Why Vitamin D, the Sunshine Vitamin, is Critical to your Health!

As spring approaches and daylight becomes longer, and the weather becomes warmer, the ability to acquire vitamin D from the sunshine gets easier – and I’m more than ready! Vitamin D has been a big topic gaining a lot of attention over the last several years, and there are several reasons as to why. Vitamin D is a critical vitamin to our health and well-being. It is a fat-soluble vitamin, just like vitamins A, E, and K, that we mainly synthesize through our skin via exposure to sunlight, making it an incredibly unique nutrient – how cool is it that sunlight gives us a vitamin?! Another neat fact is that vitamin D is also considered an essential hormone.

Unfortunately, so many of us are walking around deficient in vitamin D, especially those of us in the northern climates where sunlight is diminished. However, most people have increased risk for vitamin D deficiency due to Western lifestyles revolving around being inside more or covering up most of our skin if we are outside (both with clothing and sunscreen). Other people at increased risk for deficiency include, but are not limited to:

• Individuals with darker skin tones

  • Increased melanin in the skin blocks UV, interfering with vitamin D synthesis

• Metabolic demands

  • Some people have a metabolic need for higher amounts

• Those with inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, crohn’s disease), or other conditions that disrupt normal digestion of fat

• Obese individuals

• Individuals who have undergone gastric bypass surgery

  • The upper part of the small intestine is removed and this is where vitamin D is absorbed

• Adults over 65

  • The aging process changes skin structure and can impact the synthesis of vitamin D from the sun

• Vegans and vegetarians, or people who cannot tolerate milk, eggs, and fish

  • Animal products are the food sources highest in vitamin D

Why is it important?

Your body NEEDS vitamin D in order to optimally function and keep your body and mind healthy. It is critically important for the development, growth, and maintenance of healthy body function throughout the lifespan. Many of the body’s organs and tissues have receptors for vitamin D. Among these, include:

• Muscle tissue

• Brain tissue

• Prostate tissue

• Colon tissue

• Breast tissue

• Immune cells

In fact, the human DNA contains more than 2,700 binding sites for calcitriol, also known as 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, vitamin D’s metabolic hormone product. Many of these binding sites are involved in every major human disease – making it very important ALL OVER THE BODY and making it an even more important role in the prevention of these major chronic diseases. If your body does not get enough vitamin D, the risk of chronic disease can increase.

What does vitamin D do?

Vitamin D has several important functions, the most vital among them include:

• Regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorus

  • Both of these minerals are critical for building bones

• Facilitating normal immune system function

Other roles and benefits provided by vitamin D:

• Promotes calcium absorption in the gut

• May play a role in muscle development

  • Remember, vitamin D receptors are also located in muscle tissue

• Can reduce cancer cell growth

• Can help control infections and reduce inflammation

  • Again, our immune cells contain vitamin D receptor sites

• It has beneficial influence on (in regard to prevention and treatment in a range of conditions):

  • Cardiovascular mortality

  • Reducing hypertension

  • Reducing the risk of colorectal cancer

    • As well as other cancers (prostate and cancer)

  • Improving multiple sclerosis outcomes, and other autoimmune diseases

  • Asthma and COPD

  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis)

  • Reducing the likelihood of developing the flu and other respiratory tract infections, and better outcomes if contracted

    • This also includes COVID-19

      • Vitamin D may help boost the body’s natural defense against viruses and bacteria

      • Vitamin D may also help prevent an exaggerated inflammatory response, which has been shown to contribute to severe illness in some people with COVID-19

• Vitamin D may also improve and support cognitive health and mental health, and improve skin health (specifically psoriasis)

  • Remember, we have vitamin D receptor sites in our brain tissue

  • Up to 80% of our immune system resides in our gut, and our immune cells contain receptor sites

    • There is also a connection between our gut and our brain (two-way connection), and therefore the health of our gut also affects the health of our brain

What happens if you are deficient in vitamin D/are not getting enough?

If your body does not get enough vitamin D, you are at risk of developing bone abnormalities. In infants and children, if the deficiency is severe enough, rickets can develop. This is a condition that results in weak or soft bones and lead to deformation of the bone (curved spine, bowed legs, etc.). Complications can also include bone fractures, muscle spasms, intellectual disability, bone pain, difficulty sleeping, and stunted growth. A vitamin D deficiency can put adults at an increased risk of developing osteomalacia or osteoporosis if deficiency is severe enough. Osteomalacia is characterized by demineralization of the bone, leading to soft bones. Osteoporosis, a condition that is more well-known, is characterized by a decrease in bone mass and density, leading to fragile bones.

Vitamin D deficiency can also lead to increased rates of infections and illness due to poorer immune function and support, and an increased risk for many chronic diseases. Deficiency can also worsen many chronic conditions (asthma, COPD, MS, etc.) and lead to poorer outcomes. It may also increase the risk of depression and other mental and cognitive issues.

How do you know if you are vitamin D deficient?

Unfortunately, many people are deficient in vitamin D and unaware. 25(OH)-D-3 concentrations in blood are used to determine vitamin D status of individuals.

