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40 of 42 found the following review helpful:
 An excellent product with an effective dose! May 09, 2006
By Nutritional Educator
Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common in the US, particularly in the northern latitudes and in people of darker complexion. Although our bodies are indeed capable of producing rather large quantities of vitamin D in a short period of time (10,000-20,000 IU in 15 minutes!), this production is highly variable and requires direct sun exposure. Direct sun exposure happens to be absent at northern latitudes for many months out of the year. Persons in the Northern US, Canada and Alaska would be hard pressed to maintain adequate vitamin D levels simply from sun exposure and 600 IU of dietary vitamin D alone. Attempting to "stock up" in the summer by basking in the sun is not a wise idea due to skin cancer concerns.
The reality is that cutaneous production of vitamin D does not occur at optimal levels in many people for various reasons, and that many more people suffer from the chronic health effects of vitamin D insufficiency than they do vitamin D toxicity! The known chronic health conditions currently tied to insufficient vitamin D intakes include osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes to name a handful.
Perhaps the most interesting variable here is that none of this information even takes into consideration the fact that sunblock also blocks cutaneous vitamin D production, thus increasing a persons dietary vitamin D requirements even further! Knowing that your body can make 10,000 IU in as little as 15 minutes, do you REALLY think that 600 IU from foods in place of daily sun exposure during the winter will be adequate?
The statement that the human body needs 200-600 IU of vitamin D per day is completely false. The documented human metabolic requirement for vitamin D from all sources (including the sun) is approximately 3,000-5,000 IU for adults. In the absence of sun exposure, the majority of this vitamin D must come from foods or supplements. Otherwise blood 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (aka serum vitamin D) levels will drop. [...]The current official SAFE upper limit for vitamin D consumption is 2,000 IU daily. An abundance of studies have suggested that this upper limit is still much too low. No documented cases of vitamin D toxicity have been recorded at doses 3-5 times this amount (6,000-10,000 IU daily). The daily value of 200-600 IU was based solely upon the ability of vitamin D to prevent rickets. Merely avoiding rickets does NOT equate with OPTIMAL vitamin D status. In fact, current data suggests that adults should consume AT LEAST 800-1,300 IU, and possibly even more, to prevent deficiency. This is the case even when adequate sun exposure is available. It should also be noted that the current daily value is under review due the abundance of evidence suggesting that 200-600 IU is grossly inadequate.
Furthermore, many "nutritionists" do not take skin color into consideration. A blanket recommendation for a specific vitamin D intake (eg 400 IU) without considering a persons skin color and level of sun exposure is somewhat negligent. Darker skinned persons have a much higher dietary vitamin D requirement since vitamin D production is drastically decreased in such persons. For example, whereas it may take 15 minutes of sun exposure to produce an adequate amount of vitamin D for a person of Scandinavian descent, it may take as much as 1-2 hours for a person of African descent to produce the same quantity of vitamin D. Would anyone in their right mind suggest 1-2 hours of unprotected sun exposure per day as a blanket recommendation? I don't think so. So how is a dark-skinned person to maintain adequate vitamin D levels?
Vitamin D deficiency is recognized as a significant risk factor for osteopenia and osteoporosis. Some data even suggests that the current daily value for calcium (1,000 mg) is based upon a vitamin D deficient population! A recent study has shown that calcium sufficiency, as determined by circulating parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, can be maintained with as little as 80% of the daily value (or 800 mg) when serum vitamin D status is optimal.
I would also like to emphasize that a strong association exists between low vitamin D status and diabetes. African-Americans have a high rate of diabetes compared to other populations, and they also happen to have a correspondingly high rate of vitamin D deficiency. This may not be a coincidence.
I strongly encourage everyone to educate themselves on vitamin D intake and not rely on the government issued "Daily Value" as a guideline. [...][...]
11 of 12 found the following review helpful:
This Vitamin D3 product is high-quality at a good price Jan 26, 2007
By Milton Hare
"Sunlight-Vitamin D"
Carlson 2000 iu Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is a very consistent, high-quality product made from lanolin (sheep fat from wool)irradiated with UVB radiation. It's an animal product that does not result in the death of the animal. The pills are very small, and the weight (for shipping) is low, 1 ounce. The other ingredients are sunflower oil, gelatin, glycerin, water. Vitamin D at this dosage reduces or eliminates symptoms of many auto-immune diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, gum disease, and, markedly reduces the incidence of cancer. Almost every cell has a Vitamin D receptor and researchers are now suggesting that Vitamin D is absolutely necessary for cell differentiation and cell maturity.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Great Value And Results Aug 24, 2010
By Melissa L. Haas
After having a winter of illness and a compromised immune system I was advised to take this along with other supplements. I threw this in to my husbands pill box also and we are very pleased with the results. I have problems with Rosacea and other skin problems and my skin is looking healthier and is not red and blotchy as often. Another great plus is that my husband has suffered for years from Psoriasis and taking this vitamin has helped him more than anything he has ever tried. We did not have a blood test so I can't say that this vitamin raised our vitamin D levels in our blood, but we certainly saw results without a doubt. And the cost is unbeatable. I have just found a mult-vitamin made by Carlson and am looking forward to trying it.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Easy to take. Great product Mar 18, 2010
By Snowbell
I was told after bloodwork, I have Vitamin D def. I found this online a lot cheaper than what the doctors office was selling.
These are very easy to take there small and are gel caps. I will have my blood work taken again in 3 weeks. I will then have it checked out to see if these work well enough.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
carlson vitamin d gels Jul 22, 2009
By Stacy A. White Werner
My doctor recommends these Vitamin D's...he even sells them at a discount in his office. The deal I found through Amazon still beats his price!
These are the easiest and purist forms of Vitamin D that I have tried. Highly recommend.
See all 11 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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