Vitamin D3 — Is your deficiency leading you into the darkness?

Generation X grew up as a very milk heavy generation, as did the generations before us. Milk with dinner was a common sight on American dinner tables for decades. This was in-part due to the dairy industry pushing the narrative that ‘dairy builds strong bones,’ but is this the case? Research for years debunked this theory showing that, for various reasons, milk was not a way to strengthen bones, and could actually hinder our growing bodies. In 2016, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine sought to debunk these longtime industry myths. Then, as we crept up on the 1980s the new enemy became fat, and the fat-free movement was born. Whole milk was replaced with low-fat and and non-fat varieties and one of our main sources of vitamin D (whole milk), no matter how poor quality, had basically concluded.

Vitamin D is known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’ for very good reason; our bodies are generally quite capable of using the sun’s rays to convert vitamin D into usable forms in our bodies. Research shows that this is very beneficial to our wellbeing. Enter sunscreen: the years of our mothers and sisters slathering on baby oil and iodine while bathing in the sun for hours, burning to a crisp, came to a screeching halt when we finally realized that the sun could also be our enemy. From wrinkled skin to skin cancer we knew something had to give. Sun products that used to be mostly tanning oils suddenly lost much of their market-share. Chemical companies suddenly had a new market and a new mission — they developed products that could generate an SPF of 50 and subsequently people fearing aging and skin cancer started to use these products egregiously year around. What conventional wisdom failed to present is that we need the sun and the sun itself has cycles. There’s a reason that construction workers often don’t burn even when not using sunscreen, it’s because they are exposed to the sun throughout the year as the sun changes its position through the seasons. Indigenous peoples and even prairie dwelling anglo-peoples didn’t have sunscreen, and skin cancer wasn’t their main cause of death. How can this be? In short, the sun and it’s powerful ability to give you the vitamin D you need. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, “melanoma rates in the United States have been rising rapidly over the past 30 years — doubling from 1982 to 2011.” With the uptick in the use of sunscreen we have actually found and inverse correlation with skin cancer rates, though this may seem perplexing and counter-intuitive. The same academy tells its doctors to recommend constant use of sunscreen, yet the rates go up. So while we know that excessive sun exposure can lead to increased rates of skin cancer, it is entirely possible that not enough sun leads to the same and the reason is not enough vitamin D.

The science on sun exposure has been coming more into focus over the past several decades and another issue many humans are facing, especially those living in higher latitudes, is seasonal affective disorder or SAD. Suicide rates in the winter often fall only to tick up in the spring and summer. One theory that bears possibility is the idea that over the winter declining ‘sunshine vitamin’ stores from the previous summer lead to deficiencies into the spring and early summer, thus increasing the effects of SAD. This can result in despair for many, and possibly leads to increased suicide risk among those at risk. The fix? Perhaps a simple well-known hormone we call vitamin D3.

Forms of this vital nutrient are also important. Earlier I discussed whole milk containing vitamin D. In fact, we used to often call it ‘vitamin D milk” on the labels. Often fortified in full fat dairy it is actually derived from a plant based form of vitamin D2 or ergocalciferol. The type we need typically is vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol. D2 is the cheaper form and easier to manufacture. Until recently Vitamin D3 was most commonly harvested from the lanolin of sheep or fish meal derived — currently they have discovered ways to create D3 from things like mushrooms and even a fungal-algal complex lifeform called lichen. However to keep it simple, vitamin D2 must convert into the more usable D3 form, and then convert again in the body into 25-hydroxyvitamin-D [25(OH)D] through the activation of 25-hydroxylase enzymes. The less intervals the body must work to convert, the easier it is to raise the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D or calcifediol levels.

