How to Increase Your Vitamin D Levels

Over recent years, much has been written about the importance of vitamin D and maintaining sufficient levels.

There are many good reasons to make sure you are getting enough vitamin D. Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency is surprisingly common.

One way to know where you stand is to have your vitamin D levels checked with a simple blood test. This can give you a useful starting point for discussing your levels with a healthcare professional.

With summer arriving in the Northern Hemisphere, many of us naturally spend more time outdoors. Sunlight plays an important role in helping the body produce vitamin D, although how much you make can vary considerably from person to person.

Who Is More at Risk of Vitamin D Deficiency?

Vitamin D levels can be influenced by where you live, the season, how much time you spend outdoors, your age, skin pigmentation, clothing and other individual factors.

Older adults may be particularly vulnerable because the skin becomes less efficient at producing vitamin D with age, while people with darker skin generally require more sun exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D as those with lighter skin.

People who spend much of their time indoors or live in areas with limited winter sunlight may also find it more difficult to maintain adequate levels throughout the year.

What Does Sunlight Have to Do With Our Mood?

Our exposure to natural light does more than influence vitamin D. Light also plays an important role in regulating our body clock and is associated with the production of hormones and neurotransmitters involved in sleep and mood.

This becomes particularly noticeable during the darker months of the year, when some people experience seasonal affective disorder, commonly known as SAD.

Symptoms associated with SAD can include:

• persistent low mood
• loss of pleasure or interest in everyday activities
• irritability
• feelings of despair, guilt or worthlessness
• low energy and daytime sleepiness
• sleeping for longer than usual and struggling to get up in the morning
• carbohydrate cravings and weight gain
• difficulty concentrating
• reduced sex drive

For some people, these symptoms can significantly affect day-to-day life. Anyone experiencing persistent or severe changes in mood should speak with a healthcare professional.

What Is the Difference Between Serotonin and Melatonin?

Serotonin and melatonin have very different roles in the body. Serotonin is involved in mood, wakefulness and many other bodily functions, while melatonin plays an important role in regulating the sleep-wake cycle.

Exposure to bright natural light during the day helps regulate our circadian rhythm. This is one reason getting outside during daylight hours can be an important part of supporting healthy sleep patterns and general wellbeing.

Can Light Therapy Help With Seasonal Depression?

Bright-light therapy is commonly used for seasonal affective disorder. It involves sitting near a specially designed light box for a set period, usually during the morning.

If you think you may have SAD or another form of depression, it is important to speak with a healthcare professional rather than trying to manage persistent symptoms alone.

How Can You Support Healthy Vitamin D Levels Naturally?

For many people, regular time outdoors can contribute to healthy vitamin D levels. However, there is no single amount of sun exposure that is right for everyone.

How quickly your skin produces vitamin D depends on factors including skin tone, location, season, time of day, age and how much skin is exposed. It is also important to balance vitamin D production with protecting your skin from sunburn and excessive ultraviolet exposure.

Vitamin D is also available from certain foods, including oily fish, egg yolks and fortified foods.

What About Vitamin D Supplements?

Vitamin D supplements can be useful when adequate levels cannot be maintained through sunlight and diet alone, particularly during winter or for people at greater risk of deficiency.

Because individual needs vary, it is best to have your vitamin D level checked and discuss supplementation with a healthcare professional. Taking high doses unnecessarily can cause vitamin D levels to become too high and may lead to health problems.

Vitamin D is fat soluble, so supplements are generally best absorbed when taken with a meal containing some dietary fat.

If you are concerned about your vitamin D levels, testing provides a much clearer picture than guessing based on how much time you spend outdoors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get vitamin D from winter sunlight?
It depends on where you live. At higher latitudes, UVB radiation can be too weak during parts of winter for the skin to produce meaningful amounts of vitamin D. Location, season, weather and skin exposure all make a difference.

Does darker skin affect vitamin D production?
Yes. Melanin reduces the amount of UVB radiation that reaches vitamin D-producing cells in the skin, so people with darker skin may need more sunlight exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D.

Can you get enough vitamin D from food?
Some foods contain vitamin D, including oily fish, egg yolks and fortified products. However, it can be difficult for some people to obtain enough from diet alone.

Should everyone take a vitamin D supplement?
Not necessarily. Your needs depend on factors such as your current vitamin D level, diet, sun exposure, age and individual health circumstances. A healthcare professional can help determine whether supplementation is appropriate.

Can you take too much vitamin D?
Yes. Unlike vitamin D produced naturally through sun exposure, excessive amounts from supplements can build up in the body. High-dose supplementation should therefore be discussed with a healthcare professional.

SOURCES:

Conti, P., & Kempuraj, D. (2016). Impact of vitamin D on mast cell activity, immunity and inflammation.
http://pubs.sciepub.com/jfnr/4/1/6/

Gruber-Bzura, B. M. (2018). Vitamin D and influenza: prevention or therapy?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6121423/

Matyjaszek-Matuszek, B., et al. (2015). Clinical implications of vitamin D deficiency.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4498026/