Vitamin D is essential to support a healthy body, but most people are low in vitamin D.
The RDAs for vitamin D are 600 IU. These RDAs are based on preventing bone loss. However, vitamin D has many other functions that go way beyond bone health.
I believe the average person should have around 10,000 IU of vitamin D daily. This could be a good maintenance dose, but if you have certain conditions, you may need more.
It’s nearly impossible to get the amount of vitamin D you need from your diet alone. You have to be largely dependent on the sun for vitamin D.
Factors that can negatively affect vitamin D absorption:
• Low stomach pH
• Gut inflammation
• Kidney problems
• Liver problems
• Bile deficiency
• Insulin resistance
• Polymorphism
• Obesity
• Gastric bypass surgery
• Low diversity of microbes
• High stress
• A low-fat diet
• Certain medications
• Inability to swallow large capsules
• Darker skin types
• Age
• Living further from the equator
• The winter months
• Low magnesium, zinc, or K2
• Not spending enough time outdoors
The best ways to boost vitamin D:
1. Get one hour of sun per day [if sun angle is above 45°]
2. Take vitamin D with fat or a meal that contains enough magnesium and zinc
3. Do keto and intermittent fasting
4. Consume more fatty fish or cod liver oil
5. Take vitamin D in liquid form
6. Consume more vitamin D (if a genetic factor is preventing absorption)
7. Increase your bile