the size/shape of D3 vit

[happydays]

I know it may be a bit odd, but I can't swallow many pills/supplements. do people know which brands are just moderately sized capsules? think milk thistle capsules or those green advil ones. NOW D3 capsules are small but plump and smooth and I can't swallow them either.

any suggestions?

 

[athletic dept]

Break them up into small pieces and then you should be able to swallow them.

 

[happydays]

Break them up into small pieces and then you should be able to swallow them.

but i don't think you're supposed to crush softgels.

 

[Ted_Hutchinson]

I use Country Life, Vitamin D3, 5,000 IU, in these the vitamin D3 is carried in Medium chain triglyceride oil. It is perfectly reasonable, indeed for people with damaged digestive systems it may indeed be more effective.
The MCT oil is not only very stable but also is easily metabolised in fact it is readily absorbed through the oral tissues.
If you wanted to avoid swallowing the it would be fine to chew the capsule and after you've squeezed the contents out you could dispose of the gelatin capsule shell. The MCT and Vitamin D3 will probably all be absorbed through the mouth and some will be swallowed easily.
If you wanted there should be no problem just massaging the contents of a capsule into you skin. Vitamin D3 is made in the skin so this is a normal route for vitamin D3 absorption.
However these are very tiny capsules and I find it hard to believe anyone would have problems swallowing them.
Do remember Vitamin D3 is a fat soluble vitamin and so with a meal containing fat is even better.

 

[happydays]

I use Country Life, Vitamin D3, 5,000 IU, in these the vitamin D3 is carried in Medium chain triglyceride oil. It is perfectly reasonable, indeed for people with damaged digestive systems it may indeed be more effective.
The MCT oil is not only very stable but also is easily metabolised in fact it is readily absorbed through the oral tissues.
If you wanted to avoid swallowing the it would be fine to chew the capsule and after you've squeezed the contents out you could dispose of the gelatin capsule shell. The MCT and Vitamin D3 will probably all be absorbed through the mouth and some will be swallowed easily.
If you wanted there should be no problem just massaging the contents of a capsule into you skin. Vitamin D3 is made in the skin so this is a normal route for vitamin D3 absorption.
However these are very tiny capsules and I find it hard to believe anyone would have problems swallowing them.
Do remember Vitamin D3 is a fat soluble vitamin and so with a meal containing fat is even better.

do the Country Life capsules look like these ones? https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IuC4MhW8L.jpg

 

[Ted_Hutchinson]

do the Country Life capsules look like these ones? https://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IuC4MhW8L.jpg

I think they are pretty similar but there is no need to swallow them. Just bite them and you can squish the gelatin capsule in your teeth. The MCT oil has little if any flavor, unlike the Now which I seem to remember are in olive oil.
Just hold the oil in your mouth cavity and you can spit out the gelatin shell.
You can buy sublingual (under the tongue) vitamin D sprays and you can buy Vitamin D drops (again Vitamin D carried in MCT oil) but the Country Life will be cheapest and just as effective.

The reason they went for MCT as the carrier for D drops was because it wouldn't matter if the babies spat it out. It would still get in the mouths and down their chins and the Vitamin d would still be absorbed providing it's on the body.

 

[u&iraok]

You can also get D3 in liquid form from NOW. One dropperful is 5000 IUs. One drop is 400 IUs.

A lot of vitamins are in liquid or powder form. The other benefit to them is that they're often easier assimilated in liquid form. I take the liquid or powder forms whenever I can.

 

[Ted_Hutchinson]

You can also get D3 in liquid form from NOW. One dropperful is 5000 IUs. One drop is 400 IUs.

But biting a 5000iu capsule is just as quick and a lot cheaper.

 

[happydays]

You can also get D3 in liquid form from NOW. One dropperful is 5000 IUs. One drop is 400 IUs.

do you have a link?

 

[u&iraok]

Yes: www.nowfoods.com/Products/ProductsAlphabetically/M103729.htm You can usually find Now brand at different online vitamin shops for as much as 50% off. I didn't see it at the one I order from but I did see they also have a spray.

If you go to bing and type in 'now liquid d spray' it will bring up all the vitamin shops that have these products and their prices.

 

[happydays]

do people think I can do something with the big cal/mag capsules?

 

[Ted_Hutchinson]

do people think I can do something with the big cal/mag capsules?

Yes Throw them away.
Once you have corrected your vitamin D status so your 25(OH)D is well abover 40ng/ml you will quadruple the absorption of calcium from your diet (food and water) If you are eating yoghurt cheese and plenty of fish/vegetables there are plenty of good food sources of calcium. Excess calcium is probably the main cause of calcification of the arteries and overzealous calcium supplementation is increasing the stroke rate.
Limit calcium supplement to at most 600mg/d.
There is a problem with magnesium from food sources and while these can be increased I think most people do need to take a magnesium supplement.
I prefer the Albion Patent Mineral Chelates and these can be bought in capsule form.
I also think if you have difficulty with tablets then consider MAGNESIUM OIL or adding magnesium chloride flakes or magnesium sulphate to your bathwater and soak in it. Dead SEA SALTS and Epsom Salts can be bought in 25kg bags from animal feedsuppliers Country Stores at a reasonable price.

I also drink MAGNESIUM Bicarbonate water.

It's worth checking out the Magnesium information at Afibbers

Nutritional Magnesium Association