Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is one of my regularly recommended supplements that helps to promote health and well being. While the best way to get vitamin D is by allowing for 15-20 minutes of natural exposure to the sun without sunscreen everyday, in different areas of the country and different seasons of the year it’s a bit harder to get our daily requirements.
A recent study found that 80% of patients with Coronavirus had low levels of vitamin D. Along with protecting us from illnesses benefits can range from:
•supporting immune system function
•helping to fight inflammation
•reducing depression
•helping to strengthen bones and muscles
•regulating blood pressure and supporting cardiovascular health
One factor to consider when supplementing with vitamin D or when faced with a low vitamin D number is that Vitamin D is a Fat soluble vitamin.
A, D, E, and K all need healthy fats in order to properly assimilate into our bodies. Including healthy fats in our diets can greatly increase our rate of absorption of this powerful vitamin.
My favorite healthy fats are: grass fed butter, lard, coconut oil, ghee, avocado oil and EVOO. There are also some great food sources of D vitamins. Salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel and fish liver oils are the best sources. Beef liver, cheese and egg yolks also contain vitamin D but at smaller amounts than fish sources.
Having your levels tested is the best way to determine your vitamin D status. While the normal range is 25-100ng/mL it’s better to be on the higher side of that range to really receive the benefits, ranges around the 60-70ng/mL are preferable. Some studies suggest that the higher ranges of this supplement can even protect us from cancer.
The D supplement I recommend is SolrayD Spray, it’s a D3/K2 combination. The dosing for this supplement is best determined by weight.
Ask us to check that you are taking the right amount for your body.
Dr. Katrina