I’m Dr. Tom Rofrano from the Natural Medicine Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Over the last 34 years of practicing, one of the most common issues I observe is a vitamin D deficiency. My practice is located in South Florida where that’s not even supposed to be an issue.
In a study presented by Dr. Mark M. Alipio on 4-9-20, of the COVID-19 patients exhibiting mild symptoms, 96% had normal vitamin D levels.
In the group of patients with severe or critical illness of Coronavirus, only 4% had normal Vitamin D levels.
96% of the patients that had a severe or critical illness from COVID-19 had vitamin D deficiency.
Only 4% of the patients that exhibited mild symptoms had a deficiency. The baseline Vitamin D level was 30, which is on the lower side of normal.
Optimize Vitamin D Levels for Immune Strength
A study in a British medical journal showed that vitamin D supplementation was very protective against acute respiratory tract infections. Studies show that vitamin D prevents a cytokine storm in the lungs, and one of the reasons people are dying from COVID-19 is a cytokine storm in their lungs.
Multiple studies show the positive effects of vitamin D on the immune system. The United Kingdom has recommended their citizens take vitamin D supplements regularly to help boost their immune system. In general, it is very simple to get adequate levels of vitamin D. The easiest way is getting sun.
It is nearly impossible to get enough Vitamin D from your diet unless you’re consuming cod liver oil on a regular basis. There’s just not enough Vitamin D in food to provide adequate levels. Exposure to sunshine is the best source of vitamin D.
Vitamin D Absorption
When I moved to Florida years ago, I was on the beach two to three times a week on a regular basis. When I had my vitamin D levels tested, I was very deficient. How could that be? Well, I have olive skin and tan very easily; the darker your skin is, the harder it is to absorb vitamin D from the sun.
Regarding COVID 19, studies have found that people with dark skin have a much higher incidence of severe or critical illness or death than people with light skin. Years ago, I had a patient from The Bahamas who did landscaping. He was out in the sun at least 40 hours a week, all day long in The Bahamas. He was Bahamian and has very dark skin, yet he was vitamin D deficient. So, being out in the sun does not necessarily ensure that you’re getting proper levels.
Vitamin D Supplementation and Proper Levels
A good supplement is the best source of vitamin D. Typically, the supplement dose depends on what your blood levels are. I recommend having your blood levels of vitamin D checked. The optimal lab levels are different than what the actual optimal levels are.
Optimal Range of Vitamin D
Ideally, you want to be in the 60 ng/ml range, so 50 to 70 range is optimal for most people. The normal lab levels are from 30 to 100. It depends on many factors, but to achieve that level, a dosage of 2,000 to 10,000 IUs of vitamin D/day is recommended. I had been taking 5,000iu, and it was not enough to get my levels up towards the 50-70 range. I took 10,000iu for a while to increase my levels more, and then I reduced to 5,000iu/day. Taking the proper amount of Vitamin D depends on your levels, height, weight, how much sun you get, and more.
Vitamin D and K2 Supplements
I highly recommend taking vitamin K2 along with D as K2 helps with the absorption of vitamin D and provides extra immune support. A Vitamin D supplement that contains K2 is best such as our D3 5000 + K2. A typical dosage of vitamin K2 would be 90-180 mcg/day.
The recommended vitamin D dose for children depends on their weight, but generally, a thousand units per 35 pounds of body weight is a good starting point. Ideally, you want to have your blood levels tested to see what your levels are. I really cannot stress the importance of vitamin D enough. I hope all this information is helpful to improve your health and immune system.
Call Us Today
If you would like to know your specific Vitamin D level, we would love to have you as a patient at our office. Give us a call today to schedule your first appointment. We can help you optimize your Vitamin D levels, improve your health, and support your immune system. We look forward to working with you.