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Fact Sheet on Vitamin D

Here's a Complimentary Fact Sheet on Vitamin D for you. Everything you always wanted to know about vitamin d all in one place right at your fingertips.

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Why Should You Care About Vitamin D

This Vitamin D Fact Sheet is a summary of what is finally being rediscovered as the health giving nutrient that it is. It seems that every day there is a new study telling about a new benefit that vitamin d has on your health. But while doctors today are finally realizing its importance, doctors over a hundred years ago were already using vitamin d as the MAINSTAY of their hospitals. These Sanitoriums boasted excellent success CURING people of fatal illnesses such as tuberculosis- using only the power of the sun and its life giving vitamin d.

Today, as doctors warn to stay out of the sun and chronic illnesses are becoming more and more prevalent, vitamin d is again in the spotlight. From MOUNDS of studies, we are discovering that up to 85% of people in western countries- including teenagers and pregnant and lactating women- are Vitamin D deficient; sometimes severely so! And with this severe vitamin d deficiency, we are only now realizing the connection between vitamin d deficiency and almost every chronic illness imaginable, such as:

• Breast Cancer

• Colon Cancer

• Chronic Pain

• Diabetes

• Multiple Sclerosis

• Osteoporosis

And much more. Researchers are making recommendations that doctors are being EXTREMELY slow to act upon. This Vitamin D Fact Sheet is an attempt to summarize the important practical aspects of taking Vitamin D properly and safely. Resources are given at the end if you would like to get more detailed information about the health benefits of Vitamin D and why it's important to be concerned about vitamin d for the rest of your life.

Fact Sheet on Vitamin D
Should YOU Take Vitamin D?

Who Should and Should Not Take Vitamin D
	Who SHOULD Take Vitamin D	Who Should NOT Take Vitamin D
Age(ng/ml)	Newborn Children Teens Adults Elderly
Gender	Male Female Pregnant Lactating
Weight	Normal Weight Thin Obese
Your Medical Conditions	Kidney Failure with Normal Calcium Diabetes Multiple Sclerosis Active Cancer Recovering from Cancer Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Any Other Medical Conditions except those specifically outlined below can benefit from Vitamin D	High Calcium Levels Active Hyper-parathyroidism Sarcoidosis Tuberculosis Calcifications Vitamin D Allergy
Lifestyle Factors		If You Tanned and Bronzed all over If you are a beach lifeguard If your Vitamin D level is within the specified levels and you did not take Vitamin D to get it there
Skin Tone	Extremely Fair Extremely Dark Anywhere in Between
Geographic Location	Northern Hemisphere Southern Hemisphere
Dietary Preferences	Vegetarian Vegan Omnivore Carnivore	Pescetarians Reindeer-tarians *Fish and Reindeer are the ONLY good food sources of Vitamin D. Milk is NOT a good source.

* The Fact Sheet on Vitamin D wants you to know the vast numbers of people who say that they get 'Plenty of Sun' and 'Eat Right' who are severely vitamin d deficient

Fact Sheet on Vitamin D
Vitamin D Levels

Vitamin D Levels
Who Should Get Their Vitamin D Levels Tested	The Fact Sheet on Vitamin D Suggests that Everyone should be tested every 3 months until levels are within the recommended ranges for 2 consecutive tests. After that, once per year with your annual physical.
How to get your Vitamin D Level Tested	• Ask Your Physician specifically for a: 25 (OH)D Level- Also called a Hydroxyvitamin D Level • Get an In-Home Blood Spot Test mailed to you from the Vitamin D Council. No blood draw necessary
What Should Your Vitamin D Level Be* (*please ignore the levels on the lab sheet from the doctor's office or hospital as these not up to date)	50 to 80 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter) OR 158 -252 nm/L (nanomoles per liter)! From Dr. Cannell of the Vitamin D Council ! Look to see which units your lab uses
Excess Vitamin D and Overdoses	Excess Vitamin D: Having your level Greater Than 80 ng/ml OR 252 nm/L Is considered Excessive. Toxic Levels: Most sources say that your Vitamin D level need to be over 150 ng/ml in order for toxicity to occur. Other sources believe it is as high as 250 ng/ml If you stay within the recommended Vitamin D Dosages and get your levels tested every 3 months until they are within the normal range, then your chance of a Vitamin D Overdose is virtually non-existent!

*The Fact Sheet on Vitamin D Recommends that Everyone get a Vitamin D Level before starting Vitamin D Therapy. This is as much to ensure that you do not take too much as it is that you do not take too LITTLE!

