There’s been a a lot of research over the years regarding the benefits of Vitamin D. It’s not just for strong bones anymore. If you want to lower your risk of colds/flu, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases, you better start taking vitamin D, either by frequent sun exposure or taking a high-quality supplement. There are some concerns from recent research about Vitamin D toxicity. However, the overwhelming majority of people’s vitamin D levels are simply too low to even come close to getting to toxic levels. The upper limit for Vitamin D levels for most labs is over 100, and it’s rare for us at our clinic to see anyone near 50.
Vitamin D is not just a vitamin, but acts more like a steroid hormone that serves multiple gene-regulatory functions in your body. Researchers keep finding health benefits from vitamin D in virtually every area they look. University of Oxford researchers have shown the extent to which vitamin D interacts with our DNA: From the journal Genome Research, it was found that scientists mapped the points at which vitamin D interacts with our DNA – they identified over 200 genes directly influenced by vitamin D. Take a look at this website for research details:
http://www.grassrootshealth.net/symposium-in-print
If you live in Seattle w/the clouds and rain, you likely have very low Vitamin D levels. In addition to lack of sun exposure, other factors come into play for low vitamin D.
- Overweight people. Individuals who are overweight often have considerably higher needs for vitamin D because vitamin D is fat soluble and hidden in their fat.
- The elderly. As you age, your skin loses the ability to generate vitamin D.
- Dark-skinned people. People of color have higher melanin levels, which blocks UVB radiation and limits the body’s ability to produce vitamin D3.
I recommend getting your vitamin D levels checked. We routinely check D levels at your yearly physical exam. The optimal value is 60 ng/ml or higher. This range applies for everyone – kids, teens and adults. The type of vitamin D is important too. Most supplements carry Vitamin D3, the activated form of D. Make sure you get a quality vitamin D to ensure the best absorption. The best way to know if your vitamin D is absorbed, simply come in for a blood draw to check Vitamin D levels, then recheck in a few months to see how much improvement you get.
Michael Corsilles, ND, PA-C
