How often might 50,000 IU vitamin D be taken - results of clinical trials

Created August 2012

There have been many extremely successful vitamin D intervention trials.

Often the trials are random-controlled and double-blind: neither the doctor nor the subject knows who gets it

The trials listed in the following table are sorted by the number of days between doses of 50,000 IU.

It appears that the higher the dose of vitamin D, the more diseases which are prevented or treated.
Days
between
50,000 IU		 Health Problem Prevent
Treat
Recover		 Reduction in
symptoms or
number of people
with symptoms		 RCT = Random Controlled Trial
CT = Clinical Trial		 Proof #*
2 Traumatic Brain Injury T 2X RCT, 20,000 IU 24
2 Raynaud's Syndrome T 40 % RCT, visual scale 10
2 Multiple Sclerosis R 95% Recovered CT, 20K-140,K IU/day +Vit B2 43
3 Sickle Cell T Less pain RCT up to 100,000 IU/week 22
4 Sleep disorder R Recovered CT, 60-80 ng +Vit B12
5 Muscle fatigue T Reduced CT, 20,000 IU every 2nd day
5 Back Pain T 95% reduced CT, 5,000-10,000/day
5 Cluster Headaches R 80% cured CT, 10,000/day+ Omega-3 etc.
5 Parkinson's Disease T Ongoing Trial RCT, 50,000 IU/week
7 Leg ulcer healing T 4X faster RCT, 50,000 IU/week small study 23
7 Menstrual pain P 76 % RCT, 7000 IU avg 11
7 Skin problems resolved T 70 % RCT, 50,000 IU/week
7 Fibromyalgia T Significantly reduced RCT, 50,000 IU/week
7 Multiple Sclerosis P 68% RCT, 7100 IU prevent pre-MS ==> MS 26
7 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease T 17X improvement CT (not random), 50,000 IU/week 45
9 Chronic kidney disease T 50 % not need dialysis RCT, 40,000 IU / week
9 Gestational Diabetes P 40% RCT, 5,000 IU 44
9 Low vitamin D while breastfed P All > 20 ng RCT, 5,000 IU 38
10 PAIN T not yet published Clinical Trial, 34,590 IU/week
12 Diabetes T2 T 62 % RCT, CRP reduction, 4000 IU 4
12 Pregnancy risks P 50 % RCT, 4000 IU 12
12 C-section, unplanned P 50 % RCT, 4000 IU, small study 13
12 Respiratory Tract Infection P 63 % RCT 4000 IU 1 year 20
12 Prostate Cancer T Fewer +cores RCT, 4000 IU (2012) 35
12 Hives, Chronic T Reduced 40% RCT, 4000 IU added 40
12 Muscle in seniors T ✻ 17 % RCT, 4000 IU 30
14 Fibrolyalgia T Reduced RCT, 30-48 ng 39
15 Lupus T No flares Load then 100,000/month 21

| Note: due to short half life, should not take 50,000 IU any less frequently than about 18 days | | 21 | Hypertension | T | 149 to 142 | RCT, mm Hg avg., 2400 IU | 1 | | 25 | Influenza | P | 90 % | RCT, 2000 IU | 6 | | 25 | Gingivitis | T | 88 % | RCT, 2000 IU | 29 | | 25 | Antibiotic use when >70y | T | 47 % | RCT, 60,000 IU/month | 31 | | 25 | Weight Loss | T | Reduced extra 5 lbs | RCT, 2000 IU +diet +exercise | 42 | | 30 | Asthma | T | Reduced | RCT, 60,000 IU/month | 36 | | 45 | Parkinson's Disease | T | Stabilize | RCT, 1200 IU | 25 | | 45 | Breast Cancer | P | 60 % | RCT 1100 IU | 16 | | 50 | Cardiovascular | T | 32 % fewer deaths
after heart failure | CT, 1,000 IU | | | 50 | Cholesterol | T | Reduced 4 mg | RCT, 400 IU + Ca | 41 |

* Proof # Vitamin D Proof: Random controlled Trials  Updated May 2014

PDF is attached at the bottom of this page June 2014 1pg Legal English

The following curve indicates that you probably want to take 50,000 IU of vitamin D at least every two weeks.

image

Notes on 50,000

  • Lowest-cost form of vitamin D3 (about 2 cents per 5,000 IU)

  • The half-life of vitamin D3 is measured in weeks - so taking 50,000 every few weeks is OK (the half-life of vitamin D2 is measured in days)

  • This is the size of vitamin D that doctors have been used to prescribing for many decades - generally as a loading dose every week or two.

  • Now doctors can prescribe Vitamin D3 instead of D2

  • This has very low toxicity - even if accidentally taken daily, the toxicity does not occur until it has been taken daily for 3 months

  • It can even be used by those who cannot swallow pills (the powder in the capsule is tasteless and can be taken directly or in food or beverage

Cofactors appear to be needed if dosing more frequently than every 20 days for months

Easy to remember to take vitamin D - just mark your calendar

  • Just mark your calendar for vitamin D days

    • I just put a colored dot on my day calendar to remind me when I should take my 50,000 IU again.

    Bio-Tech Pharmacal started selling its 50,000 IU vitamin D capsules in the US in 2000 .

As of March 2012, their 50,000 IU size was widely available in the US and on the internet.

They also sell 5,000 IU capsules. The 5,000 IU and 50,000 IU sizes are available both over the counter and as a prescription. These are NOT new products.

It is available on the internet via many suppliers, such as Amazon $20 for 100 capsules.

Bio-Tech has supplied products to over 40 institutions for use in clinical research, usually at no cost

The PDF attached at the bottom of this page details their US and international distributors as of Sept 2012.

The wholesale cost of 50,000 IU of D3 is about 15 cents. (D2. which doctors previously prescribed is much more expensive and not nearly as good

Their capsules are made from beef (non-pork: Kosher/Halal approved)

Vegi capsules (without beef) are available but are more expensive

As of Feb 2013, Bio-tech is 1 of 2 suppliers of 50,000 IU on Amazon (there is another company that has 25,000 IU capsules

As of Oct 2012, there were 41 public clinical trials using/had used Bio-Tech supplements

28 of the clinical trials used 50,000 IU of vitamin D

Summary is attached as a PDF file at the bottom of this page

See also VitaminDWiki

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Tags: How much Intervention