Vitamin D - a prerequisite for good health
Everyone should have his or her vitamin D level checked at least once a year (infants through the elderly).
Vitamin D is important in every life stage; pregnancy (developing bones and teeth), childhood (to prevent rickets), as we age (bone reserve), but the potential effects of this vitamin/prohormone in human health and disease prevention are still being discovered and remain largely unappreciated!
Some evidence of this…
Recent studies show that vitamin D sufficiency may lower risk of ICU admissions in Covid patients. A group of researchers in Spain published results on a pilot trial of vitamin D and COVID in 2020 where they found that calcifediol (a potent form of vitamin D) nearly abolished the risk of ICU admission in hospitalised patients with COVID-19. They conducted a new, larger study in 2021 and found that Patients with 25(OH)D levels ≥20 ng/mL had a 55 percent lower risk of admission than patients with 25(OH)D levels ≤20 ng/mL! Calcifediol treatment reduced the risk of ICU admission by 82 percent.
A number of epidemiologic studies suggest Vitamin D may offer a protective effect against certain cancers, decreasing cancer risk and cancer-associated mortality in colon, breast and skin cancer
Optimal Vitamin D levels are suggested to delay ageing, and hair loss and more studies suggest that vitamin D could be effective in managing skin conditions vitiligo (based on the vitamin’s antioxidant properties), psoriasis and acne. Vitamin D3 inhibits P. acnes-induced immune response and inflammation!
The results of cohort and cross-sectional studies have shown that vitamin-D deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of depression in older men. In addition, there are reported positive associations between vitamin D and testosterone
What’s considered deficient and what does it mean for your health?
Less than 10 ng/mL is considered severely deficient
Less than 15 ng/mL increases the risk of rickets
Less than 20 ng/mL, there’s a 75% increased risk of colon cancer, and increased risk of Covid related ICU admissions.
Less than 30 ng/mL increases the incidence of:
Calcium loss from bones, osteoporosis
Poor wound healing
Increased muscle pain
joint and back pain
depression
diabetes
schizophrenia
migraines autoimmune disease (lupus, scleroderma)
allergies
preeclampsia
Inflammation
Between 30–50 ng/mL levels are considered suboptimal and health risk factors remain high:
Below 34 ng/mL - twice the risk of heart attack
Below 36 ng/mL - increased incidence of high blood pressure
Below 40 ng/mL - three times the risk of multiple sclerosis
So what is optimal?
Optimal levels are thought to be somewhere between 50–75 ng/mL
While 50 ng/mL has been widely used to define vitamin D sufficiency, some studies suggest that a vitamin D level as high as 75 ng/mL is needed to cover all physiological functions and should therefore be considered optimal
At > 50 ng/mL - 50% reduction in breast cancer, decreased risk of all solid cancers
80–100 ng/mL - slowing of cancer growth in patients with cancer
> 100 ng/mL - increased risk of toxic symptoms (hypercalcemia)
What is the best form of vitamin D; sunshine, diet, supplementation?
There are two major forms of vitamin D are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is largely synthetic and added to foods. D2 is also produced by plants, such as mushrooms when exposed to UV light. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) however is made by your skin when you get enough sun. Dietary sources of D3 include cod liver oil, cheese, egg yolks, mackerel, salmon, tuna fish, and beef liver.
Not eating these kinds of foods regularly, lactose intolerance, ovo-vegetarian or vegan diets increase the likelihood of D-deficiency
‘As far back as the mid 17th century Francis Glisson, Professor of Physics at Cambridge University, observed that rickets was common among infants and young children of country farmers who ate well, and whose diets were known to include eggs and butter, but who lived in rainy, misty parts of the country and who were kept indoors during long severe winters’
Studies show that Vitamin D3 is far more important for our health than Vitamin D2. Vitamin D2 has less to offer in terms of bioavailability (what the body can take in and use) and efficiency!
Natural Production of Vitamin D
Sun is the freest, easiest way to stock pile your Vitamin D3 reserves and boost your health.
A pinking dose of dose/as little as 15–20 minutes exposure of the inner arms and legs, without sunscreen can potentially produce up to 250 μg vitamin D (10,000 IU) - most supplements deliver 1,000iu/2,000iu
Lighter skin types produce up to six times the amount of vitamin D produced by darker skin tones.
Sunblock with an SPF of more than 15 blocks 100% of vitamin D production in the skin.
Vitamin D Supplementation - striking the balance right!
Appropriate dosing of vitamin D will depend on your blood levels and should be advised by a qualified health professional, or GP.
Opt for D3 supplementation not D2.
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which the body stores. It is therefore best practice to have your vitamin D level rechecked within 2 weeks to 2 months after starting supplementation, depending on your medical and health condition.
People with sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, Lyme disease, lymphoma, or kidney disease have to be supplemented carefully because of an increased risk of their blood calcium level becoming too high
A few final thoughts
If you get enough sun when it’s around, you supplement during winter but your levels never hit the optimal range, it’s worth checking other variables.
Some people are genetically less able to absorb and use vitamin D, and require higher doses.
If it’s a malabsorption problem (signs can be greasy stools, oily film on the toilet bowl…)- lecithin granules can sometimes be helpful.
Or it might be as simple as how you’re taking it?
Always take alongside other fats to optimise uptake and delivery!
