The Healing Benefits of Vitamin D
Although it’s not first alphabetically, we’ll discuss vitamin D first because it is probably the single most wide-spread nutritional deficiency. This is ironic because it’s a vitamin the body can manufacture for itself. Vitamin D is made from cholesterol when your skin is exposed to UV radiation.
This is why vitamin D levels tend to be naturally lower in the dark days of winter, but even discounting that, many people just don’t spend as much time outdoors as they used to do. When they are out in the sun, they often block UV radiation with sunscreen, which also inhibits vitamin D production. People with darker skin tones also make less vitamin D than people with lighter skin tones.
Vitamin D Supplementation
Vitamin D comes in two forms. Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is found in some mushrooms and is the form typically added to milk and other foods. The more active form, Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is only found in animal foods, primarily in oily fish, fish liver oil, egg yolks, and liver.
The RDA for vitamin D is 600 IU or 15 micrograms, but this is often not enough to keep blood levels of vitamin D in an adequate range for most people. For optimal health, young children need about 2,000-3,000 IU daily, and teenagers and adults typically need about 4000 IU daily. If you’re not sure if you’re getting enough vitamin D3, you can actually get your levels tested. The scientific literature indicates that a blood level of 35-45 mg/ml is the ideal range for most people. If your levels are below this, you should supplement just for basic health.
Vitamin D3 can be a helpful addition to programs for overcoming many different health problems, primarily involving bones and teeth, the immune system, and circulation. It can also be helpful for mood and skin issues. Here are some specific ailments that indicate a need for vitamin D3.
Healing Bones and Teeth with Vitamin D3
Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption from the intestinal tract and helps maintain adequate levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. In turn, this enables the mineralization of bones and teeth.
Anyone who has osteoporosis, teeth that decay easily, or other problems involving weak bones and teeth should make sure they’re getting enough vitamin D3. To get the calcium into the bones and teeth, and ensure it doesn’t contribute to hardening of the arteries, use K2 along with D3. It may also be important to supplement with minerals.
Viral Infections and Autoimmune Disease
Vitamin D3 plays a critical role in preventing and overcoming viral infections, such as colds and flu. Lower levels of vitamin D3 in the winter months correlate with the cold and flu season, so most people would benefit from supplementing with vitamin D3 from October through March. Adequate levels of vitamin D3 help with both preventing and recovering from COVID-191
Other specific infections where taking vitamin D3 may aid in recovery include mumps, Lyme disease, pertussis, staph infections, tuberculosis, and typhoid. Vitamin D3 also acts as an immune modulator, helping to calm immune reactions in some autoimmune diseases. For example, it may be a useful addition to nutritional protocols for treating ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.
Additional Therapeutic Uses for Vitamin D
Heart attacks increase during the winter months when vitamin D3 levels are lower, suggesting vitamin D3 may play a role in preventing heart disease. Along with other fat-soluble vitamins like E and K2, it helps maintain the health of the arterial linings, preventing hardening of the arteries and helping to maintain normal blood pressure. If you’re concerned about blood pressure or heart health, vitamin D3 should probably be part of your program.
If you get depressed during the winter or when it’s always cloudy or raining, you may find vitamin D3 helpful as well. Low levels contribute to Seasonal Affective Disorder, a form of depression brought on by lack of exposure to sunlight.
Vitamin D3 helps protect brain and nervous tissue as well. And, it may be helpful if a person has mental illness such as schizophrenia, autism, or Tourette’s. It can also be helpful for peripheral neuropathy. Other conditions where vitamin D3 may be called for include diabetes, adrenal fatigue, and skin problems like acne, rosacea, and psoriasis.