So, I'm 75 and I was having a bit of a problem pulling the right word from my aging brain

[Joinfortmill]

https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/news/20221211/higher-vitamin-d-levels-in-brain-tissue-linked-to-better-brain-function

It was occurring quite often and it frightened me - a lot. I write mystery novels and self publish them. I'm no Agatha, but I do enjoy my little hobby and this just wasn't going to work for me. I'm also and introvert and a bit of a house plant. I sometimes need to be pulled out of my cozy indoor space. But I digress...

I did a bit of research and decided to take a daily vitamin D tablet. In my case, I take 1,000 IU (25 mcg). The recommended amount for folks over 70 is 800 IU. After approximately 90 days, the results were significant. I now rarely have difficulty pulling a word from my memory and, if I do, it usually comes to me fairly quickly.

Taking vitamin D is a personal choice, but I thought my experience might be of value to some folks.

Take care and take a walk in the sunlight once in awhile.

[Captain Zero]

1. Vitamin D helps fight the Covid germ too.

A study showed that people who took Vitamin D daily had better outcomes against covid than those who didn't.

[eppur_se_muova]

2. This post might (or might not) interest you ...

https://democraticunderground.com/114232988

[mjvpi]

29. Wasabi just removes your sinuses from the neuron pathway.☮️

[eppur_se_muova]

36. This is wasabi extract, not edible wasabi. nt

[Woodwizard]

3. Thanks.

I have a friend the same age who is just starting to have the same issue. I take it regularly for about the last ten years since I had listened to a program on NPR about it. And that most people in the north do not get sufficient sunlight.

[Axelrods_Typewriter]

18. It's not just sunlight, it's the intensity of it.

Above 37 degrees latitude, outside of summer, the skin makes little if any vitamin D from the sun.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/time-for-more-vitamin-d

[Big Blue Marble]

4. Also, consider the fish oil omega-3 DHA

It is one of the best supplements for brains. I take a generous amount every day I am several years older than you and my brain still works great.

There is also a vegetarian version Neuromins made from microalgae.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. I put ground flax into oatmeal and eat oily fish (salmonids, tuna, sardines) as often as I can. . . . nt

[MLAA]

24. Thanks for mention the vegetarian option, just ordered some!

[OLDMDDEM]

5. Thank you for that information.

I am 76 and have that issue. Also, I didn't realize the information about covid either. You both made my day.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. I'm not a doctor, but there are no real upper limits to Vitamin D

I do not recommend 10,000 IU a day, but it seems to have few if any side effects. There have been some associated with doses of 150,000 IU.

I'm thinking of starting daily vitamin supplement (includes 800 IU) but might add an extra 1000 daily. I have taken 3,000 IU daily some years ago.

Vitamin D seems definitely beneficial by multitudes of studies. Thanks for the anecdote.

[Warpy]

40. There has been one documented case of overdose

The patient had chronically low levels and was put on high dose prescription D3. He decided if one pill would help him out, then ten of them might be even better.

You can overdose on anything and everything, even water. You have to work at overdosing on D3.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

43. True. Perhaps you'll agree it's a good thing I'm not a doctor or lawyer! . . . . nt

[Warpy]

50. Same here

Being a doctor was not in the cards, too much hazing. Being a lawyer would have bored me to death.

I'd rather be an online crank who reads primary sources about weird things like vitamin overdoses.

[cyclonefence]

8. Years ago

my pcp told me to take a vit D supplement. My blood level was low. He told me most Americans have a D deficit, and I asked him if it was because we don't go outside much (Vit D is "the sunshine vitamin" after all), and he said no. I'm suspicious; I think our indoor lives do have something to do with our deficit, as well as reduced consumption of vit D-fortified food products like cows' milk.

I'm glad it's helping you, and I wish it would help me.

[LoisB]

9. Thank you.

[marybourg]

10. I take 2000 IU a day. Have for years, but I still have trouble

pulling words out of the air. Some are gone permanently, I think. I’m a bit older than you.

