vitamin D

[Reinhold Vieth]

Nobody in these osteoporosis discussions has pointed out that the
SUCCESSFUL osteoporosis studies showing what we all think we know,
that "you need vitamin D along with your calcium" to lower fractures
of osteoporosis, used 800 IU/day of vit D3. Note, 800 of D2 failed to
work. 400 IU of D3 did not work.

Simply put, if you are worried about osteoporosis, then take at least
800 IU of vitamin D3 (also known as, cholecalciferol) per day. Less
has NEVER been shown to do anything, and more is absolutely safe and
physiological.

Think about it. Humans are the only primates living north of 40
degrees latitude. Humans evolved to expose 100% of skin surface to
abundant sunlight (could you really imagine that Nature designed us to
wear clothes?).

Thus, if one asks, "what is natural or normal for vit D?" Then,
surely, the dose must be at least as much as you could get lying on
the beach in your bathing suit - almost every day. Nobody has ever
considered this to be harmful in terms of getting too much vitamin D.
Instead, we wear clothes, live in the north, and avoid the sun. There
is no way that the 400 IU of vit D3 in the teaspoon full of cod-liver
oil designed to prevent rickets in a baby will do you any good as an
adult.

It is a fantasy to think 400 IU of vit D will be of much use to an
adult. The lowest dose shown to have a detectable benefit in adults
is 800 IU/day. We know the lowest proven toxic patient took at least
40000 IU/day for many months.

Take your vitamin D, at a generous dose. And if you are worried about
"toxicity" I contend that the most likely risk of "poisoning" is
because of the harm from modern humans having taken too little vitamin
D, not too much.