How is your vitamin D supplement working for you?
Vitamin D deficiency is a serious medical condition that has been associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, various cancers and autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D insufficiency occurs at epidemic levels in many industrialized countries, where exposure to sunlight tends to be limited and diets tend not to include sufficient amounts of foods naturally rich in vitamin D. D insufficiency is determined is serum levels of 25(OH) vitamin D less than 32 ng/mL.
In a 2009 study, 20 full time Fire Fighters were selected to participate in an eight week study to assess the value of vitamin D3 supplementation. At the beginning of the study 75% of the subjects were defined as deficient (below 32ng.ml). The subjects were advised to take 4,000 IU/day (2 drops) daily of the liquid emulsified preparation produced by Biotics Research Corporation. After eight weeks of daily supplementation the study subjects’ 25(OH) vitamin D levels were retested by Laboratory Corporation of America. After the eight week supplemental period while only five study subjects, or 25%, still had serum levels below the 32ng/ml level and seven subjects had blood levels above 50 ng/ml, the highest being 114ng/ml.
The study concluded that in a population where 75% of the patients were vitamin D deficient a 4,000 IU/daily supplementation with a Micro-emulsified liquid vitamin D-3 preparation increased blood levels on average 106% with an average level of 54ng/ml.
