Vitamin D, otherwise known as Calciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin necessary for various bodily functions. In my opinion, this is one of the most important vitamins we need to either ingest in healthy fat foods or supplement with a good vitamin AND sunlight. The most common, active form of it is Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol. This vitamin plays important roles in immune function, supporting healthy expression and balance of cytokine storms released by macrophages. . .aka fight infections, especially acute respiratory distress syndrome. It also plays a crucial role in joint, muscle, and bone health as it maintains serum calcium levels and helps bone remodeling and growth. Athletes especially can benefit because it helps with musculoskeletal pain and stress fractures. The everyday person can also see results with fatigue and general muscle and joint pain. Recent studies are also showing the benefit of Vitamin D supplementation with COVID, decreasing symptoms and duration of infection. Lots of other vitamins and supplements can help with this too: zinc, magnesium, etc.
We need to make sure our levels are no less than 30nmol/L and can easily be monitored with blood tests, everyone should get their Vit D (serum 25-OH) checked AT LEAST 1x/year. If your levels are on the lower side, especially during the cold winter months when sun exposure is lower, taking at least 5000 IU daily is recommended. However, I personally take 10,000 IU for about a week to get a boost on levels and then taper off to the 5000 IU mark throughout the winter months. It is important to take this Vitamin D3 supplement with K2 added. Since vitamin D works to maintain serum calcium levels, it pulls the calcium from the bone and can build up in arteries throughout the body, especially around the heart. K2 is there to help prevent arterial calcification. . .so make sure to combine the two: I like Anabolic Labs or Seeking Health. Message me if you need help finding one of the two, we carry Anabolic Labs in office!
If you don’t supplement with a good Vitamin D3/K2, then make sure you are getting it from various fatty foods (omega-3s) like fatty fish, egg yolks, grass-fed butter, vegetation, liver.
