Creaky knees + night blindness? What am I missing? - PaleoHacks.com

Creaky knees + night blindness? What am I missing?

2011-11-14T15:44:54Z

I've recently and suddenly been experiencing creaky knees and night blindness. (Damn, I'm only 44 and walk "everywhere", those joints should be OK, right?) I'm guessing I'm missing a nutrient or two or 30 years as a vegetarian is catching up to me. Any suggestions?

Here's the overview of my diet + supplements which has been the same for about the last 6mos:

Breakfast: 12 oz. Salmon + 1/8c butter + 1/8c lemon, 3 eggs + butter + red onions, or 1C chicken broth + 2 eggs

Lunch: Scoop of coconut butter or "fake nutella" + cup of coffee + cream + sugar (I know, I know...)

Dinner: Veggie soup (all the colors of the rainbow) + homemade chicken broth (most fat removed), beef stew w/ mushrooms and onions, big ass salad w/eggs, or steak + greens

Snacks: blue or black berries and dark chocolate, brie cheese and apple slices (rarely)

Vices: Red wine - w/dinner on weekend, never smoked

Supplements:

Morning

4 g Omega 3s

5000-10,000 Vit D3 (depends upon my mood and sun exposure)

100 mg CoQ10

Prenatal Multi Vitamin

330 mg curcumin

B Complex 50

Evening

400 mg Mag Citrate

EDIT: I just had an eye exam and am 20/25 on the L and 20/70 on the R with no "significant" issues requiring glasses. I've reduced the D3 and will be increasing my green leaf vegs and liver (blech.).

Answer by Dragonfly for Creaky knees + night blindness? What am I missing?

2011-11-14T16:32:02Z

My first glance makes me wonder about your A and zinc intake? Do you eat liver? Oysters?

And maybe some C is needed, too, to deal with the alcohol & sugar.

Also, a good idea to get your D level tested.

FWIW, I'm 48 & have much better vision & no creaks at all after fine-tuning my diet/supplements. I was a vegetarian for 14 years...

ps Are you pregnant (you are taking a prenatal?) If so, it could explain the sudden changes.

Answer by panteleimon for Creaky knees + night blindness? What am I missing?

2011-11-16T17:26:02Z

Two supplements improved my eyesight - vitamin E with tocepherols (vitamin E on its own had no effect) and lutein.

Answer by The Quilt for Creaky knees + night blindness? What am I missing?

2011-12-01T01:56:17Z

VITAMIN A!!!!!!! READ comment 43 on my latest blog. http://jackkruse.com/what-can-you-find-about-your-own-health/#comments

Answer by Chris Antenucci for Creaky knees + night blindness? What am I missing?

2011-12-01T02:16:55Z

It's likely that your vitamin A levels are low. Dr. Kruse wrote about this in a recent blog post: "Rhodopsin is found in the retina and is composed of retinal, which is an active form of vitamin A, and opsin a protein made by the retina. Basically, if you “over do” the use of Vitamin D3, you will not make enough rhodopsin (from a relative Vitamin A deficiency) and you will suffer from night blindness. Each cell in our body has 2 vitamin A receptors for every Vitamin D receptor. So as our vitamin D level rises our endogenous Vitamin A source is used up even quicker. We need to make sure we are getting enough of the fat soluble Vitamin A too as Vitamin D3 goes up." http://jackkruse.com/what-can-you-find-about-your-own-health/. So I'd say either decrease your dose of vitamin D or increase vitamin A in the diet, beef liver is a good way to do that. You don't seem to have any vitamin K2 in your diet so that's one explanation for the creaky joints. If you also have plaque buildup on your teeth that's a pretty sure sign you're deficient in K2.

Answer by Sarah for Creaky knees + night blindness? What am I missing?

2011-12-05T18:18:25Z

I have both of those symptoms with pregnancies and when my lady hormones start to get out of whack. At 44, is it possible that pre-menopause symptoms are setting in?