Vitamin D

Posted On : October 23, 2010

Written by Ara Keshishian, MD, FACS, FASMBS
Last updated: October 23, 2010

Benefits of Vitamin D

– Builds strong bones and teeth. – Protects against virus infections such as the common cold. – May be stored in the liver and skin.

Best Absorbed Form

Cholecalciferol (D3)

Take With

Calcium

Information on Vitamin D

In supplements vit D is available in two forms, D2 ergocalciferol and D3 cholecalciferol. The two forms have traditionally been regarded as equivalent based on their ability to cure rickets, but evidence has been offered that they are metabolized differently. Vit D3 could be more than three times as effective as vit D2 in raising serum 25(OH)D concentrations and maintaining those levels for a longer time, and its metabolites have superior affinity for vit D-binding proteins in plasma. [44-46] As a result it is preferable to supplement with D3 cholecalciferol. According to the AACE/TOS/ASMBS Guidelines [51] for post-op Duodenal Switch patients in cases of severe vitamin D malabsorption, oral doses of vitamin D2 or D3 may need to be as high as 50,000 to 150,000 IU/day, and the more recalcitrant cases may require concurrent oral administration of calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitaminD). It is very important to be aware that if you receive a prescription for a high dosage of vit D, like the 50,000 i.u., often these prescription vit D pills are for D2 ergocaliciferal, not D3, and they are usually an oil based pill which as a post op DSer we do not absorb well. For a 50,000 i.u. vit D supplement in dry form visit Vitalady.com  Check with your surgeon for the suggested post-op daily supplementation. For more information on vit D from post op DSers see these two threads on the Obesity Help Duodenal Switch Forums. Vitamin D Very Low  My Endocrinologist Called…

For more information on Vitamin D

Vitamin D in a New Light  Vitamin D2 Is Much Less Effective than Vitamin D3 in Humans  Understanding Vitamin D Cholecalciferol  Studies on vitamin D3 and the intestinal absorption of calcium and other ions in the rachitic chick