Vitamin D and chronic pain
I associate vitamin D deficiency mostly with its effects on bone health: Inadequate vitamin D can lead to weak and brittle bones. There's also been a lot of new research lately showing that D deficiency may also be linked to cancer, diabetes, depression, and other serious diseases. (See also "Vitamin D Deficiency Called Major Health Risk" from WashingtonPost.com.)
Now, a new study has found that people with chronic pain frequently have low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency also appears to make people less responsive to pain medication. (Hopefully, researchers will now confirm that supplementing with vitamin D can lead to better pain management for many people.)
Vitamin D Deficiency is on the Rise
On average, the American diet provides about 250IU of vitamin D a day (mostly from fortified foods), which is just over half the recommended daily amount of 400IU. Your skin also manufactures vitamin D when exposed to ultraviolet light. But with the increased use of sunscreen, you may not be getting enough exposure to cover your vitamin D requirements.
Vitamin D deficiency is becoming so common that experts are calling for an increase in the recommended allowance. If you do not get a lot of natural sunlight on your skin, be sure to get enough vitamin D in your diet. Fish (such as salmon, herring, and mackerel) are naturally high in vitamin D. Cereals and dairy products are often fortified with vitamin D. (Here's a list of foods highest in vitamin D, generated with ND's Nutrient Search Tool.
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Posted by: Lambert | Jun 6, 2009 12:09:12 PM
To control the pain we must attend to the specialist because we can give him what is appropriate and what we need, for example I take hydrocodone, vicodin which is medicine used to counter the chronic pain that I have for years, but I rioja prescribing doctor, I take it in moderation because I read in findrxonline which is a medicine that causes anxiety, and we must control it as it can affect your nervous system, so do not take medicines without consultation because it really can be dangerous.
Posted by: ram8 | Apr 11, 2009 1:05:06 PM
I have to take 50,000 iu a week and the insurance won't pay for it. They say it's a vitamin, which it is but to buy that many units over the counter i would have to normally take .... u figure it out.. too many at one time to count..
Posted by: Rick Phillips | Feb 10, 2009 3:44:45 PM
What would you think if you could get vitamin D and K2 in the same formula. K2 is very important for putting calcium where is belongs and we all know what vitamin D does for you. Get them in tthe same formula.
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I am one of those who really believe in vitamins and supplements. I wouldn’t be able to survive without my energy supplements. Of course, I do believe that healthy nutrition is very important for your body, but the energy I am taking from food doesn’t help me to get through the day.Thank you for your article. It’s very interesting and very helpful. This is an article that everybody should read!
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by:vitamins
Posted by: Amy | Oct 23, 2007 9:45:11 AM
My nutritionist said it woudl be better to take 1000IU's of vitamin D per day. A great source being Cod Liver Oil pills.
Posted by: Lois | Oct 18, 2007 8:26:18 AM
I was experiencing the restless leg syndrom. When the doctor put me on Vitamin D due to the lack of as revealed by a blood test the restless leg syndrom subsided.
Posted by: Kara | Oct 18, 2007 7:47:56 AM
I mostly buy vitamins and health products from VitaminShoppe.com, eDiets.com and NutriSystem stores at CouponAlbum.com..
Posted by: Jonathan Benson | Oct 17, 2007 8:14:04 AM
Being dairy free I supplement with Solgar "Caldium cirate and Vitamin D".
Posted by: Monica Reinagel | Oct 17, 2007 7:22:35 AM
yes, many researchers recommend taking a vitamin D supplement, especially during the winter months.
Posted by: Edward Hutchinson | Oct 16, 2007 3:43:07 PM
I am afraid that the amounts of Vitamin d that are in foods are not adequate to maintain a healthy level of vitamin d.
Most people (certainly in the UK) drop down to about 40nmol/l from November through to March. For maximum calcium uptake from foods or supplement you need at least 80nmol/L (see The Vitamin D requirement in health and disease
Robert P. Heaney) and to achieve optimal muscle strength and to ensure all the systems in your body can operate without restriction from limited vitamin D availability, (see Circulating Vitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in Humans: An Important Tool to Define Adequate Nutritional Vitamin D Status
Bruce W. Hollis) 100nmol/L are required.
"The urgent need to recommend an intake of vitamin D that is effective" informs us that 400iu/d vitamin D3 raises nmol/L status by 7-12nmol/l
It's basic maths to work out how much vit d you require to raise your winter low from 40nmol/L to 80nmol/l and the same maths will enable you to work out how much more will be required to keep your status over 100nmol/l until you can go in the sun again in April.
But it is misleading to imply that EFFECTIVE amounts of Vitamin d can be found in foods. To raise from 40 to 100nmol/l is bound to take something like 2000iu/d vitamin D3 and it is simply unrealistic to suggest that 2000iu can be obtained from food sources.
