Do you get enough of the “sunshine vitamin?” Vitamin D is an essential nutrient (a substance the body needs to function but can’t make itself) and is a vital catalyst to our good health.
Do you have tired, achy muscles? You might be vitamin D deficient. “When you lack vitamin D you are susceptible to long-term health problems. It’s required for normal cell development, healthy teeth and bones, and a strong immune system, so cancers, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, and depression are often connected to chronic vitamin D deficiency,” says Naturopathic Physician Shelby Entner with Vero Health in Vernon.
Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because our bodies absorb it through sensors on our skin. Dr. Entner explains that an average adult will produce around 10-25,000 IU of vitamin D when outside in the sun long enough for the skin to turn pink.
However, our sun-shy culture makes it hard to reach optimal doses through UV exposure. “It is hard in Canada to get enough from the sun, and then add the fact that we spend all day inside and wear sunscreen-it makes most of us deficient. Anyone without their gallbladder (which reduces fat, and fat-soluble vitamin absorption) has extra trouble taking it through food or supplements,” says Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Lisa Kilgour.
How Much Vitamin D Do We Need?
A 2013 Statistics Canada report indicated the national average was 64 nmol/L and that most Canadians (about two-thirds) were above the vitamin D cutoff of 50 nmol/L. But Dr. Entner says she considers a normal range to be 40-150 nmol/L with an optimal range being 100-160 nmol/L.
“The blood test for vitamin D isn’t covered by the medical services plan (MSP) in British Columbia, however I recommend my patients invest in the $60 fee to have their levels checked once a year. Most people do not even come close to optimal levels.”
Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intakes range between 600-4,000 IU per day for ages 9-70 including lactating or pregnant mothers, 600-3,000 IU for children aged 4-8, 600-2,500 IU children aged 1-3, infants 7-12 months 400-1,500 IU and infants 0-6 months 400-1,000 IU.
Dr. Entner recommends taking vitamin D in a liquid form because it’s more easily absorbed by the body. “My rule of thumb is 2,000 IU per day for adults, 1,000 IU per day for children, and 400 IU per day for babies.”
Kilgour says you could try supplementing with 1,000-2,000 IUs for a three month period and then have your blood levels tested. “If you are still deficient, double your supplemented dose for another three months and test again. Whatever dose you need to get your blood levels in a healthy spot is your daily dose. For some that is 1,000, for others it is much higher.”
There are also foods fortified with vitamin D including milk, cereal, and pasta. But Dr. Entner says unless you are eating a lot of fatty fish like mackerel, salmon, or anchovies, you’ll still want to add a vitamin D supplement to your daily regime.
