Dr. Berg’s Healthy Keto and Intermittent Fasting Podcast

This Can Be DEADLY!

Sep 28, 2024

09:06

Snipd AI

Uncover the real story behind vitamin D and its crucial role in overall health. Learn why typical blood levels aren't reliable indicators of cellular vitamin D. Discover the barriers that can inhibit vitamin D absorption, from air pollution to aging. Find out why the current recommended doses may not be enough for optimal health and how a healthy individual might need significantly more. Don’t miss insights from expert Bruce Hollis on how your body truly craves this essential nutrient!

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Quick takeaways

Vitamin D is essential for over 2,500 bodily functions, and many may require 10,000 IU per day for optimal health.

Absorption of vitamin D can be significantly hindered by factors such as genetics, lifestyle, gut health, and geographic location.

Deep dives

Understanding Vitamin D's Role

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in many bodily functions, influencing over 2,500 different genes, far more than any other nutrient. The common recommendation to keep vitamin D intake below 4,000 IUs often overlooks the necessity for higher therapeutic dosages needed to address significant health issues. There is significant variability in the accepted blood levels of vitamin D, with some practitioners suggesting levels as low as 20 to 30 nanograms per milliliter for sufficiency, while others advocate for levels up to 150 nanograms per milliliter. This inconsistency highlights the lack of comprehensive understanding in the medical community regarding vitamin D's health benefits beyond calcium absorption, particularly its immune and overall systemic functions.

Understanding Vitamin D: Misconceptions and Importance

9min

Today, we’re going to talk about the most important vitamin: vitamin D! There is a lot of misinformation about vitamin D.

Vitamin D blood levels are not very well correlated with the vitamin D inside your cells. It’s also virtually impossible to get enough vitamin D from food.

There are 2 different systems for vitamin D: one for calcium and bone and one for all the non-calcium functions of vitamin D, including the immune system, prostate, skin, gut, brain, and muscles. Hardly any of the vitamin D in your blood goes into this second system!

Most research on vitamin D involves the calcium system of vitamin D and only 600 to 800 IU. This amount may be sufficient for bone health but not for the other functions of vitamin D.

Barriers to vitamin D absorption that can lead to low vitamin D include the following:

•Air pollution

•Sunscreen/Avoiding the sun

•Gut inflammation

•Magnesium deficiency

•Genetics

•Latitude/Altitude/Season

•Aging

•Insulin resistance

•Low cholesterol

•No gallbladder

A healthy person needs around 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 each day. If you have health concerns, you may need more.