We Need To Talk About Vitamin D

Vitamin D is getting a lot of attention these days, and it is well deserved. Even Covid-19 appears to be diminished in individuals who have adequate Vitamin D levels (though evidence is slim). We’ve been told it may help deter a lot of other nasty conditions, including Cancer and issues involved with the healthy aging process.

And we know that as we age, bodily Vitamin D levels are reduced, so the supplement is often prescribed as a measure of preventative medicine in seniors. I’m taking it, and you may be too.

The fact is that many Americans; especially seniors, breast-fed infants and African Americans of all ages, need to consider taking a Vitamin D supplement. A thorough study published in the “Archives of Internal Medicine” (2009) reports that: Three-quarters of U.S. teens and adults are deficient in vitamin D…

Well, there are a few important things anyone taking Vitamin D needs to know. And believe me, these things ARE important — so listen up.

First, Vitamin D is really important in regulating our uptake and utilization of Calcium — an essential mineral to proper bone and muscle function. But what you may not know is that Vitamin D is really a HORMONE — and is somewhat mislabeled as a Vitamin. Just get your phone out right now and ask Google: “Is Vitamin D a hormone?” for verification.

So what exactly is a hormone? A hormone is a ‘signalling molecule,’ mostly produced by the various glands in our body, that are used to signal to distant organs to regulate physiological behavior. For example, Insulin is produced in the Pancreas to regulate the uptake and metabolism of sugars. And we all know what Testosterone and Estrogen, both hormones, do.

If you remember your teenage years, or you are a post-menopausal woman, you’ll know firsthand what just slight changes in your hormone levels can do to your body. Uh-huh. Hormones are powerful little molecules that literally signal our internal organs how to behave under a variety of circumstances. Cool, huh?

A couple of things about hormones, including Vitamin D, you need to know. According to Medical News Today: Hormonal imbalances occur when there is too much or too little of a hormone in the bloodstream. Because of their essential role in the body, even small hormonal imbalances can cause side effects throughout the body.

Thing is, when taking hormone supplements, one must pay close and regular attention to dosage to avoid creating imbalances — as you would with any medication. And one should also be on the lookout for any adverse effects. From my personal experience and my background as a registered nurse, I recommend starting any self-prescribed hormone supplement at the lowest dose possible — slowly increasing the dose until you achieve the desired outcome. If your health care professional advises you to take Vitamin D, make sure to get a precise dosage recommendation.

Most nutrition and endocrinology experts agree that humans require a daily dose of Vitamin D of between 200–800 International Units (IU). Recommendations are for 200 IU daily doses for children and young adults, 400 IU daily doses for exclusively breast-fed infants; moving up to higher dosage levels as one ages and for those groups at risk of deficiency (African Americans, pregnant women, menopausal women and seniors).

Why is this so important? Vitamin D is one of four, fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E and K), and is thus stored in fat and not flushed out of the body like water-soluble vitamins (all the rest, notably the B Complex and C vitamins). In other words, they build up in your system.

But wait a minute, doesn’t Vitamin D get absorbed into the body through exposure to the sun? Why yes, I’m glad you asked. Thing is, even a little sunscreen and boom, one’s absorption rate goes way down. So you have a choice to make: Skin cancer, or Vitamin D deficiency. And BTW, studies, like the one previously cited, show that the advent of better outdoor behaviors and personal skin protection have, in fact, caused Vitamin D levels to go down.

Second, some primary care providers, docs and nurse practitioners, are unaware (like many of us) that in addition to Vitamin D deficiency, there can also be problems with a Vitamin D overdose — namely toxicity that can manifest in unusual ways. There’s a lot of enthusiasm out there right now around Vitamin D. So let me be clear: it is possible to take too much Vitamin D, as it is a powerful hormone that can have significant negative consequences if taken in doses that are too high for you.

Another problem is America’s firmly held conviction that if something is good, more must be better. You can see this play out on pharmacy shelves everywhere. What this means is that the uniformed consumer is presented with an array of dosages to choose from, and very little context from which to make a studied decision. That’s why I’m writing this post.

I have a confession to make. In spite of my background in the health care delivery system and my years of paying attention, I somehow missed these facts until recently. And I’ve been taking way too much Vitamin D as a result. I’m embarrassed, but hey, there’s a lot to keep up with and it’s easy to overlook a detail like this if not vigilant.

So exactly what can happen if one takes too much Vitamin D? Let me introduce you to Deva Boone, MD, an endocrinologist who specializes in the parathyroid gland; and her patient Shannon, an otherwise healthy 38 year-old, who found out the hard way why an excess of Vitamin D can wreck havoc on the human body and brain.