Natural Production of Vitamin D
Vitamin D and sun exposure
Your skin makes vitamin D from a precursor to cholesterol when it is exposed to a pinking dose of sunlight. How much vitamin D you make depends on your age, your genetics, how much skin is uncovered and your skin tone. Without sunblock and with arms and legs exposed, your skin will typically make 10,000 to 15,000 units of vitamin D in one pinking sun exposure, on average. (Sunblock with an SPF of more than 15 blocks 100% of vitamin D production in the skin.) Also, the darker your skin, the more sun exposure you need to make enough vitamin D. Depending on where you live (latitude), you may only get enough radiation from the sun for vitamin D production between May and October. These populations definitely need supplement support from October through April. Genetic variants can render even those living year-round in sunny Arizona and Florida with rock bottom levels. Testing is the only way to know your needs for sure. We also have varying levels of vitamin D receptor sensitivity, so paying attention to your symptoms and overall Wellness is also key to understanding when your body needs support.
Vitamin D Supplementation Doses
Some of us can metabolize and retain vitamin D quite well while others require very large doses to maintain even baseline healthy levels. Make sure you check your levels after no more than two to three months of supplementing with a given IU level per day. It's also key to make sure your magnesium levels are replete before starting a vitamin D supplement (look for RBC magnesium to be at least in the upper half of the reference range, ideally in the upper 3rd!) Normal dosing of vitamin D depends on your blood levels and your medical history. Those with impaired digestion and absorption of fats (and thus fat-soluble vitamins) may also need sublingual forms or higher doses to gain optimal levels. Treatment doses for blood level ranges recommended are as follows: · less than 10 ng/ml: ramp up two 10,000 IU D3 and take daily for 30 days then, 4000 IU daily. Test in approximately 8 weeks. · 10-20 ng/ml: Ramp up to 8000 IU D3 and take daily for two weeks then 4000 IU daily test in approximately 8 weeks · 30-40 ng/ml: 2000 IU D3 daily Note: introducing vitamin D via a “ramp up” is an important step. this can start with 1 1000 to 2000 IU/daily Walkway and increase by another increment every five days. We ramp doses slowly to allow the body and vitamin D receptors to adjust gradually. Also recommend avoiding vitamin D2 fortification in processed foods. This inactive form takes up receptors that we want active vitamin D to have available to use and thus drive cellular effects. The body uses nutrients in a Symphony - not a solo. If you are taking a vitamin D supplement, adequate calcium, vitamin A, vitamin K, and magnesium intake are also required. Increasing vitamin D increases the body's need for all of these nutrients. Particularly for people trying to regain bone density, vitamin K2 supplementations along with vitamin D is vital. Magnesium is required for the body to convert vitamin D into its final usable form; It is also a very common nutrient deficiency, especially for those with cardiovascular or blood sugar control such as diabetics.
While vitamin D toxicity is not as common as many think, it is important to ramp up your dose incrementally. Often, signs of “toxicity” are caused by depletion of one or more of the interdependent nutrients mentioned above. However, individuals with sarcoid, tuberculosis, hyperparathyroidism, lymphoma, and kidney disease should only take vitamin D with physician specialty involvement, given increased risks of their blood calcium level becoming too high.