Vitamin D Supplement Safety
Your body produces vitamin D when exposed to the sun, but many people may not get enough due to a variety of factors. Because of this, people often turn to vitamin D supplements. Unfortunately, it isnt uncommon for people to overdo it.
A 2017 study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that between 1999 and 2014, there was an increase in the number of American adults taking daily vitamin D supplements of 1,000 IU or more. Of these, 18% exceeded 1000 IU each day and 3% took more than 4,000 IU per day, which may place them at a higher risk of experiencing some adverse effects related to excessive vitamin D.
In most cases, you can get all of the vitamin D you need naturally without supplementation through sun exposure and diet. A 15-minute walk outside each day with your extremities exposed can boost vitamin D production. .
Eating foods that are naturally high in vitamin D or are fortified with the nutrient can help. Foods you can eat to boost your vitamin D levels include:
- Fortified milk, yogurt, or juice
- Fatter fish such as tuna or salmon
If you do decide to take a vitamin D supplement to correct a deficiency or because you are unable to get an adequate amount through sunlight and diet, always follow your doctor’s guidelines and do not take more than recommended amounts.
Is There Anything Else I Can Do To Treat What Does Vitamin D Deficiency Cause
Yes, there are a few things you can do to help treat and prevent vitamin D deficiency. Spend time outside in the sun, eat foods that are rich in vitamin D, and take a supplement if necessary.
If your doctor has recommended it, you may also need to receive regular injections of vitamin D. By taking these steps, you can help to ensure that you are getting enough vitamin D and preventing deficiency.
Vitamin D is an important nutrient that helps the body absorb calcium, which is necessary for strong bones and teeth. Deficiency can lead to a number of health problems, so it is important to take steps to prevent it.
Are You At Risk Of Vitamin D Deficiency
Did you know that according to national surveys taken out across the UK, approximately 1 in 5 of the population has low vitamin D levels?
It isnt surprising really when you think about it. Our bodies can only make vitamin D when exposed to direct sunlight, which may be possible in summer for some people, but becomes difficult for everyone during the darker winter months.
You can also get vitamin D from animal produce like meat, fish dairy and eggs, which are either naturally high in vitamin D or have been fortified with vitamin D .
Other foods like breakfast cereals, fruit juices, faux meat, plant milks are often fortified . Wild mushrooms and those grown under a UV light are also great sources of vitamin D2.
People who do not get outside much, have dark skin, like to cover up, or do not eat animal products are naturally at more of a risk of vitamin D deficiency.
This is why the government now advise that everybody should think about taking a vitamin D supplement, particularly in the Autumn and Winter months.
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How Much Vitamin D Per Day Do I Need
The NHS recommends around 10 micrograms a day.
It is recommended to take supplements containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during autumn and winter, and throughout the year for those who are not often outdoors.
Taking more than 100 micrograms a day could be harmful to your health. This applies to adults, children, the elderly, and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.6
How Do You Know If You’re Getting Enough Vitamin D
The government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition have been conducting a detailed and comprehensive report on vitamin D. In its draft report,4 published in 2015, SACN revealed that around 10 million people in the UK are deficient in vitamin D, with levels especially low in the winter. People with darker skin are more prone to deficiency, as are the over 65s and those who spend little time out of doors. As a result of these findings, they recommended that vitamin D supplements should be more widely available to at-risk groups.
Your chosen form of exercise can also have an impact on your vitamin D levels. If your sport takes you outside a lot, you may be exposed to more sunlight, increasing your vitamin D intake in the process, for instance. However, if your workouts are all in the gym, if you live somewhere without much sunshine, or if you protect your skin from the sun by covering up or wearing sunscreen, you’re unlikely to get much vitamin D from the sun.
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Exactly How Does Vitamin B Help With Anxiety
There are 8 vitamin Bs and in dietary supplements containing all of them are called a vitamin B complex. The B vitamins are, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12
When it comes to the central nervous system vitamin B12 has an important function. It is responsible for maintaining the health and correct functioning of the nerve cells. Vitamin B 12 is also involved in neurotransmitter signaling and with low levels of vitamin B 12 our cognitive function is impaired. This will often manifest itself in anxiety and depression.
Experts estimate that up to 39% of people in the U.S are low in this important vitamin. Vitamin B12 deficiency is linked to:
- Having a hard time focusing
- Heart palpitations
- Memory problems
One of the most studied functions of vitamin B12 is how it is involved in regulating our central nervous system. By doing so it had the ability to lower symptoms of depression, anxiety and other mood issues. This vitamin, along with vitamin B9 is involved in one- carbon Metabolism that creates a substance called SAM which is crucial for brain functions, dealing with anxiety, stress and mood
to make it short and simple:
If we want our nervous system and brain to function properly, getting enough vitamin B12 is crucial. Being deficient in B12, makes our brain and nervous system unbalanced and that is almost like sending a personal invite to Mr Anxiety to come play with you.
