Did you know that vitamin D is actually a prohormone that helps with gene transcription, blood pressure regulation, insulin secretion, bone health, and most importantly in the COVID-19 era…immunity? In a 2020 study out of Indonesia, those with deficient or insufficient vitamin D died at higher rates than those with normal levels from COVID-19. Want to check out the article?…here is the link:
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3585561
From a functional standpoint, vitamin D3 blood levels should definitely be above 30 ng/mL and most do best between 40-60 ng/mL. You can ask your healthcare provider for a blood test or even get a finger prick test sent right to your home to check your level.
Vitamin D is best synthesized by the human body by sunlight…so get outside and get some sun! Afraid of getting burned? Me too! Check out the app D-Minder so you know how much D you are getting and how long you can be outside before you start to burn…those with fair skin should use this time as a guideline and not an absolute as all skin types are different. Vitamin D can be found in some foods such as salmon, tuna, cod liver oil, mushrooms, egg yolks, and fortified foods (OJ, cereal, milk). Always contact your healthcare provider before supplementing, but if you do want to supplement, always choose vitamin D3, as it is best absorbed by the body. Since vitamin D3 is a fat soluble vitamin, which means it is stored in your fat cells, take it with a fat containing food (eggs, avocado, olive oil) to aid in absorption. Feel free to DM if you have any questions!