Having sufficient vitamin D levels is essential to a healthy body. It provides an array of health benefits and is involved in a significant roll in gene expression. Vitamin D is directly related to about 3000 genes in the human body which is roughly 10% of them, so you can imagine how much your body would suffer if it were deficient in such a nutrient. Research suggests that about 50% of our population is deficient in Vitamin D and up to 95% of our elderly population.
Signs you may be deficient in vitamin D.
· Persistent illness or infection
· Tiredness and fatigue
· Bone pain
· Back pain
· Hair loss
· Muscle pain
· Bone loss
· Depression or persistent melancholy
· Excessive sweating (particularly on you head)
· Stomach issues from pain to bloating and gas
Research is also showing us that optimizing your vitamin D levels can help prevent some of today’s most concerning chronic diseases. These include cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases and mental health conditions.
Testing and Optimal levels of Vitamin D
The vitamin D test is called 25(OH)D or 25-hydroxyvitamin D. This is the officially recognized marker of overall D status, and is most strongly associated with overall health.
Deficient
<50 ng/ml
Optimal
50-70 ng/ml
Chronic Disease
70-100 ng/ml
Treatment Excessive
> 100 ng/ml
Supplementation
Ideally supplementation of Vitamin D3 is based off of your blood levels. However, there are some good rule of thumbs to follow. 5000 IU of Vitamin D per day will help maintain levels between 40-60 ng/ml. To help with optimization 10,000 IU per day will optimize the body’s vitamin D levels. However, it is of absolute importance that you take a K2 supplement with your vitamin D to ensure that the calcium goes to the proper areas of the body and not into the soft tissues of the arteries. When people talk about vitamin D toxicity it is actually vitamin K deficiency for the ratios, causing excess calcium in areas we don’t want is like the soft tissues of the arteries.