• Levels of <25 nmol/L are considered severe and come along with the risk of rickets and osteomalacia

• Levels of 25-49 nmol/L are seen as insufficient and increase risks of conditions previously mentioned

• Concentrations between 50-60 nmol/L are a more conservative target to reach

• Levels of >75 nmol/L are optimal for bone health, as well as for non-skeletal health benefits of vitamin D

Signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include:

• Muscle weakness

• Muscle pain

• An increase in illness and infections (getting sick more often)

• Fatigue and tiredness

• Bone and back pain

• Depression

• Impaired wound healing

• Bone loss

• Hair loss

Ask your doctor to include vitamin D on your next routine physical so that you know where your vitamin D levels are at. If you have already had your routine physical, contact me and I can provide you with the resource to get your levels checked!

What are the best sources for vitamin D?

The #1 best source for vitamin D is the sunlight, where the skin absorbs UVB wavelengths. However, if sunlight is not enough (which runs true for many of us), then food sources (oral intake) are just as effective, if the oral dose is high enough. This is where knowing your vitamin D baseline levels plays an important role. Food sources also contain other vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for our body and work synergistically with vitamin D (working together and enhancing one another). When consuming vitamin D-rich foods, make sure that you are including a fat source for best absorption of the vitamin since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin (meaning that it needs fat in order to be absorbed).

Foods of animal origin are recommended in literature to be a valuable source of naturally occurring vitamin D3, which is the best, and most easily absorbed, form for the body. The body itself makes vitamin D3 from sunlight exposure. Vitamin D2, another form of vitamin D, is made from plants and found in fortified foods and some supplements. However, this form of vitamin D is not as easily absorbed in the body.

 Animal-derived food sources include:

• Lard and tallow

  • Specifically from pasture-raised pigs and grass-fed beef

  • High in vitamin D, and vitamin K2 which enhances vitamin D absorption

  • These sources can provide up to 25% of the daily recommended value!

    • Children younger than 12 months old need 400 IU/d

    • Ages 1 year-70 years old need 600 IU/d

    • Adults over 70 years, 800 IU/d is recommended

• Eggs

  • Vitamin D is practically all in the yolk

  • Also depends on if the chicken feed is supplemented with vitamin D

• Meat

  • Cuts with higher fat content (beef and pork specifically)

    • Vitamin D is found in the intramuscular fat

• Fish

  • A major dietary source of vitamin D

  • Amounts depend on the diet of the fish

  • Highest amounts are found in fresh eel and shiokara

  • Fish liver is also high

• Dairy

  • Varying amounts of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 can be found

  • Different factors influence vitamin D amounts, including:

    • Fodder (the feed for livestock)

    • Supplementation for the animal

    • Sunlight exposure

    • Seasons

  • Vitamin D content is originally low in milk and dairy products, however, butter and raw milk contain higher amounts

Plant-derived food sources include (remember, these foods contain vitamin D2 which is less bioavailable to the body):

• All types of mushrooms

• Non-dairy milks and yogurts

• Other fortified foods (cereals and tofu)

 If you are very deficient in vitamin D, have difficulty digesting fat, have fat malabsorption issues, have certain chronic diseases, or possess one or more risk factors for deficiency, sometimes food sources are not enough. This is when supplements can come in handy! However, when it comes to supplements, it is important to look for higher-quality brands. Supplements are not regulated as stringently and quality lacks amongst many brands. Heavy metals and toxins can be found in these supplements so make sure that you are choosing wisely. When looking for a supplement:

• Know your baseline so that you know the amount of vitamin D you should be taking each day

  • Some people may only need 600 IU/d while others may need up to 10,000IU/d

  • I personally take 5,000 IU/d since I live in a colder climate and get little sun 6 months out of the year (and have underlying health conditions)

• Make sure the label states that it is 3rd party tested

  • These supplements are sent to an independent and unaffiliated testing company which tests the finished supplement for label accuracy and purity before it is sold to the consumer

• Buy brands that do not have fillers and additives. I also recommend organic, NON-GMO varieties

  • I personally trust Nordic Naturals, Natural Factors, and the NOW brands (no affiliations, just personal use experience)

  • There are other great brands out there, do your research!

• There are different forms – liquid, supplement, etc.

  • Cod liver oil (from a quality, source – again, do your research on the company) can be found as a liquid or a supplement

    • It can contain up to 1,300 IU of vitamin D

    • Contains healthy fats

    • Provides a high amount of vitamin A, which in excess can be dangerous depending on your current vitamin A intake

The first step to understanding whether you are sufficient in vitamin D is knowing your vitamin D levels. If you are interested in finding out your current vitamin D levels, please contact me and I can provide you with the resource to do so! Just Click here.

If you are looking for great foods that are higher in vitamin D that you can add to your diet, check out Sutton Ridge Farm’s website as they provide lard, tallow, and more! Click here to see their offerings: Sutton Ridge Farms

As spring approaches and the weather starts to get nicer, try to get outside more! Get into nature and be outside for at least 20 minutes to get some sunshine! This is not only great for soaking up vitamin D, but it is great for your mental health as well.