- When we don’t get enough vitamin D, it impacts every area of our biology, because it affects the way our cells and genes function.
- Your body makes vitamin D when it’s exposed to sunlight. In fact, 80 to 100 percent of the vitamin D we need comes from the sun. The sun exposure that makes our skin a bit red (called 1 minimum erythemal dose) produces the equivalent of 10,000 to 25,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D in our bodies.
- The problem is that most of us aren’t exposed to enough sunlight.
- Plus, aging skin produces less vitamin D—the average 70 year-old person creates only 25 percent of the vitamin D that a 20 year-old does. Skin colour makes a difference, too. People with dark skin also produce less vitamin D.
- With all these causes of vitamin D deficiency, and how hard it is to get from diet alone, supplementing is so important. The right amount differs from person to person. From my own clinical experience and taking into account the latest research on vitamin D.
- The optimal range falls between 40-70 ng/mL.
*Do read the Disclaimer