My Close Call-A Vitamin D Discovery*

At the very start of the pandemic, I had surgery scheduled. Before my surgery was canceled (due to said pandemic), I had the routine blood tests one would have. As I’m sure you recall, it was a very stressy time with “the bad” COVID lurking around every corner. The nurse practitioner who reviewed the results said, “Your vitamin D levels are alarmingly low. If you get COVID, you could get a very severe case.”

You better believe I got on that! I’ve stayed on it since, taking my daily vitamin D and checking my levels from time to time. Who knew vitamin D was so important? 

It turns out that vitamin D plays critical roles in the proper functioning of our body. Maybe the best-known ones are our bone and immune health (which came into play during the pandemic). But it can also help prevent cancer and protect against several chronic conditions like depression, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and even heart disease. 

And why would I, someone who eats healthy and takes care of herself, have a deficiency? I’m not sure in my case, but when I did my research, it became evident that many, many factors can contribute to a lack, such as:

• Not getting enough direct sunlight (In my case, wearing sunscreen and protective clothing probably contributed to my deficit)
• Having darker skin (prevents maximum absorption of the sun’s rays)
• Not getting enough fish or dairy in our diet
• Breastfeeding for prolonged periods
• Being overweight or obese
• Using certain medications such as statins or steroids
• Kidney or liver disease or hyperparathyroidism
• Having a health condition that perpetuates poor nutrient absorption (Crohn’s or celiac disease)
• Dealing with cancer
• Having had bariatric surgery for weight loss or a small intestine resection.
• Suffering from pancreatic insufficiency

So, I found vitamin D deficiency doesn’t have a single cause. Many environmental, genetic, lifestyle, dietary, and medical factors can play into it.

Getting and Activating Vitamin D

Vitamin D is often called the sunshine vitamin because our bodies make it when our skin is exposed to sunlight. In addition to sun exposure, we can get vitamin D from foods and supplements, but it must be “activated” within our liver and kidney. Once activated, it does many things like:

• Promote calcium absorption in the gut (significant for people with liver disease, cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis).
• Enable bone mineralization (helping us not to suffer muscle cramps and spasms all the time).
• Promote bone growth and healing.
• Help to prevent or slow down osteoporosis (degeneration of the bones).
• Reduce inflammation.
• Modulate cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function, as well as glucose metabolism.
• Possibly inhibit cancer tumor progression.
• Fight against free radical damage as a potent antioxidant. 

Addressing a Deficiency

Since my close call with vitamin D deficiency, I’ve been supplementing daily with FGF’s VITAL DUO combination in my morning breakfast shake. This combination contains vitamin D3 (the cholecalciferol form) and vitamin K2, along with medium-chain triglycerides and olive oil.

Why the combination? Whereas D3 does a great job facilitating calcium absorption, along with all its benefits, K2 helps to focus where the body deposits the calcium. Take me as an example. As a woman in my 50s, I need calcium in my bones but definitely not in my arteries or kidneys. K2 activates a protein hormone that appears to help prevent calcium from sinking into the artery or organ walls. The additional ingredients of triglycerides and olive oil are for maximum absorption and provide me with the added heart-healthy benefits of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. So, this targeted combination product is just what I need. 

I’ve seen a definite uptick in my immune system and healing, and my recent blood tests showed my vitamin D levels are right where they need to be. I’m pleased about that. Especially now, with so many reasons to keep our immune systems strong.

Resources

Vitamin D, National Institutes of Health, 12 Aug 2022.

Vitamin D Deficiency, Yale Medicine.

Vitamins D3 And K2: Understanding the Synergy, Dr. Rath Research Institute, 4 Aug 21.

John E Whitcomb, MD, Vitamin K2 Pulls Calcium OUT of Arteries, News in Nutrition, 15 April 2013.

L J Schurgers, et al., Role of vitamin K and vitamin-K-dependent proteins in vascular calcification, PMID 11374034, April 2001.

CBD Helps Reduce COVID-19 Lung Damage by Increasing Levels of Protective Peptide, Science Tech Daily, Oct 21, 20.

Adriana J Van Ballegooijen, et al., The Synergistic Interplay between Vitamins D and K for Bone and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review, PMID: 29138634, 12 Sept 2017.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Federal Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.