If you take a Vitamin D supplement too late in the day, it can cause insomnia.
If you take Vitamin D in the morning and magnesium at night, it will help regulate your sleep cycles
To get vitamin D naturally, you want to be outside with no sunscreen and your arms or legs exposed (so short sleeve shirt and/or shorts) for half as many minutes as it takes you to burn.
You can poison yourself with too much vitamin D supplements, so try to get your blood checked regularly (annually is probably enough). You cannot poison yourself with sunlight.
Some people do not make vitamin D naturally and have to supplement no matter how much sun they get.
Cramping of any kind is a sign of magnesium deficiency (yes, ladies, this includes menstrual cramps).
Not saying you're wrong, but I had sun poisoning from being out without any kind of skin protection. I was at a beach with the sun directly overhead. Yes it was incredibly stupid, yes it hurt quite a lot.
The key was to be in the sun without sunscreen for half as many minutes as it takes you to burn. Then cover up or put on sunscreen -- way before you get to the point of burning/sun poisoning.
I pour a rounded teaspoon of Borax in a small pan of about 1-2 cups of RO water and it heat it up until the Borax completely dissolves. You really don't need to heat it up much for it to dissolve. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to stir it until it is all dissolved.
Next, pour this in a glass quart jar and add more RO water until there's a quart of liquid Borax concentrate solution. This will be used as your daily supply.
I use a mL measurement cup to measure the amount I use to mix with my juice or smoothie. Start off initially with 15 - 20 mL of concentrate mixed in with your juice or smoothie. Each week work your way up increasing the amount. For the first week, go with 15-20 mL and see how that feels for you. After a week trial, increase it to 25 - 30 mL. Do that for a week. Then increase again the amount the following week.
I take 55 - 60 mL of it every other day. After a while you can back off from taking it daily and take it every other day. If you have arthritis I'd take it daily at that amount.
Know that for every 5 mL of Borax concentrate solution equates to 3 mg of boron. At 60mL, you are get 36 mg boron.
Really it is best to test your vitamin D levels once or twice a year...it should be in the 50-70 range for good health. There are many factors that can affect your ability to absorb vitamin D from the sun...I can attest to some of these variations as I have been taking D and testing for about 5 years. My husband, who is an avid outdoorsman, had levels under 30 because of some of these factors. He is now in the mid 60's range and his health has improved quite a bit after supplementing with D...10,000IU + 1 Super K daily during the winter and in the summer the same dose every other day.
That’s not accurate. Cant speak to the magnesium but for D, unless you live in florida, you have to take it as the sun is not strong enough to produce enough in the fall/winter/spring. D is so cheap to buy if you’re not taking it you’re just asking for a shit health for no reason
Most people don't need an hour. And some people will never make vitamin D no matter how much sun they get. Everyone's body processes Vitamin D differently.
Magnesium baths (Epsom salt). I swear by them. Once daily. Being in the sun, barefoot in nature as well. One can feel the vibrant healing from this combination.
Solid post. Magnesium is critical for cardiovascular healths. Mg actually does a LOT of other good things and as you point out, to get the most out of -- well, ANY supplement -- you should also be eating a healthy, balanced diet and taking additional supplements, if only because biology is bizarrely complex and requires many different inputs.
Also: Everything on your list is fairly cheap including vitamin K, whose cardiovascular and other benefits should be more widely known. You don't have to spend a lot to protect your health.
OP mentioned K2, which is not the same as K. K2 is found in grass-fed animal products (meat, milk, cheese, butter, etc), so most Americans have zero K2 in their diet. When faced with the choice of pasture-raised animal products vs organic animal products, you may want to choose the pasture raised products because those products will have K2, whereas animals that are fed organic grains will not contain K2.
Yes, K comes in several forms (as does vitamin E, for instance) and it's smart to get K1 and at least one variety of K2.
The Vitamin K product in the link I posted includes
Vitamin K1 (as phytonadione)
1500 mcg
Vitamin K2 (as menaquinone-4)
1000 mcg
Vitamin K2 (as trans menaquinone-7)
100 mcg
and LEF offers additional versions, including a straight K2 (as menaquinone-4) with 45,000 mcg -- the amount used as an Rx medication in Japan to improve bone density, and a low-dose version for those on blood thinners (see your doctor before taking K supplements if on those).
