I tend to take a reset dose when I remember to take them (say 30000 units every month or so)- you can increase this to 50000 units but it seems to do the trick.
You can get a years supply for £12
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07HM81L42/
You know I’m not convinced that there is as much need for supplements, in general, as people think.
That was always my [position until I was tested at 20% of normal vit d levels and read around it a bit. Vit D is still the only thing I would recommend. When its cheap, safe and may well do a load of good why not?
echolalia
the problem with that approach is you only store 2 or 3 weeks worth
Sorted out my chronic urticaria/angioedema after I noticed how much better it was after spending 2 weeks in the Greek sun.
7500IU a day
Yeah I think daily is the best way but I'm a lazy sod.
Interesting. I was offered it as part of being vulnerable but didn’t bother as I walk the dog and ride a lot but I might sign up to it now seeing as so many people rate it.
So Orange haven’t relaunched their Ti HT? 😔
I was thinking about this a while back. However, I hardly ever get sick - I generally feel great every day. I got a box of multivitamins to take and can't tell any difference after taking them for a month.
Golfchick - In winter the sun is too low to generate vit d and how much skin have you got exposed anyway?
Think there was a cut off deadline for the vulnerable sign up program, possibly tomorrow.
I've started taking vitamin D supplements. 3 times the RDA on the tub. Also occasionally drinking olive oil and lemon juice, not lots just a tablespoon of it with half a lemon. Bit of a Mediterranean idea I think.
I've read that the sun isn't strong enough to produce any vitamin D at all at these latitudes, so even if you stood around naked all day between October and March you'd get nothing. During summer it's easy to make enough with only a short time outside but you can't store it.
I take a multivitamin that includes D. I'm not expecting it to solve all my ills but they are cheap so why not?
Also occasionally drinking olive oil and lemon juice
I wouldn't - I'd toss my veggies in that at dinner time though - nom.
I'll have you know that I walk around in a tank top even in the midst of winter! (Or a scarf, gloves and long sleeve everything continually)
Hmm, a quick Google does throw up results suggesting it is possible to take too much. But anyway taking a pill is not for me, I'll stick with diet and going outdoors.
I’ll stick with diet and going outdoors.
Going outdoors won't work though.
Going outdoors won’t work though.
Diet it is then, seems to have worked so far.
seems to have worked so far
Get a test then post the results.
I could do of course, but why would I when I don't have any vit d deficiency symptoms and I never have? And I doubt my GP would appreciate it just now.
Yeah I started taking Vitamin D supplements here when I first read about it related to coronavirus quite a few months ago. Though living up north I'm conscious there are supposed to be a lot of other benefits too. I'm also suspicious of whether supplements really work but they surely can't do any harm and they're like £2 for 50 from Tesco so seems like a no-brainer.
I'm sure I read this morning that it used to be put into margarine to ensure the population was getting enough of it.
=bellerophon
I had no significant symptoms - or none that could be properly quantified. However I feel noticeably better now. No more night sweats, much better sleep, skin clearer, more energy. BOth symptoms and feeling better could well be between the ears tho
Also it may well give some protection against covid and NICE recommend vit d supplementation - the only one they do recommend for normal healthy folk
Active people need more vit d and its highly unlikely you get enough from your diet unless you eat oily fish several times a week.
Its cheap and has no downsides to take vit d
If you want to know about the research on Vitamin D it is worth looking at these non-profit organisations set up in the early 2000's to promote Vitamin D research and awareness:
Grassrootshealth
Vitamin D Society
It's probably fair to say their messages are:
- Vitamin D level in the blood is correlated with lower rates of fatality from a range of diseases, including Covid
- The recommended blood level is 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/L)
- Few people will get that in the UK without taking a supplement, generally a good deal more than the current UK RDA
- Get a blood test and see what your level is, then use that to take supplement required to achieve the optimum range.
Personally I am very cynical about supplements, we should get what we need for health from a good vegetable rich diet; but I think Vitamin D deficiency is a lot more credible. But take a look at the research evidence they offer and make your own mind up.
for some in depth talks about D this Linsay Kieth channel has talks from a conference from some years ago. The link above with epidemiologist Oliver Gillie is a good one to start with. Not so much covid related though.
Im convinced that if everyone in UK got their vitamin D levels right the NHS could come out stronger to make up for the covid knockout.
I’ve been taking D3 for the past few winters (October to March), given that the levels of winter sunlight in North-West England aren’t sufficient for the skin to make it.
I take 1000IU (25 μg) per day.
but why would I when I don’t have any vit d deficiency symptoms and I never have?
recently had to have a blood test, and like you I have no symptoms and am otherwise v healthy, only neg in my bloods was Vit D deficient. Most people are, and don’t realise
Living near Glasgow, cloudiest major city in Europe, it's a no brainer. Especially in winter.
Even our white skin evolved when we lived outdoor lifestyles.
A GP I know thinks vit D deficiency may be one factor in Glasgow's poor health record.
As there is no downside it is a bet you can't lose. Worst case you spend £19 a year unnecessarily.
