Written By: The Balanced Friends
At Balanced Friends we love to chat about Vitamin D because it is so important. Especially in the winter if you live somewhere like we do ( Indiana ). We are not getting any natural vitamin D so we must supplement so we don’t become deficient. And no I am not talking about rickets deficient.. I am talking about depression, poor focus and concentration, weak bones and skin, low energy, hormone imbalance, blood sugar dysregulation etc.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin stored in the liver and fatty tissues. Our body will make Vitamin D on its own with the help of sunlight. But that isn't always easy to do. Most people assume that the best way to get Vitamin D is through things like drinking milk. This is not true! One reason is that Vitamin D doesn't naturally occur in milk- so a synthetic version is added to help absorb the calcium. It is usually a type of D2 ( more on this later), which is not as absorbable or convertible by the body into what it needs. ( We won't go into more details about why milk isn't a great choice in general ) The actual best way is through natural sunlight. The tricky part with this is that we need to be exposed without sunscreen to actually absorb the most Vitamin D. And no, we don't want you to get burnt outside either. But a few minutes unexposed will help absorb that natural Vitamin D.
There are two types of vitamin D supplements: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is more absorbable and beneficial. The type our bodies naturally make is called cholecalciferol, which is vitamin D3. The body is able to convert some D2 to be used for body functions but prefers and is able to use D3 much more effectively.
D3 products is closest to what sunlight naturally produces in humans. Vitamin D3 is therefore the more active form and said to be converted up to 500 times faster than D2.
Some Benefits of Vitamin D
Bone Health
Heart Health
Improved Immune System
Hormone Regulation
Mood
Helps Balance Blood Sugar
Inflammation and swelling
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As Integrative Health Practitioners we recommend testing vitamin D levels so we know exactly what we need to do to support your specific needs. In the winter it can range depending on the person from 3-10,000 IU. That's a big range. But its all very unique to you! Where we live affects this, color of skin, being overweight, absorption, underlying issues, etc. In the summer we may bring that down if you spend time outside getting natural sunshine. But even with that, it's difficult to actually absorb that vitamin D thanks to sunscreen.
Some symptoms or issues to consider getting tested:
fatigue
osteoporosis
heart disease and high blood pressure
cancer
autoimmune diseases
depression and mood disturbances
poor skin health, including redness, inflammation and dryness
insomnia
arthritis and joint pain
diabetes
trouble concentrating
asthma
hair loss
multiple sclerosis
chronic muscle or bone pain
psoriasis
fibromyalgia
autism:
weakness
chronic fatigue
depression
trouble sleeping
anxiety
weak or broken bones
weakened immune system
inflammation and swelling
If you are interested in learning more about testing your vitamin D levels or what supplement would be right for you. Please reach out to us here! The functional medicine lab that we use to obtain this information about our clients health is a simple test that gets delivered directly to your home and is free to ship back. It also checks your thyroid and all your hormones. It truly is a comprehensive test. It's never been so easy to take a deep dive into your health. Being able to heal yourself from the comfort of your own home is truly the future of health.
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