The caveat is still warranted, but they offer the product because A) the dangers of NO vitamin K are substantial and B) some doctors prefer their patients on blood thinners to get at least a small dose of the vitamin.
It is true that you can poison yourself if you take too much vitamin D for too long. People should have their levels regularly tested. Some people make enough from their sunlight exposure to not need a supplement. Other people's bodies don't naturally make vitamin D and they need to supplement no matter how much sun exposure they get.
Zinc, d3, vitamin C , Q , NAC , milk thistle and B12 has done me wonders. I will try to throw mag in there to see if I feel a difference. Thanks for the info
Magnsium may be the most important one on that list because so many body functions rely on magnesium. One example is that your body will not absorb/make vitamin D if you are low on magnesium.
I read zinc can reduce your copper levels, so you might have to take copper if you take zinc for a long enough period of time. Perhaps there are other metals also that are affected when you take certain metals, that we haven't discovered yet.
I noticed that as well. I was taking c, zinc and d3 without magnesium. I had bad trouble walking and my foot coordination was screwy. I stopped taking d3 and it went away. Back to the supplement drawing board.
I did a quick search on that a few months ago. I believe D3 raises your levels quicker than D2 can. I went to my local vitamin shop (pretty sure the one guy there is based) and he recommended a supplement that had both D3 and K2 in it. After reading this, I need to go buy magnesium too.
Thanks. I'm on a prescription megadose (50,000 once a week) and I noticed it was D2 not D3. The only thing I could find is that D2 is derived from plant sources and D3 from animals.
MD's know nothing about nutrition. Do not rely on them for nutritional advice.
You should buy a low dose magnesium and start with one pill in the evening. Then add a second pill the next day. Then a third the next day. And so on until you have a loose stool. Cut back to the maximum number of pills that your body can handle before becoming loose.
When I was very sick with my rare kidney disease, I was taking 1,000 mg per day of magnesium. Now that I am healed, I take 129 mg.
OH I had terrible diarrhea when I was pregnant! Tested for everything including parasites.
Turned out it was the magnesium in the anti-acid I was taking because of acid reflux from the full abdomen pushing up the acid. Don't remember who clued me in that it could be the magnesium . . .
I am unclear on if you mean specifically when taking supplements or In life in general. Assuming you mean only the magnesium supplements, a loose stool means you are taking too much magnesium.
Excessive Vitamin C will also cause loose stools, too. But you have to take A LOT of vitamin C for that to happen.
If you are talking about life in general, lots of things can cause loose stools.
Just remember there isn't much sanity/regulation on Amazon, so if you get a chemical from a random supplier, it may not be anywhere near as pure as you may think. An American vendor, with a reputation on the line, like Swanson or Life Extension, is probably safer, esp if you will be doing this for the foreseeable future...
Very important things OP missed!!!!
If you take a Vitamin D supplement too late in the day, it can cause insomnia.
If you take Vitamin D in the morning and magnesium at night, it will help regulate your sleep cycles
To get vitamin D naturally, you want to be outside with no sunscreen and your arms or legs exposed (so short sleeve shirt and/or shorts) for half as many minutes as it takes you to burn.
You can poison yourself with too much vitamin D supplements, so try to get your blood checked regularly (annually is probably enough). You cannot poison yourself with sunlight.
Some people do not make vitamin D naturally and have to supplement no matter how much sun they get.
Cramping of any kind is a sign of magnesium deficiency (yes, ladies, this includes menstrual cramps).
The sun doesn't causes cancer, the sunscreen does!
Also, there are different forms of calcium and magnesium, and some are not good for you.
Chelated minerals are most easily absorbed by the body.
Not saying you're wrong, but I had sun poisoning from being out without any kind of skin protection. I was at a beach with the sun directly overhead. Yes it was incredibly stupid, yes it hurt quite a lot.
The key was to be in the sun without sunscreen for half as many minutes as it takes you to burn. Then cover up or put on sunscreen -- way before you get to the point of burning/sun poisoning.
Don't forget about Boron. Check out and read the Borax Conspiracy.
Or eat raisins and avacados
Love this
So do I. It cured my arthritis. It's absolutely amazing.
Borax?
Yes, "20-Mule Team" Borax. It's a mineral salt and safer than table salt.
I bought some, but never took it. How do you take it? Water bottle throughout the day? How much?