[Native]

11. You can also get your D and B12 levels checked with your lab.

Older folks are many times deficient in both. We are also not getting many of the minerals we need because the soil our produce is grown in isn't as nutrient dense as it once was. So...if you take a multivitamin, it would be good to look for one with added minerals. I Iike Garden of Earth's Vitamin Code line. They even make a multi for women & men 50 and older, and their raw Vit C is the only C I've found that I can tolerate (GERD). Their raw D3 is excellent too.

[woodsprite]

13. Also, anyone who is on Metformin should have B's and D checked. nt

[CousinIT]

32. Add magnesium. Elder people are often deficient in that too.

It is needed for a lot of things but I think some is needed for metabolism of calcium and D.

I take 'em all plus a multivitamin/multimineral supplement. I've got thin bones and am vegan so my doc checked B12 and D. I'm good with both (actually had high B12 which for a vegan is amazing) so keeping it up.

I use NOW Magnesium citrate and Citri-Cal time release.

I have heard that Garden of Earth's vitamin and supplement line is very good though so may switch.

[Farmer-Rick]

33. Yes this, a B12 deficiency can kill you

And it takes special digestive requirements for your body to process B12. It has to be exposed to saliva and you have to have a high acid stomach. Your liver stores it but can easily deplete those stores in 3 to 4 years.

If you are noticing a lot of canker sores inside your mouth, it may be due to a B12 deficiency.

I was getting them regularly. I would stop using mouthwash when I got one or two, wait for them to heal then start up my mouthwash again. But it was becoming so frequent that it was months since I could use mouthwash without it hurting those sores. I would get a lump on the roof of my mouth or on the side of my cheek, and I knew a sore would follow.

So, I started taking B12, sucking on the vitamin and letting it dissolve in my mouth with my coffee in the morning. It helped a lot.

Now I just take a B12 when I notice a lump in my mouth starting to form. I haven't had a full blown canker sore since I figured out how to take B12.

[GreenWave]

12. I take human food grade DE to harvest healthy cells.

Works for us all. That you beneficial diatoms!

[Ohioboy]

14. Thank you for passing this along.

[MMBeilis]

15. When I hit 65 my doc told me to start D-3 and B-12, saying the usual "it's an age thing" before we laugh.

[usonian]

16. I take lots of vitamins and still have problems pulling that one word out "right now"

Too many words to fish up from that ocean.

Still doing ok. Don't forget to get some outdoor sunshine to activate that vitamin D. It just feels good, as well.

And take a camera along. Mother Nature has lots of surprises when you slow down and look closely at the environment.

P.S. I keep a notebook for those key words that I forget the most.

[dchill]

31. I would tell you how much I agree...

...with you, but I can't seem to find the words. 😂

[usonian]

38. That's a very clever reply.

Now, exactly what was the question?

Sorry for the late reply. I was having trouble finding the right smilie.

[dchill]

42. I got nothin'

[ahlnord]

17. Vitamin D

Several years ago my doctor prescribed very high dose Vitamin D -- 50,000 units, as I recall. Not long after starting on that regimen I developed frequent heart flutters and palpitations. This was alarming enough that I saw the dr. for it and she had me fitted with a 24-hour "harness" for cardiac monitoring. On my own, racking my brain, I realized that the only thing new in my life was the high dose Vit. D. After a bit of online research I found an article that said the body uses magnesium when incorporating Vitamin D, and that a deficit of magnesium can cause heart palpitations. I went to Target and bought magnesium, and the problem was solved. So, don't overdo it on the D and if you develop heart flutters, try a magnesium supplement.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

30. There are Vitamin D plus Magnesium combos. . . . . nt

[LittleGirl]

19. There's two types of Vit D

D2 and D3. D2 is usually the high dose prescription that is around 50k mg. Causes anxiety and heart palps.
My doctor said to take over the counter D3 gel caps 2-5k mg dose with fish oil with breakfast and at night take magnesium.

