Vitamin D deficiency affects nearly 50% of all Americans. While the only way to know which category you fall into is through blood tests, knowing your risk factors for deficiency, food sources, plus how & when to supplement can play a huge role in ensuring your vitamin D levels are within adequate range. Today, I’m going to break down everything you need to know about vitamin D for a healthy immune system and overall health.
What Is Vitamin D & Why Do We Need It?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that has properties of both a vitamin and a hormone. It’s required for effective absorption and use of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D is most known for its bone health benefits & is especially important for healthy development of bones and teeth in children.
Vitamin D is also responsible for facilitating immune health and reducing inflammation. This essential vitamin also ensures proper functioning of the cardiovascular, brain and musculoskeletal systems. Vitamin D is also a key vitamin for metabolic health & healthy pregnancies.
How Does Vitamin D Work With The Immune System?
Vitamin D is one of the most known vitamins linked to immune health. Vitamin D turns on key peptides in your immune system that trigger a strong anti-microbial response. This allows you to quickly and effectively fight off invaders before they can develop into a full-blown infection. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to various autoimmune conditions like MS, Rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus (SLE), various cancers and those with a variety of clinical respiratory illnesses (asthma), difficulty sleeping, mood disorders and influenza.
Who Is At Risk For Vitamin D Deficiency?
There are certain risk factors that can increase the need for supplementation of vitamin D. Factors such as diet, age, weight, health status, where you live and how much sun exposure you receive daily can all play a role in determining your risk for deficiency of vitamin D.
Additionally, some medications have known side effects of decreasing vitamin D levels. These medications include: anti-seizure medication, anti-cancer drugs, antibiotics, anti-viral drugs, corticosteroids, blood thinners, cholesterol lowering medications and oral contraceptives. If any of these apply to you follow up with your primary care doctor to check your vitamin D levels.
What Are Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency?
Deficiency symptoms looks different for everyone. Some of the most common symptoms of a deficiency include:
If you experience any of the above symptoms, diseases, conditions or have any other concerns about your vitamin D status, it’s best to talk with your healthcare provider to determine whether you should get your vitamin D levels tested.
What Foods Are Highest In Vitamin D?
You can increase your intake of vitamin D-rich foods to maintain your vitamin D status. Notice the keywords, maintain vitamin D status. Food sources only provide 10% of our vitamin D intake. If your levels are already low you may need to look into other options with a trusted healthcare provider.
Foods high in vitamin D include shitake & chanterelle mushrooms exposed to sunlight, dandelion greens, sweet potatoes, caviar, mackerel, sardines, cod liver oil, tuna fish, fortified milk, fortified plant-based milks, fortified tofu, fortified yogurt, fortified breakfast cereals, fortified orange juice, pork chops, and eggs. Be mindful of ingredients in fortified sources as many are laden with preservatives and additives that can be harmful. Herbs that are naturally high in vitamin D include nettle, alfalfa and parsley.
How Can I Increase My Vitamin D Levels Naturally?
Aside from food sources, you can increase your vitamin D levels naturally just by heading outdoors. Vitamin D is made by the body when skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D has been dubbed “the sunshine vitamin” because we get 90% of it from sunlight exposure. This is the most effective and helpful option when you are experiencing low vitamin D levels. As mentioned above, only 10% of our vitamin D intake comes from food.
What Is The Best Time To Get Vitamin D From The Sun?
Midday, especially noon, since the sun is at its highest point. At that point you’d need less time in the sun for your body to synthesize vitamin D. Depending on where you live, 10-30 minutes of sun exposure a day is enough to meet your vitamin D requirements.
What Is The Best Vitamin D Supplement To Take?
What is the best vitamin D supplement to take? When should you supplement with vitamin D? There are several forms of vitamin D which include D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5. The two you hear about the most regarding your health are D2 & D3. Vitamin D2 comes from food sources while D3 is synthesized in the skin in response to sun exposure.
Vitamin D3 has been found to be more effective than vitamin D2 at elevating & sustaining adequate vitamin d levels. Also, D2 is much cheaper to produce which is why it’s found in fortified foods. If you’re not consuming enough vitamin D foods in addition to receiving adequate sun exposure you should consult with your healthcare provider to figure out if supplementation is right for you.
Why Take Vitamin D3 with K2?
Vitamin D3 ENSURES that calcium is absorbed easily and K2 DIRECTS calcium to your bones instead of joints and arteries, where too much calcium could be problematic over time. Being that vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it needs to be consumed with a healthy fat in order to be absorbed. This is why it’s recommended to seek a D3+K2 supplement that contains fatty chains like coconut oil to increase vitamin D’s bioavailability aka effectiveness.
Final Thoughts
Adding plenty of foods rich in vitamin D into your diet can help decrease the risk of deficiency. However, it’s best to pair vitamin D foods with regular sun exposure whenever possible.
Since food sources of vitamin D account for such a small percentage of what our bodies need, they can be seen as a tool to maintain vitamin D status. Adequate sun exposure is essential in obtaining sufficient levels of vitamin D. Depending on a variety of factors, supplementation may also be necessary. If you suspect you have a vitamin D deficiency, you should consult with your doctor to determine the best course of treatment for you.
Learn more tips about immune health, vitamin D and more on my IGTV series “Essentials for Optimal Immune Health Protection” here.
