Do You Need More Vitamin D?

December in Canada means many people are going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. Not much opportunity to get exposure to sunlight, and besides that, it’s cold!  We are bundled up, so not much skin is getting exposed to the sun anyway.  It’s not just a problem in December though, since, in general, people are spending less and less time outdoors, contributing to a deficiency in vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin.” 

Low vitamin D is a problem with the population in general, especially in Canada.  However, if you have a weak immune system, it is very likely you have a vitamin D deficiency. That includes people with autoimmune related joint pain and osteoarthritis as well.  According to Dr. Stephen Gundry, author of The Plant Paradox, his patients with leaky gut and autoimmune disease, and those who are overweight or obese all have low levels of vitamin D. 

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, and acts more like a hormone than a vitamin since it regulates thousands of pathways in the body.  Every single cell in our body needs Vitamin D.  With a deficiency in this key vitamin, cells cannot function properly. Low levels of vitamin D are known to contribute to immune system dysfunction.  In addition, adequate levels of vitamin D are necessary in order to repair leaky gut.

How to boost vitamin D levels? There are three basic ways:

Sunlight: At least 20-60 minutes per day with exposed skin.

Food: egg yolk, fatty fish, beef liver, cod liver oil and ghee (clarified butter).

Supplements: Vitamin D3 is the type of vitamin D your body makes naturally and is most effectively absorbed.

Ideally, it would be best to have your vitamin D blood levels monitored to bring the levels up to the recommended amount. However, if testing isn’t offered through your public health care system (it isn’t in my province of Newfoundland and Labrador), you could seek alternative health care services, like a naturopath, to monitor your vitamins D blood levels. 

Recommendations for vitamin D supplementation are common in nearly all of the literature I have researched.  Here are guidelines for daily vitamin D supplementation from these restorative medicine practitioners:

Dr. Will Cole, Ketoatrian: 2000-6000 IUs 

Dr. Stephen Gundry, The Plant Paradox: 5000-10,000 IUs 

Dr. Amy Myers,The Autoimmune Solution: 2000 IUs

Dr. Susan Blum, The Immune System Recovery Plan: 2000 IUs, minimum

When taking vitamin D supplements, it’s best to combine with other fat soluble vitamins like vitamin A and vitamin K2.  Taking vitamin D supplements with fatty foods also helps with absorption. 

These include:  

• avocado

• olive oil

• coconut

• wild-caught fish

The bottom line is that if you have an autoimmune condition or leaky gut (which is associated with many chronic illnesses), you need vitamin D to heal.  Getting vitamin D from sunlight is best. Eating foods rich in vitamin D is also a good choice, and you could also consider supplementation.  Work with a functional medicine practitioner or naturopath to have your Vitamin D levels checked and determine optimal supplementation amounts for you. 

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