Is there an Optimal Daily Dose of Vitamin D for Immune Function?

This short, educational video features Dr. Roger Seheult and Dr. Rhonda Patrick as they discuss how to assess vitamin D requirements for immune function and its toxicity potential.

Vitamin D for Immune Function – How much to take, and what is too much?

Here is a quick summary of what this video discusses, along with additional information and details from GrassrootsHealth:

  • There are several forms of vitamin D. 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25(OH)D, is the form that is measured in the blood to determine a person’s vitamin D status. While it is fat soluble, the ratio of vitamin D in the blood vs fat remains constant.
  • Levels below 50 ng/ml (125 nmol/L) have been linked to increase in SARS-CoV2 positivity rate. A meta-analysis on vitamin D and COVID-19 also illustrated the effect of vitamin D on the risk of infection, severity, and death due to COVID-19.
  • Levels associated with improved immune function and decreased risk of infection are much higher than the suggested sufficiency cut-off level of 20 ng/ml (50 nmol/L) set by the IOM (Institute of Medicine, now the National Academy of Medicine) based on bone health
  • In this video, Dr. Keith Baggerly discusses the math and science used to determine the current recommended vitamin D serum levels and supplementation amounts, and where the IOM got it wrong. The mistakes in calculation led to recommendations that are way too low for public health, leading to widespread vitamin D deficiency even among those receiving medical care and attention.
  • A meta-analysis of 32 studies published in 2014 by Garland et al. showed that levels below 30 ng/ml (75 nmol/L) were associated with a higher risk of death from all causes while levels between 40-70 ng/ml (100-175 nmol/L) had the lowest all-cause mortality

And then there’s how to achieve those levels…

  • Vitamin D is most likely the least toxic fat-soluble vitamin. According to a Mayo Clinic publication involving data from over 20,000 people – “There is enough evidence that vitamin D toxicity is one of the rarest medical conditions and is typically due to intentional or inadvertent intake of extremely high doses of vitamin D (usually in the range of >50,000 – 100,000 IU/day for months to years) without monitoring for hypercalcemia.”
  • Another study by McCullough et al. showed no adverse events related to vitamin D supplementation and no cases of vitamin D induced hypercalcemia with doses of up to 50,000 IU per day
  • The vitamin D level responds differently to supplementation with different starting levels, intakes, and other various factors. It is vital to test and re-test to make sure that the daily dose or vitamin D routine is achieving and maintaining the desired target vitamin D level.

Is there an optimal daily dose of vitamin D for immune function? | Roger Seheult

Mar 5, 2021

Vitamin D’s recommended daily allowance was established based on its role in bone metabolism. It remains unknown whether these levels are sufficient for optimal immunological functioning. A large meta-analysis of 32 studies, spanning nearly 50 years, suggests that 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels below 30 ng/mL are associated with a higher risk of death from all causes. In the context of COVID-19, a large associative study suggested that lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D are strongly associated with higher SARS-CoV-2 test positivity rates. In this clip, Dr. Roger Seheult and Dr. Rhonda Patrick discuss how to assess vitamin D requirements and its toxicity potential.
This clip was taken from the FoundMyFitness interview with Roger Seheult found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxMEY…