If You Want to Know How To Get Big Vitamin D Energy, Start with a No-Cost Health Assessment From Kyla!

February 28, 2024

One of the most important vitamins isn’t really a vitamin at all. We get most of our vitamins from the food that we eat. While Vitamin D can be found in eggs, fatty fish, and fortified foods like whole milk, most people get it courtesy of that giant ball of fire in the sky. That’s right, our own bodies produce Vitamin D whenever our skin is exposed to sunlight!

Unfortunately, our indoor, artificially-lit lifestyle limits sun exposure. Plus, while sunscreen is vital for preventing skin cancer (not to mention fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots), it reduces our absorption of this vital “vitamin.” In fact, proper application of sunscreen could reduce your body’s absorption of Vitamin D by as much as 90%. 

Chances are you’re not getting enough Vitamin D. Severe vitamin D deficiency affects some one billion people across the globe. In the U.S., over 40% of people have at least a moderate Vitamin D deficiency.  While there are many ways of learning if you’re deficient, low-cost at-home testing is not only convenient but can deliver the results you need when you want them. Because after all, you probably want to get an A in having enough D.

Severe Vitamin D Deficiency Is A Growing Problem

You might be surprised to learn that severe vitamin D deficiency is increasingly common in places like the U.S. For decades, in so-called First World countries, most people got plenty of vitamins and nutrients from the foods they ate. Today that often isn’t the case. 

In fact, many people at all income levels in the United States have severe vitamin D deficiency along with deficiencies in other essential nutrients and vitamins. That’s partly because many people get a significant percentage of their daily calories from ultra-processed food. Just as an orange has much more soluble fiber than orange juice, ultra processed food has far less nutritional value than whole, unprocessed food. In Brazil, one study suggested that, “The higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was inversely and significantly associated with the content of vitamins B12, vitamin D, vitamin E, niacin, pyridoxine, copper, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium and zinc.” In other words, the more ultra-processed food those Brazilians ate the more likely it was that they weren’t getting enough vitamins like D. If you’re wondering if something is “ultra-processed” look at the ingredients. If there are more than a handful and you have a hard time pronouncing many of them – then chances are the food is indeed ultra-processed.  

Even those who shun processed food may not be getting their recommended daily allowance. That’s partly because the “fresh” fruits and vegetables available at grocery stores have often traveled hundreds or even thousands of miles. During the journey, essential nutrients and vitamins plummet. In fact, vegetables and fruits that are frozen immediately after harvesting have more nutritional value than their well-traveled counterparts. Vegetarians and vegans also may not get enough iron or B-12, both of which are found in red meat. 

In the U.S., severe vitamin D deficiency is “still prevalent in the United States, especially in non-Hispanic black Americans, women, individuals aged 20–29, and during winter,” according to  a 2023 article in respected medical journal Frontiers in Nutrition. If you’re concerned about your own vitamin deficiencies, at-home testing may be the best solution. Kyla offers a primary care panel that will not only let you know if you have a severe vitamin D deficiency but also offers a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP),Lipid Panel, Cortisol Test, total testosterone and more for just $99! Even better, the test may be covered by your health insurance..

Diet and the Big D

It’s hard to get enough Vitamin D from food. You can find this essential vitamin in tuna fish. It’s also present in fatty fish –– think swordfish, salmon, and sardines. If you’ve been enjoying egg white omelets, you might want to start adding the yolk. It’s another great source of vitamin D! You can even get some D2 from UV-exposed mushrooms.

Most people aren’t fans of cod liver oil, another source. Vitamin D is quite high in whole milk –– something most people avoid in favor of skim. Fortunately, lower fat milks along with OJ and cereals are now fortified foods: D is added. Like whole milk, the other natural Vitamin D delivery system is increasingly shunned: sunshine.

There’s a chemical reaction whenever our skin is exposed to the sun. A steroid called 7-dehydrocholesterol is broken down by the UVB light –– the same light that can turn some complexions golden brown and others bright red. These tanning rays produce Vitamin D3. It’s almost like the way plants produce energy through photosynthesis. Besides sunscreen (particularly SPFs over 50), hats and long shirts, darker skin tones, living in places that are further from the equator and have longer winters, reduces your body’s natural production of Vitamin D. 

