For other reasons I get tested for vitamin D every few months and managed to get my levels just above the normally recommended amount as per doctors advice. When people are saying they’re taking 25-100k UI a day I’m just stumped why they’d be doing that without medical advice, the amount to change my levels was nothing in comparison.
RDA is 400 IU. It's actually the food RDA, with 20% expected from food. Overall RDA (sun + food) is 2000 IU. Therapeutic vitamin doses are 10x the RDA. 6x is elevated while doing "nothing" and 20x is full saturation ("but why").
2x and 4x for minerals.
For vitamin D, that would then be 20,000 IU or roughly 300 IU/kg/day.
No need to take that much or be outside the 40-60 ng/mL range for no reason. On the other hand, many benefits may be had in the higher range with advancing age. Especially when combined with vitamin K2 (1 mg MK-4 and 100 mcg MK-7 per 5,000-10,000 IU) and getting more magnesium than phosphorus (with 1/3rd-1/2 that amount as calcium; for example, 1.5g phosphorus, 1.5g magnesium, and 500-750 mg calcium).
Some magnesium as ZMA is good for males, as it improves sleep quality.
By the way, ancestral eating patterns led to ~1.5g magnesium per day.
At least after development has ceased (ie, plates fused), shifting from calcium to magnesium is a solid step.
The main issues with higher vitamin D3 are addressed by adjusting vitamin K2, calcium, and magnesium.
With advancing age, higher amounts (+ magnesium and K2) mimic/amplify the actions of hGH/IGF-1 pushing back toward youth. More D3 is often needed with age for the same effect.
The combo is also protecting bone and the higher amount of magnesium does countless things: released when the body is ready to unroll inflammation, opposes excess lipid peroxidation, opposes lipofuscin, lengthens telomeres, shifts the calcium:magnesium balance such that less calcium is absorbed into stressed cells, keeps calcium dissolved, decalcifies, vasodilation at skin (improves nutrient flow, slowing aging effects), binds and clears heavy metals as excreted, sensitizes to LH, increases testosterone/progesterone and IGF-1 (directly and indirectly), aids in clearance of estrogens, opposes stress, lowers cortisol and aldosterone, shifting to DHEA and potentially anabolism, improves sleep if taken at night (ZMA for males), etc...
You are repeating yourself, so I will as well. The article claims that these health benefits do not exist for normal people. The article has studies with high quality RCTs that would trump other, observational studies.
Use CRON-o-meter. Meet all RDAs with just a variety of whole quality foods, get more magnesium than phosphorus (and 1/3rd-1/2 as much as calcium), ensure alkaline PRAL score, and ensure sufficient quality sleep.
Higher amounts of D3 aren't necessary, but there are therapeutic effects. The idea is to somewhat mimic hGH/IGF-1, DHEA, and melatonin of youth while lowering stress hormones.
As a male, ZMA is a good way to improve sleep and move closer toward meeting the magnesium requirements.
Maintain a lower/normal amount of D3, clear all nutrient/sleep deficiencies, and then start increasing 25(OH)D if necessary. D3 sometimes isn't even needed until older, unless trying for the therapeutic effects I mentioned.
Such a combo works even better with resistance training to stimulate bone.
I stated minimums for MK-4 and MK-7. I like the effects of higher amounts of MK-4. 5-10 mg.
I'm currently taking: 60,000 IU D3, 15 mg MK-4, 1.35g magnesium, and 2 Naturelo One Daily capsules (provides 240 mcg MK-7).
For reference I take 5,000 IU daily, recommended by my doctor. We worked up to that amount over time, testing my Vit D levels until they made into the "normal" range. I live in a very sunny state and am outside in the sun at least an hour a day during peak daylight hours, sometimes much more. Many other members of my immediate family also have amazingly low Vit D levels despite plenty of outside time.
The vitamin "misnomer" really confuses me. I don't think if it was called "hormone D" that people would be snaffling it up trying to self-medicate.
Anyhow, I've googled and googled but still can't figure out why it's called a vitamin at all. The best I can come up with is that there IS an actual vitamin D that comes from the sun, but it helps the kidneys produces the good "hormone D" which is the what people are deficient in.
Can anyone shed some light on this? My description above could be a million miles off.
