How much vitamin D should I be taking, Doc? If I charged a quarter for every time that question was asked, well, I wouldn't be here typing this blog right now. I would be on the beach soaking up that vitamin D, but I digress. The question is a good one, and often one that is minimized or avoided by the old, "just buy yourself a good over the counter supplement". If that answer worked, you wouldn't be here reading this blog.
Let's start at the beginning and answer which form of vitamin D you should be taking. Well, if you have ready any of my previous vitamin D discussions, you know I am a fan and so is the science for cholecalciferol, or vitamin D3. D3 comes from animal sources and in studies is shown to raise blood levels of vitamin D more efficiently, lessen bone turnover, and improve immune function better than D2.
Ok, so let's talk vitamin testing next. If you want to know where you stand you need to ask your doctor or provider to order a 25-hydroxy vitamin D level. Most lab ranges state low is below 30 ng/mL, and normal to be 30-50 ng/mL. This is very misleading as it makes it seem as though if you are 55, 60, or even 70 ng/mL you are too high. Really the 30-50 ng/mL is the minimally accepted levels to shoot for, that is if you like to set the bar low. I know if you are reading this blog though you like to set a higher bar for yourself and your health. Good for you!!
Truth is that science is showing 60-80 is optimal, and this range may shift upwards as a few studies even show more benefits into the low 100s for your vitamin D levels. 60-80 ng/mL can reduce risk of cancers including colorectal cancer, certain cardiovascular risks, and so this is where I really try to get most of my patients to live. Literature shows 125mg/mL is too high, so you can see there is room to work with.
General recommendations out there would say that 400iu(10mcg) of D3 is enough to obtain your "normal" levels, but various nutritional papers and studies show on average it takes 9,700iu (between 175mcg to 250mcg) of D3 daily to actually obtain the appropriate levels for people. This is why in my practice, I tend to place patients on DaVince ADK which has 5000iu(or 125mcg) of D3 daily as their baseline unless they are naturally rocking along in the 80s to begin with. If a patient comes in to me with a level less than 40mg, I start the ADK 10(10,000iu or 250mcg of D3) daily to boost their levels over 90 days and then reduce to the ADK (5,000 iu) daily maintenance when their labs reflect the appropriate response. Anecdotally, I can tell you I have only had 4-5 patients that I have ever had to reduce their dose of vitamin D3, and that is usually because they are taking 5,000-10,000iu in one supplement, but have two or three other supplements or multivitamins which also have some D3 in it. Again, this is why it's important to read labels and understand what you are taking.
Summing it all up, I like D3, but taking any vitamin D is better than none. If your levels are less than 40 ng/mL it is likely acceptable to be taking 10,000iu daily for 90 days or so and then maintain at 5,000iu going forward. Having labs to check your progress is key to knowing for sure you are taking adequate D3 for your goals, which as I state earlier, should be more like 60-80ng/mL. Hope this helps you find the proper amount of vitamin D for you. For direct access to my dispensary and more, sign up here.
Thanks,
The Supplement MD
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