Vitamin D doses often don't match labels, study says

Good morning everyone! Damp and dreary here in NC today with a few snow showers in the air (ugh), so a good day to share a story about Vitamin D with you!

This article from USAToday.com came across my news feed a couple days ago.  Researchers tested a number of different brands of Vitamin D pills from grocery stores (55 bottles from 12 different manufacturers ).  The pills contained a huge variation in the amount of Vitamin D that was claimed on the bottle, from 52% to 146% of the dose stated on the bottle.

I often get asked where I purchase my Vitamins and supplements and if I use Vitamins from "big box" stores.  No except for melatonin, and that I do buy at whatever store I happen to be in (Walmart of Target usually).  For all my other vitamins, I use the brands recommended by Dr. Carr, and most of my supplements are the Ortho Molecular brand.  One time I ran out of the OM Vitamin D (it was backordered and after 30 days they just cancelled the order) and picked up a bottle of Vitamin D from a store.  At my next blood work results, my Vitamin D level had dropped by nearly 10 points, and I learned a lot from that!  I order enough Vitamin D ahead so that I NEVER run out.  I also like Ortho Molecular because they carry Vitamin D in 5000IU capsules.  In the summer I take 5000 IUs (I'm out in the sun almost every day in the swimming pool for water exercise) and in the winter I take 10000 IUs (I just got blood work done yesterday and will get my results next week, so I may be adjusting that dose).  Most of the Vitamin D you get in the stores comes in a maximum dose of 2000 IUs, which means taking a lot of extra pills.

I also use Integrative Therapeutics brand supplements for a few vitamins/supplements I take that Ortho Molecular doesn't make.  Integrative Therapeutics makes a great supplement called Cortisol Manager to help with cortisol (stress hormone) levels.  I take two every night, and I order it as a subscription from Amazon (that way I know I absolutely never run out of it!).  As always, check with your practitioner before making any changes to your regeime of supplements/vitamins, but I'm a big fan of Cortisol Manager, it has reduced my cortisol level by about 30%.

One other thing---------the article says the Institute of Medicine says most people get enough Vitamin D from foods and sun exposure.  Their idea of "enough exposure" is to get an adult's Vitamin D level to about 30 ng/ml.  If mine got that low, Dr. Carr would have a fit.  He (and a lot of other progressive practitioners) know there is a big difference between "normal" and "optimal", and that the optimal range is between 70-100 ng/ml.

I am off to see the national touring company in Les Miserables today down in Charlotte, I'm so excited!  Have a great weekend!