Shining the Light on Vitamin D During Winter

Shining the Light on Vitamin D During Winter

Sunny days are few and far between as we enter winter season, with cold temperatures, clouds, fog, rain, or snow (depending on which part of the country you are in) dimming the amount of sunshine we receive. Between November and February, people living north of Atlanta won’t receive enough of the sun’s necessary ultraviolet B (UVB) rays to help their skin create vitamin D. This is why vitamin D deficiency becomes a concern for patients (and possibly you) during the winter months.1

 

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in winter

As vitamin D is an essential element of bone metabolism, cell growth, differentiation, and the regulation of body minerals.1 it is vital that people ensure they have enough of it in their systems. Because the body generates vitamin D after roughly 10 minutes of widespread skin exposure to UVB,2 such as when one wears a bathing suit, it is understandable that with less sun exposure experienced in the winter that this is not occurring.

 

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in winter

As vitamin D is an essential element of bone metabolism, cell growth, differentiation, and the regulation of body minerals.1 it is vital that people ensure they have enough of it in their systems. Because the body generates vitamin D after roughly 10 minutes of widespread skin exposure to UVB,2 such as when one wears a bathing suit, it is understandable that with less sun exposure experienced in the winter that this is not occurring.

 

Which D is right for your patients?

Bioavailability is vital for ensuring that enough of a particular nutrient is absorbed in the body. This especially applies to vitamin D, of which there are two forms--D2 and D3. Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is found in plants such as mushrooms (often nutritionally boosted by growers via irradiation) and is not as bioavailable as vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), the natural form created in the body through sun exposure. Foods such as oily fish like salmon and mackerel, as well as egg yolks also contain small amounts of vitamin D3.

The recommended amount of vitamin D3 for adults varies between organizations, with the Vitamin D Council recommending daily supplementation with 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 for those who cannot get enough sun to achieve a status between 40-60 ng/ml, and the Endocrine Society recommending 1,500-2,000 IU/day.3,4 This is why a 25(OH)D blood test should ideally be performed before recommending an amount of vitamin D3 to your patients, which has also been shown to maintain optimal amounts of serum vitamin D levels over the winter.5

This season, consider recommending that your patients supplement with vitamin D3. It may not be the sunshine they need to make it on their own, but with the “sunshine vitamin” they won’t have to go without.
 

References:

1. Kashi Z, Saeedian F, Akha O, Emadi S, Zakeri H. Vitamin D deficiency prevalence in summer compared to winter in a city with high humidity and a sultry climate. Endokrynol Pol. 2011;62(3):249-51.

2. What is vitamin D? Vitamin D Council. https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/what-is-vitamin-d. Accessed December 10, 2019.

3. How do I get the vitamin D my body needs https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/how-do-i-get-the-vitamin-d-my-body-needs. Accessed December 10, 2019.

4. Holick MF et al. Evaluation, treatment, and prevention of vitamin D deficiency: an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(7):1911-1930.

5. Logan VF et al.Long­-term vitamin D3 supplementation is more effective than vitamin D2 in maintaining serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status over the winter months. Br J Nutr. 2013;109(6):1082­-1088.

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