Supplement Spotlight: Vitamin D

Yep, it's that time of the year again where the sun goes missing and cold/flu season are upon us.

Although Vitamin D has commonly been recognized for its immune-boosting power, it is also associated with improving sleep/mood, muscle maintenance, and even reducing systemic inflammation.

Even compromised gut function (Celiac/Crohn's, cholesterol lowering medications/other medications) can reduce the absorption of Vitamin D.

Remember, it's not what we eat, it's what we absorb.

Vitamin D deficiency also affects multiple hormones in the body---including thyroid, cortisol, and insulin. These hormones are key players in our metabolism.

Doctors can test for Vitamin D, but keep in mind their reference ranges are going to differ from those seeking optimal health. The Institute of Functional Medicine advises between 50-80ng/mL whereas most medical recommendations suggest as little as 30!

How do we boost Vitamin D?

Unfortunately, if we were in the sun, the sun only stays in our body for 24-48 hours. And our whole food sources provide us with very little vitamin D (eggs, canned salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc).

Therefore, taking Vitamin D as supplement is probably one of the most cost-effective things we can implement to boost our baseline health.

-Seek a Vitamin D3, not D2 as it is more bioavailable in its form -Incorporate Vitamin K2 as it works with D as a team. Think Michael Jordan and Pippen *Essentially, most adults can take 5000IU daily without experiencing adverse affects of high blood calcium.

Fun Fact: The periodic table recognizes "K" as potassium, which is a mineral/electrolyte, so yes Vitamin K and Potassium differ, although both are micronutrients. Channeling what's beyond the swimsuit...