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Easy Steps to Overcome Vitamin D Deficiency

Are you feeling fatigued, achy, or experiencing frequent illnesses? It might be time to address and easily rectify a common health concern that often goes unnoticed – steps to overcome vitamin D deficiency. Known as the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D plays a crucial role in various bodily functions, from supporting bone health to bolstering the immune system. Unfortunately, many people around the world suffer from insufficient levels of this essential nutrient, especially those with limited sun exposure or certain dietary restrictions.

To overcome vitamin D deficiency, it is easier than you think. There are simple and effective steps to boost your vitamin D levels and improve your overall well-being. Let’s take the first step towards a healthier, more vibrant you!

The difference between a medicine and a poison is dosage. That goes for sunshine, protein, fiber, sleep, work, and nearly anything. Over 100,000 Americans die annually from the on label use of prescription drugs, per JAMA.

Vitamin D Regulates 20% of Human Genome

For decades, the medical profession has told us to hide from the sun. Today we have epidemic proportions of vitamin D deficiency throughout the world, especially among dark skinned people, who need more sun than fair skinned people. Vitamin D regulates more than 20% of the human genome and has major implications for health and longevity.

A study from Germany shows that if blood levels of vitamin D were kept above 50 (which requires either supplements of D or substantial sun exposure), then Covid would have been eliminated. A region of Spain distributed vitamin D supplements among the people most vulnerable to Covid, the elderly and frail, and they reduced Covid incidence by 80% compared to nearby regions. This inexpensive, non-toxic, and effective supplement of vitamin D has been ignored by the CDC, FDA, WHO and mainstream media.

Steps to Overcome Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency has become a global public health problem. There is often an absence of any noticeable symptoms and often people are not aware that they may be lacking this crucial vitamin. It is essential in maintaining a healthy self regulating body. Many are at risk and not aware of the Vitamin D deficiency symptoms. Vitamin D plays many important roles and reduced levels of this vitamin can cause serious threat to your overall well-being.

Concentrated Nutrition Supplement

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which is found in two forms i.e. vitamin D2 and D3. Vitamin D2 is known as ergo-calciferol and it comes from fortified foods (like milk), plant foods, and supplements while vitamin D3 is known as cholecalciferol and it comes from fortified foods, animal foods (fatty fish, cod liver oil, eggs, and liver), supplements, and also made internally by your skin when exposed to direct sun. Vitamin D is also known as “sunshine vitamin,” as your body naturally produces all the vitamin D it needs, when exposed to direct sunlight. Humans are photosynthetic creatures, since we make vitamin D from the sun.

How Many IU’s to Overcome Vitamin D Deficiency?

Experts have estimated that the recommended daily intake of D be 400 iu. Researchers found that the human body produces 20,000 iu when exposed to summer sun on bare skin. We are more aware of the need for higher doses from food, sun or supplements. Get short (30 minutes) regular exposures to the sun, your skin makes vitamin D3, which is then transformed to 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 by hydroxylation process in your liver, and then again to its active form 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in your kidney.

If you spend a lot of time inside and use sunscreen or cover your skin when you go outside, you are not getting enough sunlight and your lifestyle puts you at risk of vitamin D deficiency. Race, age, and other factors increase your risk of vitamin D deficiency.

What are the real benefits of nutritional supplements?

How Essential is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D regulates 20% of the human genome, vitamin D affects dozens of crucial functions in the human body. It is a crucial nutrient for your bone, skin and mental health. Though, the most important role of vitamin D is to absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus, for health and development of your bones and skeletal system, it also helps in reducing inflammation of arteries, clearing plaques and controlling blood pressure, which improves your cardiovascular and brain functions.

Vitamin D it regulates the expression of genes that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses, and plays vital role in controlling infections and reducing cancer cell growth.

Multiple Health Issues Caused by Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency can cause thin and brittle bones, insulin resistance, high blood pressure and reduced immunity. Research suggests that vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with increased risk for several chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue, autoimmune disorders, multiple sclerosis, erectile dysfunction (ED), depression, dementia including Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia and various internal malignancies (colon, breast, ovarian, melanoma, and prostate cancer). 

