More discussion about balancing vitamin D and minerals

janet/FL · 12-27-2007, 08:37 PM

OK, Angel
Now I want the answer!! What to take!! And how much!!! LOL
I had a blood test and I was low on vitamin D. Doc prescribed a liquid vitamin D. I am trying to get more sun--but I hate being in the sun! And I live in Florida where it would seem hard not to get vitamin D. I do seem to manage not to, however. Whenever I think of it, I am reminded of you getting your sun in Alaska. You are just going to have to come here and show me how to do it!!!
Hugs for a Happy New year!
Before I close, there is an article in this months Prevention magazine about testosterone and women. It seems they have a patch now for delivery though might not be specifically for women, and it did improve their sex life. It was a short article.

AlaskaAngel · 12-30-2007, 06:12 PM

Hi Janet!

Maybe it is the combination of daily exposure + sunshine that makes some difference? I don't know.... My personal example isn't the best (today is quite dark with falling snow here). Ever since diagnosis in 2001/2002 I have forced myself if there is any sun at all to go out in my swimsuit.... even if all I can stand is 10 minutes in the cold! I do take both the vitamin D that is in a multivitamin plus separately vitamin D3 pills, and some magnesium and calcium also in addition to what is in the multivitamin. Weightbearing exercise is what "pulls" the minerals into the bones (and I need to do more of that...)

Thanks for the suggestion on the article in Prevention. Five years ago there was no attention being paid to the problem even though so many women were stuck with it, and I am glad to see that various more serious attempts are being made to address it. Hopefully the best attempt of all will be finding out who benefits from treatment and who doesn't. My friend who died got zero benefit out of treatment and instead was stuck with the problem on top of knowing she would die of bc. I would have given an awful lot to have saved her from even just that loss in the time she had left.

AlaskaAngel

michka · 12-31-2007, 03:42 AM

Hi Janet and Alaska Angel,
Could you post or mail me the article you mentioned? It is one of my problems and what I try is not helping. I am miserable.
Thanks
Michka

Becky · 12-31-2007, 07:32 AM

Also, make sure you take cholecalicerol (D3) versus ergocalicerol (D2) if supplementing. For most of us, it does not make a difference but for some people (especially as we age or due to genetics), D2 cannot be converted in the liver to the 2nd stage (which is then converted to the active form in the kidney - as Angel's great link describes). The D3 form is the form that our skin makes therefore, this is easiest for the liver to use if you are supplementing instead.

Secondly, one thing this article did not address (and I am sure it wasn't supposed to) is the great benefit exercise has on bone. This includes walking/jogging as well as weight lifting (be careful of your affected arm).
This really helps too and like most things, the synergy is probably greater than just doing one thing or the other.