Vitamin D The Underrated Supplement
There are over 34,000 scientific investigations to date on how vitamin D works in your body, yet it continues to be ignored even by many physicians.
Vitamin D deficiency is often one of the last things a doctor suspects when a patient complains of less-than-perfect health.
Vitamin D is produced when the sun strikes your skin with a high enough concentration of ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Deficiency of vitamin D is therefore due to not enough exposure to sunlight.
Once thought of as playing a primary role in osteoporosis and osteomalacia, researchers now realize that vitamin D affects virtually every cell and tissue in your body. And it affects so many vitamin D receptors located throughout your body and it is believe that nearly 3,000 genes expression affected by vitamin D.
200 research papers confirmed that vitamin D is crucial for heart health. When you suffers from coronary heart disease, and your doctor do not prescribe vitamin D (with the right dose), there might be negligence (in future).
Your cells need the active form of vitamin D to unlock the genetic blueprints stored inside the cell. As research continues on vitamin D, you can expect to see it list will grow. Vitamin D is not really a vitamin, it is more of a hormone in function.
Without these crucial blueprints, these aspects of your health could potentially be at risk:
| Maintanence of overall health | Bloog sugar health | Heart Health |
| Joint health | Muscular function | Healthy aging process |
| Reproductive health | Respiratory function and health | Weight management |
| Cellular growth and development | Digestion and absorption of nutrients | Vascular system health |
| Mood and overall feelings of well-being | Skin health | Sleep patterns |
| Newborn health | Carbohydrate and fat metabolism | Hair and hair follicles |
| Bone strength and health | Athletic performance | Metabolic rate |
| Blood pressure health | Immune function | Neurological and cognitive health |
| Pancreatic function and health | Hearing and vision |
Certain groups of people may be at an increased risk for vitamin D deficiency, as well as individuals with some specific conditions. Get your vitamin D levels checked when you are at risk or require more vitamin D:
- Very seldom expose to sunlight or always stay indoors
If you avoid the sun or just aren’t able to get outdoors regularly, your levels of vitamin D are likely to be lower.
- You have darker skin.
Those with darker skin may need as much as 10 times more sun exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D as a person with pale skin.
- You’re 50 or older.
As you get older, your skin produces less vitamin D when exposed to the sun.
- You’re overweight or obese (or have a higher muscle mass).
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble, hormone-like vitamin, so body fat can act like a sponge. A heavier person with more body fat or even those with more muscle mass may require a higher dose than a slimmer person.
- You have intestinal issues that reduce absorption of nutrient
- You’re achy or tired, or both.
The classic signs of a certain type of vitamin D deficiency can mimic conditions characterized by fatigue and achy bones.
- You sometimes feel “blue.”
- You’re pregnant.
Pregnant women require higher amounts of vitamin D for their own pregnancy and delivery as well as the optimal health of their babies.
- You notice unusual head sweating.
Surprisingly, one of the first signs of a vitamin D deficiency is a sweaty head.
The only way to know for sure if you are vitamin D deficient is to test your blood levels.
The level should be optimum, and optimum is above 70ng/mL
|
To achieve this level… |
Take this much supplement per day… |
| 20 ng/ml | 500 IU |
| 30 ng/ml | 1700 IU |
| 40 ng/ml | 3200 IU |
| 50 ng/ml | 4900 IU |
| 60 ng/ml | 7000 IU |
| 70 ng/ml |
9700 IU |
Vitamin D doses for you
My level is between 10-20 ng/ml
By Endocrine Society and Vitamin D Council standards, you’re still deficient in vitamin D. According to the Institute of Medicine, you’re mildly deficient, or insufficient, in vitamin D. If you’re African American or Hispanic American you’re likely to be in this range.
With vitamin D levels in this range you’re more likely to develop osteoporosis and your bones may be affected because your body isn’t absorbing enough calcium. This means you’re more likely to fracture or break bones and more likely to have a fall. You may also have high levels of parathyroid hormone in your body. Parathyroid hormone controls the levels of calcium and phosphorus in your body and too much can affect your bones.
If you want to raise your blood levels starting from 15 ng/ml, you can take the following action (based on an average body weight of 68kg):