Here comes the sun

This month’s newsletter is brought to you by the letter D. Vitamin D. Is it the fountain of youth? a must have supplement to stay healthy? how much should you take? can you take too much? which kind? D2?D3?

It’s finally summer, so let’s unpack and soak up some information I hope you will find helpful about the “sunshine vitamin”

Though memorial day is the unofficial start to summer, June boasts summer’s official start date (June 21st) and with it, all things sunshiny and bright. I get a lot of questions about the “sunshine vitamin”. Patients want to know about whether or not a daily supplement is necessary, how much they should be taking, as well as what formulation and what strength is best. Many patients come to me on a vitamin D supplement and they aren’t entirely sure why.

Vitamin D is a non-essential fat soluble vitamin—but did you also know that its technically a hormone? Your body can synthesize vitamin D (that’s why it’s “non-essential”), and it is absorbed along with fats that you eat and then stored in your fat tissue and the liver. It is also made in your body. Your skin contains lipo-proteins that once exposed to UVB rays from the sun, is converted by your body into vitamin D. For most of the population, Vitamin D is recognized for its importance in bone health. It has long been understood that it is necessary to help our bodies absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus, both of which, our body needs to build and maintain healthy bones. The Covid-19 pandemic, however, brought it center stage in the public health arena as a major player in our immunity and overall health. Truthfully for the past 15 years, Vitamin D has enjoyed a “glow up” in the scientific community. Once it was brought to light that almost all of our body’s tissue cells have vitamin D receptors on them, research began on how vitamin D affects more than just our bone health and immunity. The literature expanded to examine its role in geriatric, cardiovascular and mental health, cancer, multiple sclerosis, obesity and diabetes.

Eat Better: Food vs. Supplements

If you are looking for natural food sources of vitamin D, look first

to the sea. Cod liver oil, salmon, swordfish, tuna fish, mackerel ‘

and sardines are excellent sources of vitamin D. Eggs, and fortified dairy (yogurt, milk and cheese) will also provide you with some Vitamin D. It’s fine to supplement with vitamin D, but what you don’t need are excessively large doses. Taking excessively large doses of vitamin D per day (over 4000IU) can cause your body to hold onto too much calcium and this can cause weakness, muscle spasms and interfere with your heart’s conduction. Research shows that Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the best. 600-1000IU per dose, no more than twice daily is fine for most of us. Taking multiple fat soluble vitamins at once can decrease your body’s absorption of them individually, so skip the multi-vitamin, unless you’ve been directed otherwise by your doctor. Vitamins A, D, E and K are your fat soluble vitamins and they do not all absorb equally at the same time.

Move Better

Exercise has been linked to vitamin D availability.  The research isn’t clear as to the mechanism, but what it does show is that those with better endurance and musculoskeletal health, have higher levels of vitamin D.  The primary mechanism through which we thought exercise increases vitamin D is through sun exposure, however studies have shown that both outdoor and indoor activity seem to have a positive effect on your vitamin D levels.  A parallel could be drawn between reduced body fat storage and exercise—when you exercise, your body fat percentage decreases, thereby making vitamin D more bioavailable instead of being held in fat cells. There has even been a study that showed increased exercise capacity and increased cardiovascular health were linked to elevated serum vitamin D. Bottom line: we’ve talked about it before, exercise is good for your physical and mental health. It doesn’t need to be intense, even 20-40 minutes of walking per day is beneficial. If you can, get 20 minutes of that time outside, you will reap the benefits of the sunlight and help your body synthesize more vitamin D. What’s even better? Getting that walk in first thing in the morning. Exposure to morning sunlight (between 8am and 10am) improves sleep, mood and energy, and the sun’s rays aren’t as strong as they are later in the day.

Feel Better

Studies have shown that vitamin D can significantly improve depression symptoms across the age spectrum. In children it has proven helpful with mood and ADHD symptoms and in the PCOS community (polycystic ovarian syndrome), it has been shown to decrease depression symptoms as well as decrease testosterone and unwanted hair growth. Literature reviews are showing that co-supplementation of vitamin D along with probiotics improves mental health, increases insulin sensitivity, decreases cholesterol, and decreases inflammation.

How do you know if you need a vitamin D supplement? Vitamin D levels are easy to evaluate. It is a blood test, usually covered by your insurance, or generally around $25-$30 cash. The most common symptoms for low Vitamin D that we see in clinic include fatigue, poor mood, decreased energy, sleep disturbance, generalized body aches and sometimes hair loss and getting sick often/easily. If you’re worried about your vitamin D, ask about it at your next appointment. If you’re supplementing, remember, you don’t need extremely high doses and D3 is best. Can you get enough vitamin D through sunlight alone? Possibly, but we generally recommend against this, as prolonged exposure to UVB light from the sun, increases your risk of skin cancer. Moderation is the key. Wear sunscreen, get 10-20 minutes per day outside with some sun exposure on your hands, arms or legs, incorporate fatty fish into your diet and get in daily exercise. Your body and mind will thank you.

Is your skin summer ready?

THIS RIGHT HERE. This body scrub is a non-negotiable for me personally. It’s exfoliating, hydrating and smells amazing. It keeps your skin smooth with an invigorating sugar scrub, and gives it a summer glow all year with moisturizing all natural oils. It’s our best seller, hands down.