As you age your immune system needs vitamin D every day

The over-60 immune system booster

Whenever I read an article that dismisses the need for dietary supplements, there’s always one ridiculous claim that gets my goat.

These supplement debunkers say that nutritional deficiencies are rare — a thing of the past. As if deficiencies couldn’t possibly happen in our modern world.

I’m sorry, that’s just completely clueless. It’s like they’re viewing the world through Happy Goggles that filter out unpleasant realities.

Realities such as pregnant women who suffer from dangerous preeclampsia due to nutritional deficiency.

Or like older people whose memory problems can be caused by a lack of omega-3s in their diets.

Or like the more than one billion people worldwide who are vitamin D deficient.

That last one is the Big Kahuna of deficiencies because vitamin D is an invaluable multitasker. It supports heart and brain function while also fighting cancer throughout your body. And that’s just for starters.

The issue of D deficiency has come up again in a new study. Researchers measured inflammation markers and vitamin D levels in nearly 1,000 people over the age of 60. Those who were D deficient were more likely to show signs of inflammation, which is linked to heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and other dangerous chronic conditions.

Now, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that vitamin D is closely tied to immune function. But it serves as a great reminder that a low vitamin D level is a warning that the immune system is in trouble.

This study didn’t determine if supplements would drive down the inflammation markers. But we’ve seen other studies where vitamin D3 supplements boost D levels with positive health results. So I think we can be confident that D3 will help solve inflammation problems too.

Safe to say, if you don’t get daily exposure to sunlight on as much of your skin as modesty allows, then a D3 supplement is necessary to make sure your levels stay high.

Dr. Wright recommends 5,000 IU of D per day. (You can read more details at this link.) And don’t let anyone tell you that’s too high. You’ll get twice that amount in less than half an hour of full sunlight exposure.

Also remember that your body best utilizes vitamin D when vitamin K2 is present. You need about 200 mcg per day of K2, which you’re probably already getting if you eat plenty of leafy greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus.

Sources:

Vitamin D Deficiency May Compromise Immune Function: (newswise.com)