Â
So let’s talk about vitamin D. Regular, good levels of vitamin D can reduce things like rickets, which can lead to bone pain, osteomalacia cancers, issues with your kidneys, and even type 1 & type 2 diabetes. It helps reduce multiple sclerosis symptoms. It can reduce heart attacks by 50%, peripheral vascular disease by 80%, and preeclampsia with pregnancy.Â
A good level on your blood tests is anywhere between 60 and 100. We recommend getting a vitamin D panel blood test at least once or twice a year.Â
In my 20 years of practice, we find vitamin D to be one of the major deficiencies that we encounter on blood tests.
Â
Here’s why people are so deficient in vitamin D. The sunlight triggers our body to go through a process to make vitamin D through the liver. Then our body uses it. Every cell in our bodies has a vitamin receptor. It is estimated that over 40% of the population is deficient in vitamin D. 50% in the United States.Â
5 signs that you’re deficient in Vitamin D
Number 1 is if you have ongoing muscle or skeletal aches and pains. Many people get misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia type symptoms, when it’s really just low vitamin D.Â
Number 2 is frequent illnesses and infections. The expressions of genes that influence your immune system, your innate and your adaptive immune system, are triggered and controlled by vitamin D. So low vitamin D leads to an increase in infections and illnesses. Number 3 is neurological problems. Neurological symptoms like depression, cognitive impairment and headaches.Â
Number 4 is a big one. Fatigue and daytime sleepiness. These can be attributed to low vitamin D. Finally, number 5 is sweating. Doctors used to ask new mothers about sweating in their heads and their newborns for this very reason. It is an early sign of a deficiency.Â
4 possible causes of deficiency
The main cause is rarely spending time outdoors. Since the sun is a trigger for the production of vitamin D, avoiding the sun is going to inhibit your natural production. Next is the pigmentation of your skin. People with a darker skin pigmentation have trouble producing vitamin D because of the higher levels of melanin in their bodies. Melanin absorbs the UVR that initiates the vitamin D process, thereby leading to less production.
If you’re over the age of 50, your skin doesn’t make that much vitamin D anymore. In fact, it doesn’t convert vitamin D into the active form as well, which is why we want to supplement. The last one I’ll mention today is obesity. Vitamin D is fat soluble, so by having an increase in fat in your body, it will be unable to absorb as much vitamin D.
Â
The supplement we recommend is our Wellness Warrior Vita D3 pills. Our Vita D is 5,000 international units per pill. Most adults take two a day because we use around 5,000 units a day in order to keep the body going. Please go check it out and make sure that you’re keeping your vitamin D levels in the green!Â
Â
I’m planning future lives and want to make sure to talk about what people want to hear . Ask me a question and I’ll try correct any myth and misconception you might have!
Â
Categories:Â Â Q & AÂ |Â Â Self Improvement