Yesterday I got my yearly lab results in the mail. All looked good except for my vitamin D levels. Optimum levels according to the Vitamin D Council are around 50 nM/L, and mine were 22 nM/L and outside of the normal range. The doctor left me a note saying to take 2000 IU supplement daily. I was genuinely surprised to be low on vitamin D considering I spend time in the sun on a near daily basis, have been taking prenatal vitamins for over two years, drink two glasses of milk a day and usually have yogurt.
I hopped online to read more about vitamin D deficiency. Here's a couple facts I came across:
- Deficiency can be attributed to lack of nutritional intake (from milk allergies, lactose intolerance, strict vegetarian diets, etc), lack of sun UVB exposure (sunscreen blocks this), and various health disorders.
- If you did not go into the sun, you would need to drink 40 glasses of milk a day to get the needed amount of vitamin D.
- Deficiency can lead to bone softening diseases, and is thought to be linked to stroke, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, cognitive impairment (memory loss and foggy brain), PMS, and depression (common cause of insomnia).
- There is current research exploring the connection of vitamin D to insomnia.
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (from lack of sunlight in the winter), which is a mood disorder, is often effectively treated with high doses of vitamin D supplements.
- Vitamin D levels can take time to build back up.
- Getting enough vitamin D through food (oily fish, spinach, broccoli, fruits fortified milk and yogurt) is unlikely.
Some links for your curiosity:
http://www.womentowomen.com/healthynutrition/vitamind.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_d
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp#h5
http://www.fightingfatigue.org/?p=1220
http://www.usdoctor.com/insomnia.htm (I don't know the credibility of this site, but he claims D3 cures insomnia.)
http://nutrition.suite101.com/article.cfm/vitamin_d_deficiency_and_insomnia
Paige,
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain...I was diagnosed with vitamin d deficiency on top of other vitamin deficencies. I have been trying to get my levels up for the past month.
Hang in there.
~jane
It's good we were in the sun so long today. :) I took my own advice and ate an apple too. Yum.
ReplyDeleteSo, do you think maybe you are not absorbing the D from the milk? No lactose intolerance?
my daughter actually developed a condition that makes her unable to fall asleep at the same time each night. Her circadian rhythm is totally off and causes her to fall asleep each night about 1 to 1 1/2 hour later each night. For about five years before we figured this out she would go through parts of the month where her 'insomnia' was worse than other times of the month. My theory is that somehow the ability for the sun to regulate sleep cycles gets shut down. She has also just been diagnosed with a level 19 of D. We are hoping that this helps to regulate her cycles back to normal. The vitamin D council is a good resource. http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
ReplyDeleteThanks Jane! Do you continue to get tested each month? I guess that's something I should ask the doctor about.
ReplyDeleteAmy, I think I probably lost a lot over the winter being indoors and not taking a supplement. I hope I am not lactose intolerant. I really like milk and cheese.
Barb, thanks for sharing. It's always helpful to know that other people are dealing with similar sleep problems. I hope your daughter gets better soon!
Interesting- I didn't know about a connection to insomnia. I went through some sleeping difficulties for a while, I wonder if that's why. I'm sure if you guys in sunny NC are deficient then we're in trouble up here in Oregon! Try cod liver oil- it's a good natural source. Oh, and lactose intolerance would cause major bloating, cramps, gas, and pain shortly after consumption.... With the amount of cheese you eat I think you would have notice symptoms by now!
ReplyDeleteah..but avoid cod liver oil supplements that have too much vitamin A (some provide excessive amounts, well above the upper limit of recommendations, and can be toxic over time)...
ReplyDeleteYummmm. Cod Liver Oil. Well, I did buy some fish oil supplements awhile back. Since you are the nutritionist, maybe you can ask around and see if the D - sleep connection is legit.
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ReplyDeleteAll that I'm reading says 2000 iu maybe too small for anyone at that low a range and especially at the beginning of summer. And especially if you live in a northern latitude.
ReplyDeleteApparently 15% of people of 5000 iu a day are still not storing VD3 for the future so they're getting just enough to keep going.
VD3 intoxication has also been widely over emphasized and apparently isn't seen till you hit 300 or so.
This site has loads of audio and video podcasts and even a downloadable chart to show you what levels you need to reach (40-60 min) to avoid various diseases.
http://www.grassrootshealth.net