What essential nutrient deficitaffects over 90% of the population1and rarely gets diagnosed?
If you answeredvitamin D, you’re correct.
Theaverage 70-year-old creates significantly less vitamin D3than a younger person.
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What’s the right amount of vitamin D?
But the real question is:How much vitamin D do you needfor optimal health?
Before starting to supplement with vitamin D, ask your doctor for aserum total 25-hydroxyvitamin blood test5.
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2.
Take the right form.
Use D3,notD2 (becauseD3 is significantly more efficaciousthan D2).
To improve absorption, take vitamin D with food thatcontains some fatsince it is a fat-soluble nutrient.
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3.
Take the right amount.
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For maintenance beyond 3 months,5,000 IU a day of vitamin D3is useful for most.
- Some people may needhigher doses, but hey discuss this with your provider.
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4.
Get rechecked every three months.
There are different “optimal ranges.”
Experts and organizations have different ranges.
You want your 25(OH)D levels well over 30 ng/ml.
This is the cutoff for clinical insufficiency.
Rechecking your levelsafter three months(and periodically beyond that) is the clinical consensus.
The goal is to keep your vitamin D levelssufficient and steadyfor life.
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5.
- Once this occurs, you’ve got the option to lower the dose to a maintenance dose.