If Vitamin D were discovered today, it probably wouldn’t even be called a vitamin. Instead of being kicked off the vitamin list the way Pluto was kicked out of the solar system, the big D is safely included as an essential vitamin. That’s because its discovery in 1920 was an extraordinary breakthrough –– responsible for the reduction of some serious childhood diseases like rickets. D was joined by a dozen other vitamins discovered over 100 years ago, but since then according to a recent Harvard Health article, “scientists have defined vitamins as organic (carbon-containing) chemicals that must be obtained from dietary sources because they are not produced by the body’s tissues. Vitamins play a crucial role in our body’s metabolism, but only tiny amounts are needed to fill that role.Although vitamin D is firmly enshrined as one of the four fat-soluble vitamins, it is not technically a vitamin.” So, like those fortunates with a beachside bungalow on state land, Vitamin D was grandfathered in.

The Incredible Benefits of Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiencies have been definitively linked to brittle bones — a problem for everyone but in particular a dangerous issue for those over 65. Ironically, a simple glass of calcium and Vitamin D rich milk could go a long way toward helping you maintain bone health. Unfortunately, many are either dealing with lactose intolerance or have decided that dairy products are unhealthy. If you can stomach a glass of skim, it’s worth considering. 

That’s because Vitamin D “plays a critical role in maintaining bone mineralization by influencing calcium and phosphorus homeostasis,” notes the 2022 Frontiers in nutrition article. “Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is associated with an increased risk of rickets and osteomalacia. Evidence has shown that VDD is associated with extraskeletal conditions, such as infection, cancer, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disease. Recently, Pugach et al.  reported a strong association between vitamin D status and the mortality rate from COVID-19 in Europe. [That’s why} Vitamin D deficiency has become a global health issue, which is usually linked to insufficient exposure to sunlight…”

Although the discovery of Vitamin D and its introduction into fortified foods occurred over 100 years ago, rickets is once again on the rise in the United States. This can lead to growth delays and bow legs in children.

That’s not all. Less conclusive but still worth mentioning are studies suggesting a link between lack of severe Vitamin D deficiency and depression. Indeed, that emotional boost you feel after a sunny day’s stroll is at least partly connected to this incredible vitamin. Feeling your face heat up while sitting by an office window won’t help –– glass blocks absorption of Vitamin D. So does sunscreen, which also protects you from skin-cancer causing UVB rays. However, it’s important to note that skin cancers linked to sun exposure are amongst the most benign, survivable forms of the disease. Those deadly melanomas everyone is worried about are not connected to the sun and are linked instead to genetics. Indeed, they often form in places on the body that rarely see the sun.

If you don’t burn in sunlight, exposure for fifteen minutes without sunscreen can get your D levels to normal. Of course, those with fair complexions or a history of skin cancer should be careful. Regardless, you may want to discuss any increased sun exposure with your dermatologist. Of course the truth is that even the most conscientious sunscreen latherers usually miss a spot or two in “the real world.” Others only use it on their face –– not their necks, hands, or feet.

Getting Enough Vitamin D

So what’s the solution? If you’re an American reading this, you’ve probably thought, “there must be a pill I can take.” Indeed, studies have demonstrated that taking a Vitamin D supplement can help maintain bone health while reducing the risk of other diseases. 

If you’re already using supplements and want to leverage your vitamins’ life-extending attributes, then an important step is getting a data-driven, carefully curated

longevity plan. Kyla proudly specializes in crafting personalized anti-aging programs. Each one is individually formulated using advanced data analytics to understand how your body ages. By analyzing your individual health profile, we can design bespoke anti-aging strategies –– refining vitamin supplementation to an art. 

The fusion of targeted vitamins with high-tech analysis paves a journey in which you clearly know how to keep your body strong, your mind sharp, and your spirit vibrant for years to come. Wondering if vitamins and other supplements could unlock anti-aging possibilities for you? Get strategic with Kyla’s Anti-Aging Program and download the app today!

