Why we all need to consider boosting our Vitamin D levels
Did you know that Vitamin D is actually a hormone rather than a vitamin? Its main function is to help regulate calcium levels in the body.
That’s probably why Vitamin D is best known for its role in bone health and preventing diseases such as rickets and osteoporosis.
However, it also has a big part to play in the strength of our immune system.
Most of the Vitamin D we need is produced when our skin is exposed to the sun, with only about 10% absorbed through food.
During the winter months when there’s a lot less sunlight our bodies can’t make as much Vitamin D.
Unfortunately, winter is also the time when we’re exposed to more infections and when we need our immune system to be strong.
In the UK around 1 in 5 people have low levels of Vitamin D.
Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness can be signs of a deficiency, but you may have no symptoms at all.
Having lower levels of Vitamin D means we may be more susceptible to getting sick.
How Vitamin D supports the immune system
Research shows that Vitamin D plays a role in balancing the immune system by helping to prevent it being either underactive or overactive.
An underactive immune system is less able to defend the body against invaders like bacteria and viruses. Vitamin D helps produce antibiotic-like compounds that can kill infectious microbes in the body.
A meta-analysis carried out in 2017 covering 25 randomised controlled trials found that Vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of respiratory tract infections among all participants.
A study in 2020 showed Vitamin D deficiency to be a risk factor for urinary tract infections in women.
At the other end of the scale, Vitamin D helps to counterbalance an overactive immune system by limiting the body’s inflammatory response to infection – reducing the risk of a ‘cytokine storm’ happening.
This is where the body mistakes its own tissues for invaders and the immune system becomes hyperactive.
Allergic reactions are common when the immune system is overactive. Research has shown a correlation between low vitamin D levels in children and allergic diseases such as asthma and eczema.
Sources of Vitamin D
There are 3 key sources of Vitamin D:
Food
Sunlight
Vitamin D supplements
Food
The small amount of Vitamin D we get from food comes from two types:
Vitamin D2 – found in plant sources such as mushrooms and yeast, and in fortified foods like milk and cereal.
Vitamin D3 – found in animal foods such as fish oils, fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, and egg yolks.
Research shows that D3 is more effective than D2 at raising Vitamin D levels in the blood.
Sunlight
The ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun convert cholesterol-based substances in our skin into Vitamin D.
The liver and kidneys then convert Vitamin D into an active form that can be used by cells in the body. This is called D3 or calcitriol.
Those of us living in the northern hemisphere – anywhere above a latitude of 37 degrees north - are unlikely to get enough sunlight between the months of October and March to be able to make Vitamin D.
Other factors can increase the risk of Vitamin D deficiency for certain groups of people:
Melanin in darker skin reduces the skin’s ability to make vitamin D from sunlight.
Elderly people often spend more time indoors and may have little exposure to sunlight.
As we age our kidneys are not able to convert vitamin D as efficiently.
Vegan and vegetarian diets do not provide as much Vitamin D as diets containing animal products.
Supplements
Even with a healthy diet and exposure to sunlight, it’s not easy for any of us to get enough Vitamin D during the winter months. Taking a Vitamin D supplement is a straightforward way of addressing that.
There’s a lot of different advice out there about the “optimal” level of supplementation.
Unlike most other vitamins, Vitamin D is stored in the body - so one way to decide how much to supplement is to check your current Vitamin D levels.
It’s easy to do using an online blood test company such as Thriva.
Current NHS advice recommends that for most people, supplementing with 400 IU (international units) of Vitamin D is sufficient and that taking more than 4000 IU per day could be harmful.
Toxicity from Vitamin D is rare, but it’s important to monitor your blood levels regularly and discuss risk factors with your GP.
It’s best to look for Vitamin D3 when you’re buying supplements as it’s the more effective type.
I recommend Cytoplan, Higher Nature or BetterYou if you would like the convenience of an oral spray.
Benefits of Vitamin D supplementation
Relatively inexpensive
Promotes healthy bones and teeth
Improves immune function
May improve your mood (research shows a correlation between Vitamin D and depression but no causal link)
May reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes (again, research shows a correlation but as yet no causal link)
As part of a wider plan for winter self-care, boosting your Vitamin D levels can help balance your immune system and reduce your risk of getting sick.
It’s important to remember that supplements aren’t a cure-all for any health issue and symptoms should always be checked out.
If you’d like to find out how homeopathy could help you improve your health please do get in touch.
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