After watching the Dr DeMello video, and how he attributes his faring so well on Covid to his vitamin D level of 90, I decided to get a blood test to check out my level. This was to determine whether or not I needed to adjust my daily dose.
Well, I’m glad I did the blood test, but I was shocked by my bad results:
“39.7 ng/ml. That is lower than optimal which is at least 50-80, or per some sources, 80-100”
[Update 9/10/22]:
Dr DeMello just shared on a Facebook post his exact recommendation for the ideal blood levels.
[end of update]
I had been taking 5,000 D3 for years and had raised it to 10,000 D3 for many months already.
So, I went to read more about it.
First thing I found out was that I was supposed to take it with a meal containing fat. Duh. I had been taking it on an empty stomach all this time.
Then I looked into the K2 vitamin aspect I had heard about, but not paid much attention to. Holy moly, it is way more important than I thought. And kind of a bad thing to handle this incorrectly.
I found this article, and I was impressed enough that I bought some D3/K combo from them. (Vitamin Club).
I also discovered that magnesium is a major vitamin D partner…
Look at this list of symptoms – recognize yourself? I sure did! And no, it wasn’t mental disorders LOL! If you must know, I will tell you. I wake up several nights each week with multiple cramps in legs, which is great for jumping out of bed and practicing your swearing, but not so great for a restful sleep.
Here we go, lots of information to share!
Why you need magnesium to go with vitamin D.
So many different types of magnesium.
Dr Berg talks about magnesium in this video.
Dr Berg talks about magnesium again in this video.
Work out dude Thomas DeLauer talks about magnesium in this video.
A cute Indian cardiologist with a British accent talks about magnesium in this excellent (you should watch it) video.
In addition to the information above, you can take a deep, deep dive by joining this Facebook group – they are serious about magnesium! Facebook Magnesium Advocacy Group.
The Magnesium Advocacy Group was a bit much for me, but I browsed enough to see a consensus from many about this company delivering high quality magnesium products – Jigsaw Health, which I ordered for myself. (Also available on Amazon).
Last word:
I had a conversation with Dr DeMello about how to raise my vitamin D levels.
He said he disagrees with the idea of taking it with fatty food. His recommendation is to take it on an empty stomach, first thing, with some fresh lemon or lime juice diluted in some water. This apparently emulsifies the vitamin D and helps absorption. That’s how he does it for himself. I asked him if vinegar could be used instead, He thought that should work as well. (Some people are fond of apple cider vinegar.)
Well, I wasn’t keen on the idea of either lemon juice or vinegar, but this did get me thinking about absorption, and I discovered this formulation which gets absorbed under the tongue – and I am now taking it every morning, in addition to my D/K combination vitamin which I take with a meal. Available on Amazon – I bought mine at the health food store.
Dr DeMello also told me that he gets Vitamin D injections every few months to maintain his levels. I’m looking into that and will probably do the same.
Update 11/24/21:
A mutual friend shared these exact instructions from Dr DeMello –
From Dr. Darrell DeMello, Mumbai, India.
Regarding doses to take for Vitamin D during this pandemic.
Have prescribed various dosages subject to initial/ baseline Vitamin D level. For orals I will suggest1. Tab/Capsule 10,000 IU or 20000 IU per day taken early morning with a small glass of fresh lime juice on an empty stomach.
Duration of 30 days.
Then revert to lower levels of 5000 per day once your objective of level in blood being above 60 ng/ml to less than 100 ng/ ml is attained.
2. Maintenance at 5000 IU per day with same intake process as above.
Update 12/4/21:
VITAMIN D TESTING!
The only way to know your vitamin D status is to test it, and test it regularly. If you don’t want to bother getting a prescription and going to a lab to do this, here is an alternative, a test you can do at home, offered by Grass Roots Health
The most accurate determination of vitamin D status is the measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25(OH)D, in the blood. Testing, and re-testing 3-6 months after making your adjustments, is the only way to find out if you are in the target range for vitamin D.