I pour a rounded teaspoon of Borax in a small pan of about 1-2 cups of RO water and it heat it up until the Borax completely dissolves. You really don't need to heat it up much for it to dissolve. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to stir it until it is all dissolved.
Next, pour this in a glass quart jar and add more RO water until there's a quart of liquid Borax concentrate solution. This will be used as your daily supply.
I use a mL measurement cup to measure the amount I use to mix with my juice or smoothie. Start off initially with 15 - 20 mL of concentrate mixed in with your juice or smoothie. Each week work your way up increasing the amount. For the first week, go with 15-20 mL and see how that feels for you. After a week trial, increase it to 25 - 30 mL. Do that for a week. Then increase again the amount the following week.
I take 55 - 60 mL of it every other day. After a while you can back off from taking it daily and take it every other day. If you have arthritis I'd take it daily at that amount.
Know that for every 5 mL of Borax concentrate solution equates to 3 mg of boron. At 60mL, you are get 36 mg boron.
The traditional French diet provides about 36 mg of boron per day and they have the lowest arthritis rate in the world.
Thank you for this
Solution:
I level teaspoon of borax in 1 liter bottle (1 liter = 4.22 cups).
Add a little hot water and shake vigorously to dissolve.
Fill to top with purified water and shake.
Dose:
Take 1 teaspoon of solution once or twice per day.
Thanks!
Or, go outside for an hour a day.
Really it is best to test your vitamin D levels once or twice a year...it should be in the 50-70 range for good health. There are many factors that can affect your ability to absorb vitamin D from the sun...I can attest to some of these variations as I have been taking D and testing for about 5 years. My husband, who is an avid outdoorsman, had levels under 30 because of some of these factors. He is now in the mid 60's range and his health has improved quite a bit after supplementing with D...10,000IU + 1 Super K daily during the winter and in the summer the same dose every other day.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/9-things-that-can-undermine-your-vitamin-d-level
Isn't 10k IU per day kind high, almost toxic?
Not if you are low. Knowing your number is is the key.
https://youtu.be/NFxQJmvgXOQ
Going outside is healing for the body and soul! Great advice blacksmith!
Yep. A healthy diet and active outdoor lifestyle eliminates the need to take all of these supplements for the majority of already healthy peeps.
That’s not accurate. Cant speak to the magnesium but for D, unless you live in florida, you have to take it as the sun is not strong enough to produce enough in the fall/winter/spring. D is so cheap to buy if you’re not taking it you’re just asking for a shit health for no reason
Food allergies and only eating what you grow limit your diet due to seasonal food and obviously allergies.
Most people don't need an hour. And some people will never make vitamin D no matter how much sun they get. Everyone's body processes Vitamin D differently.
Magnesium baths (Epsom salt). I swear by them. Once daily. Being in the sun, barefoot in nature as well. One can feel the vibrant healing from this combination.
I love the sound of that!
Solid post. Magnesium is critical for cardiovascular healths. Mg actually does a LOT of other good things and as you point out, to get the most out of -- well, ANY supplement -- you should also be eating a healthy, balanced diet and taking additional supplements, if only because biology is bizarrely complex and requires many different inputs.
Also: Everything on your list is fairly cheap including vitamin K, whose cardiovascular and other benefits should be more widely known. You don't have to spend a lot to protect your health.
OP mentioned K2, which is not the same as K. K2 is found in grass-fed animal products (meat, milk, cheese, butter, etc), so most Americans have zero K2 in their diet. When faced with the choice of pasture-raised animal products vs organic animal products, you may want to choose the pasture raised products because those products will have K2, whereas animals that are fed organic grains will not contain K2.
Yes, K comes in several forms (as does vitamin E, for instance) and it's smart to get K1 and at least one variety of K2.
The Vitamin K product in the link I posted includes
Vitamin K1 (as phytonadione) 1500 mcg Vitamin K2 (as menaquinone-4) 1000 mcg Vitamin K2 (as trans menaquinone-7) 100 mcg
and LEF offers additional versions, including a straight K2 (as menaquinone-4) with 45,000 mcg -- the amount used as an Rx medication in Japan to improve bone density, and a low-dose version for those on blood thinners (see your doctor before taking K supplements if on those).
It should be strongly advised anyone with blood disorders or taking blood thinners should not take vitamin K!
