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Programmers Must Take Vitamin D

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Re: Programmers Must Take Vitamin D

#51

Post by bascule »

awolf wrote: post #24

There are many different types of vitamin D synthesized in our bodies which require sunlight to form. The many varieties of D are used in an enormous amount of different chemical processes in our bodies- many of which are quite complex and not fully understood. Vitamin D supplements consist of (mostly) one type of Vitamin D. People are typically deficient in that specific type so mild supplementation is a reasonable…

Vitamin D supplements are generally D3 by design because that's the form most readily absorbed by the body.

That said you're probably better off getting it from catfish or salmon (which also contain omega fatty acids, a "good" fat which you might otherwise consider supplementing if you aren't getting enough in your diet)

And of course it's not a dichotomy, you can supplement D3 daily and also try to eat a lot of fish!

Re: Programmers Must Take Vitamin D

#52

Post by postfuturist »

I was tested and was deficient, now I take it every day and my levels are normal. Two buddies of mine got tested later and were also deficient, dangerously low even. We live in Portland, Oregon, so sunlight exposure is generally low, but I'd say it's a good idea for anyone to get tested.

Re: Programmers Must Take Vitamin D

#53

Post by Imagenuity »

I started taking D3 last fall, and it has made a big difference in how I feel. I started with 3600IU for a few months and when I started feeling more energetic and cheerful dropped down to 2600 (2x 1000IU + 600IU & calcium). I get outside quite a bit, but in Vancouver WA the skies are overcast a lot and the low sun angle means you can't get enough for vitamin D needs. I also take a probiotic, an anti-oxidant, a fish oil and a green tea supplement. My diet is mostly paleo. My ancestry is northern European.

For reference, you need to take 50,000IU for several months to develop toxicity (ref: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-d-toxicity/AN02008). If you are pale skinned and don't spend a lot of time in the sun, you are much more likely to be deficient.

If you really want to see where you're at, have your doctor do a blood test, or go get a micro-nutrient test http://www.spectracell.com/mnt/

Re: Programmers Must Take Vitamin D

#55

Post by hcarvalhoalves »

bascule wrote: post #48
john61 wrote: post #38

That is doctoring on the symptom, not the cause. Go outside. You do not only need Vitamin D, you also need fresh air, green and exercise. You can not get this with pills. In the long run you save time, because of longer life (and hacking) and reduced illness (better hacking).

I thought it was funny that this blog post didn't mention getting outside as a potential solution. That said, it's not like it's a dichotomy: I take a daily vitamin D supplement, try to eat as much catfish and salmon as I can, and try to get out in the sun as much as possible. That said, getting out in the sun is a fairly nuanced debate. Most dermatologists will tell you not to, because of the risk of skin cancer, an…

You don't get skin cancer like you get a tan, unless you're a vampire, or older.

Just go outside early in the morning or late afternoon, when UV levels are lower. Don't stay toasting on 12:00 PM sun like people going to the beach do. We're talking about 10-30 minutes of sun exposition here.

Re: Programmers Must Take Vitamin D

#56

Post by hcarvalhoalves »

awolf wrote: post #24

There are many different types of vitamin D synthesized in our bodies which require sunlight to form. The many varieties of D are used in an enormous amount of different chemical processes in our bodies- many of which are quite complex and not fully understood. Vitamin D supplements consist of (mostly) one type of Vitamin D. People are typically deficient in that specific type so mild supplementation is a reasonable…

Also, Vitamin D is just one particular aspect our bodies depend on the sun. You also need sun exposition to improve the immune system, avoid depression and insomnia. Not to mention all the other biochemical processes and health benefits we still might not know.

The obvious fact is that we evolved to live under at least some sun exposition (depending on your genetic background), trying to replace that entirely with pills is backwards.

Re: Programmers Must Take Vitamin D

#58

Post by Zenst »

Blanket declarations that involve any form of medication is just wrong.

Sure alot of people don't get enough vitamin D and that may be more true in the feild of IT than others, but anybody who isolates themselfs and dosn't get out to grab a little bit of sun here and there will be a probably candidate for low vitamin D.

Now if you are one of those people who find themselfs driven to go take extra vitamins tthen you need to know a couple of things:

Vitamins are balanced in that you need one to enable another to do another thing and it's not as clear cut as dropping a few multi vits every day. It's better to com0liment your food intake with the occasional multi vitamin instead of a ritrual daily overdose turning your pee bright orange.

The other aspect is that if you are low on vitimin D and start taking supliments then you will get aches and pains which feel like your bones are bruised in places. DONT PANIC - this is a sighn that you were low on vitamin D and it is your body adjusting, it is normal and nothing to worry about beyond confirming you were low in that vitamin group.

But if you are that worried about lack of any vitamin then it is always best to compliment via dietary needs and for vitamin D you cant beat a nice walk outside at the right times.

Like any form of consumption be it vitamins, food, forum posts etc - the golden rule is moderation, moderation and moderation.

Re: Programmers Must Take Vitamin D

#60

Post by calcitriol »

001sky wrote: post #43
paulsutter wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you provide some references? I'm really interested to learn more EDIT: I'm looking for backup to the claim that sunlight provides something that you don't get in a vitamin D3 supplement. It seems reasonable but has a big impact on the solution.

[5] forms (vitamers) of vitamin D exist (see table). The two major forms are vitamin D2 or ergocalciferol, and vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol, vitamin D without a subscript refers to either D2 or D3 or both. These are known collectively as calciferol....Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is produced by ultraviolet irradiation (UV) of its precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol. This molecule occurs naturally in the skin of animals a…

That simply lists precursors to calcitriol, which you can get but isn't recommended because it is hard to dose.

There are other reasons to sunbathe (e.g. NO release) but there is only one active form of D.

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