Taking vitamin D versus Making vitamin D
Vitamin D3 has had more attention in the last decade, with research recognising how crucial it is to good health. We’ve seen a shift from marketing calcium for bone health to focussing on vitamin D instead, recognising its important role in regulating bone mineral density. It’s not the calcium that puts itself into the bones, it’s the vitamin D which determines this! Doctors are routinely testing for vitamin D and many of us are coming up short.
During the COVID pandemic it was identified as having an impact on severity of the symptoms, as those with low levels suffered more significantly. In those crazy times it was one of the supplements that people were taking by the handful.
Research on vitamin D shows that deficiency is associated with everything from suppressed immune function to autoimmune disease, brain and muscle health - and almost everything in between. On the other hand, studies show that supplementation hasn’t demonstrated the benefits that were expected on conditions with known links to deficiency. So, what are we missing?
It’s easy to think that vitamin D made in our body from sunlight is identical to the molecule we buy in capsules, but, should we be taking vitamin D3 as a supplement? Or, is it better to make it naturally? Have we been too overcautious in protecting ourselves, and thrown the baby out with the bathwater?
This article discusses the huge variety of benefits of making vitamin D. It looks at some of the other beneficial molecules we make when our skin is exposed to sunlight, and the potential issues with taking it as a supplement.
Come and join me down the Quantum Biology rabbit-hole, again - it’s fun!
Taking vitamin D vs making vitamin D
This article covers -
Summary
How vitamin D is made and its functions
Why sunshine is a better source of vitamin D
What do we do in winter, then?
Vitamin D toxicity - can you get too much?
Summary
Vitamin D is vital to optimal health, in fact, it’s vital for all health. Vitamin D helps to regulate calcium and phosphate in the bones, supports DNA for gene expression, maintains a healthy nervous system and supports the immune system in multiple ways. Without regular, healthy levels of vitamin D there are associations with the development of autoimmune conditions (of all kinds), cancers, diabetes, susceptibility to infections, dementias and cognitive degeneration, and cardiovascular/heart diseases. Despite these studies making the recommendation, multiple clinical trials show no benefit from supplementing with vitamin D, even for improving bone density.
The ancient Greeks first introduced and regularly used ‘heliotherapy’ (sunshine exposure) in the pre-antibiotic era for treatment of tuberculosis. While it’s true that too much sun can damage skin and cause skin cancers, it’s possible we’ve been overcautious by trying to prevent all sun exposure. And, if there’s no benefit from taking the supplement, then what are we missing?
The process of making vitamin D from natural sunshine onto bare skin is incredibly complex and as a consequence this process produces a variety of other molecules all serving other important jobs in the body. So, while it may be beneficial to take supplemental vitamin D in the short term in some cases, there are far more benefits from producing it naturally by short, but regular, exposures of bare skin to sunshine.
Of course, it is always important to avoid burning of the skin which contributes to the incidence of skin cancers, however, moderate skin exposure to the sun assists in production of vitamin D’s anti-cancer benefits. This has been known for decades, however, it’s a difficult message to convey accurately.
Like many things it’s more important to get the appropriate amount - and, more is definitely not better!
