I've been diagnosed with severe Vitamin D deficiency. I guess I'll be on vitamin D supplements for life. The doc has given me a few samples of a brand called Ostelin. I know that a lot of Ozbargainers are into vitamins and the like.
Does anyone know what brand if any is best for Vitamin D and where the cheapest place to source it would be? I'm not necessarily looking for the cheapest brand but the cheapest deal on the best version/brand.
I wonder why you bothered to make the comment you did when this person obviously has a medical problem…
The sun, while free, ain't enough for some.
Too much exposure to the sun can see that price increase dramatically.
Sun exposure is carcinogenic, especially for caucasians. Even it you don't develop cancers, it will definitely age your skin. The skin on the outside of my forearm looks much older than the paler skin on the inside of my arms (I used to play cricket wearing short sleeves). Taking supplements is much healthier.
My daughter also had a severe vitamin d deficiency last year and had to take a supplement. Its not as simple as saying to get in the sun, she plays outdoors every day. Anyway for kids, the supplements are quite expensive. You need to remember to read the bottles as I noticed a lot of the cheaper ones were weaker in strength so you need to consider that. We used Ostelyn and OsteVit-D. Usually I would go to one of the discount chemists like Cincotta or Chemist Warehouse.
The sun is the best way for you to get Vitamin D …but with so many of us now very conscious of using sunscreen we are not letting the sun do it's job …also the women from cultures who wear full body covering are also not getting enough Vitamin D ..I am a born and breed Aussie but fair skinned and I burn very easy ..and at times have been Vitamin D deficient
My Doctor has me on 1000IU per day ..I tend to buy Natures own or Cenovis..there is no need to by the expensive brands
But in saying that still try and get some sunshine per day without causing any skin damage
Best of luck to you
For some people with D deficiency, no amount of sun is going to provide enough active form.
Various autoimmune diseases are in-part, initiated by a genetic switch in the thymus cells which through a genetic defect are dramatically less sensitive to active vitamin D and autoimmunity is the end result. While D had this newly identified role in the body, it was not known if taking D would have any effect on autoimmune diseases once the disease was established.
Recent studies have shown that D can have an effect in the progression and severity of many autoimmune diseases and D is being studied alone or in combination with existing therapies to test it it improves therapeutic outcomes. I understand that it does provide benefit beyond that provided by existing therapies, but you will have to determine if it is likely to be of benefit for your autoimmune problem/cause.
Sorry I have not included any references for the above, but that is my general understanding from the current state of play. I may dig some up if required.
Vitamin D3, 2X10,000 IU, once a week was the rate used in a recent study without side effects. Healthy Origins brand (360 soft gels ) was the best value I could find anywhere and it had a long useby date on it too. Don't exceed this amount as it impacts on storage and mobilisation of calcium in the body.
http://www.iherb.com/Healthy-Origins-Vitamin-D3-10-000-IU-36…
Mod: Referral codes not permitted in comments
If I find the study paper I will pm it to you. Make sure you have enabled personal messages. See also the following link for dosing: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-d/NS_patient-vitami…
Thanks robotdad, my pm is enabled.
If your doctor has diagnosed your vitamin D levels as low you can ask him to check your levels after whatever supplement you try (but note that summer is an inaccurate time to objectively measure the quality of the supplements alone).
Rickets was originally treated with vitamin D2, which is extracted from irradiated fungus. It's closely related to the form found in animals (D3), but since it's not exactly the same these days D3 is often the preferred supplement (made from lanolin from sheep's wool), although no major differences in effect have been proven (D3 seems to increased detected serum levels of the vitamin D3 precursor). So vegans take D2, carnivores take D3.
In terms of contamination (e.g. lead) and misrepresentation of potency - nobody knows until the testing has been done. Luckily, in the scheme of things, vitamin D is relatively cheap. You could always go the one of the large chemist discount warehouses and buy whatever's cheapest per capsule/per IU. If you buy bulk just make sure the expiry date is distant enough in the future as apparently vitamin D does lose potency. (I don't think you'll be able to order enough vitamin D to take advantage or the risk of ordering from Alibaba.com :)).
