In fibromyalgia Vitamin D has been claimed to be effective

As we have said before in fibromyalgia Vitamin D deficit must be avoided and treated

Let me repeat it. In fibromyalgia Vitamin D deficit must absolutely be avoided and treated

Let’s have a look at Vitamin D supply and needs

We can get it from food such as oily fishes (salmon, mackerel, sardines) or from egg yolk.

We mainly get it from the sun effect on our skin. 

In fact, it should not have been called a vitamin but rather a hormone because the body can manufacture it. The sun, through its ultraviolet B rays (UVB), acts on the two lower layers of the skin to produce the precursor of Vitamin D. This precursor undergoes transformation in the liver and the kidneys to produce our Vitamin D. 

NEEDS

The full amount of Vitamin D that is needed for our daily needs is supplied by 15 minutes of sun action. That is the case if we have a light skin and if the exposure is maximal such as in summer, and our face, neck and forearms are exposed.

In the superficial layers of our skin we have cells called melanocytes. They produce a black pigment called melanin. This pigment blocks the UVB.

Therefore, if we have darker skin or we are tanned, the necessary exposure to the sun is longer. Up to 5 times longer of exposure may be needed with darker skin.

The same effect applies in winter, where the amount of UVB from the sun is less or with older age where a combination of darker skin (old age spots) and decreased productivity from the two lower layers of the skin is present.

Vitamin D is crucial for your health

We have made a short animation on Vitamin D.

Here is our YouTube link.

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In fibromyalgia Vitamin D deficit must absolutely be avoided and treated

A partial or full replacement can be had from food or supplements

2 portions a week of oily fish seems to be effective. As for egg yolk, 1 portion of oily fish is the equivalent of 10 egg yolks as far as Vitamin D is concerned!

Obviously, supplements have a more direct and known effect. The preferred one is Vitamin D3 because it is the closest one to the effective need. It can be taken orally daily or monthly or any other frequency as needed.

The need can be estimated from blood levels

However, the blood levels normality has undergone a recent upwards level.

Some labs will express their results with an additional sentence about the recently increased level of normality but some may not have adopted this.

Because the units used by the labs are variable, I will not state it and you have to ask them about it unless they state it. 

In fibromyalgia Vitamin D deficit must absolutely be avoided and treated

From the above

You have seen the huge variation in production of Vitamin D from the skin, from the food and you have seen that what the body does is highly unknown. Liver or kidney diseases can make a difference.

The same applies with fat. The more amount of fat you have in your body and the higher the needs because Vitamin D can hide in adipose tissue. Coffee drinkers and smokers have also higher needs.

Another problem in supplementation happens

Vitamin d is lipid soluble and food or supplements need lipase to get through the intestinal barrier.

Our production of pancreatic lipase can be diminished by a fatty free diet, limiting our ability of absorbing it. At least 2 fatty meals are necessary at 12 hours’ interval to restart our production of pancreatic lipase from our pancreas. 

You can easily imagine how much we are in the unknown about our Vitamin D needs and supply and what our body does!

As much as we must not be deficient in Vitamin D we must not get overboard with it because an excess is also detrimental and even dangerous. 

I have known a case of a comatose patient because of oversupply.