Known as “the sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin necessary to support bone health, the immune system, and mental health. But there’s a catch: Roughly 50% of the population suffers from vitamin D insufficiency. “When your vitamin D level is normal, you feel normal,” says NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s clinical dietitian Rachel O’Connor, MS, RD, CSO, CDN. “But even though you may not feel a deficiency, it’s important to prevent one! When your vitamin D is at an appropriate level, you’re reducing your risk for loss of bone density and boosting your immune health.”
Below, we walk you through everything you need to know about vitamin D and how to get your levels in the proper place.
Why do we need vitamin D?
“Vitamin D helps enhance absorption of calcium and phosphorus and ensures that those minerals go where they should, like to our bones and teeth,” O’Connor says. “Along with calcium, vitamin D helps protect against the loss of bone mass. In addition to helping keep bones strong, it is also vital for immune system health and helping to reduce inflammation in the body.”
Vitamin D also plays an important role in your mental health, too. “Several studies have found links between low blood levels of vitamin D and an increased risk of depression. Vitamin D supplementation may have a positive impact on depression, but not necessarily on other mental health issues. Mental health is multifaceted, and unfortunately, a proper vitamin D level is not typically going to be the only factor at play.”
How to get vitamin D from food
Food is the easiest way to get vitamin D. Look for fish like salmon, rainbow trout, cod liver oil, and sardines, as well as dairy items like milk, yogurt, and cheese. There’s also fortified foods—i.e, foods that have vitamins added in during the production process—to help boost your levels. Orange juice and breakfast cereals are two common options with boosted vitamin D. “Vitamin D is one of the four fat-soluble vitamins (along with A, E, and K),” O’Connor advises. “Taking vitamin D with food, particularly a source of fat, will help with proper absorption.”
Sun exposure and vitamin D
Sun exposure is also a simple way to boost your levels because your body needs the sun to create its own vitamin D. “However, if you live in an area like the Northeast, you may not be able to spend consistent time in the sun throughout every season of the year,” warns O’Connor. Cue the seasonal affective disorder. “Additionally, one would ideally wear sunscreen when outdoors, which can also limit vitamin D obtained through the sun. So it’s a good idea to have your vitamin D level checked to ensure it is within a normal range and determine if you would also benefit from a supplement or not.”
How to pick a vitamin D supplement
There are many forms of vitamin D out there (the two main forms are D2 and D3), one of which comes from food and the other from the body’s exposure to safe amounts of sunlight. “I recommend looking for a vitamin D3 rather than D2,” O’Connor says. “D3 increases serum vitamin D levels more significantly and maintains these levels longer than D2. There’s really no need for most people to supplement with more than 600 to 800 IU per day, but if you are deficient and having a hard time getting your vitamin D level up to a normal range, it is safe to take up to 4000IU.”
The signs of a vitamin D deficiency
“Signs or symptoms of vitamin D deficiency aren’t very distinct,” O’Connor says. The only way to get an official answer on whether or not your vitamin D levels are too low is through a blood test, but the symptoms include fatigue, muscle pain, and general weakness. “A vitamin D deficiency increases the risk for bone fractures due to falls, particularly in elderly populations or in those with osteoporosis.”
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