What is Vitamin D & why do we need it? - by Dr Ceilidh Flanagan, ND

“Vitamin D is both a nutrient we eat and a hormone our bodies make. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that has long been known to help the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus; both are critical for building bone. Also, laboratory studies show that vitamin D can reduce cancer cell growth, help control infections and reduce inflammation” - https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/#:~:text=Vitamin%20D%20is,and%20reduce%20inflammation.

Vitamin D is used in many body processes. It is critical for not only bone health, but our immune function, cardiac and skeletal muscle function, production of other hormones, and our mood/mental health. Having optimal Vitamin D status can reduce risk of many diseases such as autoimmune conditions, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, reproductive disorders, and cancers.

Vitamin D is very important to consider if you are supplementing with Calcium, or have issues with low bone density. Without sufficient Vitamin D in the body, you will absorb no more than 10-15% of the calcium you are taking/eating! - Calcium and Vitamin D: Skeletal and Extraskeletal Health, Khazai N, et al, NIH Curr Rheumatology Rep. 2008

We often talk about Vitamin D closer to the winter months. Vitamin D can be created in our bodies from sun exposure, but in Canadian climate, and with the high prevalence of indoor work and lifestyles, people often are not getting enough naturally. Most people in Canada require Vitamin D supplementation to some degree, but this should be based on individuals’ lab values to ensure safe dosing.

If you’ve been taking Vitamin D, or are considering supplementing this season, make an appointment to speak to your Naturopath. This way you can make sure you’re not wasting your money, and will be taking the safest dose for the correct reasons!