Can Vitamin D Supplements Cause Anxiety
- After getting inside your body, vitamin D will need to be transformed, transported and activated. All these steps require magnesium and will deplete your reserves of this mineral.
- In the long term, taking too much vitamin D without also supplementing with magnesium can lower your magnesium levels and this will have a negative effect over your nervous system.
- Because of how it promotes calcium absorption from food and calcium release from the bones into the blood, long-term high-dose vitamin D supplementation can cause your calcium blood levels to rise too much. This, in turn, will further increase your magnesium needs and negatively affect your nervous system.
- This is especially true if you are following a high-dose vitamin D protocol, like the Coimbra Protocol.
- Vitamin D has a great potential to help you deal with stress and contribute to a less anxious life. But, if you want to reap this benefit you need to make sure you keep supplementing with magnesium while also making sure your calcium levels are kept within their normal range.
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Determination Of Estradiol 25
Blood samples were collected in tubes and centrifuged. After centrifugation, serum was separated, frozen and stored at 20°C until biochemical assessment. Estradiol levels was assessed using commercial available ELISA kit . The sensitivity for estradiol detection using ELISA kit was 3.0pg/ml. Measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels was performed by ELISA kit . Technical variability for 25-OH-VD3 ELISA kit was low with coefficients of variation of < 10% intra-assay and< 15% inter-assay. Detection range of 25-OH-VD3 levels was 20g/L-100g/L. The sensitivity of the 25-OH-VD3 ELISA kit was 5.0g/L. Calcium concentrations were detected by spectrophotometric method using Calcium assay colorimetric kit . The sensitivity of the calcium kit was 0.1m/M. All the procedures of estradiol, 25-OH-VD3 and calcium kits were conducted following the manufacturers instruction manual.
It Has Beneficial Effects On The Symptoms Of Depression
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Research supports vitamin D’s effect on mental health, especially where depression is concerned. One study conducted in the Netherlands found that low levels of vitamin D were linked to symptoms of both major and minor depression in research participants. Another study found that supplementation of vitamin D improved participants’ symptoms, resulting in better health and overall well-being.
Vitamin D should not be used as a treatment for depressionâyou should see a healthcare professional for that.
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How Can You Use Vitamin A For Anxiety
Vitamin A helps to nourish the most critical system in our body that is the nervous system, and hence your muscles can relax. A proper functioning nervous system helps in minimizing stress mentally. When you are relaxed, you cannot get any anxiety.
When you are calm, there are slim chances for you to have a panic attack.
Vitamin a has the fatty acids, and they are a necessity in our bodies. They are also helpful in reducing anxiety.
Which Vitamins Get Depleted During Stress
As you saw, your body mainly uses vitamins B and C during stress.
Vitamin C is extremely important here because your adrenal glands need it to produce stress hormones in optimal amounts.
- A quick tip: If youre stressed often, try taking 500mg of vitamin C every couple of hours, along with 1-2 capsules of vitamin B complex per day. Or even better, you can take a whole food multivitamin.
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Can Low Iron Levels Cause Anxiety
Iron is essential in the production of hemoglobin, a protein that allows red blood cells to carry oxygen to your tissues and muscles. So when you have low levels of iron, less oxygen gets to your cells, keeping them from functioning properly and often leading to fatigue , weakness, and even anxiety and depression.
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Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women
Pregnant and breastfeeding women are at risk for vitamin D deficiency because their bodies need more of the vitamin than usual. During pregnancy, the babys needs for vitamin D increase, so the mother needs to have enough of the vitamin to meet her own needs and the babys.
Breastfeeding mothers also need extra vitamin D to ensure that their babies are getting enough of the vitamin.
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Where Does Vitamin D Come In
Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that can be obtained from your diet â in egg yolks, cod liver oils, fatty fish like salmon, sardines, herring, and mackerel, and in some fortified products such as margarine . It can also be synthesised in your skin during sunlight exposure. To become active in your body, however, vitamin D needs receptors , with the calcitriol receptor being the primary one.
The relationship between stress and vitamin D can be a bit of a vicious cycle. For example, the hormone cortisol, which is produced when your body is under stress, can block the calcitriol receptor, and the absorption of vitamin D as a result. Therefore, if your training is causing you stress or anxiety, it may prevent you from efficiently absorbing this essential vitamin.
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Joint Pain And Inflammation
Thereâs a long list of conditions responsible for joint issues, but this is one you donât hear about very often. âLow vitamin D levels in the blood cause an inflammatory response, causing pain and inflammation in the joints,â Springer says. So, if thereâs no other explanation you can think of behind your joint pain, your vitamin D levels could be the culprit.
