As a chiropractor practicing in Canada – Newmarket, Ontario to be exact, we live in the northern hemisphere where we are privileged to have 4 seasons.  Each are beautiful in their own way, but all of them do not allow us to be exposed to the most natural form of Vitamin D (the sun) on a daily basis for 10-15 minutes of direct exposure on our arms and legs.  We know that vitamin D is an essential nutrient that we require as humans for normal physiology and function, but without sun exposure daily, we become deficient.

Even consuming foods abundant in Vitamin D still hasn’t helped mitigate our society’s deficiency in this vitamin, as we were genetically designed to get our vitamin D from the sun.  So, if you live in Canada like me and work inside, you can assume you are likely deficient in vitamin D.   This deficiency creates a host of problems – inflammation (if you have pain, you need to be supplementing), depression, allergies, autism, osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, asthma, colds and flu, and many other problems!  There is no doubt based on current research and clinical evidence that we all need to supplement with vitamin D if our expectations are to be healthy, well, and vibrant.

There are a couple of barriers I encounter when discussing Vitamin D supplementation with patients:

• Most people assume they get enough vitamin D and do not need to supplement. Assume you are deficient or if you insist, get blood work to prove it.  Your serum 25 (OH) D level should be between 40-60 ng/ml. (Dosage: Adults-5000-8000 IUs/day; Children-1000 IUs/day/every 40 lbs.)

• People who supplement often do not know what they are taking and often use synthetic products that either do not work to raise their levels to a normal level or they are downright unhealthy for them.

I always tell my patients that I would rather them not supplement at all if they are going to choose a synthetic, cheap health-destroying supplement.  ALWAYS read the label of any supplement you put in your body.  For vitamin D specifically, if you want it naturally occurring you need to look where it is sourced – it should NOT be a synthetic process.  What is your vitamin D delivered in – a good or bad fat?  It should not be in a pill-form, but should be suspended in a high quality non-toxic liquid.  It should also have a high concentration of vitamin D per drop.

For my family and I, there is only one brand of vitamin D I will take – Innate Choice.  It is naturally occurring from lanolin (D3) and delivered in 100% certified organic olive oil (stay away from those suspended in canola oil).

If you know you are lacking in daily sunshine, be sure that your supplement is pure and readily absorb-able, your health depends on it.

Be Well,

 

 

 

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