals is a high quality brand, pure too. Carlson's Kids is another good brand for kids over 2yrs old. ChildLife Liquid Multi vitamin is an excellent multi vitamin for your kids...follow the directions on the bottle. You can get this at www.vitacost.com (for about $8) Yes, d3 is what you need per Toni suggestions. You want high quality, not junk...many of the OTC stuff contains fillers that we do not need and may inhibit absorption.

Let me know if you have more questions.

Best of Health in 2009,
J. W. MPH
Wellness Educator/Lifestyle and Wellness Consultant