How soon will i feel better after taking vitamin d
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How Soon Will I Feel Better After Taking Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is essential for various bodily functions, and its supplementation can lead to improvements in health conditions. The time it takes to feel better after taking vitamin D can vary based on the dosage and the specific health condition being addressed.
Vitamin D and COVID-19 Recovery
High-Dose Vitamin D for Faster Symptom Relief
A study on COVID-19 patients with sub-optimal vitamin D levels found that a high dose of 5000 IU daily vitamin D3 supplementation significantly reduced the time to recovery for symptoms such as cough and loss of taste compared to a lower dose of 1000 IU daily. Patients in the high-dose group experienced a shorter recovery time for cough (6.2 ± 0.8 days) and loss of taste (11.4 ± 1.0 days) compared to the lower dose group (9.1 ± 0.8 days and 16.9 ± 1.7 days, respectively)1. This suggests that higher doses of vitamin D can lead to quicker symptom relief in COVID-19 patients.
Cognitive Function in Older Adults
Long-Term Benefits of Vitamin D
In older adults with mild cognitive impairment, a 12-month supplementation of 800 IU/day of vitamin D significantly improved cognitive function. The study showed improvements in various cognitive tests and a reduction in oxidative stress markers, indicating that long-term vitamin D supplementation can have substantial benefits for cognitive health2. However, these improvements were observed over a longer period, suggesting that the cognitive benefits of vitamin D may take several months to manifest.
Inflammatory Conditions and Crohn’s Disease
Short-Term High-Dose Vitamin D for Inflammation
For patients with Crohn’s disease, a seven-week high-dose vitamin D treatment (5 mg bolus followed by 0.5 mg/day) was effective in reducing the need for infliximab dose escalation and decreasing inflammatory markers over a one-year follow-up period. This indicates that high-dose vitamin D can have a rapid and lasting impact on inflammation in Crohn’s disease patients3.
General Vitamin D Deficiency
Rapid Normalization with High-Dose Regimens
In a study comparing high-dose (60,000 IU weekly) and low-dose (1000 IU daily) vitamin D regimens over 10 weeks, the high-dose group showed a more significant increase in serum vitamin D levels and faster symptomatic relief. The high-dose regimen increased serum vitamin D levels by 28.33 ng/mL, while the low-dose regimen only increased levels by 6.79 ng/mL. Both groups experienced a decrease in myalgia, but the high-dose group achieved this more rapidly4. This suggests that high-dose vitamin D supplementation can quickly normalize vitamin D levels and alleviate symptoms associated with deficiency.
Conclusion
The time it takes to feel better after taking vitamin D depends on the dosage and the specific health condition. High-dose vitamin D supplementation can lead to quicker symptom relief in conditions like COVID-19 and vitamin D deficiency, while long-term supplementation is beneficial for cognitive function in older adults. For inflammatory conditions like Crohn’s disease, short-term high-dose vitamin D can have lasting benefits.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic
Effects of a 2-Week 5000 IU versus 1000 IU Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Recovery of Symptoms in Patients with Mild to Moderate Covid-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Daily 5000 IU oral vitamin D3 supplementation for 2 weeks reduces the time to recovery for cough and gustatory sensory loss in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 and suboptimal vitamin D status.
RCT
Very Rigorous Journal
Highly CitedVitamin D Supplementation Improves Cognitive Function Through Reducing Oxidative Stress Regulated by Telomere Length in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A 12-Month Randomized Controlled Trial.
Vitamin D supplementation for 12 months improves cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment by reducing oxidative stress regulated by telomere length.
RCT
Rigorous JournalSeven Weeks of High-Dose Vitamin D Treatment Reduces the Need for Infliximab Dose-Escalation and Decreases Inflammatory Markers in Crohn’s Disease during One-Year Follow-Up
High-dose vitamin D treatment for seven weeks reduces the need for infliximab dose-escalation and decreases inflammatory markers in Crohn's disease patients during one-year follow-up.
RCTVery Rigorous JournalAn open-label, randomized, 10 weeks prospective study on the efficacy of vitamin D (daily low dose and weekly high dose) in vitamin D deficient patients
High-dose vitamin D (60,000 IU weekly) rapidly normalizes serum levels and provides symptomatic relief earlier than daily dosing of 1000 IU vitamin D for the same duration.
RCTRigorous JournalEffects of 12 weeks high dose vitamin D3 treatment on insulin sensitivity, beta cell function, and metabolic markers in patients with type 2 diabetes and vitamin D insufficiency - a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
Improving vitamin D status does not significantly improve insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, inflammation, or HbA1c levels, but may increase insulin secretion in patients with type 2 diabetes.
RCTHighly CitedOne-year effects of vitamin D and calcium supplementation on chronic periodontitis.
Vitamin D and calcium supplementation (1,000 IU/day) had a modest positive effect on periodontal health over a 1-year period, but consistent dental care improved clinical parameters regardless of supplementation.
Observational StudyHighly CitedThe effect of vitamin D supplementation on glycemic status of elderly people with prediabetes: a 12-month open-label, randomized-controlled study
Vitamin D supplementation can improve glycemic status in elderly people with prediabetes, potentially complementing lifestyle changes in managing this condition.
RCTVitamin D3 supplementation for 16 weeks improves flow-mediated dilation in overweight African-American adults.
60,000 IU monthly oral vitamin D3 supplementation for 16 weeks effectively improves vascular endothelial function in overweight African-American adults.
RCTHighly CitedThe effects of vitamin D supplementation on wound healing and metabolic status in patients with diabetic foot ulcer: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Vitamin D supplementation for 12 weeks significantly reduced ulcer length, width, and depth, and improved glucose homeostasis in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.
RCTHighly CitedEvaluation of a 12-week targeted vitamin D supplementation regimen in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease.
A 12-week targeted vitamin D supplementation regimen successfully achieved target levels and improved symptom-based activity scores in patients with active inflammatory bowel disease, but did not alter objective measures of intestinal or systemic inflammation.
Non-RCTVery Rigorous Journal