Just a few minutes of sunshine every day, can provide benefit to every aspect of health
How vitamin D is made and its functions
Vitamin D is actually a group of around 5 different fat-soluble molecules, naturally produced by the skin in the presence of sunlight via a process similar to photosynthesis and using cholesterol (not always the bad guy!). It is only produced via bare skin without any moisturisers, sunscreens or other personal care products which limit/prevent its production. Put simply (which, it is not) UVB (290-310 nm)light rays hit a molecule in the skin called 7-dehydrocholesterol, breaking one of its bonds, where it converts to cholecalciferol (AKA vitamin D3). The liver and kidneys then convert it to its final form calcitriol. Another protein called DBP (or vitamin D Binding Protein) transports it to the organs, where it performs many vital actions such as;
Regulating bone building by balancing phosphate and calcium & direct actions on the bones
Helps DNA to express 100-1250 genes
Maintains nervous system function
Inhibits cancer cell proliferation, angiogenesis and metastases
Supports & regulates immune system function
Supports cardiovascular system health
Improves insulin production, reception and transport
Modulates beta cell production in the pancreas
Protects the nervous system and brain
Supports muscle development
Deficiencies of vitamin D have been associated with development of;
Ricketts
Autoimmune conditions,
Cancers
Diabetes & metabolic disruption
Susceptibility to infections, particularly upper respiratory infections
Dementia and cognitive degeneration
Heart and cardiovascular disease
More severe symptoms/complications in COVID-19
Vitamin D naturally occurs in some foods, such as eggs, fatty fish (though, wild caught only - as farmed fish does not necessarily contain vitamin D or Omega 3 in the same quantities) and mushrooms (but, only when activated by turning your mushrooms gill side up in the sun for 10-15 mins). Some foods are fortified with vitamin D2 ergocalciferol, a plant based version of vitamin D.
Image copied from Slominski et al., 2024
Why sunshine is a better source of Vitamin D
The natural production of vitamin D3 from sunshine on the skin is a complex process. It involves multiple steps and ineach of these steps, other molecules are produced which provide benefits to the body. One example is lumisterol which interacts with the liver X-receptor, and is responsible for inflammatory cascades optimising cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism. Another example, tachysterol2, is important for phosphate regulation in the bones and as a powerful antioxidant, though research on these molecules is only emerging.
Another process occurring during exposure to sunshine is the production of vitamin D3 sulphate and cholesterol sulphate, molecules both found in the bloodstream and other parts of the body. It is thought that cholesterol sulphate, (which is not yet fully understood) may contribute to the blood flow by creating a negative charge around the exterior of the red blood cells, preventing cells from sticking together and rupturing. It has been hypothesised that deficiency of cholesterol sulphate may contribute to the buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances and the development of atherosclerosis. Other current research is pointing towards a breakdown of the glycocalyx as a primary factor in development of atherosclerosis, and contributing to heart disease and stroke.The glycocalyx is a microscopic fuzz-like layer made up of heparan-sulphate and other proteins which lines all vessels of the body, protecting the lining and assisting in the propulsion and easy flow of blood cells. Easily damaged, the glycocalyx is protected by an exchange of sulphates to reduce oxidative damage. It is difficult to achieve sufficient levels of vitamin D and sulphates from food alone, and so healthy exposure to the sun may be important to maintaining these vital nutrients.
What do we do in winter, then?
We have the ability to store vitamin D in the liver for around 6 months, however recent discoveries are showing that intracellular melatonin, also produced by the sun from the red spectrum light also binds to the vitamin D receptors promoting the same effects as vitamin D. Melatonin performing a similar function in winter as vitamin D does in summer makes perfect sense, as it would be a pretty poor design of any species to be reliant on a vitamin that is only produced in sufficient quantities for part of the year!
This research points to there being deficiencies in natural sunlight and darkness, rather than a deficiency of any one micronutrient.
(Stay tuned on this subject, as melatonin is enjoying a surge in research and is a lot more important than just helping us with sleep.)
Vitamin D toxicity - can you get too much?
It’s pretty hard to get too much, and really only possible if taking a supplement. Of course making it naturally via the skin, caution is required to ensure you never allow your skin to be burned as this is associated with developing skin damage, and cancers like melanoma.
Toxicity can cause elevations in calcium levels causing symptoms of nausea, reduced appetite, vomiting and disorientation, increased urination, heart arrhythmia,
What is in my Vitamin D supplement?
As a fat soluble vitamin, supplemental vitamin D must be delivered with oil-based excipients such as soybean oil, rice bran oil, vegetable oils and d-alpha-tocopherol (a kind of synthetic vitamin E) and glycerol, encapsulated in gelatin. Taking large quantities of these potentially oxidative oils is not conducive to good health.
