I have yet to have a client get tested for this one nutrient and have adequate levels! The scary thing is it is responsible for so many important factors, including the health of your bones and teeth, your immune system, your hormones, your brain and nervous system, your lung function, and even cancer development, not to mention your happiness!

What am I talking about?

Vitamin D: the sunshine vitamin!

Testing For Vitamin D Levels

This is a test you can have run at your medical doctor, but you will have to ask, and may have to pay for it yourself. Like with all blood-work, I highly recommend you get a copy of your results because the ‘acceptable’ range is significantly more than what I would say is ‘optimal’. Just like I talk about here with my iron levels, if your result comes back within the normal range, it will never raise a red flag – even if you are at the VERY bottom of the range.

Optimal Levels

For example, the normal range on your lab work is 50-150 nmol/L, however according to the Grassroots Health (A Consortium of Scientists, Institutions and Individuals Committed to Solving the Worldwide Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic.), the optimal range is actually 100-150nmol/L.

At first look, the below chart is confusing, but what you can see is what the optimal levels of Vitamin D are to prevent certain diseases.

Ideally, you get 20-30 minutes outside with sun directly on your skin, but of course, depending where you live, this might not be possible during certain months of the year.

Not All Vitamin D Supplements Are Created Equal

There are two types of Vitamin D supplements: Vitamin D2 and D3. D2 is the synthetic Vitamin D and is the type you find in food products with fortified Vitamin D. On the other hand, Vitamin D3 is the biologically active form of Vitamin D and is 300% more effective than D2*.

Moreover, you can buy D3 in liquid or tablet form. The liquid is more absorbable.

Finally, I recommend you combine D3 with Vitamin K2 because this lowers the risk of depositing calcium in arteries and soft tissue and helps with absorption of calcium in the bones.

Bottom line: Get Vitamin D3 in liquid form, with K2.

You can find my favourite Vitamin D3+K2 by Thorne Research here.

How Much To Take

How much to take depends on what your levels are, but I can say that often 1,000 iU daily is not enough and in some cases I recommend you do a three week period at a higher level (like 5,000 iU) and then reduce back down. Everyone is different, and you should speak to a natural health care practitioner.