Cut out sun on a blackboard with words ‘vitamin D’

Is it time to be thinking about adding Vitamin D to your supplement regime?

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere you will find that most countries health guidelines will recommend that you take a Vitamin D supplement over the winter months.

In the UK the guidelines recommend supplementation between October and March.

In this blog I will cover:

what is vitamin D
why vitamin D is so important
what happens if your vitamin D levels are too low
what happens if your vitamin D levels are too high
why supplementation is important in the winter
why you need to put more focus on vitamin D if you are post menopause

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is often referred to as the sunshine vitamin because your body naturally creates it when your skin is exposed to the sun.

Although it is called a vitamin it is actually a hormone. Your kidneys and liver convert the vitamin D into it’s active form from either exposure to the sun, supplementation or the food you eat.

Vitamin D is one of your fat-soluble vitamins, meaning it needs fat to be absorbed and can be stored in fatty tissue to be used at a later date - hence why you can become low in vitamin D levels during the winter months once your stores have been depleted.

Vitamin D is essential for a number of functions in the body but most commonly known for its links to creating healthy bones and it’s links to SAD in the winter months.

There are vitamin D receptors throughout the body and now research is looking at vitamin D’s role in the nervous, cardiovascular and endocrine systems.

Although vitamin D is found in some foods e.g. oily fish, mushrooms and fortified foods .. you won’t get the amounts you need by food alone. That is why supplementation is recommended in winter.

Why vitamin D is important?

Vitamin D helps to regulate the absorption of calcium , magnesium and phosphate that work together to create strong and health bones, teeth and muscles.

But this isn’t the only thing that vitamin D does.

It helps to regulate blood pressure.

It helps control inflammation in your body by being involved in the production of cells that fight inflammation.

It also helps in your bodies fight against viral and bacteria infection.

There is increasing research into it’s links to preventing/slowing down certain cancers.

Vitamin D has also been linked to mood and brain health but the research is just exploring the mechanisms behind this.

What happens if your vitamin D levels are low?

There are a number of different symptoms that are linked to low levels of vitamin D that can often be overlooked.

These include:

fatigue
weight loss
lack of appetite
bone pain
muscle weakness
hair loss
being prone to more infections
changes in your mood.

You levels will have got quite low before you will perhaps notice the symptoms and make the connection.

In children a sign of long term deficiencies in this hormone is rickets.

What happens if your vitamin D levels are to high?

Your body will naturally balance its vitamin D levels if created by the sun and via the food you eat.

BUT if you are supplementing with higher levels of the vitamin than your body needs, your body might struggle and you can find yourself with the following symptoms:

abdominal pain
nausea
headaches

Long term over supplementation can lead to weakens bones and can causes damage to the heart and kidneys. SO it is important to make sure you are taking the right dose for your needs and not just a standard dose that might just be putting extra strain on your body.

Testing your vitamin D levels can be done privately and it involves a simple pin prick test. In the UK there are a number of labs that sell the tests and interpretations of your blood results for around £35.

Why supplementation is important in the winter?

Your body will slowly use up the stores of vitamin D you have created over the summer months leaving your body depleted and you open to not only inflammation and infection BUT also mood disorders such as SAD. If this continues for any length of time you can see issues with blood pressure and in the long term problems with your bones.

Vitamin D is only found in a limited number of foods such as oily fish e.g. cod liver oil, swordfish, and salmon. It can be found in small levels in mushrooms that have been exposed to the sun. Some fortified products such as milk and orange juice may also contain levels of vitamin D. Your body isn’t able to convert enough vitamin D for food sources so depending on where you live in the world supplementation would be recommended.

There are a number of different types of vitamin D supplementation. Oral sprays and liposomal capsules/drops your body will find easier to access the vitamin D than traditional table form.

Why you need to put more focus on vitamin D if you are post menopause

As you age there is an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency because your skins ability to synthesis the vitamin decreases.

Since vitamin D is not readily available from the foods you eat like many other vitamins your body then relies on creating it via the skin.

Vitamin D is essential for bone health - once your oestrogen levels have dropped at menopause you lose some of its bone protecting prosperities. Vitamin D will slow down bone loss.

Oestrogen also supports heart health. Lower levels of this hormone can increase your blood pressure. Taking vitamin D can help with blood pressure regulation, protection of the heart muscle and blood vessels.

The research is growing into how vitamin D supports brain health, cognition and mood BUT there is lots of anecdotal evidence to support the usefulness of this vitamin to support both brain health and mood.

Final words

I would always suggest getting your vitamin D levels measured prior to supplementation. This will ensure that you are taking the correct dose for your needs.

I would also highly recommend that if you are taking any medication you check that the form and dose of vitamin D you are thinking of taking does not interfere with your medication.

Retesting after 3 months will help you see if the supplementation is working and if you need to continue or reduce the dose.

Vitamin D testing can be carried out as part of any of the one to one service I provide.

Lesley x