Vitamin D
About 80% of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D
Vitamin D acts on a cellular docking station, called a receptor, that then sends messages to our genes. This is how it controls so many different functions — from preventing cancer to reducing inflammation, boosting mood, easing muscle aches and fibromyalgia, and building bones. When we don’t get enough, it impacts every area of our biology — because it affects the way our cells and genes function.
These are just a few examples of the power of vitamin D. It’s an essential nutrient for optimal health, and without checking our levels, a hidden deficiency could put us at risk for many imbalances.
Vitamin D deficiency is often missed and has been linked to many cancers, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, depression, fibromyalgia, chronic muscle pain, bone loss, and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis.
Optimal vitamin D intake reduces cellular growth (which promotes cancer) and improves cell differentiation (which puts cells into an anti-cancer state). That makes vitamin D one of the most potent cancer inhibitors — and explains why vitamin D deficiency has been linked to colon, prostate, breast, and ovarian cancer and why optimal levels could reduce the risk of those types of cancer.
How much do you need?
There is significant debate within the scientific community about how much vitamin D your body needs.
While the U.S. National Academy of Medicine considers 600–800 IU of daily vitamin D to be sufficient for the majority of the population, the U.S. Endocrine Society recommends 1,500–2,000 IU per day.
The U.S. National Academy of Medicine further suggests that a daily intake up to 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day is safe for most people, although much higher doses may be temporarily necessary in order to raise blood levels in some individuals.
Although toxicity is rare, it is best to avoid long-term vitamin D doses in excess of 4,000 IU without supervision from a qualified healthcare professional.
Vitamin D in food
Vitamin D is one of those nutrients that is harder to acquire from food, though not impossible. The best food sources are fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil, wild salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines in oil, and whole eggs. Mushrooms, especially porcini, are a good plant source of vitamin D.
But most of us don’t eat enough of these or get outside in the sunshine enough to optimize our levels. Sunlight is the most effective way to get vitamin D up naturally — and depending on your skin tone, you may not need much at all. Just 15 minutes or so of exposed skin in the midday sun will get you what you need, though living in northern latitudes or having darker skin may require more. Just be careful not to let yourself get pink. Vitamin D production is already maximized before you get to that point.
Vitamin D and Calcium
Vitamin D is essential for helping you use calcium. It increases intestinal calcium absorption from foods and helps our bones properly mineralize. It’s best to get as much calcium as possible from your diet. Many Americans take too many calcium supplements and, especially in the absence of enough vitamin D, this can lead to increased kidney stones, mineral deposits, and imbalances in other minerals like iron and zinc.
We also have calcium added to so many of our foods. Countries with low calcium intake, a plant-based, low-acid diet, and plenty of sun exposure have very low rates of osteoporosis. You can get adequate calcium from food, especially dark green leafy vegetables, tahini, and nuts and making sure vitamin D levels are optimal.
6 natural ways to increase Vitamin D:
Spend time in sunlight
Consume fatty fish and seafood
Eat more mushrooms
Include egg yolks in your diet
Take a D3 supplement
Try a UV lamp