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Fact Sheet on Vitamin D
Vitamin D Deficiency Treatment

Vitamin D Deficiency Treatment

Standard Vitamin D Deficiency Treatment

(For levels less than the recommended 50 to 80 ng/ml)

• 50,000 IU's per week *

• Up to 10,000 IU's per day**

*Dr. Michael Holick** 'The Use of Vitamin D in Clinical Practice'

What FORM of Vitamin D Should You Take

• Vitamin D3 – also called Cholecalciferol – Prescription Vitamin D is called Ergocalciferol or Vitamin D2• Do NOT take Prescription Vitamin D2 ***

***'The case against ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) as a vitamin supplement'

What about Overdosing !?

There has NEVER been a recorded case of overdose in an adult on dosages of 10,000 IU's per day or less taken for YEARS at a time.

Children with rickets will get a dose of 600,000 IU's all at once! And in East Germany for over a decade, it was routine to give all newborn babies a dose of 600,000 IU's all at once.

Vitamin D Overdose is extremely rare.

* The Fact Sheet on Vitamin D Recommends that ONLY those who know that their level is below 50 ng/ml attempt the dosages recommended on this chart and only under the direction of a knowledgeable practitioner

Fact Sheet on Vitamin D
Maintenance Dosage

This dosage is for when you have ALREADY had a lab test and your levels are within the optimal levels in the chart above!

Vitamin D Maintenance Dosage
Children	Infants: A total of 1000 IU's per day from all sources. Breastfed babies should be supplemented with 1000 IU's per day unless the mother is taking 4000 IU's or more per day. No Supplementation needed for breastfed babies whose mother is taking 4000 IU's or more Children 1 to 10 years old: 1000 IU's for every 25 pounds of body weight Children 10 years old or older- See adult guidelines *Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council
Teenagers and Women	• Enough to keep Vitamin D Levels 'around' 50 ng/ml (158 nm/L) *– usually between 3800 to 5000 IU's per day
Men	• Enough to keep Vitamin D Levels 'around' 50 ng/ml (158 nm/L)* - usually about 5000 IU's per day
The Elderly	• Enough to keep Vitamin D Levels 'around' 50 ng/ml (158 nm/L)* - usually between 3800 to5000 IU's per day
Pregnant and Lactating Women	• Enough to keep Vitamin D Levels 'around' 50 ng/ml (158 nm/L)* Taking between 4000 IU's to 6800 IU's per day can help to reduce complications of pregnancy and to supply the baby with plenty of Vitamin D in breastmilk.
What about Overdosing!? These dosages are almost TEN TIMES the RDA for Vitamin D	There has NEVER been a recorded case of overdose in an adult on dosages of 10,000 IU's per day or less taken for YEARS at a time. Children with rickets will get a one-time dose of 600,000 IU's! And in East Germany for over a decade, it was routine to give all newborns babies a dose of 600,000 IU's all at once. Vitamin D Overdose is extremely rare.

* The Fact Sheet on Vitamin D Recommends taking these dosages ONLY once you have obtained a level between 50 to 80 ng/ml

Vitamin D Fact Sheet
Managing Vitamin D Side Effects

Side Effects of Vitamin D And What to Do About Them
Side Effects	What To Do About Them
Children	Infants: A total of 1000 IU's per day from all sources. Breastfed babies should be supplemented with 1000 IU's per day unless the mother is taking 4000 IU's or more per day. No Supplementation needed for breastfed babies whose mother are taking 4000 IU's or more Children 1 to 10 years old: 1000 IU's for every 25 pounds of body weight Children 10 years old or older- See adult guidelines *Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council
Teenagers and Women	• Enough to keep Vitamin D Levels 'around' 50 ng/ml (158 nm/L) *– usually between 3800 to 5000 IU's per day
Men	• Enough to keep Vitamin D Levels 'around' 50 ng/ml (158 nm/L)* - usually about 5000 IU's per day
The Elderly	• Enough to keep Vitamin D Levels 'around' 50 ng/ml (158 nm/L)* - usually between 3800 to5000 IU's per day
Pregnant and Lactating Women	• Enough to keep Vitamin D Levels 'around' 50 ng/ml (158 nm/L)* Taking between 4000 IU's to 6800 IU's per day can help to reduce complications of pregnancy and to supply the baby with plenty of Vitamin D in breastmilk.
What about Overdosing!? These dosages are almost TEN TIMES the RDA for Vitamin D	There has NEVER been a recorded case of overdose in an adult on dosages of 10,000 IU's per day or less taken for YEARS at a time. Children with rickets will get a one-time dose of 600,000 IU's! And in East Germany for over a decade, it was routine to give all newborns babies a dose of 600,000 IU's all at once. Vitamin D Overdose is extremely rare.

* The Fact Sheet on Vitamin D wants you know that side effects are extremely rare. In the majority of studies done on vitamin D, there were ZERO side effects.

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