Brief Answer:
About Vitamin D

Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX

It can be difficult to get enough Vitamin D from the sun and foods so I do recommend supplementing.

The main concern is Vitamin D3 level and as you noted, yours is very low. For that, I recommend supplementing with 2,000 IU of Vitamin D3 per day. Then have your Vitamin D3 level checked again in 3-4 months.

There are a variety of forms you can get the Vitamin D3 in, such as capsules, or liquid cod liver oil where the amount of D3 is specified per volume. I take 2,000 IU in the form of a liquid drop/day via a product called Bio-D-Mulsion Forte made by Biotics. But really, any supplement with this amount of D3 will be fine.

In terms of diet, fatty fish such as salmon, herring, and sardines have higher levels of vitamin D. Still, it is hard to eat enough of it to raise your vitamin D3 levels adequately. And given how low yours is, I do recommend supplementing as described in the paragraph above.

Getting enough sun can help too. Our skin synthesizes Vitamin D3 from exposure to the sun. People with darker skin make less of it when exposed to the same amount of sun compared with lighter skin, because of more melanin (pigment in the skin) which blocks the sun getting through. This is an adaptive mechanism for people who live in very XXXXXXX places.

However, in some of the most northern countries, people often have very light colored skin, but there isn't enough sun so they are particularly at risk of Vitamin D deficiency. So in places like Scandinavia, people often supplement with daily doses of cod liver oil.

Also, indoor occupations have made Vitamin D deficiency a wide spread problem.

So - supplement daily with 2000 IU Vitamin D3, and catch some sun.

And then have your Vitamin D levels checked again in 3-4 months to see if you are on target.

I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide additional information.

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