Are You Vitamin D Deficient?

By Susan Tanner M.D.

Reports about Vitamin D deficiency have been getting quite a bit of attention over the past couple of decades as research has proven its importance to many aspects of overall health. 

Many people in America are tested for Vitamin D levels at their annual physicals, and a large number of them are prescribed a supplement when results indicate they are deficient in this important hormone. This is not just a problem in America, it’s worldwide, with estimates of over one billion people deficient in Vitamin D. 

Vitamin D is actually more of a hormone than it is a vitamin. Usually, with proper sunlight, the human body can make enough Vitamin D to carry out its duties, but when it cannot, then supplements are necessary. 

Many vitamin deficiencies vary among race and ethnicity. The amount of melanin in the skin affects vitamin D production. It follows that Vitamin D deficiency is highest among those with darker skin color as darker skin protects against too much sun exposure and sunburn, so people with darker skin need a greater amount of sun exposure to make the same amount of vitamin D than people with lighter skin do.

Most labs for vitamin D show the “normal” range as between 20 and 80. “Normal” does not always equal “ideal” however.  Because vitamin D is essential in so many pathways in the body, the preferred level is actually between 60-80. This is something that needs rapid clarification and correction in lab reporting!

The sun is the best source of Vitamin D, but as our population worldwide typically spends the majority of time indoors, and when outdoors is using sunscreen ( a necessity) this can explain the epidemic levels of Vitamin D deficiency.  While the skin does need protection from damaging rays, having SOME sun exposure, daily when possible, is a good idea. 

What Vitamin D does for your body:

Vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium, which is what helps keep bones strong and healthy. Without enough vitamin D, the body may not be able to absorb the calcium it needs from the foods we eat to maintain a healthy bone structure. Over time, this pattern can lead to brittle bones.

Supports Muscle Health

Studies are now supporting that Vitamin D not only adds strength to the bone but to muscle health as well.  There are cases in which low levels of vitamin D impact strength which is measurably improved by returning these vitamin D levels to optimal ( not lab “normal” ) range.

Supports the Immune System

Vitamin D helps support our immune system. While most in the medical community agree with this assertion, the exact way in which it supports immunity requires additional research. What we do know is that vitamin D deficiency has been linked to multiple ailments — meaning that many patients experiencing specific diseases also had a vitamin D deficiency. 

“Vitamin D is critical for a normal functioning immune system,” says Dr. Paul B. Dean, MD. Dean is a board-certified dermatologist at the Grossmont Dermatology Medical Clinic in San Diego and a former Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer with the CDC. “People who are immunocompromised by having low vitamin D levels are at an increased risk for a variety of illnesses and infections.” 

It’s important to note that vitamin D deficiency does not cause disease. The implication in the data says that sufficient serum levels of vitamin D support the body’s natural ability to fight off diseases. Therefore, if a person’s levels are low, they may not be able to fight off particular infections or diseases. Coupled with poor nutrition, lack of quality sleep, and high stress (i.e. most Americans), a vitamin D deficiency can cause a host of problems

Supports the Nervous System

A very important and major role vitamin D plays in the body involves the central nervous system — it helps carry messages from the brain to the rest of the body. In a 2019 review, researchers set out to clarify how exactly this might work (or not work).

Researchers concluded that “the studies reviewed show that [vitamin D] contributes to cerebral activity in both embryonic and adult brain, helping the connectivity of neural circuits responsible for locomotor, emotional and reward-dependent behavior.” However, they also noted that more research is necessary to understand the effects of vitamin D supplementation in brain disorders.

Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms:

Vitamin D deficiency often goes unnoticed because the symptoms can be quite subtle and can be explained in other ways, like insufficient sleep, stress, or overexertion. Vitamin D levels can be easily diagnosed with a simple blood test and can be combined with the regular bloodwork conducted during a routine annual physical.

The most common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency are:

• Frequent illness
• Fatigue
• Lower back pain
• General sadness or low mood
• Bone loss or brittleness 
• Hair loss (more than usual)
• Unexplained muscle pain (not from exercise or strain)
• Impaired wound healing

Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency:

This is often multifactorial. Certainly, as mentioned above, the decrease in time outdoors in the sun is highest on the list. The use of sunscreen decreases skin absorption. When the GI system has difficulty in processing fats, then Vitamin D deficiency may surely follow as it is a fat-soluble vitamin. The number of individuals with digestive/ absorption issues is far higher, many times due to a decrease in pancreatic enzymes, and also due to the extensive use of “stomach acid reductors” (PPI’s).

How to improve Vitamin D levels:

Vitamin D is not particularly potent from food sources (nor is it present in many foods at all).

Some examples include: 

• Cow’s milk
• Almond milk
• Oat milk 
• Any other milk substitutes that specifically say they’re fortified with vitamin D

Other dietary sources of vitamin D include:

• Fatty fish (mackerel, salmon, tuna) and beef liver
• Vitamin D Supplements or Multivitamins
• Supplements are a reliable (and I consider necessary)  source of vitamin D, especially for those who live in cold climates. In fact, for a significant number of individuals, taking a vitamin D supplement is the only way to keep their serum levels where they need to be for optimum health.
• Most of my patients and associates are reminded to take daily doses of D3 (and it does need to be Vitamin D3, not D2) in the range of 2000 to 5000 units daily. For severe deficiencies, then much more may be recommended initially with a decrease as blood levels optimize. Vitamin D is inexpensive, easy to take, and convenient as a once-a-day treatment.

Vitamin D deficiency is well becoming a public health crisis! Regular and inexpensive blood testing can be done on routine physicals. Vitamin D levels should be measured in children too. They are also quite at risk of deficiency.

Some of my favorite supplements are:  

Adults: Vital Nutrients Vitamin D3 5000u

Children:  Nordic Naturals D3 gummies 400u

You may directly access pharmaceutical-grade vitamins and supplements to support your wellbeing at a discount through my online store by clicking here: https://wellevate.me/susantanner