Think You are Getting Enough Vitamin D - Look Again

Vitamin D needs other nutrients to make it effective in your body. Some ways to tell that your vitamin D supplementation has not been effective enough to raise your D level would be weight gain in the winter, body pain, fatigue, inflammation, difficulty sleeping, unable to cope with stress or an increase in anxiety.

What your body may be telling you by not rewarding you with a higher Vitamin D level test after test is that you are actually deficient in Magnesium. Magnesium is a very important component that aids in the uptake of Vitamin D just as Vitamin K1 and K2 have shown to be in recent years. Your doctor may say that your serum (blood work) magnesium level is fine, but it is not an accurate picture of your true magnesium level and most adults are considered deficient in this very important mineral.

So, what then is the protocol for supplementing Vitamin D in the body?

First, consider the form of magnesium you are taking. Did you know there are about 9 different types of magnesium available in supplement form? Not all magnesium types are the same though or produce the same results. Many adults have trouble taking magnesium in a supplement form due to the laxative effect that many forms can produce (like Oxide or Citrate). The highest bio-available form of magnesium with the lowest laxative effect is Magnesium Glycerophosphate.

What about the dosage amount? It is recommended that the daily amount of magnesium needed in the adult body is approximately 360mg. Considering that the kidneys are responsible for the processing of magnesium, it is understandable that as magnesium is absorbed through our nutrient intake it is also eliminated by the body leaving most with only about 100mg of magnesium in the body per day, which is not enough. Ideally, most adults thrive on an added 300-500mg in supplement form per day.

Even with the correct form and amount of magnesium in supplement form each day, your Vitamin D supplement may also not be sufficient. If you have tested frequently and you have not seen an improvement in your level going up (ideally 50-75ng) it could be the form of vitamin D supplement that you are taking. Most will take their supplement in capsule or pill form, but if your gut is unable to absorb nutrients correctly, you will get little from a supplement that needs its involvement to take in the vitamin. You may be better off with an emulsion supplement. Emulsions are actual oil-based drops that use your saliva as the uptake to your blood system bypassing your gut entirely. Making sure that you are taking a supplement with Vitamin K1 and K2 is also vitally important to your success in getting your vitamin D level in optimal range.

There is much more involved in the nuances of getting enough vitamin D and minerals into your body, but suffice to say that if you are tuned in to using quality products (not the ones off the shelf at Walmart), you will have the effect you are looking for in short order.

Need help finding the right combination for you? Contact me to get my recommendation on the right product for your success.