Identify Vitamin D Deficiency Causes

Understand Skin Pigmentation to Overcome Vitamin D Deficiency

Darker skin people are from more sunny tropical climates. The pigmentation in the skin is nature’s protection from getting too much sun. Yet that same pigmentation protection becomes a hindrance for darker people to generate enough vitamin D from meager sun exposure in temperate climates. Which is why African-Americans and Hispanics suffered much more from Covid, due to the overwhelming presence of clinical deficiencies of vitamin D among these people.

Age and Vitamin D

As people turn 50, skin doesn’t make as much vitamin D and the kidneys also become less productive to convert that vitamin D into its usable form. A reasonably healthy kidney and liver are required to convert the cholesterol in the skin to vitamin D in the body.

Maintain Healthy Weight to Overcome Vitamin D Deficiency

Gastrointestinal conditions such as Crohn’s, celiac or inflammatory bowel disease reduce fat absorption and thereby lower absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin D.

Prostate Cancer and Vitamin D Link

A 2014 study found a link between low blood levels of vitamin D and aggressive prostate cancer in European, American and African American men. Researchers looked at vitamin D levels in 667 men aged 40 to 79 years undergoing prostate biopsies. The connection between vitamin D and prostate cancer was especially strong in African American men. Older men are more prone to prostate cancer with the average age of diagnosis being about 66 years old, according to the American Cancer Society. Prostate Cancer is the most common cancer in men, and the second most common cause of cancer death in American men.

Kidney Disease and Vitamin D Deficiency

People suffering from kidney disease are found to be more susceptible to vitamin D deficiency, as their kidneys are unable to convert vitamin D to its active usable form.

Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency often goes undiagnosed due to absence of any noticeable symptoms. You should take serious note, if you are suffering from any of these symptoms:

  1. Tiredness or fatigue: Feeling or tiredness, exhaustion and muscle weakness is a sure sign of vitamin D deficiency.
  2. Excessive sweating: Sweating profusely especially on the forehead, in a moderate temperature environment with steady physical activity levels, could be a sign of vitamin D deficiency.
  3. Bone and joint pain: Osteopenia, osteoporosis (brittle and fragile bones) and osteomalacia (chronic pain in bones and stiff joints), are signs of vitamin D deficiency.
  4. Depression: Diagnosis of depression is often linked to deficiency of vitamin D.
  5. High Blood Pressure
  6. Colds and Flu
  7. Instability and Falls

Supplements of vitamin D begin at 1000 iu (25 mcg) and can be taken safely at doses of 10,000 iu (250 mcg). If you’re at risk for deficiency or experience any of the above noticeable symptoms consult your physician or have a blood test to examine your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency is defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations ≤20 ng/mL. Research suggests that 30 ng/mL to 50 ng/mL of vitamin D is required for optimal health and prevention of disease. Above that may be required to help your body heal from health challenges.

Overcome Vitamin D Deficiency

Standard Treatement to Overcome Vitamin D Deficiency

Standard treatment for a vitamin D deficiency is vitamin D3 supplementation. A daily dose of 800 to 2,000 international units (IU) is suggested for recovery. Also, take your vitamin D supplement with a meal that contains healthy fat for best absorption.

Some foods also have vitamin D but level in most foods is too low to correct a deficiency. So, supplementation and exposing your bare skin (arms, legs, abdomen and back) to the sun for 20-30 minutes daily are the two ways to correct deficiency. 

Are you Magnesium Deficient?

Vitamin D deficiency is rampant since we all moved inside, then were told to hide from the sun.  Best food sources of vitamin D include fatty fish (salmon, sardines, etc.), fortified milk, eggs, liver, and mushrooms that are treated in the sun.  Vitamin D actually is more of a hormone than a vitamin, since we can make vitamin D in the skin with the action of sunlight.  Vitamin D regulates at least 20% of the human gene, which makes it vital in our quest for health.

Dr. Patrick Quillin

Dr. Patrick Quillin, PhD,RD,CNS is an internationally recognized expert in the area of nutrition and health. He has 30 years experience as a clinical nutritionist, of which 10 years were spent as the Vice President for a leading cancer hospital system where he worked with thousands of cancer patients in a hospital setting. He is a Best Selling Author with 18 books which have sold over 2,000,000 copies and also a Keynote Speaker.