VITAMIN D: 9 THINGS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW
FROM TUBERCULOSIS AND COD LIVER OIL TO IMMUNITY, D3 + K2, AND OPTIMAL LEVELS
Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin”—but that might actually be the least interesting thing about it.
Long before antibiotics, tuberculosis patients were sent to sanitariums where fresh air and sunlight were part of their treatment. Doctors didn’t fully understand why at the time, but today we know that sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D—and vitamin D plays an important role in immune function.
In this episode of *Rise Above*, Dr. Emily Wheeler shares 9 fascinating things you may not know about vitamin D and explains why your vitamin D needs are much more individualized than simply taking the same daily dose as everyone else.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:
* Why vitamin D actually behaves more like a *hormone* than a traditional vitamin
* The surprising history of *tuberculosis, sanitariums, and sunlight*
* How vitamin D interacts with the *immune system*
* Why *body fat can affect circulating vitamin D levels* and influence how much someone may need
* What your *25-hydroxy vitamin D* blood test actually tells you
* The difference between being *deficient, sufficient, and optimal*
* Why vitamin *D3 is generally preferred over D2*
* Why you’ll often see *vitamin D3 paired with K2*
* Why taking vitamin D *with dietary fat* matters
* The fascinating connection between *cod liver oil, rickets, and the discovery of vitamin D*
* Why vitamin D supplementation should be based on *your body and your labs—not someone else’s dose*
THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY?
*Test. Don’t guess.*
Two people can take the exact same dose of vitamin D and end up with very different blood levels. Sun exposure, season, skin pigmentation, body composition, absorption, diet, medications, age, and health status can all influence vitamin D status.
Vitamin D is a perfect example of why supplementation shouldn’t always be one-size-fits-all.
Your body gives us information. We just have to know how to listen to it.
*Rise Above: Women’s Health, Hormones & Functional Medicine with Dr. Emily Wheeler*
_Your symptoms aren’t random. Your body is talking. Let’s listen._