Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Blood Tests incl. Vitamin D

Well, the medical news from my 2 day visit to Wake Forest Hospital for doctor's appointments and lab tests is not bad, but it's not so great either. The doctors continue to ponder WHY my body is not processing and utilizing all the good, well-balanced nutrients I eat.

Now six weeks after my recent GI bleed, my levels of red blood cells, platelets, hematocrit and hemoglobin are all still below normal (although improving, albeit slowly), and also low are potassium, magnesium and calcium. No wonder I'm tired all the time, and have zero energy!

Surprising to me, my Vitamin D level is also "insufficient". The new recommended daily allowance (RDA), as set in 2010 and based on age, is as follows: for those 1-70 years of age, 600 IU daily; for those 71 years and older, 800 IU daily; and for pregnant and lactating women, 600 IU daily.

I take 1000 IU softgels 3 times daily (breakfast, lunch and supper) but my insufficiency level supports the research I've read over the last 3-4 years that says we may need a minimum of  5,000-10,000 IU's daily. Vitamin D is one of the fat-soluble vitamins, along with Vitamin A, E and K. Those vitamins are stored the liver and adipose (fat) tissue when not needed, but if we don't have an intake of enough saturated fat in our foods, they are lost.

I get enough saturated fat in eggs, cheese, whole milk and grass-fed meats that I'm sure I get enough for the fat-soluble vitamins. I'm not so sure that folks who buy all the "fat-free" products actually get enough (if any) of the right kind of fats to utilize vitamins A, D, E, and K.

What do YOU eat?

19 comments:

  1. I just had my Vit D tested and it showed it was well in the normal range, even though I have effectively not been outside all winter. I guess my grassfed, etc. diet has meant I stored enough for the winter.

    I had major digestive issues up until 2008. All I can say is as long as I have my homemade (with raw whole milk) kefir cheese (using a live, never frozen/dehydrated/etc. grain) every morning, I do pretty well digestive wise.

    I did go through a spell when I could not make it (badly broken leg) and my digestion and health slipped accordingly.

    But that's my experience, and I do realize everyone's body is different. I do hope you can figure the puzzle out. Being exhausted, etc. is no picnic. :((

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I eat only grass-fed meats and eggs from free-range hens... and prefer raw milk cheese and butter when I can find them. One would think I'd have stored enough vit. D for winter in my fat cells, LOL.

      I made my own cheese (and butter, yogurt) for a year or two, but now raw milk (cow OR goat) is almost impossible to find around here.

      I have enough room (in the barn and yard) for a milk cow IF I could get someone to share in the milk and milking chores. At my age, I cannot see milking twice a day, every day. Plus, now there are out-of-town medical appointments

      Delete
  2. My vitamin D levels also run low all the time. It is interesting about the recommendations that you found, as my old Dr. told me I need 10,000IU a week. Still taking my supplement on an every other day basis and I can really tell a difference when I miss a dose. Hope your levels keep improving.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment!

      I'm upping my daily D3 from 3,000 IU to 5,000 IU, and will have my levels checked again in early May.

      Delete
  3. I am so glad to hear you are improving! I know I often think if I do this (take my Vit. D) then that will happen (I won't be deficient)but for me the wild card is always my very personal genetics. The older I get the more I realize how powerful genetics are. I don't know if studies have ever been done to compare the impact of diet to the impact of genetics, but if they have I would love to see them. Keep taking good care of yourself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I've never seen a study on diet and genetics, but I'd bet it would be interesting!

      I have just learned that genetics may have played a part in the recent GI bleed that put me in the hospital in late January/early February. Turns out I had a Dieulafoy Lesion in my stomach, and that's kinda like a gastric aneurysm. Those stem from genetics and/or early childhood development, rather than being age-related degeneration.

      Delete
  4. Darius... I take 50,000 units once weekly of Vit. D to keep my levels just into the normal level...limits are 30-100, mine is 41. Might see if you can get a prescription for a high dosage pill.

    Kris

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kris, a neighbor has a similar prescription, and I'll look into getting one. The test results came in after I'd seen the doctor, so there was no opportunity to ask about it.

      Delete
  5. When my (then 90 yo) dad was tested for vD, and was found low, the Dr. prescribed 10,000 units daily for 3 months!

    Retested and he was in normal range then reduced to 5000 daily thereafter. Sounds like a lot but that's what they prescribed and it worked.

    ReplyDelete
  6. PS: Is there a way to RSS subscribe to ALL COMMENTS made on ALL POSTS? I can only find a comment RSS that links to one post at a time.

    I know it's possible because on the Natural Chicken Keeping Blog http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2012/12/natural-from-start-medicated-chick-feed.html which is also a blogspot blog, I can subscribe to comments by RSS and I can see all comments in the list from every post.

    Also...can we subscribe via email so I'm notified when a new post (not comments) goes up?

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sue, I have NO idea. and don't see anything on the set-up that would let me make it happen. Sorry.

      Delete
    2. http://2footalligator.blogspot.com/feeds/comments/default

      Delete
    3. So Mike... where's your comment?

      Delete
    4. Leahs Mom asked how to RSS subscribe to All comments. What I posted was how to get an RSS feed to All Comments.

      Delete
    5. Mike, there was NO text in your reply. Would you post it again because I'd like to know how myself.

      Thanks

      Delete
  7. I wonder about whether many Vit. D supplements are any good? Are they as adulterated as olive oil? Testing has shown many other vitamins to be shams, not containing the level claimed.

    I think the genetic angle is also interesting...And I think we'll be seeing research in that direction soon. Tho' maybe not soon enough to help you. But it makes sense that different genetics would assimilate vitamins differently.

    Glad to hear you're feeling better. =0)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do muscle-testing to determine what's good for my system (or not good, LOL). Too bad most people don't know how to do it... my chiropractor who did applied kinesiology taught me, but Machelle Small-Wright has instructions on her Perelandra web site.

      Delete
    2. ConsumerLabs has tested various Vit. D supplements out there & sure enough, some of them don't deliver what they claim to. The one we take tested true to dosage, availability, & purity.

      Delete

I'd love to hear what you think about my posts! We all learn together.