Christine Zimmerman's Fullscript Account

Vitamin D Protocol

Many individuals are at risk this time of year for vitamin D deficiency including older adults, people with limited sun exposure, people with dark skin, those with fat malabsorption conditions, and people in larger bodies or have undergone gastric bypass surgery. In fact, an editorial published by the American Academy of Family Physicians stated that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency has been reported to affect 21% to 58% of adolescents and adults in the United States. What makes vitamin D unique is the body's ability to produce it on its own. When UV rays from the sun hit the cells of our skin, a certain form of cholesterol (7-dehydrocholesterol) can be converted into a form of vitamin D. However, season, geographic latitude, time of day, cloud cover, smog, skin melanin content, and sunscreen all affect UV radiation exposure and vitamin D synthesis. Combine that with the unknown risks of skin cancer from regular sun exposure, and many health professionals recommend supplementation. Of course, vitamin D is also found in food, with some of the best sources being cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, milk, and vitamin D-fortified foods (eg, soy milk, cereal). Most experts agree that many people will not be able to meet the adequate intake focusing solely on food sources, hence the recommendation to supplement. Currently, there is not enough scientific evidence to develop a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) that would meet the needs of nearly all healthy people. The Upper Limit (UL) for vitamin D for infants younger than 12 months and anyone older than 1 year is 1,000 IU and 2,000 IU, respectively.