Like Magnesium, I consider Vitamin D3 to be a top 5 supplement for the majority of people. It is a crucial nutrient required for optimal health and longevity but is also a nutrient that most of the population is low or deficient in.
Vitamin D3, the active form of the vitamin, is created when sunlight reacts with our skin. One reason so many people are deficient in this vitamin (actually a hormone) is that we do just about everything we can to prevent our bodies from making it. We spend most of our time indoors, and when we are outdoors, we wear UV-protective clothing and apply sunblock, essentially preventing our bodies from producing Vitamin D3.
There are likely other factors that reduce our ability to produce Vitamin D3, as studies in populations that spend a lot of time in the sun show that they are just as likely to be deficient. These factors could vary from pollution in our air to the many chemicals we ingest on a daily basis that can disrupt hormone production.
Our ability to create vitamin D3 also declines as we age, leaving 2/3rds of people over 70 deficient.
Vitamin D3 plays many important roles in our health. It is required for the absorption of calcium and plays a role in incorporating calcium into bones. A lack of either of these nutrients can increase your risk of osteoporosis – thinning of the bones, a condition that afflicts approximately 10 million Americans. Another 44 million have osteopenia, or low bone density, and are at risk of developing osteoporosis.
Another vital role that Vitamin D3 plays is its role in our immune system. It supports gut health, which is where the majority of our immune system functions. It also plays a role in cardiovascular health, brain and nerve function, and proper sugar metabolism.
The RDA for vitamin D3 (400 – 800 IU depending on age) was created as a minimum dose required to prevent rickets, a disease of severe vitamin D deficiency affecting the bones. Like most RDA recommendations, however, this dose is woefully inadequate for what is needed in order to maintain optimal health and function. Research suggests low vitamin D3 levels increase your risk for many chronic diseases, including heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Low vitamin D3 has specifically been found to be associated with a higher risk of colon cancer.
When choosing a vitamin D3 supplement, make sure you find one that also contains vitamin
K2 (not just K1). Vitamin K2 plays critical roles in blood clotting, bone metabolism, prevention of blood vessel mineralization, and regulation of various cellular functions. Vitamin K2 acts as an essential cofactor in many different biochemical processes. Specifically, it helps to drive calcium into bone, playing an important role in reducing the risk for osteoporosis. It also inhibits calcium from being deposited into the walls of our blood vessels. When calcium builds up in our vasculature, it can lead to plaque buildup, the leading cause of heart disease. Some studies suggest that vitamin K2 intake can reduce the progression of plaque buildup in our arteries.
We carry multiple doses and combinations of D3 and K2 in the clinic to cover all of your needs. We find that some people don’t absorb D3 very well when taken in a traditional tablet or capsule, so we also carry a sublingual liquid for those people that either don’t like to swallow a pill or don’t seem to absorb them well. Dosing is also important as people have different needs based on absorption, metabolism, and health status. You can take too much of any vitamin, but the fat-soluble vitamins in particular because they can build up in the system and cause toxicity. It is important to get a baseline blood level and recheck periodically to dial in the dosing for you.
Vitamin D levels are easily assessed with a simple blood test and should be checked before deciding how much you should be taking.
You can’t go wrong with 2000 IU daily, but many of my patients take as much as 5000 IU daily to maintain an optimal range of 50 – 80 nmol/L.
You can take too much vitamin D3, and very high serum levels can cause toxicity, so get your levels checked periodically if you are taking higher doses. The exception would be if you come down with a cold or flu when it is OK to take higher doses for a week or two which may help reduce the duration and intensity of your illness. I personally take up to 20,000 IU or more of D3 daily whenever I come down with a cold or flu for the duration of the illness.
No Comments