Should you be taking Vitamin D?

Question: should you take vitamin D?

Answer: yes.

End of blog.

Let me explain...
 

Here's what I think you need to know about vitamin D, not too little, not too much, just right. 

Some years ago, when the data began to emerge on how important vitamin D was to human health, I started doing blood tests on teenagers in my practice.  But I stopped pretty quickly.  Almost everyone was deficient.  How can that be?  These are "normal" young people. 

First reason: we don't spend enough time in the sun.  Adults working indoors, kids in schools, in fact anyone living north of a latitude that roughly passes through Atlanta, GA, cannot get enough sunlight exposure year round to avoid vitamin D deficiency.  Sunlight is the very best way to make vitamin D, because the skin converts other steroid compounds in the body to vitamin D on exposure to the UV rays in sunlight.  

Second reason: it's hard to get vitamin D from foods. Without added supplementation, very few foods have enough vitamin D for us to maintain adequate levels. Wild caught fish like salmon or Atlantic Mackerel are some of the best choices.  

The authoritative Endocrine Society has acknowledged the difficulty of getting vitamin D from foods by adopting a policy statement that all adults should be taking a daily maintenance dose of 1000 IU cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3). Kids under 12 should take 400 IU daily. 

Why is it so important?  Vitamin D deficiencies have been associated with poor bone health, and also many of the chronic diseases of our times, including depression, diabetes, heart disease, auto-immune diseases and some cancers.

Cancers?  Recent publications from the American Institute of Cancer Research noted that higher levels of vitamin D are associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer. That association may be the strongest, but other studies have linked vitamin D deficiency with more than a dozen different types of cancer. In fact, a recent article from Germany concluded that 30,000 lives could be saved annually from unneeded cancer deaths just by universal vitamin D supplementation to adults over 50.

If that weren't enough, some research evidence suggests that vitamin D may protect against development of hypertension and auto-immune diseases such as multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis.  And you very likely heard medical experts such as Dr. Fauci endorsing the use of vitamin D during the COVID-19 pandemic because of its effect on strengthening the immune system.  

So yes, take vitamin D, daily.  Use moderate doses as above, and have your blood level checked by your primary care doctor. But remember, don't ever count on a pill, or even multiple pills, to be the source of your health.  A balanced, plant based diet, adequate sleep and exercise, time in healthy relationships and out in nature form that foundation. 

I'm happy to answer more specific questions if you have them, call the office at 803-426-1421.  

Robert Pendergrast, MD, MPH

Aiken-Augusta Holistic Health.