It has been postulated that florescent lighting can actually increase the how quickly serum levels of vitamin D are depleted from the body. A 2019 study of Amazonian parrots raised indoors under florescent lighting lacking ultraviolet B rays versus those typically raised outdoors showed ‘shared similarities’ with humans afflicted with autism in the form of feather destructive behavior. We know that over the last two decades at least, autism rates among children have increased from 1 in 150 in 2000 to approximately 1 in 68 today. There is some evidence that the hormone vitamin D could possibly play a role. In a 2014 study of children with autism, only 13.8% had adequate levels of vitamin D. We have yet to come to any definitive conclusion on the cause of this issue rising amongst children, but it certainly begs the question; are declining serum levels of this vital hormone perhaps causing a major amount of what ails us?

In 2014, at the age of 13 my eldest son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This is the type of diabetes where one loses the ability to produce the hormone insulin in the pancreas. They become immediately dependent on insulin for life. This autoimmune disorder along with others, has more recently been linked to low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin-D. I had been concerned about my son’s D levels for sometime before his diagnosis. I tried for years, to little avail to raise his levels to constantly adequate. I cannot help but think that this simple vitamin could have prevented his lifelong bane, but I try to not let my mind drift too far. Post diagnosis I was able to raise his levels and keep them up.

So, how do we correct these deficiencies? First, get some sun. Don’t be afraid to venture out into the world sans sunscreen on occasion. However, there is a caveat…for many, it’s tough to get enough of this vital hormone from sun alone. For people who are darker skinned it takes longer periods in the sun to take in enough of this hormone. Increased human migration has also added to these deficiencies. The fair skinned peoples in northern latitudes like Scandinavia can often get adequate sun exposure to convert vitamin D into suitable serum levels, but what happens when people move to these places when they have increased melanin? We know our climate is changing, this has lead to an increase of ‘climate refugees’ or people who are forced from their homelands because of a gradual or often sudden change in the climate; this coupled with more people also choosing to live throughout the world for their careers and adventures as expats can unintentionally lead to deficiencies. So what else can be done? Supplementation of vitamin D3 can be a wonderful way to get enough. The typical dose for vitamin D3 is 25–50iu/lb of bodyweight — this means that if you weigh 100lbs your minimum daily intake for vitamin D3 is 2500iu. I highly recommended that you discuss your levels with your doctor. There is a simple blood test that can be performed called the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test. This is an accurate way to test the serum blood levels of this hormone.

Of upmost importance is to realize that this hormone doesn’t like to work on its own. Earlier I mentioned my son and how difficult it was for me to raise his levels as a child. Unlike his mother, he has the ability to tan very well. But he also goes back to fair skin very quickly when not in the sun. The vitamin D3 I gave him as a child wasn’t enough to consistently raise his levels. Later I would find that other commonly deficient nutrients like magnesium and vitamin K2 were also necessary to keep him sufficient. When I added those to his regimen I was able to keep his levels up, and he has not since had any deficiency. At diagnosis and then 5 years post they do a test called the C-peptide. This basically measures the levels of insulin production in the pancreas. Typically, or so I was told by his endocrinologist, these levels decline over time. In the beginning type 1 diabetics go through something called the ‘honeymoon phase’ where they seem to shunt out the remaining insulin production and can, for a period, not even need insulin injections. His post 5 year C-peptide showed he was actually making more insulin than at diagnosis. I was already working on his D levels more closely when he was diagnosed. He never really went through this ‘honeymoon phase’ and his A1C, or the measurement of blood sugar levels over a 3 month period, remained fairly consistent regardless of diet. His endocrinologist was always perplexed by this and would tell me he should be studied. I would smirk and feel proud, this mama had it covered.

Never underestimate the power of knowledge. What if we could correct deficiencies in the body and return to homeostasis? Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to everything from autoimmune disorders to cancer, the research is extensive and highly visible online. I often refer to the amazing veterinarian Dr. Jan Pol of Michigan. On his show for Nat Geo they are regularly faced with a heifer having recently given birth when he’s called out by the farmer because the mother can’t stand. He arrives and quickly diagnoses the cow with calcium deficiency; he retrieves his big syringe, loads it up with a calcium solution, injects her, and within minutes she’s up and ready to care for her calf. He simply ends the deficiency. We often think in those terms with animals, but forget that humans too are animals. Maybe we just need to return to the simple? Food for thought…go get some sun!