South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Sun-starved reader wonders about vitamin D supplements
Q: Can you tell me about vitamin D? I am confused about the difference between vitamins D2 and vitamin D3. Here in the Pacific Northwest, I don’t get a lot of sunlight on my skin. I have been wondering if I should take a supplement, but how much and what kind is a puzzle. Can you overdose?
A: The good questions you have asked are not as simple as they seem. Our skin does make vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.
In your area, you probably would benefit from taking vitamin D during the winter. Once you can spend 20 or 30 minutes a day in the sunshine, you might not need the supplement any longer.
Vitamin D2 is derived from plant sources like mushrooms. Vitamin D3, on the other hand, comes from animal sources like wool. Although
D3 is considered more potent, both forms will raise vitamin D blood levels (measured as 25-hydroxyvitamin D).
The optimum dose depends on weight and skin pigmentation as well as geographical location.
The recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D for people between 14 and 70 years old is 600 IU, or 15 micrograms. Those over 70 should get at least 800 IU daily. Some people need more to maintain appropriate blood levels. Blood tests are the best way to determine this.
It is possible to get too much, though. Adults taking more than 4,000 IU a day for an extended time risk vitamin D toxicity. That could result in elevated blood levels of calcium, nausea, vomiting, kidney stones, loss of appetite and muscle weakness, among other problems.
Q: I have been using NasalCrom since it first came out in the 1980s. Antihistamines common then (Chlor-Trimeton, Benadryl) didn’t work for me. They didn’t even make me sleepy. Steroids were the only thing that helped my severe seasonal allergies. Allergy desensitization shots did not work, but my allergist offered a prescription for a new drug, NasalCrom. It changed my life! I use it when I know I’m going to be exposed, for example, before gardening or hiking.
I’m a holistic practitioner and I often recommend NasalCrom to my clients with allergies. It works well with Hesperidin, a capsule made from citrus that also stabilizes mast cells.
A: The Food and Drug Administration first approved cromolyn sodium for treating asthma in 1973. This prescription inhaler was marketed as Intal. In 1983, the agency approved a prescription nasal spray for allergies called NasalCrom.
Because it is considered very safe, NasalCrom has been available without a prescription for over two decades. It works best when it is used preventively, before exposure to allergens such as cat dander or pollen.
Q: When I asked my retina specialist about saffron, she said I should keep taking it because there is evidence it might help age-related macular degeneration. Another doctor said it was useless. Do you have any information?
A: Surprisingly, there have been several studies about the use of saffron supplements (Crocus sativus) for some eye problems (Nutrients, March 18, 2019). The authors of this review concluded: “Saffron supplementation appears to have promising potential as an effective and safe adjunct therapy.