IMA Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs Dr. Ryan Cole joined The National News Desk as the days get shorter to talk about vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin” that drops off every fall. Dr. Cole explains that vitamin D is not just a bone vitamin but a pro-hormone that every immune cell carries a receptor for, and that the only way to know where you stand is a simple blood test. He names the groups most likely to run low: people with darker skin, people carrying more body fat, older adults, anyone living at a northern latitude, and anyone who spent the summer working indoors.
The conversation then turns to what the number on that test should actually say. The recommended daily allowance, Dr. Cole argues, gets most people to a level in the 20 to 30 range, enough to protect bone but low normal for the immune system. He wants to see levels above 40 and ideally closer to 60, rechecked over time because the body burns through vitamin D like fuel in a tank. He also covers taking vitamin D with a fatty meal for absorption, when vitamin D shots make sense, and a fall and winter game plan built on time outdoors, whole foods, movement, and saline or xylitol nasal rinses.
Check out these related resources from IMA below, followed by the full segment transcript.
- Guide: All About Vitamin D3
- Webinar: Understanding Vitamin D
- Webinar: Vitamin D: Cancer, Diet, and Alzheimer’s Disease
- Post: Vitamin D: Nature’s Sunkissed Superhero
Transcript
Jan Jeffcoat: It is called the sunshine vitamin, but vitamin D may be especially important when the sun starts disappearing. As we head into cold and flu season, vitamin D plays a pivotal role in how our immune system functions. But here’s the thing: a lot of us don’t even know if we’re getting enough. So how do you know, and what should you do about it? Joining us now is Dr. Ryan Cole, Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs for the Independent Medical Alliance. Great to see you, sir.
Dr. Ryan Cole: Great to see you, Jan.
Jan Jeffcoat: So what happens to vitamin D as the days get shorter and we spend less time outside? Talk to us about this, the sunshine vitamin.
Dr. Ryan Cole: Well, our vitamin D certainly goes down this time of year as we’re going into the fall and the winter, and it’s not just a bone vitamin. It’s a pro-hormone. It controls your immune system. All your immune cells are looking for it. They have a receptor, and it helps them to make the necessary chemicals that they use to fight off infections. So it’s critically important that we know this time of year what our levels are, and that’s a simple blood test. The better your vitamin D level, the fewer colds and flu you get, and the duration of those flus and colds is much shorter.
Jan Jeffcoat: You’re talking about blood. You really are big about getting a blood test on this. Why?
Dr. Ryan Cole: Well, you can’t know what you don’t measure, and the lower your level is, the more susceptible you are to infections. It’s the master control of your immune system, but it also helps balance so many other things in the body as well.
Jan Jeffcoat: Can you get the same level of vitamin D from a vitamin that you eat versus the sun?
Dr. Ryan Cole: You can try to eat a lot of food. Your daily amount would be like eating eight fillets of salmon. So when the sunshine is not there, it’s necessary to supplement in the wintertime. There are light panels that are very expensive that put out the ultraviolet B light we need, but that’s generally not in most people’s budget. So taking a simple vitamin D with a fatty food, so you absorb it, is important this time of year.
Jan Jeffcoat: I think most of us assume, “I get some sun, I’m fine.” But when you talk about eight fillets of salmon, that doesn’t sound like we’re fine. Who’s most likely to be low?
Dr. Ryan Cole: If your skin tone is darker, if you carry more body fat, if you’re elderly, if you live in a northern latitude, if you’ve spent your whole summer working indoors, those are the individuals that tend to have lower vitamin D levels and especially need to supplement going into the winter to optimize their immune health.
Jan Jeffcoat: And here’s something I found interesting too. You say there’s a difference between having enough vitamin D for our bones and what may be needed for really broader health. So when we do see that number on a blood test, what should we actually be looking at and looking for?
Dr. Ryan Cole: Yeah, so the recommended daily allowance really only gets us to a level to keep your bones healthy, not to keep your immune system healthy. That’s a measurement of about 20 to 30 out of 100, which is very low normal. You really want it above 40, optimally up towards 60, where all of your receptors have enough. And we burn through it like fuel in a car tank. So just because your level looks good, you do need to recheck. Make sure you get your level up, keep your level up, and just think of it as fuel in a car tank.
Jan Jeffcoat: Vitamin D is so important for our health. What do you think about vitamin D shots?
Dr. Ryan Cole: For some people, they’re necessary, especially people with kidney disease. You’ve got to be very careful with certain patients that have absorption issues. Some people have a mutation where they just can’t get their levels up. So it’s important to personalize your health and have a good doctor that’s going to guide you.
Jan Jeffcoat: All right, before we go, give us the fall and winter game plan here. Vitamin D, sunshine, food, sleep, exercise. What are the simple things we can do right now to better support our immune systems?
Dr. Ryan Cole: Yeah, you listed a bunch of them. Don’t forget to still go outside. The sunshine’s still important for many other reasons. Move your body, eat healthy, clean, whole natural foods, get your movement. Certainly wash your hands, but another good thing this time of year is to remember to wash your nose. Some saline rinses or xylitol rinses, just to keep the microbes from sticking. And keep a positive attitude. I know winter can be dark and hard, but get out there, stay happy, and optimize your mental health as well as your physical health. It’s also important.
Jan Jeffcoat: All right. For more independent medical information, you can visit imahealth.org. Dr. Ryan Cole, always a pleasure to talk to you, sir. Thanks so much.