My level went from 33 to 78 in a few weeks. Body aches disappeared too. Cholesterol lowered. I live in a grey climate for half the year. No sunshine.

[Farmer-Rick]

35. I tried fish oil

But it made me sick to my stomach. Which is weird because I love salmon, trout and other fish and have no issues eating it.

So, I researched other foods with high levels of Omega 3 fatty acid. Turns out purslane (a common weed in many parts of the country) and walnuts have lots of the acid. So, I put them in my salads and veggies regularly.

[LittleGirl]

37. Omega 3 is a good substitute

Vit D3 needs any type of oil to get absorbed properly. I had the same problem with fish oil until I realized that I need to eat a full meal after taking it and not take it after eating.

[Farmer-Rick]

45. Ohh, thanks for the info

I'll try it. My doctor really wants me to start taking it.

[LittleGirl]

47. You're welcome

I was shocked that this step actually lowered my cholesterol levels and I felt better too. I am prone to seasonal depression and I think it helps. Good luck.

[progree]

41. "I love salmon". Then you are no Mitt Romney --

Kind of reminds me of a reporter who interviewed Mitt Romney. He mentioned that when he started in the Senate, Sen. Lisa Murkowski gifted him a lot of frozen salmon. Mitt said he didn't particularly like salmon but discovered that when smothered it with ketchup on a hamburger bun, it made for "an OK sandwich".

The reporter's reaction (paraphrasing from memory): here's someone worth over $100 million, and yet he can't afford to eat something he likes.

Murkowski was horrified when she heard the story.

[Farmer-Rick]

46. I can imagine being horrified by what he did to expensive salmon

What a way to ruin good salmon with ketchup??? It turns my stomach just thinking of his ketchup salmon sandwich.

The man maybe rich but he has no taste.

Saute it with onions and mushrooms. Get the skin all nice and crispy and salty. Cook until it just flakes into tender pink petals. Touch it with lemon juice. Don't drown it with ketchup? Yuk......

[markodochartaigh]

20. I use a free phone app

called "D Minder" which allows me to see how much vitamin D my body is producing. You point your phone at the sun and it uses your phone's GPS to tell you how much vitamin D your body should be making.

[LittleGirl]

48. Many people don't absorb D that way

I can tan easily but I still had low D levels living in AZ. Those fair skinned friends of mine can’t take 5 minutes in the sun so they have to supplement with over the counter D.

[Marthe48]

21. Studies indicate many people are low on D

If you can be outside for 15 min. around noon, with as much skin exposed as can be, you can get much of your daily need. Supplements are good, if you can't it from the sun. Your body doesn't store it.

[LittleGirl]

49. I live in a climate

Where the sun might appear once every other week/month when the perma cloud deck parts. I can’t wait to move to a sunny climate!

[vanlassie]

52. Have you looked at the maps showing where there is sufficient sunlight

most of the year? I live in sunny Central California, above the 37th parallel. According to experts:
“ Except during the summer months, the skin makes little if any vitamin D from the sun at latitudes above 37 degrees north (in the United States, the shaded region in the map) or below 37 degrees south of the equator. People who live in these areas are at relatively greater risk for vitamin D deficiency.” (Harvard Health).

Way less than half the US population lives below the 37th parallel. I definitely supplement year ‘round.

[MiHale]

22. Thank you for this post...

At the beginning of this summer my wife went to her annual health checkup. When the blood tests came back her PA told her to stop taking D3 until Thanksgiving. We were taking it for its immunization properties. My daughter -in-law’s BIL is a surgeon at Cleveland Clinic he recommended it as Covid was starting to spread here in the US.

Being truthful we’ve both had strokes, thankfully nothing was ‘damaged’ except little mind stuff. Her’s messed with her ability to write (physically) and her legendary math skills took a small hit. Recovery was hard but it did come. Lately she cannot hang on to a thought…only sometimes but enough to cause some consternation.

