Vitamin D – the energy and immunity booster

Many people find that they are lacking in some sort of vitamin from time to time but vitamin D is the most common vitamin deficiency and many don’t realise this. Vitamin D promotes healthy bones and bone strength as well as supports mental health. 

Vitamin D dissolves in fat and can be stored in the body for a long time. The body uses it like a hormone and produces it using cholesterol but if we are not getting enough sunlight this causes a deficiency. If you spend a lot of time working in an office, go to work before sun up and come home after sundown, spend the weekend crashed indoors or doing housework or live in a place that has a colder climate you may require a vitamin D supplement as your levels are too low.

There are a few different types of supplements available that you can use to bring your vitamin D levels back to normal. The two main types though are vitamin D3 which is found in animals such as fish and also in egg yolks. The second is vitamin D2, this is found in plants such as mushrooms. The body can convert both of these into calcitriol when exposed to the sun. If you don’t get enough sun though it can cause you a lot of issues.

These supplements are available in three different forms - capsules, chewable tablets or emulsified oil drops. Some studies have found though that the oil drops have an insufficient level of vitamin D.  Other research has found that the human body prefers the D3 vitamin over the vitamin D2. They found that the body will use up all the D3 before it will use the D2 showing that D3 supplements are more effective.

Why is it important

Do you get tired during the day? Do you wake up tired? Do you fall asleep in front of the TV after a day’s work? Even after a holiday are you still a bit washed out? It’s possible you have a vitamin D deficiency especially if you do not spend at least 15 minutes a day in the sun in the middle of the day? If you need an energy boost try taking a bottle of this and see how your energy levels improve each day. If they do then you are certainly D deficient even without the blood test. Vitamin D also raises your immunity so it’s a great vitamin to make sure you have enough of on a daily basis.

Things to think about

Before taking any vitamin D supplement you should take into consideration the following points:

·      Vitamin D and calcium supplements work well together when taken together and may have extra health benefits when it comes to blood pressure. Also, vitamin K2 can complement vitamin D when taken together, having health benefits when it comes to bone and heart issues.

·      If you suffer from health conditions such as multiple sclerosis a vitamin D supplement is not enough. You also need to spend time in the sun.
·      When taking some steroid medications, weight loss drugs and certain cholesterol-lowering drugs, you may find that these will stop the vitamin D supplements from being absorbed into the body properly.
·      Remember that vitamin D supplements should be taken daily with meals or food that contain fat to be effective.

When choosing your supplements it makes more sense to opt for the D3 supplement as this is the one that the body favours. The recommended dose is 1,000‑2,000iu (International Units) per day, but you should always check with your natural therapist who is specifically trained in this area to make sure what the right dosage is for you.