Vitamin D
The Sunshine Vitamin with Many Benefits
Vitamin D is one of 24 micronutrients critical for human survival. It is known as the “sunshine vitamin” and can only be produced by the body when its exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D is fat soluble, which means that it is found in fatty foods like dairy, eggs, and fish and it can only be properly adsorbed when a meal (or supplement) contains fat. There are two different forms of Vitamin D—Vitamin D3 and Vitamin D2. Vitamin D3 is animal based and absorbed in the body easily. Vitamin D2 is vegan/plant based (usually from mushrooms) and is not absorbed as well as Vitamin D3, but is cheaper and more common for food and beverage companies to supplement their products with. For vegans whose only option is to supplement with Vitamin D2, extra care needs to be taken to consume enough of this vitamin. Most people in the United States are not deficient in Vitamin D, but do not get optimal amounts either.
When the FDA updated its nutritional and supplement facts panels, it doubled the daily value requirement of Vitamin D from 10 micrograms (or 400 IU) to 20 micrograms (800 IU). Since then, some studies report that a higher (at least 25 micrograms or 1000 IU) should be recommended.
It is well known that Vitamin D helps reduce the severity of upper respiratory track infections. Since the rise of COVID-19, studies have been performed showing the efficacy of Vitamin D supplementation on decreasing the severity of COVID-19. These studies show that high dosages (1000 IU—25 micrograms—or more) of Vitamin D for 8-14 days helps reduce symptoms.
Vitamin D is also known for bone health. Have you ever wondered why traditional dairy milk claims to help develop strong bones? Traditional dairy milk is fortified with Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, leading to stronger bones. For the elderly, this translates to a reduced risk in falling. For children, this translates to increased height during growth spurts.
Other benefits of vitamin D include decreased asthma attacks, reduced risk of breast cancer, slightly decreased depression symptoms, decreased PMS symptoms for women, decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, decreased risk of colorectal cancer, and increased testosterone in men.
Effective dosages of Vitamin D vary. 1000-2000 IU (or 25-50 micrograms) have proven sufficient for everyday function. If treating a symptom, dosages can go higher with some studies showing an upper toleration limit for adults at 10000 IU (or 250 micrograms). Keep in mind that dosages at this range start to alter calcium metabolism for the worst (i.e., calcium gets deposited in other places in your body besides bones). A more reasonable upper limit without incurring adverse effects is around 4000-5000 IU (or 100- 125 micrograms).
Since many of us struggle to get the adequate amount of Vitamin D in the diet and/or sunshine, supplementation is popular. This supplement contains both Vitamin D and calcium for bone health. However, this supplement does not contain any fat, which limits its potential to be adequately absorbed. Most immunity focused products contain both Vitamin C and Vitamin D, like this product. This is a great example of combining Vitamin D with magnesium. Vitamin D is better absorbed in the body when it is consumed with magnesium.
Do you take any Vitamin D supplements? Or are you relying on food to get your Vitamin D? Let us know!
Any product recommendation or review written in this post does not signify any relation or affiliation with the brand or product.