Sooo…we’re starting up taking the vitamin again.

[vanlassie]

53. What was the exact reason given for

Decreasing or stopping?

[MiHale]

54. Too much in her blood...

Started up today again. Memory problems are nothing to fool around with, if this is a help, bring it on.

[a kennedy]

23. What about hereditary factors??? Wouldn't that make a difference as well??

If there’s a history of some sort of memory loss or dementia if you will in the family, wouldn’t that contribute to memory loss as well??

[VGNonly]

25. I use an algae based

supplement that contains:

Omega 3
Vitamin D
B12
Iron
Zinc
Iodine
Calcium

Eating blueberries is also good for memory issues.

[claudette]

26. That's helpful

I take 2000 units a day.

[Faux pas]

27. ...

Vitamin d3 is a must for us oldies (74). I take 15000iu a day, 60,000iu is considered toxic. Glad you researched and helped yourself in a natural way.

[multigraincracker]

28. I take K2 D3 vitamins.

The K2 directs the D3 to bones and muscles. Helps prevent calcium build up where you don’t want it. For me it’s plaque on my teeth and kidney stones.
Told my dentist about it and kind of po-po it. My next appointment, he ask if I got a different tooth brush as I no longer had any plaque on my teeth. I didn’t say anything again to him.
I’ve had a large kidney stone that hasn’t moved. Getting a scan next week and will see if it has shrunk. Also cleans out plaque in arteries.

[4dog]

34. Pub Med, search for R. Vieth, vitamin D

Had an article around '95 supporting 5000 IU/day with evidence from lower and higher doses. I haven't time to catch up and summarize, but this is a good place to start. He's still publishing.

[Warpy]

39. D3 is turning out to be important for a lot of things

along with preventing rickets in children kept indoors in winter. It has a strong role in the immune system and in mitigaing seasonal depression.

It hasn't seemed to help my own tip of the tongue syndrome (yes, that's a thing). Doing something unrelated for a few minutes helps, often the word or proper name will just spontaneously pop into my own aging brain.

You need to get your level checked. It takes me 20,000 IU per week to keep mine in the center of the normal range. Everybody is different and has different requirements. Yours might be the laughably low RDA or it might be high, like mine. Only a lab test will tell you for certain.

[MOMFUDSKI]

44. I live in Florida and 15 years ago I had a tan

year round from being outdoors a lot. My doc discovered I had low vitamin D! So had me take mega dose for a month or two and then take 2000 mg/day maintenance. Still take it daily. Lots of sun doesn’t always make vitamin D.

[Dear_Prudence]

51. Scattergories

I am having the same trouble. A couple days ago I purchased a $2 Scattergories game at the second hand store. My husband agreed to play to see if it will help me. So, now, you have 3 minutes to name 12 birds that start with the letter "C"...

[vanlassie]

55. My mother used to tell this joke about memory.

Four older ladies had played canasta once a week for 20 years. One day, as they sat contemplating their cards, one lady leaned over to another and said “My dear, I am so embarrassed to say this, but, what is your name again?”
The second lady thought for a minute, and then said …….. “How soon do you need to know?”

My mother would often answer: “Give me five minutes!” when she couldn’t remember something obvious. I say it now too. 😀

[Maraya1969]

56. Vitamin D is good for so many things. Besides what people have said here it helps me pee.

I don't know why but sometimes it just doesn't work like it used to. But a few days on 6,000 D and I piss like a racehorse. (Maybe tmi but some might want to know that)

[marybourg]

57. I don't know if anyone posted this upthread, but

this article about vitamin D3 was published in the NYT last summer. The summary of the article being: “The vitamin pills do not prevent bone fractures in most people or protect against many other diseases, adding to questions about medical guidance many now take for granted.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/27/health/vitamin-d-bone-fractures.html

I still take my D3 daily because I cannot be in the sun, due to an autoimmune disease. But I no longer rely on it for anything.