How Much Vitamin D Do We Really Need?

Mark Hyman

Sep 9, 2024

Episode description

Are you getting enough vitamin D? This powerful nutrient does so much more than just support bone health—it’s essential for mood, energy, immunity, and even protection against serious diseases like cancer and COVID. Yet, approximately 80% of Americans are deficient due to limited sun exposure and the depletion of nutrients in our modern food supply. In this episode, I break down why vitamin D is critical for your health, the optimal levels you should aim for, and how to get your daily dose safely—whether through the sun, diet, or supplements.

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Full-length episodes of these interviews can be found here:

Do You Need To Take Vitamin D?

Supplements: Useful Or Useless? with Dr. Elizabeth Boham

The Science Behind Vitamin D, Our Rampant Deficiency, And Its Harmful Impact On Our Health

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Mindsip insights from this episode:

Supplement to counter nutrient loss in modern food

Due to soil depletion, a piece of broccoli today has up to 50% fewer nutrients than the same vegetable 50 years ago, making supplementation more necessary.

#nutrition

#supplement

Increase vitamin D intake for optimal health in overweight individuals

People who are overweight need significantly more vitamin D because the fat-soluble vitamin gets sequestered in body fat, making it less available to the body.

#obesity

#vitamin-D

Address nutrient insufficiencies to prevent long-latency diseases

Nutrient insufficiencies may not cause immediate disease, but they can lead to 'long latency deficiency diseases' like osteoporosis or cancer decades later.

#cancer

#deficiency

Perform at-home test for vitamin D deficiency using thumb pressure

You can perform a simple at-home test for vitamin D deficiency by pressing your thumb firmly on your shin bone; if it's tender, you are likely deficient.

#testing

#vitamin-D

Choose Peak's Nandua for sustained energy without coffee downsides

Peak's Nandua is a coffee alternative made from fermented Pu'er tea, adaptogenic mushrooms, and cacao to provide sustained energy without gut irritation or anxiety.

#adaptogen

#nutrition

Boost vitamin D production as you age

The average 70-year-old creates only 25% of the vitamin D that a 20-year-old does from the same amount of sun exposure.

#aging

#vitamin-D

Maintain vitamin D levels above 45 nanograms per deciliter

The optimal level for vitamin D in your blood should be over 45 or 50 nanograms per deciliter, far higher than the typical lab reference range which can be as low as 20.