@Agetron Lucky man. I walked in 45F (9am) sunshine and then 60F windy sunshine (3pm) yesterday. I got exposure on my legs and face only for about 1.75 hours. Today will be better I’m told.
I think my current Vit D level of 38 is fine as far as Vit D goes. I need more full spectrum sunshine. Taking more Vit D supplements to get higher Vit D is not be the right move for me. I need to get more sunshine or at least get outdoors more despite cold or rainy weather. It’s my own fault so I’ll fix it. Come on Summer!
First - Stanfield is really great - I often send patients his videos for certain content areas as he is spot on.
He could be right, he could be wrong on this. The problem with the data he is utilizing to support his approach, is that only the supplement amount rather than the blood level is known (in most cases, including every study the endocrine society sources).
If you don’t measure, you have garbage in garbage out.
Target D showed that the US RDA for those deficient was not very effective - actually I think almost 50% of people required 5000 IU (not the 800 IU RDA) and 13% of people required>10000 IU daily to achieve a therapeutic level.
So until we have studies looking at blood levels in those in these studies, I think we have no basis for conclusion. We certainly know low blood levels are associated with bad health outcomes in multiple domains. Until we have data showing that those who have higher blood levels due to supplements rather than sun exposure, have the same bad health outcomes as others with low levels of Vitamin D without supplementation, I don’t think we have no basis to claim that Vitamin D doesn’t at least have some causative relationship.
We might get there once we have the appropriate data.
I’ll have to disagree with Dr. Stanfield on this one - I don’t think we have absolute evidence for supplementation, but I also don’t think we have evidence to support not normalizing and measuring Vitamin D.
I’d also point out with the osteoporosis/fracture stuff - all of my patients are on Vitamin K2 MK7 also 200 mcg or more daily. It’s concerning with the findings on this - but we need to know the outcomes when taking a reasonably evidence based approach of K2 with Vitamin D are.
I did an experiment recently when my vitamin D levels went below 90 UK units which is 36 USA units. I found I started niggly little aches. So I drove my 25OHD up to about 230 (which is over 80 USA units) and the niggly little aches went away - not immediately, but over a period of about a week.
That in SI is around 187.5. That is easily in the sufficient range. It is hard to get that high without 25OHD. It is not “too high”, but it is well above minimum levels.
Sperti sunlamps (UVB skin-synthesized vitamin D) are on sale now, don’t know how long. (I have one, use it regularly, and can feel the difference (in addition to oral supplementation, which not everyone can convert.))
Vitamin D a lot more important to slowing biological aging by protecting telomeres and preserve telomere length.
Benefits of vitamin D in reducing inflammation and lowering risks of selected chronic diseases of aging, such as advanced cancer and autoimmune disease.
Taking vitamin D2 might lower the body’s levels of the more efficient form of vitamin D, vitamin D3, according to new research from the University of Surrey, John Innes Centre and Quadram Institute Bioscience. Many people take vitamin D supplements to support their bone and immune health and meet the UK government recommendation of 10 micrograms (µg) each day, especially during the winter months.
There are two forms of vitamin D supplements available: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Researchers have found that taking vitamin D2 supplements can lead to a drop in the body’s concentration of vitamin D3, which is the form our bodies naturally produce from sunlight and use most effectively to raise overall vitamin D levels.
