Vitamin D deficiency was declared an epidemic of this decade. Is vitamin D deficiency that dangerous? Well, it may be if you are really, truly vitamin D deficient.
When it came to choosing a right vitamin D supplement for me, I had to re-think medications and lean towards other options for best possible vitamin D absorption.
Vitamin D facts are: vitamin D research is showing that it's essential for our system to get adequate levels of vit D. Even Crohn's disease research shows benefits of vit D 3 supplementation.
But in the real world how many of these patients will actually get the prescription for vitamin D 3? Not many. Prescriptions filled in the pharmacy will be filled for vitamin D2.
Is there a difference? Absolutely.
Ergocalciferol is vitamin D 2 but vitamin D 3 is called cholecalciferol. Your body would have a better absorption of vit D from D 3. Vit D 2 is a synthetically made vitamin and it's more difficult for the body to absorb it. But vit D 2 is the only one you will get by prescription.
"It's so popular and everyone is talking about vit D, I think I want to take it too." "Vit D is all of a sudden a "cure for all". What do I do?"
First of all you need to take levels and check if you are in fact vitamin D deficient. The chances are you most likely are. But you need to check it first.
Why can't you just get vit D and not get tested? Because you can overdose yourself on vit D and that's simply very dangerous. Generally, overdosing vitamin D would be taking more that 10,000 international units daily. It may be less for some patients. But it's also very dangerous to have very low vitamin D levels. So, get tested.
Best vitamin D supplements are direct rays of sun for about 15 minutes a day, every day with most of your skin exposed. Not possible? Try vitamin D lamps or vitamin D spray.
All the best to you.