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Comparison Of Psychological Scales Between The Two Groups At Baseline 3rd Month And 6th Month
In the whole cohort, total scores of HAMD17 did not differ at baseline, 3rd month, and 6th month in the two groups . Additionally, the total scores of RPAS and the total scores of RSAS remained unchanged between the two groups throughout time. There was a significant reduction in the total scores of HAMA14 at 6th month between the two groups .
Using the method of oneway ANOVA to analyze the situation of each evaluation scale after 3rd and 6th monthsof vitamin D intervention. At the 6th month, the difference between HAMA intervention group and control group was statistically significant. HAMA, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, HAMD, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, RPAS: Revised Physical Scale, RSAS: Revised Social Anhedonia Scale. *p < .05
How To Choose The Best D3 Supplement
When you’re looking for a D supplement, make sure to get one that is vitamin D-only. You don’t want a supplement that contains other vitamins and minerals.
You also want to make sure the supplement you choose has vitamin D in the form of cholecalciferol or calcitriol. These are the two forms of vitamin D that are most easily absorbed by the body.
Make sure to take a look at the dosage before you purchase a supplement. The recommended dose of vitamin D is 600 IU per day for adults. However, some people may need more or less depending on their health status.
In addition, you’ll want to consider the following:
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Ok So Ill Probably Vitamin D Deficient What To Do
For this i would suggest finding a good vitamin D supplement and taking it daily, theyre quick, cost effective, and its really no effort at all. Or if its more of a summers month you could set a time everyday or at least say 3 days a week where you go outside in the sun for around 15-30min, that should be enough vitamin D for your daily needs, on top of that you could also eat more vitamin D rich foods such as egg yolks, fatty fish like salmon or cheese, all these things should boost your levels up and get you back to feeling better!
Can I Take Vitamin D Everyday
If youre taking a vitamin D supplement, you probably dont need more than 600 to 800 IU per day, which is adequate for most people. Some people may need a higher dose, however, including those with a bone health disorder and those with a condition that interferes with the absorption of vitamin D or calcium, says Dr.
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Better Absorption Of Calcium
J Lee/THE/THIRTY
If youve ever wondered why so many dairy products include extra vitamin D, thats because it increases the bodys ability to absorb calcium. This is important, since calcium can only strengthen bones if its first fully absorbed.
Luckily there are things you can do to stop that from happening. First, you can try to eat foods rich in vitamin D. Kofsky recommends including shiitake and button mushrooms, tuna, salmon, sardines, and eggs in your diet. There is a catch, though.
Vitamin D is very hard to absorb through food, and the only way to truly get it from the sunlight is direct light for 20 minutes a day without sunscreen, she shares. If you believe you might need to take supplements, I would first suggest getting your blood tested and making sure its something youre actually low on.
If youre low in vitamin D , supplements are an effective option. Personally, I love Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D supplements, and I would suggest starting with a low dose, Kofsky says. Most people and clients I see can benefit from vitamin D, so if youre not getting it from the sun, it could be a great supplement to start taking!
Vitamin C For Anxiety
You might think of vitamin C as an immune booster, but its also excellent for your brain and one of the best vitamins for stress and anxiety.
This antioxidant plays a vital role in maintaining balance in your central nervous system. A study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry declared that “vitamin C deficiency is widely associated with stress-related diseases and notes that taking a vitamin C supplement may improve your mood and reduce anxiety.
Plus, chronic anxiety leads to elevated levels of cortisol . Vitamin C can help your body to better manage its cortisol levels.
NRV for vitamin C
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Now Foods Saffron 50mg Veg Capsules
Price: $$$
Saffron is a brightly hued spice that has culinary and medicinal uses. Its loaded with antioxidant compounds and may be especially beneficial for people with anxiety when used as a supplement.
A 2018 review of 100 studies found that saffron supplements helped reduce anxiety. Some studies included in the review demonstrated that treatment with saffron had similar anti-anxiety effects when compared with the anti-anxiety medication fluoxetine .
Similarly, a 2016 study in 60 people with depression and anxiety found that supplementation with 100 mg of saffron per day for 12 weeks significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety, compared with a placebo. The supplement was also well tolerated by the participants .
However, pregnant people should speak with their doctors, as limited research suggests that saffron supplements may cause uterine contractions .
NOW Foods Saffron is a good option, as the supplements are non-GMO, vegan, and gluten-free and undergo third-party testing for potency and purity.
Each capsule provides 50 mg of saffron, with recommendations to take 1 capsule twice per day or as directed by your healthcare professional.