Hmm, a quick Google does throw up results suggesting it is possible to take too much. But anyway taking a pill is not for me, I’ll stick with diet and going outdoors.
this has always been my approach however, I changed my view when we were requires to isolate in March/April time. Check out how much Vit D is in food you eat, even with an incredibly healthy diet its very hard to get the RDA every day; I reckon I eat a diet that is actually rich in D - I worked out I probably can get a maximum of 1/3rd of the RDA of vit D on most days through me diet - and averaged over a week its more likely 20%. There's little realistic I can do to change my diet that would substantially improve that.
So the other "natural" way to get vit D is from being outdoors *in sunlight*. You need to spend quite a bit of time (15 minutes/day in bright sunlight with both arms and legs exposed), unless you work outdoors or wear shorts and t-shirts outside most of the time I doubt you can get that exposure 'by accident' except between April-Oct. If you've just lost your commute and your lunchtime walk to gregs by WFH you are really limited. If you have to isolate for 2 weeks - and can go nowhere except your own garden then I think you will be worse off. If there is a link to low D and covid outcome it would be crazy not to take a simple cheap prevention. I recon after you've taken one tablet a day for a month you'll at least be thinking - this *might* actually be making me feel a *little* better. I stopped during the summer and *seemed* to be more fed up, tired, etc. I'm back taking it daily, and was better although probably slipping a bit now - but then I'm basically only getting diet and supplement at the moment, so perhaps should be taking more.
I used to be resistant to taking supplements when I was younger, for no other reason than I fundamentally didn't like the idea of 'medication' or anything that felt like it. But I realised that was stupid, and I started taking a multivitamin most days because why not? In all honesty, it does help give me more energy and focus. I can't say which particular thing helps though.
It's worth noting that if I eat a ton of vegetables it also helps, probably more, but I'm talking 4-5 huge servings a day (in the name of low-carb eating) which is quite abnormal in dietary terms and quite hard to sustain.
I had a test a couple of years ago and came out with 31.3nmol/L. This rates as insufficient in the UK, boarderline deficient, but the UK limits are half of most other European countries, so I would be classed as deficient in most other places. I'm now on the 4000UI pills as above. There have been a few general improvements to mood etc, and I would not stop taking them now, particularly with the Covid links now surfacing.
As most of the above, its cheap and there doesnt seem to be much reason not to carry on
the levels of winter sunlight in North-West England aren’t sufficient for the skin to make it.
It's worth saying that nowhere in the UK has enough sun to make Vit D in the winter. We are a deceptively long way north - even places like New York are on the latitude of southern Spain.
A relatively recent study indicated that white people in the UK need 9 minutes of lunchtime sun exposure every day March-September, with short trousers/sleeves in the summer, to still ahve nearly adequate Vit D by the end of winter: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5946282/
That is EVERY day AND without sunscreen - as you can imagine most people don't get near that, so for most people supplements are the only realistic option especially if you are non-white.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jan/10/does-vitamin-d-combat-covid
The most shocking thing is that the imbecile Davis has a degree in "molecular science".
Yeah but its a non-science aint it?, I mean you can't even see the molecules so how do we know its real science?.
I wonder how trustworthy the plethora of vitamins you can buy via Amazon are. There's a huge variation in price and whilst the leading brands are no doubt a complete rip-off thanks to having to fund big marketing campaigns I do wonder how believable the "years supply for £15" lot are. I mean if you can buy dangerous toys from China with fake CE marks I'm sure you can buy vitamins without actual vitamins in them
If you are on the shielding list you can get free vitamin D from the NHS..
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk/get-vitamin-d-supplements/
Am buying the gummies from Holland and Barrett as they taste nice, bit more expensive though
I had a test a couple of years ago and came out with 31.3nmol/L.
IIRC I was 12. Many folk would think I was deficient
I was advised by a neurologist recently to take Vit D. I said I try and get out every day in winter to make sure I get enough Vit D. Neurologist said that you can only get enough Vit D from sunshine in winter in northern hemisphere if you live Rome and south.
Yes, we've been dosing since October.
Higher dose than UK recommended, we're on 50mg a day.
3000iu / 75mg per day all year. When i got it checked a few years ago my reading was 10 i think. At the time GP had me on 6000iu / 150mg per day for 3 months. This got me up to about 35.
On a sunny day in summer with your legs out and shirt off your body can make 10-20k iu in a day.
Just checked my usual multivitamin + minerals. Contains 10mg, which is in line with that NHS recommendation posted yesterday. It says that's 200% of daily recommended dose, so probably OK for winter when natural Vit D is in lower supply.
given what papamountain says i probably should be tested again
Been taking it for about a year now after blood tests showed I was deficient. Had been feeling awful for a year or more, and picking up illnesses easily which is most unlike me. Since taking it I've felt much better - completely anecdotal I know but I think it has helped.
Hospital called yesterday as follow up to an A&E admission a week ago (amazing support!), and told me my vitamin D levels were a bit low and given my long COVID symptoms to take a supplement. I had been taking 1000IU since mid October. Dropped it as was taking 200IU as part of a multivitamin the last 3 weeks, given the COVID hangover. So now on 1200IU currently. Hoping it helps. I have woken up without a headache for the first time in 7.5 weeks, but maybe that is COVID finally slowly buggering off (fingers crossed)...
tthew
Full MemberJust checked my usual multivitamin + minerals. Contains 10mg, which is in line with that NHS recommendation posted yesterday
(400IU)
I think the suspicion is that 400IU is a bit low.
