As you know, I write articles, both for here (DrClay.com) and for other places like TMuscle.com – one of the best and most popular online ‘magazines’ around.
Though I pride myself in writing good, timely articles that contain information people need to know, sometimes I read an article and go "Man, I could NOT have done that any better myself!"
I just read one of those articles and just had to tell you about it.
So instead of me telling your about Vitamin D and all of its’ benefits (most of which are unknown by most people – even doctors), I’m going to simply point you in the direction of the latest article at Tmuscle (or T-Nation as many still call it).
Chris Shugart has done an INCREDIBLE job summarizing the amazing benefits of getting adequate amounts of vitamin D, whether via supplementation or sunlight.
In his research for this comprehensive article on vitamin D, Chris contacted me (Dr Clay) to ask my thoughts on the appropriate amount and form of vitamin D to consume.
So, just for you DrClay.com readers, below (in italics) is the email I sent to Chris regarding my opinion on how much and what type of vitamin D to take. As you’ll see after reading the article (which you really should), some of what I sent made the article and some was edited out…but you have it all!
As a general rule I would recommend 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day, making sure that it is vitamin D 3 (1, 25 dihydrocholecalciferol). Likewise, it’s important to consume the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) with a meal that contains fat. Otherwise the absorption will be less than optimal.
To get a little more specific, one should consider adjusting vitamin D intake according to sun exposure. In other words, if you have a desk job and are pasty white, then you may need to bump up your intake of vitamin D a bit more to compensate for the amount that your body would normally make due to sun exposure. On the other hand, if you are a landscape architect with a deep dark tan, then you could probably get away with consuming less vitamin D.
I would encourage anyone who has any signs or symptoms of immune compromise to get their serum vitamin D levels tested initially and a few months after some supplementing with vitamin D. This will remove the guesswork out of how much to consume.
To your health,
Dr Clay
PS I’m currently consuming about 2,000 IU of supplemental Vitamin D per day and will bump that up a bit as winter approaches. As is often the case, I find that NOW Foods has a great quality product at an inexpensive price. So I guess you could say that’s the (or one) brand I “recommend.”
