Vitamin D is a vitamin that has been known to be important for health for many years. It regulates the immune system, helps cell growth, it activates DNA in every cell of your body, is vital for repair, and is also crucial in the absorption of calcium into our bodies. However vitamin d deficiency can lead to issues such as rickets (a disease where bones are soft), osteoporosis (loss of bone density) or even cancer. This article will discuss how vitamin d can help keep your body healthy!
In every cell of your body there is a receptor for vitamin D, this indicates how important it is for the health of every single cell. Our ancestors would receive vitamin d from the sun , but nowadays we have to rely on getting our vitamin d from diet or supplements. If you choose to supplement with vitamin d you are probably asking "how much do I take?" Well, the answer is as much as needed to fulfill your deficiency. Blood testing is going to be absolutely the most specific and is the gold standard recommendation. If blood analysis isn't available then follow our Archetype Vitamin D Recommendations. A infant or child will need significantly less vitamin d than an adult. A infant can get what it needs from moms breast milk, so mom needs to follow the guidelines of our adult recommendations which needs to be a minimum of 5000 ius per day. 5000 ius per day is the recommendation for anyone over 12 years old. Ages 12 and Under, these ages get tricky, from birth to 12 can change drastically. Even if you are in the sun regularly this dosage will not be efficient enough to keep your vitamin d levels high enough to support all cell functions in your body so you must supplement with Vitamin D daily. The health of your body and longevity is truly dependent on adequate vitamin D. Take it every day of your life until the day you die. Dont miss a single day. You also need to get your numbers tested via blood analysis every 1-2 years. Research shows that if your levels are below 30mcg per deciliter of blood you are at significant risk for disease and dysfunction. Research also shows that if your vitamin D is above 54mcg per deciliter of blood your risk of 300+ diseases and ailments of the human body decrease massively. The closest research that relayed current human need for optimal ranges of vitamin D was performed on Argentinian life guards which showed optimal ranges of vitamin d was 80-110mcg per deciliter of blood. When I perform my blood work, my goal is always between 80-125mcg. A valid health concern is that you will overdose on vitamin D. This is a valid concern and warrants appropriate understanding, if you follow the recommendations above and do not go outside of the 5000 iu's (12 + ages) per day limit then you will be fine. If you do not feel well after taking vitamin d seek help of your health provider, they will be able to test your appropriately and give accurate recommendations. If your in Birmingham visit one of our Archetype doctors. Book Now or call 205-803-1234.
-Dr. John Palmer
Your Birmingham Chiropractor