Sadly, a large sector of the population is unknowingly deficient in Vitamin D, and the myriad of benefits of Vit D are largely unknown, even among the medical community. May I suggest you download the e-book "The Power of Vitamin D" by Zarfraz Zaidi, MD. It's often available as a free book on Amazon, but worth the small price even when not free. My wife and I take 5000 IU's per day and always include a Vit D check with our regular blood work tests. Our D levels have been excellent with no adverse impacts on calcium levels. We got our last batch of D3 capsules from iHerb at a great price.
Wow, 5000 a day sounds like about 5X what I was planning on taking. I'll research it a bit more and take about 3 until I get some more info. My level was 35 and he looked up the dosage, but my mind had already flown away by that point, worrying about my dasughter. I don't remember what he said, if anything about dosage.
Have you noticed any benefits from taking that much Vit D? Any side effects?
My research thus far says I need to take between five and ten thousand per day. I am on a borderline.
My understanding is that Vitamin D is required for calcium absorption, as basically most Australians would have usually been expected to receive this from sunshine, but many of us simply just don't these days, with the skin cancer scares and "slip, slop, slap." By the way, my doctor has advised me that the same effect could be achieved by only 10 minutes each day sun exposure, whatever the weather conditions though. Suggest ask your doctor about this too. I do have sufficient calcium in my diet but the problem appears to be the absorption factor caused by my loss of sun exposure.
Yes, I am also taking a Vitamin D3 supplement (to improve bone density and muscle strength) although extra Calcium is not required. I now take Swisse brand 1 capsule daily (Vitamin D3 1000IU which includes Cholecalciferol 25mcg), from a 250 capsule bottle. The expiry date on my current batch bottle (recyclable too) is March 2014 so am well covered for storage conditions. Ps. Store Vitamin D under 25o.
My only advice is to compare ingredients, expiry dates and stay with reputable branded names. I too was recommended to take the Ostelin brand, but honestly have found almost no differences between most brands ingredients … apart from the price tag. Perhaps ask your pharmacist for verification.
A lack of Vitamin D is the cause of Rickets ..or brittle bones as it is also known..sadly it is making a comeback …the days are gone where the mum would put her bub into the pram and place babe outside even in winter with them rugged up …There have been cases where parents have been accused of abusing thier babes because of the amount of fractures the babe ends up with because of Rickets ..and there have been some parents jailed for child abuse due to the bones fractures and death of such a preventable disease
It is also now a safety factor about leaving your babe in a pram outside ..the days of pushing your pram to the local shops and leaving babe outside are gone.
The big worry with Vitamin D is that it is a fat soluble Vitamin and stored in the liver …so caution is needed to take the correct dose and not to much…so basically listen to what your Doctor has to say and I am sure like me you will be sent for regular blood tests to ascetain your Vitamin D levels
My doc also recommended ostelin.
I buy the 250 cap pack from chemist warehouse taking 2 a day lasts nearly 6 months. About $30
Also I found out that sun exposure with sunscreen makes almost no vitamin D. (I was outside for 1-2 hrs per day but still had low levels). It's the uv that makes the vitamin.
I buy mine from Vitacost in the USA, prices much cheaper than here in Oz.
My brother has a low Vit D count but his doctor reckons the over the counter brands dont give enough Vit D supplements for him so he asks pharmacist to make him up a unique dosage that is triple the brands Vit d count. Not sure of cost.
So maybe if you are sever low Vit D, then the over the counter stuff is not enough?
My doctor gave me a 12 month prescription for one tablet a month. There was a limited list of pharmacy's that I could get it filled at in my area and it only cost $15 for the year's worth.
On the label it just says 'Vitamin D-3-50 CAPS 50,000 units 12 (vitamin D)'. I too am outside for several hours a day but still my Vitamin D levels were severely low.
Thanks for the advice everyone. The doc said the ostelin was as good as a prescription one and cheaper. I didn't quite catch whether he said to take more to jump start the levels. I suspect he did not, but I am taking three a day for the next month because I've read that's what others have done. He has already given me a slip for a retest in 3 months.
