How To Get The Right Vitamin D Levels (Vitamin D Part 2)
In the last article we talked about how powerful vitamin D's effects are for one's immunity and reduction of overall risk of death. We also explained we should aim for a level of 32-60ng/ml (80-150nmol/L). How can we achieve these levels?
It seems one meta-analysis may have the answer.
The meta-analysis looked at the levels of vitamin D supplementation in 36 studies (11,693 participants) and their effects on blood levels of vitamin D after a minimum of 3 months (1).
This research paper found that the dose of vitamin D needed (partly) depends on body weight; but even people with the same body weight can have very different responses to the same dose. They concluded that “doses of 1885, 2802 and 6235 IU per day are required for normal weight, overweight and obese individuals respectively to achieve natural vitamin D concentrations” (defined as a level of 23.2-68.4ng/ml).
The paper continues: “In conclusion, the large extent of variability in 25(OH)D concentrations makes an RDA (recommended daily allowance) for vitamin D neither desirable nor feasible.” (2)
So, the sad truth is that without testing one’s blood level, there is no way of knowing what dose of vitamin D will get you in the right range because the response can vary hugely (from 23.2-68.4ng/ml) even at the same weight. Both the minimum and maximum fall outside the range of optimal (mentioned at the start of the article). The dose of vitamin D should always be personalised.
However it is clear that supplementing with the amount that's suitable for normal weight people (1885 IU - equivalent to 47 micrograms) could be a good starting point for most people because it’s unlikely to give levels that are too high, according to the data that’s available.
The huge variability in response to vitamin D supplementation stems from multiple factors.
One of these factors is one’s boron intake.
Boron blocks the breakdown of vitamin D (3), thereby increasing vitamin D levels.
Giving boron increased vitamin D levels during winter by 20%. This means if your boron intake is higher, your vitamin D levels are going to be higher than someone with lower boron intake, even if you're both taking the same amount of vitamin D.
This is part of why we add boron to the ThinkPharm Formula, to help ensure a better response to the amount of vitamin D that we add. This reduces the chances that one’s blood levels do not reach 32ng/ml (80nmol/L) whilst also providing other benefits (read more about these benefits in our boron article).
We put 1560 units (39 micrograms) of vitamin D in the formula. We put a bit less than 1885 IU (47 micrograms) to take into account the fact that the boron in the formula will drive your vitamin D levels up higher.
As the meta-analysis suggests, if you are overweight, it may be worth adding 1000 units of vitamin D on top of what is in our formula. If you are obese, about 4000 units extra may be necessary.
We highly recommended to test one’s vitamin D levels with the help of their doctor or via private blood work sites like Medichecks, to help find the dose that is best for you. Especially if one is overweight or obese. (Please note we are not financially affiliated with Medichecks, it is simply a company that we personally use. There are also many other cheaper finger prick tests available on the market. Just search “vitamin D test” or “vitamin D finger prick test” and you can find plenty of options).
Why do we recommend testing? Guidelines from the NHS state “Routine monitoring of vitamin D levels is generally unnecessary for patients on long term maintenance vitamin D doses of up to 2000 IU/day” (4).
This means when you start taking more than 2000 units, you start entering potentially unsafe territory.
If you want to use blood testing to help guide your supplementation level, we suggest testing your blood levels 3 months after making a change to your average daily vitamin D dose.
The good thing about vitamin D is that what matters is your average dose over time. This means you can take 7 tablets of 2000 units all on a Sunday if you want, rather than taking 2000 units once a day. We don’t recommend dosing less frequently than once a week.
If you need to change your dose, don’t change your average daily dose by more than 1000 units. If you must, then test your levels more frequently.
Once you reach the blood level that you’re happy with, continue to take the dose that got you there and check levels the following month. This follow up test is important to ensure that this is a good maintenance dose that will keep your levels stable. Sometimes the dose is good for increasing your levels but may be too high to take long term.
Although this is initially a little expensive, once you are finished, you will know the level of vitamin D that you can take for a long period of time. Safely and effectively. It would then seem like a reasonable idea to test once a year to confirm one’s levels are staying where you want them to be. We believe the cost of testing pales in comparison to the cost of not having the right vitamin D levels.
It is also important to get enough zinc to reap the full benefits of vitamin D. You can read more about the synergy between zinc and vitamin D here. You can also read our zinc articles here.
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For more information about how taking the ThinkPharm Formula would improve your life check out our other articles about how it was designed.
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