The topic of Vitamin D is something that I have written about several times, but it is one that I feel is so important that it needs another look. Another reason for reviewing the topic is the use of vitamin D and optimal vitamin D levels being beneficial in the fight against not only Covid but other illnesses.

The best source of Vitamin D is our skin's exposure to the sun, specifically the UVB rays, which make Vitamin D in our skin. In western ND, we love the sun, but even on a 70-degree October day, the potency of the sun and its ability to work on our skin is minimal, and it will remain that way until the end of March.

It is easy to use the time between the autumnal and vernal equinox to make sure you are dosing your vitamin D. The dates would be about September 21 to 22nd thru March 20 to 21st. It is much easier to get sun in September than exposure in March, April, and May just due to the temperature.

Vitamin D levels define a deficiency as less than 20ng/ml, and insufficiency is less than 30ng/ml. An optimal vitamin D level (which is always the goal) is a challenge, as the reference range of some labs shows a level of 30-50ng/ml, with >50 listed as toxic. The "toxic" level is confusing for many patients because the literature references the optimal range is at 40-60ng/ml. I concur with that being the optimal level but even encourage levels up to 80ng/ml.

My son-in-law told me that he gets enough Vitamin D from the milk he drinks. He currently drinks about 20-24oz per day of whole milk. The average amount of Vitamin D in 8oz is about 100IU equaling about 300IU per day of vitamin D. As a father-in-law, I need to walk carefully around this conversation because I don't want to sound like a know-it-all but instead want to educate him, so I am sending him out a test to take to find out his current level. The results will be interesting, and I hope he falls in the 40-60 range because that is best to protect him.

What do you do if your results are low? In these winter months, I recommend 5000IU of Vitamin D + K2 daily but also encourage a person to check this level, not just in the winter but also in the summer. The cost to check it is relatively inexpensive at about $50/test. 

A recent study indicated that 1000IU of Vitamin D would raise your level by roughly 10ng/ml, something we tell our patients at the pharmacy. Food sources, like milk, provide minimal amounts of vitamin D unless you eat fresh rainbow trout or wild-caught salmon, which can provide between 400-600IU per 3 oz serving. I have explained in previous articles that our sun's potency lacks the strength to make the conversion in our skin for at least six months out of the year, so the need to supplement is evident during our winter months.

Why do I think Vitamin D is so important? The effectiveness of Vitamin D3 as an immune booster used preventatively for influenza and other respiratory viruses were first discovered in 2006. Even though this treatment is amazingly effective for preventing death, it has never been thoroughly investigated by the NIH, promoted by the CDC, or by the US government for the treatment of influenza. One major issue has been that uncontrolled dosing variables, the timing of dosing, and disease status have resulted in inconsistent clinical trial results. 

However, when Vitamin D3 is given prophylactically at sufficient doses, there is clear and compelling evidence that Vitamin D blood levels of around 50 ng/ml will substantially reduce symptomatic infection, severe disease, and mortality.

Regarding Covid, a 2021 study done in Mexico City on a group of about 300 front-line medical workers looked at Vitamin D supplementation and the incidence of Covid in this highly exposed group. They had a treatment group getting 4000IU of vitamin D and another group receiving a placebo. Covid infection rate was lower in the vitamin D group, 6.4%, and the placebo group, 24.5%. The study's results suggest that Vitamin D supplementation in highly exposed individuals prevents Covid infection without serious adverse events and regardless of Vitamin D status.

A 2021 study looked at deaths from Covid vs. Vitamin D status. It was an analysis of 8 separate studies looking at vitamin D status before or on the day of admission to the hospital. Data analysis showed a theoretical point of zero mortality at approximately 50ng/ml of vitamin D3. The conclusion showed strong evidence that low vitamin D3 levels are a predictor rather than a side effect of the infection, with the recommendation of raising serum 25(OH)D levels to above 50 ng/ml to prevent or mitigate new outbreaks due to escape mutations or to decrease antibody activity.

I can’t think of 3 better reasons to supplement with Vitamin D and have your blood tested, shooting for a level of 50 ng/ml. We need Vitamin D at the latitude we live, and you need to test your vitamin D level, find out where you are, and supplement accordingly to achieve that optimal level. Keep in mind that supplementation is going to look different for each individual. The bottom line is "know your level."

Please stop in or call the pharmacy for help with testing or selecting an appropriate vitamin D product. Please visit my website at www.irsfeldpharmacy.com to find this and other archived articles in the blog section. Until next time, be vigilant about your health!