I LOVE SUMMER!!! Particularly, the sun and warmth it provides. After a long winter of cold and overcast, I think we all are ready for some healing sunshine! There are many benefits of sunshine including vitamin D production, mood elevation, and sleep regulation.
After a long winter, I would venture to say that most of us have suboptimal vitamin D levels, unless we are regularly supplementing. This is because Vit D conversion happens when the skin is exposed to sunlight at peak conditions. However, what exactly is Vitamin D? Also called calciferol, Vit D is a fat loving vitamin that is most readily obtained by sun exposure (UV rays) but can also be obtained through fortified foods and supplementation. When skin is exposed to the sun, Vit D gets converted in the liver into 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], which is often the test we measure in the blood to check for sufficiency. It then undergoes another conversion in the kidneys converting it to its active form.
According to accepted conventional definitions regarding Vit D status, Vitamin D sufficiency is defined as a 25(OH)D concentration ≥20 ng/mL whereas Vitamin D insufficiency is defined as a 25(OH)D concentration of 12 to <20 ng/mL and Vitamin D deficiency is defined as a 25(OH)D level <12 ng/mL.
In functional medicine, we believe that optimal Vitamin D levels are between 60-80 ng/ml. We know that Vitamin D is essential to bone loss prevention as it promotes calcium absorption in the gut and helps regulate levels of calcium in the blood to prevent osteoporosis (or the thinning and loss of the inner matrix of bones).
Early in the covid pandemic, we learned that people with low vitamin D levels were at an increased risk for developing more severe disease. This is due to the Vit D being necessary for an optimal immune system and anti-inflammatory support. It also helps modulate blood sugar metabolism and processes that regulate cell growth and death (meaning it can influence cancer risk).
Since sunlight is the best dose of Vitamin D we have, you might wonder how much we should be getting? Because we are all created with different levels of skin pigmentation, genetic predispositions etc, it is often difficult to determine the optimal dosing for an individual person. This is compounded by other factors such as season, time of day, cloud cover and pollution and the liberal use of sunscreen. In general, the older you are and darker skin tone you have, more time in the sun is needed. The UV rays needed for this conversion do not penetrate through glass so sitting indoors basking in the sunshine, though very pleasant and relaxing, is not helping to increase one’s vitamin D levels.
Get outside for 5-30 minutes without sunscreen, depending on your individual characteristics and risk factors for poor absorption and skin cancer. Peak hours for sun exposure are optimally between 10 am and 3 PM daily or at least several times weekly.
If you need to supplement, D3 is preferred at doses no less than 1000 IU daily, but some people require 2000 -5000 IU daily to optimize levels. If you are interested in checking your levels, mention it to your physician. Few foods are naturally rich in vitamin D3, but the best sources are fatty fish and fish liver oils. Smaller amounts are found in egg yolks, cheese, and beef liver.
-Dr. Litty
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