Liquid Vitamin D Supplements

Many new health supplements, especially liquid vitamins, are now including a liquid form of vitamin D in their formulas. While not much research has been done yet in regards to a liquid vitamin D form, it appears as though, at the safe recommended amounts, liquid vitamin D is generally considered to be safe to consume. It is a great way to supplement your diet if you are not getting enough of the much needed nutrient. However, one of the best and most natural sources of vitamin D that you can consume or receive comes from the sun and is known as vitamin D₃ (cholecalciferol).

Recent studies show that you should be taking a liquid vitamin or nutritional supplement because liquids are more readily absorbed by the body into our cells.In fact, some experts believe that liquid vitamins are better accepted by the body than tablet form vitamins.

Adding a liquid vitamin D supplement to your body can be beneficial for many various reasons. But not all vitamins (especially liquid) are formulated the same, so you will definitely want to do a little bit of research before deciding on which vitamin D supplement you would like to add to your diet.

If you would like to add a liquid vitamin D supplement to your diet, be sure to check out GBG’s 10-in-One Liquid Multi Formula, which has as much vitamin D in it equivalent to 4 cups of milk (400 IU) and uses the vitamin D₃ form, which is the same kind that your body produces from the sun’s rays.

Update: Making sure you get the recommended amount of vitamin D in your diet is very important for quite a few reasons (more below). In fact, recent studies show that getting the proper amount of vitamin D may prevent H1N1 (Swine Flu) and other related flus and diseases.

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Please note: Most of the information that is available on vitamin D pertains to the nutrient itself. Learn more about vitamin D below.

About Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a very different vitamin – the active form is called 1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol. Vitamin D is the only vitamin that does not need to be consumed through diet, but is instead produced by your body (a hormone). It is both made by your body (in a process that begins when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet light that’s present in sunlight) and required in your diet. Because of this vitamin D is referred to as the “sunshine vitamin.” It is recommended that you get at least 10-15 minutes of sun exposure at least three times a week. Sitting in the car or in a room with windows does not count; the glass filters out the rays you need.

If you are not able to get the sun exposure you need, you can also get the vitamin from food sources, but in smaller doses. You can get Vitamin D₃ from red meat and fish and Vitamin D₂ from plants. However, in these forms, boron may be needed to help metabolize the vitamin so that it can be used by the body. Many vegetarians do not get enough vitamin D in their diet and may need to supplement.

Food Sources of Vitamin D

The following is a brief list of foods that contain the most vitamin D (in order):

• canned sardines
• salmon
• tuna
• shrimp
• butter
• sunflower seeds
• liver
• eggs
• fortified milk
• mushrooms
• natural cheeses (milk products such as cheese, yogurt, and ice cream, are generally not fortified with vitamin D)

Functions

Vitamin D is not just one nutrient, but a group of related vitamins that are fat soluble and belong to a class of substances known as sterols. The primary functions of Vitamin D are that it is needed for the absorption of calcium and phosphorous, and for their utilization in bone formation, nerve and muscle activity. More specifically, it:

• aids in the absorption of calcium from the intestinal tract
• helps the body assimilate phosphorous
• helps the pancreas release insulin
• necessary for blood clotting
• necessary for growth and development of bones and teeth
• necessary for thyroid function
• stimulates bone cell mineralization

Diseases/Disorders That Can be Treated with Vitamin D

Vitamin D can help to prevent and even cure rickets and in repairing osteomalacia. Along with calcium, vitamin D helps to keep bones strong (especially during menopause) an may be helpful in preventing fractures in the elderly as well as continually strengthen teeth. New emerging scientific research also suggests that vitamin D promotes breast health.

It is thought to be an immunomodulator that slows or stops bacteria that cause disease. Along with vitamins A and C, vitamin D is beneficial in reducing the incidence of colds. It is helpful in treating psoriasis and has also helped prevent the development of common autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis in mice prone to these conditions. Vitamin D can treat:

• autoimmune diseases
• cancer prevention and treatment
• cardiovascular disease
• depression
• diabetes
• epilepsy
• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• inflammatory conditions
• migraine headaches
• multiple sclerosis (MS)
• musculoskeletal pain
• osteoarthritis
• osteoporosis
• polycystic ovary syndrome
• promotes breast health

Recommended Dosage

As mentioned above, you should always consult your health care provider to help you determine how much vitamin D you can or should consume. Different factors will play into the results and they usually vary by individual needs (lab tests can be done, if needed, to help determine the amount). They will also help you decide if supplementing with a liquid vitamin D will be equally beneficial. And don’t forget you can also get your vitamin D from the sun’s rays. If you are fair skinned and need to wear sunscreen, then you may need to take a vitamin D supplement. If you find that you need to take a vitamin D supplement, the preferred form to supplement with is vitamin D₃.

Adequate Intakes (AIs) for Vitamin D (Needed daily)

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Symptoms of Deficiency

If you do not consume enough Vitamin D, there can be consequences. In children, these consequences are weak, deformed bones – usually the ankles and wrists will have noticeably knobby bumps and weak, soft leg bones that bow under the child’s own weight. In adults, the deficiency is known as osteomalacia, which is a condition similar to rickets but that occurs in developed bones. Some experts even believe a lack of suffiecient Vitamin D increseases the risk of osteoporosis (or can even make it worse), which is a bone-weakening disease that leads to fractures and tooth decay. Additional symptoms of deficiency are decreased calcium and phosphate levels and muscle spasms.

Causes of Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency is usually common in the ill, homebound, and elderly and hospitalized adults. It can also appear in infants that are breastfed and that have little sun exposure because breastmilk contains very low amounts of Vitamin D and sometimes a liquid vitamin D supplement is needed (kids are usually born with . It is also common amongst those who use a lot of sunscreen, which prevents vitamin D absorption. Additional causes of Vitamin D deficiency are:

• aging (which causes your body to make less vitamin D from the sun)
• decreased fat absorption (as a result of short bowel syndrome, sprue, or certain medications
• medications, such as fat-blocking medications or over the counter (OTC) fat blockers used for weight loss or Prednisone (which is a steroid that is used in the treatment of cancer and interferes with the conversion of vitamin D to its active form)
• has been linked to type 1 and type 2 diabetes

Consequences of Overdose

Just like you can be deficient in Vitamin D, you can also overdose on it. That’s why it’s recommended that you consume the recommended safe amounts, and no more than the tolerable upper limits, which vary based on age, sex, and a few other factors (see more below). It is best to consult with your health care provider to find out more specifically what amount of Vitamin D you should be consuming and you should also be consuming calcium when taking vitamin D. It is very rare to overdose on vitamin D, but because the nutrient is stored in fat cells, long-term high doses can cause calcium to be deposited in the soft tissues of the body and can result in irreversible damage to the kidneys and cardiovascular system. High intake of vitamin D can even lead to a coma. The most recognized consequences of overdose are:

• mental retardation in young children
• abnormal done growth and formation
• nausea, diarrhea, irritability, and weight loss
• deposition of calcium in organs such as the kidneys, liver, and heart

Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) for Vitamin D (Not to be exceeded)

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