I think that there is some hereditary link to this, that's what the doc said anyway. The doc says that lack of D will significantly contribute to osteoporosis and also diabetes. He also reckons that it has a great deal to do with metabolism.
It sounds like Ostelin is a good brand. What I might do, is buy two brands and take one of each until my next test. I'm not looking to buy the cheapest brand, but the best brand at the best price. I'll buy a bottle tomorrow wherever I end up being and worry about cost when I get ready to buy the next bottle.
Apparently heaps of people are suffering this, but he did seem alarmed by my levels.
Thanks again everyone who contributed. It is always amazing the knowledge pool that is available here and the willingness of others to help.
@voteoften ..ring the medical centre you go to and confirm what dosage you need …as I said in an earlier post Vitamin D is a fat soluble Vitamin that is stored in the liver and takes longer to excrete ….to much can be as bad as to little
Just as an FYI, Vitamin D deficiency has also been implicated in the aetiology of Diabetes Type 2, so make sure you get 10 minutes of sun every day and/or 1000 units (a standard dose) of D. One Ostelin cap will give you that. You don't need to take more than that.
On my last visit to the chemist I was talked into getting something that comes in drops… which is all very well but it doesnt "drop", it has to be squeezed out and its just as exy as Ostelin. supposed to last longer but I have my doubts. Don't be persuaded to get anything other than a capsule. Caps are absorbed more easily because of the gelatin.
1000 units (a standard dose) of D. One Ostelin cap will give you that. You don't need to take more than that.
Says who? The study linked above says you can take 20,000 IU per week without side effects, 1000 IU a day seems a little low to me.
I had a blood test and was right on the lower limit of normal range of 75-250mmol/l.
Did some research some time back and some doctors were re-evaluating the 'normal' range and consider that the lower limit to set too low. So I figure that it would be best to be somewhere in the middle of that 'normal' range and currently taking vitamin D to boost my readings, but have not have had a subsequent blood test.
Also from my research I would need to take 2 to 3 or more 1000iu tablets a day to boost my vitamin D.
I too have found that tabs from the US, iherb in my case, are much more cost efficient and have purchased 5000iu soft gel tabs(these higher dose tabs are hard to find in Australia). Currently taking 2 to 3 per week to 'see' what happens.
With regard to children please do your own research to determine the dosage to achieve your desired levels.
Does anyone know what brand if any is best for Vitamin D and where the cheapest place to source it would be?
chemist warehouse
http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/73486
I just stay with reputable brands; just confirm ingredients are the same.
I purchased my last bottle from Priceline half price at $10AU.
My doctor advised me to take one per day; ask your doctor if you need more than 1000 IU per day.
PS. At the moment Priceline has 40% off Swisse brand Vitamin D3 (250 capsules).
Costco sells Vitamin D3 capsules 300 for $8.89. I think 1000.IU
Thanks. iherb is about that for 10,000unit caps.
Any comment about this ?
Evidence of overtesting for vitamin D in Australia: an analysis of 4.5 years of Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) data
http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/3/6/e002955.abstract
I can't comment on the veracity of the article as I am not a health professional.
As an individual, I must say that the impact of the supplements on my life has been profound. It has been 10 months since my first post on this. I would not have known about the deficiency if I had not been tested.
I have so much more energy as well as a greater ability to concentrate and far greater mental clarity than before I started taking the supplements. My intake of alcohol has dropped dramatically as I just don't feel compelled to drink. I forget to do it or just can not be bothered, whereas before it was the best part of the day.
Someone asked me if this could be a placebo affect. I said no. The only benefit I thought I would get out of taking the tablets was that I would decrease my chances of osteoporosis and diabetes. My doctor was surprised at the ancillary benefits.
While there could be overtesting, I think the ability to improve peoples lives to such an extent is worth something that could be quantifiable. Lower medical costs due to fewer instances of long term illnesses of disease and increased productivity.
Ostelin is the best. MyChemist has it on sale now $15 for 130 capsules.
My wife consumed other brand, for few months and no effect, but with ostelin, now has improved.
pfpozbargain on 13/01/2013 - 02:55 Comment score below threshold.