(0:41) Welcome
Welcome back, listeners!Stacy had an emergency room visit over the weekendThe doctor said it was all good news because they couldn't find anything wrong with StacyShortly after Stacy then came down with a stomach bugShe is feeling a bit better nowStacy is excited to discuss vitamin D on this week's episode because it ties in very well with the start of summer and some of the health issues she has been dealing with as of lateThis is the first episode sponsored by EverlyWelland Stacy wants to take a moment to welcome and thank them for their supportStacy and Sarah will be sharing more about EverlyWellwithin this episode, but to check them out and receive 15% off your order, visit this linkand enter 'ThePaleoView' at checkoutSarah loves EverlyWellbecause they search for the labs that have the best quality of each kind of test and then they facilitate the tests through the best labs and then get the results to you very quicklyThey offer blood spot, salvia, and urine testsThey take data very seriously and keep everything confidentialEverything is processed through certified labsIt is cheaper for Sarah to go through EverlyWellfor her vitamin D test than it is to go through her medical provider because of the copay fee associated with her primary doctorA lot of these tests are often not available through conventional doctorsSarah wants to note to be careful to not self diagnose based on the lab results; to instead take the results to a doctor so they can provide an official medical opinionBe sure to refer to this podcast episodefor more information on how to select a doctor when determining who best to work with when reviewing your lab results(7:31) Why is Vitamin D so important?
It is estimated that as much as 75% of people living in Western countries are deficient in vitamin DThis is because we grow our food indoors, our diet is deficient in vitamin D, and we spend less time outsideIt is incredibly challenging to get vitamin D from our dietWe are not spending enough time outside to make our own vitamin DThere are also a lot of things that can interfere with vitamin D synthesis (ex: if you are inflamed, if you are overweight, fructose consumption)Vitamin D deficiency is rampant, and not just in those who consume a SAD, but also in the Paleo communityOnce you are deficient in vitamin D there is no amount of sunbathing or fresh seafood eating that will help you restore those levelsYou will have to supplement once deficientSarah doesn't typically support supplementation unless for targeted reasons after testing and under the supervision of a healthcare providerShe far prefers that we get all of the nutrients that our body needs from foodVitamin D is really different from other nutrients thoughStacy and Sarah discussed how very important it is to not let this topic overwhelm you but to take note that this is an important area to address in your overall health and well-being workVitamin D is not just a vitamin, it is a hormoneThis is a steroid hormone like cortisol, testosterone, estrogenIt has a cholesterol backboneWe get a little bit from our diet, but most of it is synthesized by our skin cells from cholesterol using UVB energy from the sun to drive that formationWe need UV radiation from the sun for this particular vitamin synthesisA lot of other vitamins are often used as cofactors, they are used to help facilitate some type of chemical reactionBut vitamin D actually causes communication between different systems in the bodyIt can turn on or off more than 200 different genesDiverse functions:mineral metabolismbone mineralization and growthbiosynthesis of neurotrophic factorshormone regulationcell survival and divisioncircadian rhythmsimmune systemregulates the formation of antioxidantsmodulates the activity of macrophages and dendritic cellscontrols subpopulations of T cells (decreases Th1 cells)modulates the activity of T cells and B cellsregulatory T cell function is dependent on vitamin Dgut healthprotects mucosal barrier homeostasisdeficiency exaggerates intestinal permeability caused by infectiondeficiency leads to shifting toward pathogenic bacteria (Helicobacter, Veillonella, and Erysipelotrichaceae)supplementation restores levels of probiotic bacteria (Lactococcus, Akkermansia)supplementation increases microbial diversityPretty much every important function of the immune system is regulated by vitamin DVitamin D deficiency essentially causes increased susceptibility to infection, that's why it is linked with cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, autoimmune disease, kidney diseases, osteoporosis, and all other chronic illnessesSarah has been digging into the research on vitamin D and gut healthIt has been known for a very long time that vitamin D is responsible for regulating the integrity of barrier tissues within the bodyVitamin D deficiency causes increased intestinal permeability, which causes leaky gut and exaggerates how leaky our gut gets in response to an infectionWhat is really interesting to Sarah is that fairly new research is showing that the composition of our gut microbiome is sensitive to our vitamin D statusSo it is a new idea that our gut microbiome is shaped by our hormonesVitamin D deficiency by itself causes gut dysbiosis and there are a number of studies that show that vitamin D supplementation can restore levels of probiotic bacteriaThere is also evidence that supplementing can dramatically increase microbial diversityVitamin D is basically a linchpin - if we get this one thing dialed in, we can essentially get all these other things to fall into placeThis is a super hormone, where vitamin D's roles are so diverse that if you can get vitamin D dialed in, it will make all the other pieces fall into placeGetting enough vitamin D naturally is a huge challenge for most of usVitamin D impacts other linchpinsThis is why Sarah feels that testing vitamin D levels is something that we should all do(27:08) Where do we get vitamin D from?
