As I mention in all of my supplementation posts, you should only be supplementing with those nutrients that you can’t get from reasonable dietary changes. Vitamin D3 happens to be one of those essential nutrients that us Northern Indiana folk don’t get enough of when it comes to the winter months. Often times, we are going to work when it’s dark and coming home when it’s dark. Therefore, we will go days without adequate sun exposure. Another amazing source of Vitamin D is organ meats! If you don’t consume them on a regular basis, then that’s another reason supplementation may be necessary.
Our body is programmed to produce vitamin D naturally on its own. However, the process is triggered by sunlight exposure. Those that lay in the sun all summer do not need to supplement with vitamin D during those months because 15 minutes of full sun exposure without sunscreen will give you an adequate daily dose. I typically recommend everybody getting 5,000 IU’s of vitamin D3 daily.
There are 30,000 genes in your body and vitamin D influences over 2,000 of them! It has protective effects against cancer, infections, Parkinson’s, depression, and so many more. It is an inexpensive supplement that is necessary in EVERYONE that isn’t getting sun exposure or quality organ meats. When you think about the people that need this nutrient the most, it is ironic that they are also the one’s often in nursing homes and hospitals where they may not get sun exposure even in the summer months!
Vitamin D is a fat soluble nutrient and therefore it will store quantities within the body. While overdosing on vitamin D would be difficult, it is something to be aware of. Everyone should take 5,000 units daily when they are not in the sunlight. The beauty of getting vitamin D from natural sunlight lies in the feedback loops that our body has in place to make sure we never accumulate too much. Once again, the version nature intended is superior to any pill you can take.😉 You can check out my “store” tab for idea of brands I like.; however, most vitamin D is pretty standard. Quality can be a huge issue in other kinds of supplements. If you want to know your vitamin D levels to decide how much to supplement, I recommend an at-home Vitamin D test, that costs about $58, and is easy, convenient, and quick! Visit https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/ to order a kit like the one shown in this post!