Having optimal levels of vitamin D plays a vital role in your overall health, as well as your quality of life. Being deficient in vitamin D has been shown to affect immunity, mental health, cardiovascular health, cancer, blood sugar levels and diabetes, sleep, bone health and osteoporosis, muscular health and overall energy. Vitamin D is actually considered a hormone due to its various functions, and is the only vitamin that can be produced by our bodies through exposure to UV rays from the sun!
Common Symptoms of Deficiency
It is estimated that around 1 billion people worldwide are deficient in vitamin D. The most common causes for a deficiency in vitamin D include inadequate sun exposure, inadequate intake of vitamin D rich foods, and malabsorption issues such as Celiac or Crohn’s disease. Some of the most common signs and symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency include:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Muscle Weakness
- Poor Immunity
- Autoimmune Disease
- Fatigue
- Poor Blood Sugar Regulation
- Arthritis
- Chronic Pain
- Elevated Blood Pressure
- Low Bone Density
- Headaches
- Slow Wound Healing
- Fractures and/or Broken Bones
- Lower Endurance
- Learning Disorders
How to and How Often to Test?
You can ask your medical doctor to run a vitamin D blood test, or purchase an at-home vitamin D finger prick test, such as Carlson’s Vitamin D test kit found in our retail stores. If you find that you are deficient in vitamin D, it is recommended to supplement with vitamin D3/K2 and test again in around three months. If your levels are within the optimal range, it is recommended to test 1-2 times per year.
General Ranges
The ideal range for vitamin D3 levels are between 50-80 ng/mL. If you are below 50 ng/mL, please consult with our practitioners on how to raise your vitamin D levels through supplementation. However, it is generally recommended to take 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 for every 25 pounds of body weight when deficient. If you fall between 50-80 ng/mL, it is generally recommended to take 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 for every 25 pounds of body weight. If you do find that your levels are too high, this is usually a sign of a vitamin K2 deficiency and should be assessed with your practitioner at Total Health.
How to Raise Vitamin D Levels
The optimal and primary source of vitamin D is maintained through sun exposure (around 15-45 minutes per day depending on your skin color, ideally between 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm). Since a lot of us are not getting outside as often as we should, or perhaps live in a location far away from the equator, supplementation may be a necessary measure to raise our levels.
The two supplements we recommend to raise vitamin D levels are DV3 and VitD3 Liquid. Both of these products combine synergistic nutrients (such as vitamin K2) in the proper amounts to ensure optimal absorption and utilization of vitamin D3. Make sure to take these supplements with a meal that contains healthy fat to aid in the absorption process. For those also looking to maintain or raise vitamin D levels through food, the best food sources are fatty fish, egg yolks, grass-fed liver, mushrooms, grass-fed cheese, and grass-fed butter.
We Can Help!
Please reach out to our clinic if you have any questions regarding health issues you are experiencing. You can reach us at 262-251-2929 for a free, 15 minute phone call consultation to learn more about how we can help you.