The Benefits of Vitamin D
It’s that time of year again. The days are getting shorter and the time in the dark is getting longer. This can be a tough time of year for a lot of people, as sunlight provides us with both physical and emotional benefits. As is commonly known, sunlight also helps us attain adequate vitamin D levels. Actually, vitamin D doesn’t really come from sunlight, but the UV rays help to convert vitamin D already in our bodies into an active form that we can use.
Unfortunately, living in a northern region puts us at greater risk of vitamin D deficiency and I see many patients who have discovered they have this problem via blood testing. Luckily, there’s an easy way to get those numbers back up through supplementation. Let’s first discuss some of the benefits of taking this vitamin.
One of the roles of vitamin D is to correct for mutations in our DNA. Mutations can occur when our cells replicate, and if missed, this changed DNA can lead to cancer. People deficient in vitamin D may not be as efficient in detecting and correcting for these mutations.
Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption, which will ultimately help keep our bones strong. Those with low vitamin D levels are at greater risk for bone loss and osteoporosis.
Vitamin D helps to support the immune system so it functions properly. Did you know that multiple sclerosis, an auto-immune condition, has a greater prevalence further away from the equator? It is suggested that chronically lower levels of vitamin D (due to less sun exposure) may be linked to a higher rate of this disease.
While still new, there have been research studies suggesting that vitamin D provides protection against the Covid-19 infection. A study published this year in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that of those hospitalized with Covid-19, 80% were vitamin D deficient!
Looking at this list, there’s clearly a lot of benefit to having adequate amounts of this vitamin. That being said, how much should you take? The best way to really know how you’re doing is to have a blood test. The normal lab range is usually 30-60ng/mL, though the studies that show the strong benefits will typically show levels above 40-50ng/mL. That being said, for the average person 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D would be a good maintenance dose. If you already know you’re deficient, you can increase that dose to 5000-10,000 IU for a period of time to get your blood levels up faster. Of course, when unsure, speak to a medical professional about whether it’s right for you. I’m happy to be your starting point for that.
I hope this has been helpful for you in providing some key info for vitamin D. This vitamin is one of those supplements that I tend to offer across the board, particularly during these darker months and the greater risk of deficiency. From now and through the month of November, we are offering 10% off on all of our vitamin D supplements! Give us a call and get stocked up for winter! It is a supplement that flies off of our shelves, but we will always be working to re-stock.
Rob Liguori, DC
