10 surprising benefits of Vitamin D

Lucky redheads.

Redheaded individuals have been found to have higher serum levels of 25(OH)D3 (calcidiol) compared to non-redheaded individuals.

Vitamin D is important for our health, and most people have heard about it. Let's explore the science behind it in simpler terms. 

Vitamin D is actually a group of biologically active substances (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6) that we get from food, supplements, and sunlight on our skin. However, we shouldn't rely only on sunlight. The vitamin D we get externally is not active by itself.  Our body needs to process it to create active forms that perform important roles.

When you take a blood test for the level of vitamin D, you measure its metabolites. The most popular test we look at is 25(OH)D. 25(OH)D is just one of the 50 metabolites of vitamin D! The optimal level of 25(OH)D in the blood is considered to be 50-80 ng/ml or 150-200 nmol/l. Pay attention to the units of measurement, as the target values differ depending on them. A level below 30 ng/ml is considered a serious vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D affects our body in many ways:

Bone health: 

• promotes the absorption of calcium in the intestines and its deposition in the bones

• thereby preventing the formation of calcifications

Digestive system: 

• it improves how our intestines break down of secondary toxic bile acids in the intestines and helps maintain a healthy gut environment.  If this does not happen, it leads to the growth of pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic flora, bacterial/fungal overgrowth syndrome, and subsequent inflammation of the intestinal mucosa

• helps maintain healthy density of contacts between intestinal cells

• stimulates the synthesis of local antimicrobial peptides in the intestines, which trigger a cascade of immune reactions, regulate the inflammatory process, and inhibit the growth of pathogens

Nervous system: 

• it is a neurosteroid: brain cells (astrocytes, microglia, neurons) have a large number of receptors for vitamin D and depend on its level. 

• stimulates enzymes involved in the secretion of dopamine. Therefore, a decrease in vitamin D levels leads to a decrease in dopamine as well: reduced motivation, apathy, and depressive disorders. However, in the presence of a predisposition to dopamine breakdown disorders, existing psychiatric disorders (hyperactivity, schizophrenia, mania), active stimulation of dopamine enzymes may be contraindicated. 

Immune system: 

• important for the healthy function of the immune system, especially innate immunity, phagocytic cells (neutrophils, macrophages), and NK cells (which are crucial for controlling virus-infected cells or cancer cells). 

• has a positive effect on the course of any immune system hyperactivation (such as autoimmune diseases and allergic reactions), as it improves the effect of regulatory T-lymphocytes (T-reg).

Vitamin D and Vitamin K2: 

Vitamin D and vitamin K2 have a crucial interrelationship and influence on calcium metabolism.  It helps "guide" calcium into bone tissue.

It cannot be said that vitamin D cannot be taken alone, without vitamin K2. K2 supplementation becomes necessary in cases of existing calcium metabolism disorders or when taking high doses of vitamin D (>5000 IU). 

Prophylactic daily dosage of vitamin K2 (MK7): Vitamin K2 should be taken with a course repetition of 70-120 mcg for 2 months, twice a year. 

Vitamin D and Vitamin A: 

These two vitamins use the same receptor (RXR) to realize their effects. With a sufficient level of vitamin A, vitamin D works better and vice versa. However, their simultaneous intake is a good idea. The thing is, in the presence of a vitamin D deficiency, taking vitamin A may not always impair the absorption of vitamin D. Even in the presence of a laboratory-confirmed deficiency, high dosages (> 5000 IU per day) are not always necessary.

The prophylactic dosage for an adult should be considered 2000 - 4000 IU per day. If you have a deficiency, you might need more, but always check with a doctor first.

Vitamin D3 vs D2.

Contrary to popular belief, vitamin D2, derived from plants, and D3, from animal products, do not have equal nutritional value, and deficiency is gaining ground, so study authors are asking governments to consider updating current guidelines

D3 is twice as effective in raising levels of vitamin D in the body in comparison to D2.

One more study shows D3 to: 

• convert to its active form 500% faster

• be 87% better at raising and maintaining vitamin D levels

• produce two to three times greater storage of the vitamin than D2.

Vitamin D3 plays a vital role in protecting your endothelium and repairing any damage inflicted by chronic disease on this unique organ system, which lines your entire circulatory system:

• preserve and restore your endothelium to health in cases where it has suffered damage due to one of the above-mentioned diseases

• act as a powerful trigger of nitric oxide, a molecule known to play a vital signaling role in controlling blood flow and preventing the formation of blood clots in your blood vessels

• reduce oxidative stress in your vascular system, which prevents the development and/or progression of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure, among others 

Some interesting facts about why you may not be getting enough Vitamin D:

1. Relying too much on Vitamin-D fortified foods or poor-quality supplements, but it is very difficult to get enough vitamin D from food sources alone.

2. Sunscreens effectively block the type of ultraviolet light – UVB -- needed for your body to produce vitamin D in response to the exposure.

3. You’re sunbathing, while laying on a glass patio or soaking up rays through a window that may feel good on your skin, the warmth that comes through is deceiving because vitamin D-producing UVB rays cannot pass through glass. 

Find the best sources of vitamin D3 in Cheat Sheet 👇

Each mindful small step today will become a giant leap for your well-being tomorrow.

Warm regards,
Kos