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Vitamin D doses
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Vitamin D doses

Introduction

The speaker introduces the topic of Vitamin D and discusses a study indicating that people are taking doses that are too small.

  • A study suggests that people are taking doses of Vitamin D that are too small compared to what is produced on a normal sunny day.
  • The UK government's recommended amount of 400 units per day is much lower than what is produced naturally.
  • The speaker questions why authorities aren't keeping up with the evidence-based research.

Research on Vitamin D

The speaker discusses a research paper on the benefits of daily oral dosing of vitamin D for hospitalized patients.

  • Daily oral dosing of vitamin D can range from 3,000 to 50,000 units per day for hospitalized patients.
  • Patients admitted to psychiatric facilities were monitored for their vitamin D levels and offered supplements.
  • Lack of exposure to sunlight and few food sources contribute to vitamin D deficiency which is linked to multiple diseases such as heart disease, autoimmune disease, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.

Historical Background

The speaker provides historical background information about the use of high doses of Vitamin D in treating tuberculosis, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

  • In the past, high doses (10 times too high) were given for treating certain illnesses leading to paranoia about higher doses.
  • Low doses became popular but recent research indicates that these low doses may be insufficient.

Cost and Availability

The speaker discusses the cost and availability of Vitamin D supplements.

  • Vitamin D is a cheap preparation, but some suppliers may overcharge.
  • There is no patent on Vitamin D, so any pharmaceutical manufacturer can make it.
  • As more manufacturers start making Vitamin D supplements, the prices will go down.

Importance of Vitamin D

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of vitamin D in treating various diseases and conditions.

Vitamin D for Treating Diseases

  • Vitamin D can be effective in treating diseases such as asthma, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and tuberculosis.
  • Patients with rheumatoid arthritis can experience significant pain relief from high doses of vitamin D.
  • Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to increased respiratory viral infections and depression.
  • A study conducted on patients with psoriasis showed clinical improvement with higher doses of vitamin D.

Safe Dosage Levels

  • Patients were given 5,000 to 10,000 units a day (125 micrograms to 250 micrograms), which is much higher than the UK government guideline of 400 units a day.
  • Some patients were given up to 50,000 units a day (1.25 milligrams or 1250 micrograms).
  • No cases of vitamin D-induced hypercalcemia were reported in any patients.
  • Blood calcium levels remained within an acceptable range for patients taking high doses of vitamin D.

Study Results

  • Patients taking vitamin D had an average level of 118.9 nanograms per milliliter compared to those not taking it who had an average level of only 27.1 nanograms per milliliter.
  • Calcium levels were similar between those taking high doses of vitamin D and those not taking it.
  • Parathyroid hormone levels did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Safety of Vitamin D3 Supplementation

In this section, the speaker discusses the safety of daily oral intake of vitamin D3 ranging from 5000 up to sixty thousand units in few cases for several years.

Safe Dosage Range

  • Daily oral intake of vitamin D3 ranging from 5000 up to sixty thousand in few cases for several years was well tolerated.
  • No adverse reactions were reported in both patients and staff.

Time to Reach Optimal Levels

  • Patients taking five to ten thousand units a day took around 12 months to plateau their vitamin D levels.
  • It took a year for the vitamin D levels to reach the desired level with doses ranging from five to ten thousand units per day.

Optimal Vitamin D Concentration

  • The average vitamin D concentration in the blood of patients taking 10,000 units of vitamin D a day at 12 months was up to 96 nanograms per milliliter.
  • After another four months, it plateaued out at around 97 nanograms per milliliter.
  • The currently considered upper limit is 100 nanograms per milliliter.

Recommended Dosage

  • The current recommended amounts are way too low according to the speaker's view.
  • The dosage should be titrated according to your blood levels and ideally be prescribed by your doctor.
  • Currently, the speaker is taking 8,000 units per day with 200 micrograms of vitamin K2.

Conflicts of Interest and Government Recommendations

In this section, the speaker discusses conflicts of interest and government recommendations regarding inexpensive preparations where there's evidence of efficacy.

Conflicts of Interest

  • The authors had no conflicts of interest to disclose.
  • The research was performed without external funding.

Government Recommendations

  • Governments around the world should change their recommendations based on evidence like this.
  • The current recommended amounts are way too low according to the speaker's view.
  • There is much more evidence that could have been cited, and it's hard to explain why governments aren't changing their recommendations.

Conclusion

In this section, the speaker concludes by encouraging viewers to read the article for themselves and advocating for increased vitamin D supplementation.

Final Thoughts

  • Vitamin D recommendations may well be quite low, and highly qualified medical professionals should start reading the latest research.
  • The knowledge is there, but political will probably isn't quite there yet.
Video description

Daily oral dosing of vitamin D3 using 5000 TO 50,000 international units a day in long-term hospitalized patients: Insights from a seven year experience https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30611908/ Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio Vitamin D3 is a hormone produced in the skin, in amounts estimated up to 25,000 international units (IUs) a day, by the action of UVB radiation Vitamin D deficiency is common, lack of adequate sun exposure to the skin, vitamin D is present in very few food sources. Deficiency is strongly linked to increased risk for a multitude of diseases, several of which have historically been shown to improve dramatically with either adequate UVB exposure to the skin, or to oral supplementation with vitamin D. These diseases include Asthma, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, rickets and tuberculosis. All patients in our hospital have been routinely screened on admission for vitamin D deficiency since July 2011 Offered supplementation to either correct or prevent deficiency We have admitted over 4,700 patients (vast majority agreed to supplementation) 5000 or 10,000 IUs/day. 125 micrograms or 250 micrograms Due to disease concerns, A few agreed to 20,000 to 50,000 IUs/day. 500 micrograms to 1, 250 micrograms (1.25mg) There have been no cases of vitamin D3 induced hypercalcemia, or any adverse events attributable to vitamin D3 Three patients with psoriasis Marked clinical improvement using 20,000 to 50,000 IUs/day Analysis of 418 inpatients on D3 Long enough to develop 25OHD3 blood levels less than 74.4 ng/ml, showed a mean 25OHD3 level of 118.9 ng/ml (range from 74.4 to 384.8 ng/ml) Average serum calcium level in the vit D group of 418 9.6  mg/dl Range of 8.6 to 10.7 (Normal 8.5 to 10.5) Average serum calcium level in the non vit D group of 777 Mean 25OHD3 level of 27.1 ng/ml 9.5 mg/dl Range of 8.4 to 10.7 Parathyroid hormone levels A hormone released in response to low calcium levels D3 users, 24.2 pg/ml Non D3 users, 30.2 pg/ml In summary Long-term supplementation with vitamin D3 in doses ranging from 5000 to 50,000 IUs/day appears to be safe. Conclusion Daily oral intake of vitamin D3 ranging from 5000 IU/d to 60,000 IU/d for several years was well tolerated and safe, in both our patients and staff. The mean 25OHD blood levels in our patients appear to take around 12 months to plateau on 5000 IU/d and 10,000 IU/d. The average 25OHD values Patients taking 10,000 IU/d at 12 months = 96 ng/ml Then retested at 16 months = 97 ng/ml Currently considered upper limit of normal, 100 ng/ml Conflicts of Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Funding This research was performed without external funding.