Magnesium Supplementation Before Starting Vitamin D

by Anonymous

I really appreciate this site! Thank you for making so much valuable information readily available!

I've been supplementing with 4000 to 6000 mg of Vitamin C each day, and I am very pleased with the results.

I am looking forward to eventually supplementing with 10000 IU of Vitamin D, as I am dark-skinned, obese and suffering from several symptoms of deficiency.

I understand the importance of having enough magnesium available to metabolize the Vitamin D, and I have ordered the magnesium oil spray, as I have difficulty tolerating the oral supplements.

My question is, how long should I use the magnesium spray before starting the Vitamin D? Also, how long should I take to build up to 10000 IU?

Thank you in advance for your help!


RESPONSE


Hi there,

Glad you're finding the site helpful - it's always nice to hear. :)

Glad also to see that you are taking my advice to start supplementing with magnesium first.

Understanding the relationship between magnesium and vitamin D is critical to your health. You're ahead of the curve!

I would be remiss if I didn't remind you that getting a vitamin D test is important too. Supplementing with vitamin D is much MUCH safer than most doctors would have you believe, but you still do need to use common sense.

Although 10,000 IU of natural vitamin D is a very reasonable dose. Actually, you might find that you need more than that per day, depending on how much excess weight you have.

The heavier you are, the more you will need, as many studies show that the more you weigh, the lower your vitamin D levels are. The reverse is also true.

Weight tends to come off easier when you reach optimal levels. It's unclear though whether vitamin D has a direct role in weight loss. Some studies are starting to look into this.

Regardless, just how much you need as an individual can only be determined with a simple blood test. Don't skip this step.

Some people choose to take the test before they start supplementing. Others take their first test six months after starting supplementation. I think either way is fine, so long as you do get yourself tested.

Testing before beginning a vitamin D regimen is great for the naysayers. One of my older relatives (who was exhibiting quite a few vitamin D deficiency symptoms) swore up and down that there was no way he was deficient. He thought he spent plenty of time outdoors.

I finally convinced him to take the test and his level was 9 ng/mL! That is insanely low. He took another test a couple of months ago and now he is at 34 ng/mL. Still a little low, but he's getting there. He admits that he feels so much better.

Anyway, about that magnesium spray. Again, it depends on how deficient you are to begin with.

Even someone who is severely deficient can get their levels up after 2-3 months of daily applications. Oral supplements are not near as effective and can take a year or more! And that is only if you can tolerate a high enough oral dose (which most of us cannot, as you've found out).

And remember that you can't take too much with the spray - your body will only absorb how much it needs.

Just be sure to rotate the area of application. If you continually apply to the same area, you should notice a white salt-like residue after while. That's just the extra magnesium that your body couldn't absorb. Apply to different body parts frequently and you'll avoid this.

And if you notice some itchiness, which some people do in the beginning, you can either dilute the magnesium oil 1:1 with some water or apply to a fattier area (like the buttocks as opposed to the chest).

You can probably start supplementing with 5,000 IU of vitamin D as soon as a few days after starting the magnesium. If you are worried about any digestive trouble, start with 1,000-2,000 IU and, if all is well, keep upping the dose every few days or so.

I recommend the 5,000 IU though because I, personally, don't like to take a lot of pills. If you are fine taking 10 1,000 IU pills, then by all means do.

Hopefully this has been helpful. If something isn't clear, use the comment link below to let me know.

Wishing you the best of health,

Melissa
Approach Wellness