I understand the issues, which is why I added the caveat, but LEF's low-dose vitamin K is not 45,000 mcg or even 1000 mcg but just 45 mcg -- less than in a cup of Romaine lettuce.
The caveat is still warranted, but they offer the product because A) the dangers of NO vitamin K are substantial and B) some doctors prefer their patients on blood thinners to get at least a small dose of the vitamin.
Good post. TU
This site has helped me stay alive for the past few years. You all rock.
I find magnesium a pain reliever. I take extra when I’m acing from hard work.
It relaxes muscles and is good for headaches/migraines as well.
It is true that you can poison yourself if you take too much vitamin D for too long. People should have their levels regularly tested. Some people make enough from their sunlight exposure to not need a supplement. Other people's bodies don't naturally make vitamin D and they need to supplement no matter how much sun exposure they get.
Zinc, d3, vitamin C , Q , NAC , milk thistle and B12 has done me wonders. I will try to throw mag in there to see if I feel a difference. Thanks for the info
Magnsium may be the most important one on that list because so many body functions rely on magnesium. One example is that your body will not absorb/make vitamin D if you are low on magnesium.
I read zinc can reduce your copper levels, so you might have to take copper if you take zinc for a long enough period of time. Perhaps there are other metals also that are affected when you take certain metals, that we haven't discovered yet.
I noticed that as well. I was taking c, zinc and d3 without magnesium. I had bad trouble walking and my foot coordination was screwy. I stopped taking d3 and it went away. Back to the supplement drawing board.
I heard you can't take k2 when nursing or pregnant?
I'm not on it yet, but it sounds related to the keto diet.
Any thoughts on D2 versus D3?
I did a quick search on that a few months ago. I believe D3 raises your levels quicker than D2 can. I went to my local vitamin shop (pretty sure the one guy there is based) and he recommended a supplement that had both D3 and K2 in it. After reading this, I need to go buy magnesium too.
Thanks. I'm on a prescription megadose (50,000 once a week) and I noticed it was D2 not D3. The only thing I could find is that D2 is derived from plant sources and D3 from animals.
How much Magnesium do you take? I was on so much calcium and always getting stones yet the doctors never implied that could be a cause. Ughhhhhh
MD's know nothing about nutrition. Do not rely on them for nutritional advice.
You should buy a low dose magnesium and start with one pill in the evening. Then add a second pill the next day. Then a third the next day. And so on until you have a loose stool. Cut back to the maximum number of pills that your body can handle before becoming loose.
When I was very sick with my rare kidney disease, I was taking 1,000 mg per day of magnesium. Now that I am healed, I take 129 mg.
OH I had terrible diarrhea when I was pregnant! Tested for everything including parasites.
Turned out it was the magnesium in the anti-acid I was taking because of acid reflux from the full abdomen pushing up the acid. Don't remember who clued me in that it could be the magnesium . . .
So is loose stool an indicator that you are taking enough magnesium?
I am unclear on if you mean specifically when taking supplements or In life in general. Assuming you mean only the magnesium supplements, a loose stool means you are taking too much magnesium.
Excessive Vitamin C will also cause loose stools, too. But you have to take A LOT of vitamin C for that to happen.
If you are talking about life in general, lots of things can cause loose stools.
Sorry, yes I did mean in reference to loose stools as a direct result of too much magnesium
Have you ever tried transdermal magnesium oil?
Yes I can vouch for Mag oil, it makes a big difference, along with C, B3 complex and Niacin.
No, I have never heard of that.
Great stuff, thanks! I have seriously low vitamin D. I’m going to do better and follow your advice.
Just remember there isn't much sanity/regulation on Amazon, so if you get a chemical from a random supplier, it may not be anywhere near as pure as you may think. An American vendor, with a reputation on the line, like Swanson or Life Extension, is probably safer, esp if you will be doing this for the foreseeable future...
I recently saw this and was crushed to find my favorite vitamin brand is owned by Nestle: https://drnealsmoller.com/rant/the-14-mega-corporations-that-own-your-supplement-brand/.
It looks like Life Extension is not part of the Evil Empire, but Swanson is.
I buy my vitamins at pureformulas.com
I was taking all of these already--except K2.
Thanks for the heads-up. I'll buy some ASAP.
Also, is there any real difference between K2 and K2 mk7?
Vitamin C and D3 with magnesium and zinc has done well for me.
That shit is poison. It’s not even a vitamin it’s a secosteroid