You’ve heard you should be supplementing with vitamin D. Am I right?

While getting your nutrients from food is always the goal, supplements can be a great support. Especially when there’s a risk of or known deficiency.

And chances are high that you would benefit from vitamin D supplementation. Here’s why you might need it …

What You Need to Know About Vitamin D

It’s hard to get enough from food

Unless you eat a lot of fatty fish, it’s actually quite hard to get enough vitamin D from food alone. And depending on where you live, you may not be getting enough from sunshine either.

You can definitely focus on eating foods high in vitamin D and getting outside. But supplementation is often necessary in at least the Fall and Winter months.

Most people are deficient in it

In fact, you’re probably deficient in it too. You may have an office job or don’t get enough exposure to sunshine. Or maybe you struggle with poor gut health – and all contribute to vitamin D deficiencies.

The good news is that it’s easy and cheap to get tested. Knowing your levels is best to understand the correct dose to address the deficiency.

When supplementing, be sure to choose D3 (cholecalciferol) over D2 (ergocalciferol). It’s best at raising your blood levels of calciferol. You’ll need around 400IU daily, possibly more depending on your test results.

It’s actually an immune-boosting hormone

Contrary to its name, vitamin D is actually a hormone. It’s a chemical messenger required for the absorption of calcium from the gut into the bloodstream.

It’s also important for a healthy immune system. In fact, a recent study was just published on the role of vitamin D in preventing COVID-19.

But what does this have to do with gut health? Vitamin D works within the gut for calcium absorption and immune health. A deficiency also impacts the gut-bacteria balance and can lead to poor gut health. Having enough vitamin D is very important for a healthy digestion.