why is Vitamin D important?

I went to a class about Vitamin D given by Philadelphia Integrative Medicine and want to share what I learned!

A little about Vitamin D
Vitamin D is one of the fat soluble vitamins along with Vitamins A, E and K. It actually acts as a hormone and affects over 1000 genes and how they are expressed, which is huge! Vitamin D receptors are contained in nearly every cell in our body, which is why a high level of Vitamin D has been shown to be correlated with stronger immune systems.

Vitamin D is known as the Sunshine Vitamin because we can absorb Vitamin D from the sun. D3 is the vitamin D that we need.  For a fair skinned person, about 10,000 IU of D3 can be absorbed in 20 minutes during prime time in the sun (between 10am-2pm). For those with darker skin, it takes closer to 2 hours.  While D3 is contained in some food sources, the numbers are low and most do better with a supplement. Outside, sunscreen blocks Vitamin D absorption. Other things that block absorption are obesity, poor fat absorption, medications, darker skin tones and genetics.

Vitamin D levels vary greatly from person to person. The best way to know how much D3 to take daily is to get your levels checked via a blood test. Once your results come back, you should be looking for levels between 50-80 which are optimal. 30-50 is okay, but below 30 is deficient.  You can ask your doctor for a script for a lab test.

Why is Vitamin D so important?

Boosts our immune system!

Bone Health- it regulates calcium absorption.

Cancer Prevention – it regulates the immune system and regulates cancer cell growth
45% decreased risk of breast cancer in those with higher levels of Vitamin D
There is double the risk of colon cancer with D deficiency

Heart Health -Helps regulate blood sugar and blood pressure. Regulates inflammation.
2x increased risk of heart attack with D deficiency. 

Mood – helps regulate mood – the receptors concentrate in 3 areas of the brain
Seasonal mood affective disorder is when vitamin D levels are at their lowest (usually winter).

How much Vitamin D should I take?

For maintenance dosage, adults should take approximately 5000 IU daily, children 1000IU
The RDA is outdated at 400IU daily.

Vitamin D is better absorbed when taken with Vitamin K, and should be taken with a meal.

Recommended Supplements
All supplements are not created the same. Going to CVS and getting a supplement is different than finding a medical grade supplement. Here are some recommendations:

Design for Health Vitamin D and K adult 5000IU (can up to 10,000IU when sick)

Metagenics 5000IU

Biotics 2000IU children (drops) (good dosage when sick)

Biotics 400IU infants (drops)  and children (2+ drops)

Such an interesting class and great presentation,
source: Philadelphia Integrative Medicine.

What questions do you have? Get in your D3 while you can!