Vitamin D Success Story

Tell us a little bit about yourself: 

My name is Ana Claudia.  I'm 46 years old and I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

How did you hear about GrassrootsHealth?

I found the GrassrootsHealth page through vitamin D articles on Facebook.

How was your health before using vitamin D?

In the beginning of 2008 I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). I was very sick when I heard about a treatment being prescribed in my home country, Brazil, which involved high doses of vitamin D. I heard about this from an old friend who also had MS and had already been on the treatment for 4 years with excellent results. At the time I did a lot of research on it and decided to try it, so I made an appointment, went to Brazil and started my treatment.

How much vitamin D do you take? Do you go out in the sun? 

I take 50,000 IU a day and also enjoy the sun whenever possible. I have been on this treatment for 7 years now and have had no further problems with MS. No flare ups, new lesions or disease progression, as shown in my MRIs.

What is your vitamin D blood level?

My levels are high but I don't know exactly how high because the lab only lists >160 ng/ml. The high levels of vitamin D are not considered a problem, the calcium is the problem. I follow a diet with no dairy, and every 6 months have a round of blood and urine tests for calcium levels, liver, kidney and thyroid function, etc. All my test results in these 7 years of treatment have been great. Before I started the treatment my D level was about 42 ng/ml.  

What would you recommend to others who are in a similar situation?

I'd recommend that they research about this option; in my opinion it sure beats all the conventional treatments for MS that are out there.

There is a Facebook group about this treatment; it's in Portuguese, but there are patients from all over the world there and posts in many different languages.   

How do you tell others about vitamin D?

I try to share my experience whenever I can; I'm also an active member of many social network groups.  

GrassrootsHealth does not currently have any data to support any additional health benefit of having a vitamin D blood  level of 100 ng/ml or above. The recommended serum level range, per our Scientists' Call to Action, is 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/L) for best overall health.

It is important to note that vitamin D related toxicity has been observed at levels of 200 ng/ml (500 nmol/L) and higher per J. Hathcock, Am J. Clin Nutr. 2007;85:6-18.