The Importance of Vitamin D

One of the many nutrients gaining popularity over the last few years is Vitamin D. Vitamin D is often known as the “Sunshine Vitamin” due to our ability to acquire it from our skin’s exposure to sunlight.

But What Is Vitamin D Really?

While vitamin D is often referred to as a “vitamin”, it also has hormone-like features- such as a cholesterol base (which is also the foundation of several important hormones in the body), as well as its ability to travel through the body as a messenger and act on receptors that are found in various tissues and cells.

Vitamin D receptors (VDRs) are structures found in almost every type of cell in the body. The wide presence of VDRs in the body tell us that vitamin D is important in the regulation of almost all the body’s functions.

Why Vitamin D Matters

Low blood levels of vitamin D have been associated with (or implicated in) the following health conditions:

Depressive symptoms and disorders; perinatal and post-partum mood issues
Cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis
Various types of cancers
Overabundance of inflammation-promoting microbes in the gut, airways and skin
Increased levels of inflammation and inflammatory markers
Reduced immune function (i.e. increased susceptibility to colds and flus, longer recovery time)
Increased risk of autoimmune conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, etc.

Luckily, a number of animal and human studies have shown health benefits when low vitamin D levels are increased through improved diet, sun exposure and supplementation.

Factors That Will Affect Your Vitamin D Levels

There are different conditions that can affect vitamin D absorption and levels in the blood. As a fat-soluble vitamin, adequate levels of dietary fat are required for absorption of not only vitamin D, but of other fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin D acquired from skin exposure to sunlight contains a cholesterol-like base, thus low levels of cholesterol (usually due to medication) can also impair vitamin D production.

Low levels of magnesium, which can be due to diet and depleted by stress and day-to-day toxin exposure (among other factors) can also impair vitamin D absorption. Reduced exposure to sunlight and increased distance from the equator (where the sun’s rays are more intense) are also associated with lower levels of vitamin D.

Genetic differences can affect structures such as vitamin D transporters and receptors, reducing the body’s natural ability to create, transport and utilize vitamin D in the body. Melanin is a pigment in the skin that serves to protect the skin from sun damage and is found in higher amounts as skin tone darkens. Higher levels of melanin (i.e. darker skin tone) are correlated with lower levels of vitamin D.

Things You Can Do For Your Vitamin D Levels

First- and most importantly, determine your vitamin D levels by asking your health care provider for a simple lab test. This is important to know before starting supplementation, as it allows your health care provider to calculate the appropriate dosing for you. Also, vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that it is not excreted in the urine like water-soluble vitamins (such as vitamin C and the B’s) and can be stored, leading to toxicity at very high doses.

If you are already taking a vitamin D supplement under medical supervision, it’s a good idea to divide the dose, instead of taking the full dose in one sitting. This is because some people, because of their genetic makeup, are unable to absorb and utilize higher doses of vitamin D and will make better use of the vitamin D if they divide the dose up into smaller doses in the day.

Safe sun exposure practices will also help to improve vitamin D levels. This means exposing as much bare skin to the sun for a few minutes in the morning or afternoon when the sun’s rays are less intense. While this is to be done without sunblock or sunscreen, it is also important to avoid sunburn. Sunblock and sunscreen effectively block the UVB rays required to stimulate vitamin D production, while getting sunburns will damage the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer- which is also not a desired outcome.

What Next Steps Should I Take?

With new and current patients, I will run a basic lab panel and almost always include a vitamin D test, as it is a significant health indicator that is involved in a wide variety of chronic and complex illnesses but can be easily managed with intervention in the form of lifestyle modifications and appropriate supplementation IF we are aware of it.

If you have any other questions regarding lab tests, nutrition, supplementation, or your complex health challenges, please feel free to reach out and book an appointment or a complementary meet-and-greet!