How much vitamin D we produce in response to sun exposure depends on a lot of factorsLatitude of your locationTime of yearCloud coverageTime of day outsideHow much of your skin is exposedIn ideal conditions, and with your internal health at optimal levels, you will synthesize adequate levels of vitamin D in seven minutes of sunbathingIf you live farther north, it would take somewhere between thirty minutes and an hour and a half of sun exposure every single day, in the middle of the day, in the summer on a sunny day, to get enough vitamin DThe time extends based on how much you are covered upThe older you are, the less efficient your vitamin D synthesis isThe more tan you are or the more naturally dark skin you are the less efficient you are at making vitamin D - so you need to spend even more time outside to make the same amount of vitamin DEven indoors there aren't UV wavelengths that we are getting exposed to even if we are sitting near a window or sitting in our carGiven that we are spending more time indoors than ever before in human history and that there aren't even small amounts of UV radiation getting indoors that would have years ago, this is the biggest reason why we are so vitamin D deficient as a societyVitamin D is measured in IU (international units) and about 40 IUs is equivalent to one microgramWild fish is the highest vitamin D food and pasture raised meat is secondA serving size would have between 600 and 1,000 IUs of vitamin DA therapeutic dose of vitamin D from a supplement typically has between 5,000 and 50,000 IUs of vitamin DWhile vitamin D deficiency is rampant, it is not just a question of supplementing blindly because you don't want to overshoot the markThe functional medicine defined optimal range of vitamin D is between 50 and 70 nanograms per milliliterSarah tries to keep her levels in that middle range, around 60There is some research showing that between 70 and 100 nanograms per milliliter may have some therapeutic benefit in cancer and heart diseaseIf you wanted to shoot for these kinds of levels, it would be situation dependent and only ever under medical supervisionThere is nothing in the human body where more is betterToo much vitamin D is associated with brittle bones, too high of calcium levels, and a variety of GI issues (like nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea)Elevated calcium levels can be a strain on the heart and the kidneysThis is why retesting is so importantSarah recommends testing every three months to see how the changes you are making are impacting your numbers and to see what is placing you in the Goldilocks rangeVitamin D is a slow mover - the vitamin D cycle in our body is about 2 months, so it takes a while to alter these levels within our bodyContinue to keep an eye on vitamin D levels and continue to adjust vitamin D supplementation as you are working on the lifestyle things to try to find that happy medium where you have a lifestyle that is sustainable and you are keeping your vitamin D levels in range(47:50) Closing Thoughts
Stacy now understands why Sarah is encouraging Stacy to use EverlyWellto test her vitamin D levelsStacy ordered the vitamin D and inflammation testHowever, there is just a vitamin D test available on their siteas wellSarah is very impressed with what EverlyWellis doing and even had the chance to talk with their Medical Director about what they are doing for quality control and their modelThey are really about empowering the population to make testing accessible and affordableEverlyWelloffers such a huge variety of tests to help you dig deeper to troubleshoot and find the underlying factors that are holding our body back from responding to all of our good healthy choices
Their mission and where this company's heart is at is so amazingSo, if you are wanting to test your Vitamin D levels, be sure to visit: https://everlywell.com/thepaleoviewEnter the code 'ThePaleoView' at checkout to receive 15% off your orderA huge thank you to EverlyWell for sponsoring this show and for all the great work you are doingThank you, listeners, for tuning in - we will be back again next week!Stacy's family is preparing to leave for their cross country road trip, so Sarah and Stacy will be a doing a little time warp in the next couple of weeks
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