# Vitamin D



## jas498 (Feb 22, 2008)

Does anyone take Vitamin D supplements? Can you tell me if it has affected your level of happiness/sadness/depression and how? How much do you take? 

The majority of our Vitamin D intake is from the sun. I read some interesting articles about how the recommended daily dose of it is highly underrated. On top of that, darker toned people need more sunlight to produce the same amount of vitamin D as someone who has fair skin. 

Thanks


----------



## MouseWithoutKeyboard (Oct 18, 2007)

Vitamin D is fortified in most foods.


----------



## sparkations (Nov 26, 2003)

its possible to reach toxic levels with vitamin D supplements, because its a fat soluble vitamin-so watch your intake when you are taking supplements. It's fortified in most foods, so that's good.Other than that, you should be fine. Also, older people need higher intakes of Vitamin D.

The adequate intake for men and women 19-50 is 5ug/day


----------



## CoconutHolder (Oct 13, 2007)

Yeah I saw on tv a while back the you can get the daily recommended dose of vitamin D by being in the sun for 5 minutes without sunscreen. Thats fast.

I take calcium supplements with vitamin D but I don't notice anything.

Actually your body only absorbs like 30% of the calcium from supplements. I suppose its alwasys better to get your vitamins from the real sources.......for better absorption.


----------



## MouseWithoutKeyboard (Oct 18, 2007)

The problem with vitamin supplements is that it's a big dosage at one time, so the body ends up excreting most of it (especially water-soluble vitamins). That's why it's important for you to obtain your vitamins from food sources, it's constant.


----------



## smalltowngirl (Feb 17, 2006)

My aunt put me on vitamin D supplements last summer. She's a chiropractor. She said the supplements were supposed to make me happy. I didn't really notice any change. :stu 

She also put my cousin on the same pills, and my cousin likes to go to tanning booths. Apparently once she started taking the supplements she burned very easily so that's something to watch out for.


----------



## scairy (Sep 18, 2005)

jas498 said:


> Does anyone take Vitamin D supplements? Can you tell me if it has affected your level of happiness/sadness/depression and how? How much do you take?
> 
> The majority of our Vitamin D intake is from the sun. I read some interesting articles about how the recommended daily dose of it is highly underrated. On top of that, darker toned people need more sunlight to produce the same amount of vitamin D as someone who has fair skin.
> 
> Thanks


That's an interesting thought. I know they try correlating suicide in Washington to the weather. I wonder if they've ever tried testing the bodies to see if their vitamin D levels were abnormally low? Technically they should be able to run this test because suicide would be considered a crime scene correct?


----------



## leppardess (Nov 8, 2003)

Although I don't take it every day, on the days that I do take vitamin D suppliments, I do feel better, I don't have that foggy feeling in my head and I have a little more energy than I usually do. That said, I do take a multi in addition to extra calcium/magnesium/zinc and glucosamine chrondroitin too. 

I also read (a long time ago...) that taking vitamin D suppliments helped women with depression.


----------



## MouseWithoutKeyboard (Oct 18, 2007)

Placebo effect


----------



## Nae (Nov 10, 2003)

I can't find my issue of SciAm for specifics, but they had a great article on new research into the numerous effects vitamin D may have inside your body and the two researches believed that the recommended 400 iu/day was to low during the winter in some areas because a lack of sun exposure. As for overdosing, They mentioned intake from the sun tops out at about 10,000 iu - after that the UV rays destroy anymore being made. That's quite a bit higher than 400 iu/day from a multivitamin or 100 iu from, say, a glass of milk. 

Any of the info above might be off because I am going from memory here.


----------



## Broshious (Dec 23, 2006)

leppardess said:


> Although I don't take it every day, on the days that I do take vitamin D suppliments, I do feel better, I don't have that foggy feeling in my head and I have a little more energy than I usually do. That said, I do take a multi in addition to extra calcium/magnesium/zinc and glucosamine chrondroitin too.
> 
> I also read (a long time ago...) that taking vitamin D suppliments helped women with depression.


Vitamin D is involved in Dopamine synthesis so that could be part of it:

_"Activated vitamin D in the adrenal gland regulates tyrosine hydroxylase, the rate limiting enzyme necessary for the production of dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Low vitamin D may contribute to chronic fatigue and depression. (9-10) Seasonal Affective Disorder has been treated successfully with vitamin D. In a recent study covering 30 days of treatment comparing Vitamin D and 2 hour daily use of 'light boxes', depression completely resolved in the D group, but not in the light box group.(11)"_


----------

