A reader named Bob H left the following comment:
I’m on 1000 [IU] a day D3 in the morning. I have not noticed any difference in sleep, but my rosacea has cleared up considerably.
Rosacea is not usually believed to be due to Vitamin D3 deficiency. For example, Wikipedia lists many causes, but not that. Here is another list of causes that does not include Vitamin D3 deficiency. The Vitamin D Council says Vitamin D “cannot be used to prevent or treat rosacea” (but without supporting evidence). On the other hand, when people with rosacea consider the question, they find evidence that D3 helps rosacea. If you have rosacea and have tried D3, please comment or email me about what happened.
I asked Bob H for details.
Tell me about yourself.
47 year old, white, IT worker, 230 lbs, runner, beer drinker, Maryland, but I lived in the Netherlands from Jun-2008-Jul-2011.
When did you start taking 1000 IU/day D3 in the morning? Were you taking D3 before this?
I started taking it about 6-8 weeks ago, in the morning, about 9:00 am 1000 IU – my first time for D3.
Please describe your rosacea before you started 1000/day D3 in the morning. please describe your rosacea now.
I’ve had consistent rosacea for years on my chest. It has not gone away completely, but it’s much better.
Please describe your sleep.
My sleep was good before I started taking D3, and is still good.
Most of the success stories about Vitamin D3 in the morning have involved 4000 IU/day or more. Why did you decide to try 1000 IU/day?
I wanted to start out at a lower dose and build up.
What brand and form of D3 do you take?
1000 IU NatureMade gel.
Funny, I thought everyone knew that–but maybe not.
I developed rosacea about 10 years ago, after being sick with a mystery illness that kept me out of work for a month and taking massive antibiotics that, in the end, had nothing to do with getting me better. After that, I developed digestive problems and also a tendency for facial flushing. I noticed it first in pictures–I’d be the person with the bright red nose.
I never got the bumps on my skin that some rosacea sufferers have, just flushing. It was aggravated by cold, caffeine, spicy foods, strong emotions, and alcohol. Also, sugar and wheat consumption seems to aggravate it generally–not cause an attack but make me more prone to them. I got laser treatment for it, which helped for a while, though it came back, as the doctor had said it would.
Anyway, a few years back I started taking D3 regularly, based on advice on paleo sites and this website, and I noticed that it had a dramatic affect on my flushing–even more than just avoiding my triggers. (That’s hard anyway, since I love tea, coffee, and red wine.) I told a friend with rosacea, and he found that it worked too.
My D3 intake varies a lot, since sometimes I’m very good about taking it regularly and sometimes I get out of the habit of taking it (like right now). I sometimes take cod liver oil, and sometimes D3 gelcaps. When I stop taking it, the flushing comes back–I notice it after my morning coffee and after wine with dinner. When I start again, the flushing subsides. I’ve never paid attention to how long it takes–like whether it’s instant or whether I need to take it for a while to notice the effect. Perhaps I’ll start taking it again and see what happens.
For everyone out there reading this, Cooling Inflammation by Dr. Art Ayers has information on rosacea and how D3 works to reduce inflammation. His blog is huge and covers many diseases.