Great document but it recommends 10,000 IU of D3, 600 IU is the standard daily amount. Seems excessive.
I've researched this more than anyone cares to know. I'm not an expert. Don't listen to me.
10,000 iu is the upper limit of what is accepted to be the absolute maximum for long term use - and even then D3 is stored in the body, so there's no point in taking it every day when your levels are topped up - so don't go over that level, there is some evidence it might be harmful.
10,000 iu is the level no one one should go over, per day, unless they really really know what they are doing, and even then, you don't want to do that every day for months.
D3 interferes with sleep, and even if you are deficient in it, and it helps you become more alert through the day, it can interfere with sleep patterns later on when you have built up reserves. Most people say that half that does is more than sufficient and I would agree. I personally take only 3000 iu a day for a while, then I stop, I titrate down lesser doses as needed. Is it starting to interfere with sleep patterns as opposed to keeping me alert? How long have I been taking it? After a few months, I just take one 3000 iu pill every other day, then just once a week, then every couple of weeks, then after that it's good to build back up again. Works for me. Never been deficient in D3 in all of my 'bloods'.
Yeah, you can take 10,000 iu a day. More even, but soon there is a point where there will be damage. Double that dose and do it for many months! Not good! Vitamin B12 pretty much has no safe upper limit - that is to say you can take as much of it as you want and as long as you are like the other 99 percent of people who can tolerate it, you'll be fine. But then again, that interferes with sleep after a while. Those deficient in it can hardly stay awake and can sometimes not breathe (pernicious anemia), but after a while it just buzzes you out and not in a good way. I do the same with this - it's the only B Vitamin that can be stored in the body - in the Liver! Folate (Vitamin B9) which is very similar can also be stored a bit IIRC. I take large amounts of that until I run down and out of pills, titrating down as needed, every few days, every week, every month - just one pill. Then build back up again.
Even Zinc is bad to take every day for months on end. And I need to take that coz I usually drink more than I should. But even then, don't keep taking it day in day out for months on end.
You need a good diet. Vitamins and minerals are your friend up to a point. But too many can give you cancer. A and E I never touch because of these risks. Being semi-vegi as well means I need to supplement, along with drinking too much. But even I just dial it back, especially when I go long periods without drinking anything at all (up to 3-6 months).
The IU reccomendations for D3 by the UK NHS is silly. They would never touch the sides. You can safely take 1000 - 2000 - 3000 - 5000 - IU every day for months. 10,000 IU is pushing it. It's safe for most people, but not for a long time. Work within the boundaries that work for the vast majority of people.
Don't take anything at the upper dosage limits for any length of time unless you have great reason to and you really know what you are doing.
Even Vitamin C which I take heroic doses of (10 fucking Grams a day) I don't do for any length of time. Just when my body needs an extra 'purge'. When the shit turns to piss, it's time to stop for the day. Job done. Dial it back. Few days of that and if it doesn't cure what ails ye, well, it's the wrong thing to be turning to - try something else.
Even NAC which is another powerful anti-oxidant, I only take for a coupla months at a time. Lay off. Go back on slowly, build up, back off.
At no point is my body ever under full assault from Vits and MIns.
In fact, I'm feeling very fucking good at the moment from having several weeks off of NO FUCKING VITS OR MINS AT ALL.
Get your noggin around that! You need to take some time for these things stored in your body to detox out or just for it to get on with its own thing.
After a while you know what's what and what you need. Even Vit C which you technically need every day, well, you don't need it that much if you eat an orange every day. And fucking 10 grams of it is going to give you serious shits. Don't hurt to take 500mg capsule a day that you made up though out of that 1KG of powder you bought. Or every other day.
These things have their place, but eating well and exercising (so this shit can go through your body) is more important. Sleep is also another factor. I know when to back off D3 and B12 (the ones that make you alert when you are lacking) when they start waking me up early morning.
Be kind to yourself. Learn your body. Let it talk to itself and pick up those signals, and don't be afraid to lay off when the bio-feedback says so. Trust yourself. Learn yourself. This sounds wanky I know. But there isn't any other way to put it.
Look after yourself. You are the best arbiter of knowing what is good and what is working.
And don't listen to strange men on the inernetz!