How getting Vitamin D3 supplements affected my thyroid problems
An old friend of mine, named Conrad Oho, (RIP) spent much of his life being a citizen researcher of health issues. Many of his friends considered his focus to have Asperger-like specialization and intensity. Long before research was published on the importance of Vitamin D3, Conrad had my health in his mind.
From 400 IU per day, the recommended daily is now 2000 IU per day. If you get your Vitamin D3 levels tested, you want your levels to be mid-range now instead of barely up to the new minimums.
I have inherited a thyroid condition called hyperthyroidism - meaning, a thyroid that generates too much Thyroxin, too often. Vitamin D3 is a precursor of thyroid health. Some people describe Vitamin D3 as a hormone because of how it acts in our bodies.
Essentially, Conrad believed I had a Vitamin D3 issue, one that affected my thyroid levels. My health problem had been misdiagnosed as a thyroid problem because Conrad believed the way I processed Vitamin D3 was being played out in my health by affecting my thyroid health.
Evidently it's also possible to have trouble with how Vitamin D is processed. There's a form that's more easily processed that I don't seem to need.
After I took Vitamin D3, suddenly my TSH level began to act as it should - reflecting a need for my thyroid to produce more thyroxin. This meant that I could cut back on how much Tapezol I was taking that could affect my liver over time. Less medicine means less affecting my liver over time. I learned that the testing available about the health of our liver works like an idiot light on a car that only goes on when the car is already broken. If you want to monitor the health of your liver before things get broken, you need to look at pointers evident in the health of your skin, ankle swelling, other inflammation and other indicators (for a list and how to help your liver, head over to YouTube!)
The point here is to pay attention to what your body is telling you that you want to eat, because this may tell you something useful about what your vitamin deficiencies are before they get bad enough to cause health problems.
Since I'm not sure where anyone else would get the benefit of my experience in this area of my health, figured that I would put it here. At least if it is online, hopefully someone could possibly find it here - possibly.
An old friend of mine, named Conrad Oho, (RIP) spent much of his life being a citizen researcher of health issues. Many of his friends considered his focus to have Asperger-like specialization and intensity. Long before research was published on the importance of Vitamin D3, Conrad had my health in his mind.
Research found that the old level of Vitamin D3 of 400 IU per day was just enough to counteract rickets. Doctors were taught that high levels of Vitamin D3 were dangerous. Conrad taught me that these researchers were finding something important for me. For optimum health, the levels of recommended Vitamin D3 are now much different.
From 400 IU per day, the recommended daily is now 2000 IU per day. If you get your Vitamin D3 levels tested, you want your levels to be mid-range now instead of barely up to the new minimums.
When the research first emerged, doctors had a difficult time updating their preconception of what these new levels could mean to their patients.
I have inherited a thyroid condition called hyperthyroidism - meaning, a thyroid that generates too much Thyroxin, too often. Vitamin D3 is a precursor of thyroid health. Some people describe Vitamin D3 as a hormone because of how it acts in our bodies.
This is why my friend Conrad thought this new research on Vitamin D3 might be very important to my own health. To understand what it was he did for me, you'll need a bit of background information.
Essentially, Conrad believed I had a Vitamin D3 issue, one that affected my thyroid levels. My health problem had been misdiagnosed as a thyroid problem because Conrad believed the way I processed Vitamin D3 was being played out in my health by affecting my thyroid health.
There was something to Conrad's logic. When I was able to do testing for Vitamin D levels, it was determined that for me to hover in the mid range of the new research levels....I needed about 8,000IU per day, taken with my thyroid medication and some other fish oils to help the D3 to be properly processed.
Evidently it's also possible to have trouble with how Vitamin D is processed. There's a form that's more easily processed that I don't seem to need.
After I began to take Vitamin D3, a strange change happened to my endocrine system. To understand what it was will take some explanation. I had been diagnosed as having "Graves Disease." When my Thyroid Stimulating Hormones (TSH) levels were tested, they always came out as non-existent....even when medicine I was taking pulled down the thyroxin in my blood to super low levels usually present in people who had LOW thyroid problems that would usually make the TSH levels go up to tell the thyroid to produce more. This wasn't normal - it meant that my TSH had been shut down entirely.
After I took Vitamin D3, suddenly my TSH level began to act as it should - reflecting a need for my thyroid to produce more thyroxin. This meant that I could cut back on how much Tapezol I was taking that could affect my liver over time. Less medicine means less affecting my liver over time. I learned that the testing available about the health of our liver works like an idiot light on a car that only goes on when the car is already broken. If you want to monitor the health of your liver before things get broken, you need to look at pointers evident in the health of your skin, ankle swelling, other inflammation and other indicators (for a list and how to help your liver, head over to YouTube!)
I also found that immediately once I began to take D3, my craving for milk subsided to very low levels. Evidently I was sensing that I needed D3 and this meant I craved milk that has a little bit of D3 added. Supposedly mild from A3 cows has higher levels of more accessible D3. But to get the D3 I really needed, I had to drink milk to the tune of almost a gallon a day - now after raising my Vitamin D3 levels to the high range of what is the "new normal," I drink more like a cup a day of milk in tea.
The point here is to pay attention to what your body is telling you that you want to eat, because this may tell you something useful about what your vitamin deficiencies are before they get bad enough to cause health problems.
...Unless you're talking about a craving for sugar!