You’ll soon discover how our proprietary AI engine explores your health background, identifies risks, and generates actionable strategies – with the guidance of medical experts – to thoughtfully integrate science-backed supplements into your life, mapping out a unique journey to a longer, healthier future.

Unfortunately, there’s a problem here too. If you take more Vitamin C than your body needs, you will literally be flushing it down the toilet. Vitamin D is different. It’s fat soluble, meaning it’s stored in your body like that box of ten-year old granola bars you’re keeping in case there’s a hurricane or alien invasion. Take too much and you could endure everything from nausea to confusion, along with generalized pain and loss of appetite. So, the key is learning whether or not you have a severe vitamin D deficiency. That’s why getting an inexpensive, at-home test from a reliable partner like Kyla is such a good idea. 

Sources:

  1. Wacker, Matthias, and Michael F Holick. “Sunlight and Vitamin D: A global perspective for health.” Dermato-endocrinology vol. 5,1 (2013): 51-108. doi:10.4161/derm.24494 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3897598/#:~:text=Vitamin D is the sunshine,turn isomerizes into vitamin D3.
  2. “Holick MF. Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2004; 79:362-71 
  3. Cui, Aiyong et al. “Prevalence, trend, and predictor analyses of vitamin D deficiency in the US population, 2001-2018.” Frontiers in Nutrition vol. 9 965376. October 3, 2022.  doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.965376 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9573946/
  4. BjarnadottirAdda, MS, RDN (Iceland). “Seven Nutrient Deficiencies That Are Incredibly Common,” Healthline. June 23, 2023. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-common-nutrient-deficiencies
  5. Louzada, Maria Laura da Costa et al. “Impact of ultra-processed foods on micronutrient content in the Brazilian diet.” Revista de saude Publica vol. 49 (2015): 45. doi:10.1590/S0034-8910.2015049006211 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26270019/
  6. Lall, Ashley. “How Does the Nutritional Value of Fruits and Vegetables Change Over Time?” LiveStrong. December 21, 2023. https://www.livestrong.com/article/447449-how-do-fruits-and-vegetables-lose-their-nutrients-after-picking/#:~:text=Respiration,to the University of Missouri.
  7. Cui, Aiyong et al. “Prevalence, trend, and predictor analyses of vitamin D deficiency in the US population, 2001-2018.” Frontiers in Nutrition vol. 9 965376. October 3, 2022, doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.965376. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9573946/
  8. “The Nutrition Source: Vitamin D,” T.H. Chan, Harvard School of Public Health. March 2023. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/#:~:text=It is a fat-soluble,control infections and reduce inflammation
  9. “Vitamin D and your Health: Breaking old rules, raising new hopes,” Harvard Health Publishing (Harvard Medical School). September 13, 2021.https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/vitamin-d-and-your-health-breaking-old-rules-raising-new-hopes
  10. Ibid. Cui, Aiyong et al. “Prevalence, trend, and predictor analyses of vitamin D deficiency in the US population, 2001-2018.” Frontiers in nutrition vol. 9 965376. 3 Oct. 2022, doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.965376 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9573946/
  11. Thacher, Tom D et al. “Increasing incidence of nutritional rickets: a population-based study in Olmsted County, Minnesota.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings vol. 88,2 (2013): 176-83. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2012.10.018 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3612965/#:~:text=Insufficient dietary calcium is a,rickets in the United States.&text=The combined interaction of suboptimal,that results in nutritional rickets.
  12. Menon, Vikas et al. “Vitamin D and Depression: A Critical Appraisal of the Evidence and Future Directions.” Indian journal of psychological medicinevol. 42,1 11-21. 6 Jan. 2020, doi:10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_160_19https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6970300/
  13. “Types of Skin Cancer,” Mount Sinai. https://www.mountsinai.org/locations/waldman-melanoma-center/what-is#:~:text=Basal%20cell%20and%20squamous%20cell,being%20careful%20about%20sun%20exposure.
  14. “Vitamin D Fact Sheet,” National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
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