Vitamin D The Sunshine Vitamin
The key to hormone balance and health is to be sure you’re getting the proper vitamins and minerals, the truth is, Vitamin D deficiency is very common.
Vitamin D is essential for immunity, hormones, skin health and mood.
Your body produces vitamin D naturally when you are exposed to sunlight but many of us spend our days indoors or use sunscreen when we’re in the sun.
You can get small amounts of vitamin D through diet (salmon, egg yolks, fortified foods), but it is impossible to get all you need through food alone.
Signs of vitamin D deficiency include:
Losing hair
Getting sick often
Trouble sleeping
Feeling tired all the time (even if you do sleep pretty well)
Having a deep ache in your bones, especially in your back
Dealing with depression, anxiety, or mood swings regularly
Sore muscles (especially if it takes you a long time to recover)
Stress fractures, especially in your legs, pelvis, and hips
The recommended IU’s for Vitamin D are 600 for adults. It’s important to have yourself tested before you start supplementing with any vitamin or mineral. High doses of Vitamin D can lead to serious side effects.
Doctors can diagnose a vitamin D deficiency by performing a simple blood test. If you have a deficiency, your doctor may order X-rays to check the strength of your bones.
There are several reasons you may be deficient in Vitamin D
- Your supplement is poor quality, making it ineffective.
- You need Vitamin K to process Vitamin D. This is why higher quality D supplements are coupled with K
- You may have a condition that affects absorption of Vitamin D like a sluggish liver which leads to inflammation, celiac disease, Crohn’s.
- You are stressed. Stress strips your body of key nutrients, and vitamin D is one that you burn through SO much faster when you’re stressed out!
TOP 7 REASONS TO INCREASE VITAMIN D INTAKE
1. IMMUNE HEALTH
Vitamin D is an essential part of your body’s immune response. Taking vitamin D regularly can give your immune system the boost it needs to keep you healthy.
2. RESPIRATORY HEALTH
In 2017, an analysis of clinical trials showed that taking vitamin D reduces the odds of developing a respiratory infection by approximately 42% in people with very low levels. This is HUGE information — especially given this new virus that we’re facing and its devastating respiratory effects.
3. IMPROVING SLEEP QUALITY
Studies show that having low vitamin D puts you at a much higher risk of sleep disorders including insomnia, sleep apnea, or just not getting enough deep, restful sleep. Sleep is such an important factor in your overall health, and upping your vitamin D is a simple way to get that rest your body needs!
4. REDUCING ESTROGEN DOMINANCE
Estrogen dominance is the #1 hormone imbalance in women over 35, and many of us deal with it without even knowing it. Severe PMS, infertility, fibrocystic breasts, irregular periods, and more uncomfortable symptoms all indicate estrogen dominance. Vitamin D supports healthy estrogen detoxification and production to help restore balance to your hormones.
5. BONE, MUSCLE AND CIRCULATORY HEALTH
Vitamin D is an essential pre-hormone that allows your body to absorb and use calcium. Increasing your vitamin D levels prevents age-related bone degeneration, muscle weakening, and circulatory issues.
6. BALANCED BLOOD SUGAR
Low vitamin D levels are connected with insulin resistance, which is a major contributor to blood sugar problems, especially during perimenopause. Your body needs adequate levels of vitamin D to produce and respond to insulin circulating in your bloodstream.
7. ENHANCES MOOD
Vitamin D supports a better mood and more energy. Research backs this up — increasing vitamin D levels have a profound effect on depression and mood stability!
HOW TO GET ENOUGH VITAMIN D
Egg yolks and fatty fish are the foods highest in this essential vitamin, but it takes a LOT to get you even close to the level that your body really needs. The two BEST ways to make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D are through sun exposure and supplements.
Sunlight is the best natural source of vitamin D. When your skin is exposed to direct sunlight, a chemical reaction creates vitamin D within your body. This means your skin has to be exposed to the light, without sunscreen or clothing to block it.
In order to get the minimum daily amount of vitamin D from the sun, you need to have 40% of your skin exposed to the sun for at least 20 minutes. (This amount increases if you live further from the equator, and darker skin tones require more exposure time, as well.)
Since most of us work indoors or live in an area where we can’t be outside with exposed skin through most of the year, sun exposure is not sufficient to supply your body with all the vitamin D it needs.
Supplements are the easiest way to get your vitamin D levels where they should be. Vitamin D supplements should be a staple in EVERY medicine cabinet (even if you get “enough” from sunlight).
Your body burns through vitamin D faster when you’re stressed out, and if the weather doesn’t cooperate, you won’t get what you need from sunshine alone. Having quality vitamin D supplements is an important piece of keeping your body and hormones working their best!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENT
There are 2 different kinds of vitamin D: D2 and D3. D2 is artificial and not easily absorbed by your body. D3 is what you want to look for in a supplement because it most closely matches what your body produces naturally.
In addition to making sure your supplement is pure, bioavailable vitamin D3, you also ideally want it combined with vitamins K1 and K2. These work synergistically with vitamin D so it is most easily and effectively put to use in your body.
It is possible to get too much Vitamin D through supplements so it is recommended to get tested to see where your levels are at currently and then again in 6 months to be sure that you are indeed raining your levels as needed.
Everlywell has a Vitamin D and inflammation test that you can get readily and take at home, no need to go to or wait for the doctor.
*Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider if you need medical advise.
I hope you found this information helpful.
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Kathy Cote’ NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Group X Instructor,
Precision Nutrition Certified Nutrition Coach
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