Right now, I have several questions:
1) Why am I low?
2) How much do I
really need?
3) Can’t I correct
the problem by adapting my diet?
I think it’s time to research.
According to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine,
experts believe that "up to 77 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient
(defined as having blood levels of less than 30 nanograms per milliliter).”
Note: -
In this past Saturday’s lab work, my blood
levels were at 25 nanograms. According
to the nurse that called, its not critical, but reason to put me on the additional vitamin and
retest me at a later date. According to
my research, 20 to 30 is fine, but 30 is desirable. No worries. Just how much am I getting?
Let’s see…every morning, I take a multivitamin which gives me 400 (iu)
of vitamin D in addition to the 100 iu of vitamin D in my daily calcium chews. Most references I have found say I should be
getting around 600 iu a day. That would
make me just below what is needed. But,
do I need more with all the exercising I do?
Perhaps. I am burning more
calories, using more of what vitamins and nutrients I take in. Come to think of it, it makes perfect sense
that I would be somewhat low. I do not
drink milk and I only have soy milk in my occasional bowl of fiber cereal (which also has Vitamin D). In case you are wondering, it turns out my soy milk has a higher
percentage of vitamin D than the other lowfat or skim milk in our fridge.
And wait, it’s October.
I’m not out in the sun much. The
sun provides us with vitamin D. Mmmm...
“Sweetie, Mama needs a vacation. I’ll pack my bikini. No really…it’s medicinal.” Yeah, I'm sure that'll work. I do eat Salmon, but not every day. Sometimes I have a veggie omelet (eggs) but,
it is rare.
I’ll pick up the supplement
this morning, and we’ll see what happens. While I'm over there, I'll walk three laps at the mall (three laps equals six miles).
But in addition, I’ll see if I can increase my vitamin D just
by my adapting my eating habits. Maybe its not a dilemma after all. I can do both. I can read the food labels, look for better ways to increase my Vitamin D and take the supplements.
Food Source
|
Vitamin D (IU)
|
Cod liver oil+, 1
tablespoon
|
1,360
|
Salmon, 3.5 oz cooked
|
360
|
Mackerel, 3.5 oz cooked
|
345
|
Sardines, 1.75 oz
canned in oil
|
250
|
Tuna fish, 3 oz canned
in oil
|
200
|
Milk, 1 cup
(fortified*)
|
100
|
Orange juice, 1 cup
(fortified)
|
100
|
Soymilk, 1 cup
(fortified)
|
100
|
Yogurt, 6 oz
(fortified)
|
60-80
|
Pudding, 1/2 cup (made
with fortified milk)
|
50
|
Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D
found in yolk)
|
41
|
Ready-to-eat cereal,
3/4 cup to 1 cup (fortified)
|
40
|
Margarine, 1 teaspoon
(fortified)
|
20
|
Beef liver, 3.5 oz
cooked
|
15
|
Swiss cheese, 1 oz
|
12
|
http://www.webmd.com/diet/vitamin-d-deficiency
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1357
http://www.powerbar.com/articles/169/vitamins-and-minerals-do-athletes-need-more.aspx
Update:
We've just returned from walking the mall (6 miles). I had the chance to check out the new Vitamin D I was prescribed. I was given a prescription for 50,000 iu. Yes, I question that amount. It seems excessive. I called and left a message for the Nurse Practitioner. She was very nice when I first saw her, but I am not about to take anything I don't trust and that includes excessive vitamins. At 50,000 iu, I could actually overdose on Vitamin D. I plan to get my own supplement (a much smaller dose) and adapt my diet to include more vitamin D rich foods. I will try to get out more, and get more natural sunshine. She can still redo the blood test in four weeks, but on my terms. Never blindly follow. Mistakes are made everyday.
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