The page for purchasing a vitamin D test home kit is here.
Update 12/15/21:
Another testing resource that works easily in 43 states and is inexpensive ($47) is provided by Life Extension here.
This is what I learned from a conversation with their customer service:
In most states, you will receive, by email or by mail, a requisition (prescription for lab test) to take to Lab Corp for a blood draw, no further payment required.
The following states are excluded, and require a different handling, which I explain below.
Excluded states: Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode island, Hawaii, Alaska.
These are the handlings described by customer service:
1) Use an address in a different state for your order and drive to that state for your test (does not have to be your residence).
2) Receive a kit containing vials for your blood draw, take the kit to a clinic or doctor’s office, get your blood drawn, ship it back to Life Extension – honestly, this seems like too much trouble to me.
If you are in the lucky 43 states, though, I think this is a good deal and will be using it myself.
Update 12/22/21:
Another testing resource that works easily is ordering a test directly from Quest Diagnostics for $75, no prescription required.
You will have to create a Quest account, and you will be able to view the test results in your account.
Update 9/9/22:
Another testing resource near you!
How It Works:
CHOOSE YOUR NEAREST LOCATION
With over 210 testing locations nationwide with work-friendly hours, ANY LAB TEST NOW® offers unparalleled convenience. Just enter your zip code, pick a location, and schedule an appointment, or simply walk in for same-day testing.
SELECT YOUR TEST
Search for a specific lab test, or explore testing options in the four main categories. Locate any test using the convenient search bar at the top of every page to help select a test that’s right for you. We provide the doctor’s order. You don’t need insurance to take advantage of our affordable lab testing.
Can Vitamin D Change Covid Outcomes?
Dr John Campbell, who does a lot of Covid educational videos, went over a recent study on vitamin D.
I’ve extracted some quotes with time stamps which you can see below, or watch the full video:
At 5:19 “Daily vitamin D intake should be 6-10,000 units.”
At 8:15 “”People with high levels of Vitamin D are protected against ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, lungs filling with fluid) regardless of the viral cause of that illness”
At 9:37 “Vitamin D is an immunomodulator. If there is not enough immunity, vitamin D will turn immunity up. If there is too much immunity, causing inflammation, vitamin D with turn it down.” (I assume he means immune response, immune activity)
At 15:50: “Dosage of Vitamin D should be 4,000 units to 10,000 units and vitamin K2 should be at 200 micrograms.”
At 29:00 “The target level of vitamin D is 55 nanograms per ml [per blood test]”
Here is the study he refers to, of 10/14/21, I have extracted some quotes below.
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/10/3596
“…suggested a theoretical point of zero mortality at approximately 50 ng/mL D3”
“ Despite ongoing vaccinations, we recommend raising serum 25(OH)D levels to above 50 ng/mL to prevent or mitigate new outbreaks due to escape mutations or decreasing antibody activity.”
[Definition: In the metric system, a microgram is a unit of mass equal to one millionth of a gram. … The unit symbol is μg according to the International System of Units; the recommended symbol in the United States and United Kingdom when communicating medical information is mcg.]
“ Thus, daily vitamin D3 supplementation in the range of 4000 to 10,000 units (100 to 250 µg) needed to generate an optimal vitamin D3 blood level in the range of 40–60 ng/mL has been shown to be completely safe when combined with approximately 200 µg/mL vitamin K2. However, this knowledge is still not widespread in the medical community, and obsolete warnings about the risks of vitamin D3 overdoses unfortunately are still commonly circulating.”
[Definition: Regression analysis is a statistical method that helps us to analyze and understand the relationship between two or more variables of interest.]
“The mathematical regressions suggested that the lower threshold for healthy vitamin D levels should lie at approximately 125 nmol/L or 50 ng/mL 25(OH)D3, which would save most lives, reducing the impact even for patients with various comorbidities.”
Be well, do well, stay well!
