5 Myths About Vitamin D To Stop Believing ASAP
For such a vital nutrient, there's no shortage of misinformation about vitamin D out there. Seeing as vitamin D deficiency affects 29% of the U.S. population1 (with 41% being insufficient), we believe it's time to set the record straight—once and for all. Here are five myths about vitamin D we've busted so far:
Myth 1: We can get enough vitamin D from food & sunshine
Although vitamin D is known as the "sunshine vitamin," it's simply not possible to get all the vitamin D we need from sunlight while following safe sun exposure practices.
While our skin is able to ultimately convert a limited range of the sun's UVB rays into vitamin D3 (so cool), there are many factors that affect this process—such as geographical location, season, UV index, climate, pollution, skin tone, and even age. And that's not even considering how little time we spend outside as a modern society.
So if we're working an office job and spending most of our time indoors, we should increase the number of vitamin-D-rich foods in our diet, right? In most situations, this is a very logical and effective approach to filling nutrient gaps—but vitamin D sufficiency isn't so easily achieved.
Unfortunately, even the foods richest in vitamin D don't provide high enough quantities to meet our daily needs.
For example, Trout is the richest food source of vitamin D available and only provides 645 IU of D per 3-ounce serving. Each day, you'd need to eat approximately 23 ounces of trout, 7 cups of irradiated (UV-treated) mushrooms, or 125 slices of cheese to meet 5,000 IU of vitamin D—a dose level tied to vitamin D sufficiency in adults with a normal BMI.
Even milk, one of the most famous and talked about "rich" sources of vitamin D, only delivers 100 IU of the nutrient per cup (because it's added via fortification).
The fact is this: It's just not realistic to get enough vitamin D from food and sunshine alone.
Myth 2: Vitamin D levels above 30 ng/ml = sufficiency
If you've ever gotten your 25(OH)D blood level tested (the most accurate way to measure your vitamin D status), then you've probably seen these ranges of numbers before:
- Anything below 20 ng/ml is considered vitamin D deficiency
- 20 ng/ml to 30 ng/ml is considered vitamin D insufficiency
- Anything above 30 ng/ml is considered "sufficient"
Clinically speaking, these ranges are the standard—and we have a few qualms with that. Trusted nutrition and health experts agree that we need levels at or above 50 ng/ml to provide the vitamin D our bodies need to optimally carry out physiological functions.
The fact is that 30 ng/ml is simply the cutoff for the threat of deficiency, not the number you want to aim for. Many health care providers take folks off of their vitamin D supplement once they reach 30 ng/ml.
The goal is, and always will be, achieving sufficient levels of vitamin D, and health experts agree: 50 ng/ml is the new gold standard.
Myth 3: 1,000 IU of daily vitamin D is enough to achieve sufficiency
While 1,000 IU of vitamin D a day might seem like a large quantity, if the goal is achieving and maintaining vitamin D sufficiency, this dose is sub-efficacious when compared to higher potency dosages like 5,000 IU and 10,000 IU. And if your current vitamin D status is below 30 ng/ml, a low dose like 1,000 IU simply isn't enough to get your levels above 30 ng/ml, much less in the winning range of around 50 ng/ml.
A high-potency vitamin D supplement of 5,000 IU per day is ideal for most people; or doubling up may be necessary, as individuals may require more or less depending on their unique biology, body composition, and health considerations.
Myth 4: Vitamin D toxicity is a tangible concern
While vitamin D toxicity (aka hypervitaminosis D) is possible, actually reaching toxic levels of vitamin D is a difficult thing to do. Let's bust this myth, shall we?
As you can see in this 2018 review published in Frontiers in Endocrinology2, the Institute of Medicine and the Endocrine Society have both concluded that 25(OH)D concentrations in our blood need to exceed 150 ng/ml to ignite a legitimate concern of vitamin D toxicity. That's three times higher than the goal for true sufficiency (and it would take some serious effort or an accident to get there)!
With how difficult it can be to reach 50 ng/ml—even at high-potency doses of vitamin D—you'd have to actively attempt to reach toxic levels of D in order to actually end up there.
Myth 5: All vitamin D supplements are created equal
If you haven't caught on by now, vitamin D supplementation at the proper dosage is vital to achieving vitamin D sufficiency.* It's not all about the IU, though—form and function play a massive role in how effective your vitamin D supplement can be.
When it comes to bioavailability, choose vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) over D2 (ergocalciferol) every time. The efficacy and stability of D3 simply can't be matched by D2. You may also want to consider the sustainability of your vitamin D3 source.
The takeaway
There's a lot of folklore out there about vitamin D. Figuring out best practices can be a little confusing when it comes to getting enough vitamin D, but a high-quality supplement—like mindbodygreen's vitamin D3 potency+—can help cover all the bases.
This D3 supplement delivers high-potency doses of vitamin D (5,000 IU, to be exact) from algae, with built-in fats (a trio of virgin olive, avocado, and flaxseed oils) for optimal bioavailability and absorption.* All that in just one gelcap per day.