Vitamin D3 is often sythesised from lanolin, the fat found in natural sheep’s wool. The lanolin is first washed to remove impurities. Another detergent is then added to convert the fatty component to lanolin alcohols which can be removed by high speed centrifuge. After further refinement, either solvents and/or chromatography are used to extract crude cholesterol which is illuminated under UV light to produce vitamin D3.
Vegan derived vitamin D2 is produced by applying UV radiation to ergosterol, derived from yeast.
An alternative vegan vitamin D3 is produced from combinations of natural lichens, (a combination of algae, cyanobacteria and/or fungi) and using the plant alcohols and pressure, it is produced in a fashion similar to lanolin derived D3.
Frequently asked questions -
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Vitamin D is both an important vitamin and a hormone, as it signals necessary functions within the body. Vitamin D is crucial for the following functions;
Regulating bone building by balancing phosphate and calcium
Helps DNA to express 100-1250 genes
Maintains nervous system function
Inhibits cancer cell proliferation, angiogenesis and metastasis
Supports immune system function
Supports cardiovascular system health
Improves insulin production, reception and transport
Modulates pancreatic beta cell production
Protects the nervous system and brain
Supports muscle development
When levels of vitamin D become low, every part of the body can be affected and deficiency is associated with a number of diseases and conditions, such as;
Ricketts
Osteomalacia (bone pain)
Osteoporosis
Osteoarthritis
Muscle weakness & aches
Preeclampsia and Caesarean section
Autoimmune diseases;
Rheumatoid arthritis
Type 1 & Type 2 diabetes
Multiple sclerosis
Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis
Lupus
Syndrome X
Cardiac Heart Disease
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Asthma and wheezing diseases
Cancers of the;
Breast
Colon
Prostate
Pancreas
Low expiratory lung function
Schizophrenia
Depression
Severe complications of COVID-19
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Taking too much of anything can be harmful, and as vitamin D supplements are fat soluble they are delivered in a gelatin capsule with excipients (small amounts of other ingredients necessary to deliver or maintain the main ingredient) such as soybean, rice bran, vegetable oil, synthetic vitamin E & glycerine. These ingredients are not healthy, especially in large quantities.
It’s pretty hard to get too much, and really only possible if taking a supplement. Of course making it naturally via the skin, caution is required to ensure you never allow your skin to be burned as this is associated with developing skin damage, and cancers like melanoma.
Toxicity occurs rarely and can cause elevations in calcium levels causing symptoms of nausea, reduced appetite, vomiting and disorientation, increased urination, heart arrhythmia,
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As vitamin D deficiency is associated with a wide variety of conditions, there may be many signs that overlap with other factors or nutrient deficiencies. The first signs of deficiency may be a susceptibility for infections, poor wound healing, or other signs of suppressed immune function.
Your doctor can order a blood test for vitamin D, however it is worth keeping in mind that vitamin D levels can be impacted by inflammation in the body, therefore, any infection will naturally reduce the levels of vitamin D in the body at that time.
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Vitamin D3 is required for the absorption of calcium into the bones (note, this is only one of the many vital minerals required for strong bones). Calcium regulation is also important as a vital cofactor for brain function, nerve conduction & muscle contraction.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with:
Ricketts
Osteomalacia (bone pain)
Osteoporosis
Osteoarthritis
Muscle weakness & aches
Preeclampsia and Caesarean section
Autoimmune diseases;
Rheumatoid arthritis
Type 1 & Type 2 diabetes
Multiple sclerosis
Crohn’s disease
Ulcerative colitis
Lupus
Syndrome X
Cardiac Heart Disease
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Asthma and wheezing diseases
Cancers of the;
Breast
Colon
Prostate
Pancreas
Skin (melanoma, squamous cell)
Brain (glioblastoma)
Head & neck
Bone
Ovaries
Low expiratory lung function
Schizophrenia
Depression
Severe complications of COVID-19
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