BY STEVE BORN
INTRO: Aside from magnesium, I can’t think of any nutrient that plays more roles in human health than vitamin D. And though it’s best known as a bone health nutrient, vitamin D’s importance goes far beyond that, and its roles in supporting the immune system are at least equal to bone health in terms of importance. The words of Dr. Mourad Aribi (as well as many others) make that abundantly clear: “Not only does vitamin D3 perform many vital roles, it has been shown to possess powerful effects that can control immune function, allowing it to be utilized in immunologic interventions to keep the immune system functioning optimally.”
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Space limits listing all the roles that vitamin D plays in the body, but it’s fair to say that since nearly every bodily cell and tissue has vitamin D receptors, they all require vitamin D to function properly [1, 2]. Regarding the immune system—something we all need to focus on daily, especially now that we’re smack in the middle of the cold & flu season—vitamin D is very much a “front line defense” nutrient.
A portion of the conclusion from one piece of vitamin D/immune system research states: “Vitamin D has important functions beyond those of calcium and bone homeostasis which include modulation of the innate and adaptive immune responses. Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in autoimmune disease. Cells of the immune system are capable of synthesizing and responding to vitamin D.” [3]
Commenting on other vitamin D/immune system research [4], Dr. Richard Mellanby writes: “Low vitamin D status has long been implicated as a significant risk factor for the development of several autoimmune diseases. Our study reveals one way in which vitamin D metabolites can dramatically influence the immune system.”
Lastly, highly regarded vitamin D expert, Dr. Richard F Holick, states that vitamin D “is capable of regulating a wide variety of genes that have important functions in regulating cell growth, modulating immune function and cardiovascular health. Epidemiologic evidence and prospective studies have linked vitamin D deficiency with increased risk of many chronic diseases including autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, deadly cancers, type II diabetes, and infectious diseases.” [2]
By now, it should be clear that vitamin D is essential for basically all aspects of health, including proper immune system function. There is a wide range of how much vitamin D one needs to take on a daily basis to maintain optimal levels—a vitamin D, 25-Hydroxy blood test is the only way to know for sure—but the general consensus is 2000 IU - 4000 IU daily.
Each softgel capsule of EnDuro D supplies 2000 IU of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), generally considered more effective due to its superior absorption and close resemblance to the form produced naturally by our bodies. [5]
EnDuro D also supplies an efficacious dose of vitamin K2, another important nutrient for the immune system. [6]
Each capsule of Premium Insurance Caps contains approximately 71.5 IU of vitamin D3, so a typical four-to-six capsule daily dose will supply you with approximately 285 – 429 IU of vitamin D3.
Between EnDuro D and Premium Insurance Caps, much, if not all, of your vitamin D needs will be met. If additional amounts of vitamin D are deemed necessary via a blood test, stand-alone vitamin D3 supplements are readily available in a variety of potencies.
NOTE: Vitamin D supplements have changed from the “IU” (International Unit) measurement to “mcg” (microgram). Each IU of vitamin D is equal to 0.025 mcg, so 25 mcg of vitamin D is the same as 1,000 IU.
Don’t forget the magnesium!
To get the full value of the plentiful benefits from vitamin D, you need sufficient amounts of magnesium. This is because magnesium activates the enzymes involved in vitamin D metabolism. In one study, researchers stated that it is “essential to ensure that the recommended amount of magnesium is consumed to obtain the optimal benefits of vitamin D.” [7]
Another study [8] indicates that magnesium also optimizes vitamin D “status” in the body—increasing it in people with deficient levels and lowering it in people with too-high levels. This, researchers believe, is vitally important because people synthesize vitamin D differently; in some individuals, vitamin D levels were found to not rise even after being given high doses of the vitamin. Using magnesium in vitamin D studies and via magnesium’s “raising/lowering vitamin D levels as needed” properties, more-reliable conclusions can be achieved in research regarding conditions related to vitamin D levels.
Additionally, thanks to magnesium’s ability to balance and optimize vitamin D levels, more people will be able to enjoy the plethora of benefits that come from optimal—not too low, not too high—blood levels of this all-important vitamin. With each capsule containing 100 mg of magnesium from six outstanding forms, Essential Mg is the easy way to provide your body with this “necessary for vitamin D” mineral.
REFERENCES:
[1] Holick MF. Vitamin D: evolutionary, physiological and health perspectives. Curr Drug Targets. 2011 Jan;12(1):4-18.
[2] Holick MF. Vitamin D: a d-lightful solution for health. J Investig Med. 2011 Aug;59(6):872-80.
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/
[4] Louise Saul, Iris Mair, Alasdair Ivens, Pamela Brown, Kay Samuel, John D. M. Campbell, Daniel Y. Soong, Nadine Kamenjarin, Richard J. Mellanby. 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Restrains CD4 T Cell Priming Ability of CD11c Dendritic Cells by Upregulating Expression of CD31. Frontiers in Immunology, 2019; 10 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00600
[5] https://hammernutrition.com/blogs/endurance-library/new-product-alert-enduro-d
[6] https://www.vitafoodsinsights.com/vitamins-minerals/the-overlooked-benefits-of-vitamin-k-for-the-immune-system
[7] https://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2673882
[8] Magnesium status and supplementation influence vitamin D status and metabolism: results from a randomized trial; Qi Dai Xiangzhu Zhu JoAnn E Manson Yiqing Song Xingnan Li Adrian A Franke Rebecca B Costello Andrea Rosanoff Hui Nian Lei Fan Harvey Murff Reid M Ness Douglas L Seidner Chang Yu Martha J Shrubsole; The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 108, Issue 6, 1
December 2018, Pages 1249–1258, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy274
