Vitamin D – mechanism of action and whether to take supplements

Vitamin D is often mentioned in the current literature on maintaining a healthy lifestyle and its extension. Some studies recommend regularly checking its level and drinking maintenance doses, while others state that it is not clear whether this is of benefit.

In our article, we will understand what vitamin D is, how it works, what it affects, and if you have concluded that you want to take it to improve health and prolong life, then how to do it right.

A bit of history and general description

Vitamin D was discovered in 1922 and was originally regarded as a normal vitamin. However, now it is considered a provitamin, that is, it must go through several stages of biochemical transformations for activation.

The uniqueness of vitamin D lies in the fact that it enters our body not only with food but is also produced by the body when exposed to sunlight. This makes it difficult to develop recommendations for taking it as a supplement.

However, we geeks can usually discard the sun factor, such are our life habits.

The generic name vitamin D (also calciferol) includes several secosteroids of which the most important forms are D2 and D3.

We get D2 only from food, and D3 is produced when ultraviolet + gets on the skin with food. In their effect, they are the same, which can be seen in the picture above. However, research is still underway on what is more beneficial to take in the long term. While there is no definite answer, we can accept that it is not important and buy the most appropriate form of D2 or D3.

In some countries, such as the USA, Canada, and India, milk and other products fortified with vitamin D are sold. In 2016, the FDA (US State Drug Agency) approved an increase in the norms of vitamin D in milk and its replacement drinks (soy milk, etc.). ), up to 84 IU (or IU) per 100 grams of the product. This can indirectly say that the lack of vitamin D is officially recognized.

Why is vitamin D important for our health?

For life extension and a healthy brain, maintaining a normal level of vitamin D is very important, and therefore we began a series of articles about vitamins with it.

Initially, the main role of this vitamin was considered to maintain calcium and bone homeostasis. In other words, with its deficiency, rickets in children or osteoporosis in adults can develop. It was in the study of rickets that vitamin D was discovered.

For a more complete list of possible diseases from vitamin deficiency (for example, weakness, bone pain, muscle pain, etc.) and a complete study of the evidence base on it, you can look at Pubmed for a very complete systemic review with a recommendation to introduce screening in the USA + the second review is about the deficiency of this vitamin in adults.

Here we present only the points that are important to us, if you type to search for vitamin D on then in the last year alone we will get 53,000 results. In general, it is clear that if we have a deficiency of this vitamin, then it is advisable to take a better you vegan spray supplement to maintain it at a normal level.

Of course, all this information does not mean that some kind of panacea has been found and we will now live forever. But this vitamin, according to many modern studies, is quite important to maintain at normal levels for long-term health. Moreover, the price of the issue is not at all high.

More for information.

Also, books and articles often write that vitamin D prevents cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, there is a possibility that he does not prevent them, but accompanies them. 

In other words, by taking supplements and increasing their level in the blood, we will not be able to prevent these diseases. To clarify this issue, a huge placebo-controlled study was conducted in New Zealand.

It took 4 years and involved 5100 people, about half took a placebo, and others took 100,000 IU of vitamin D monthly.

Related Article: With This Essential Advice, You’ll Maximize Your Vitamins and Minerals.

According to the results of this study, it was found that it did not reduce the likelihood of these diseases. HOWEVER! The researchers themselves noted that in New Zealand, most of the people undergoing the study had a blood level of 32.8 ng/mL (placebo too), and about 75% of the US population has a level below 30 ng/mL, and about 30% below 20 ng/mL. ml. (Lifext note – and in Russia, where there is even less sun than in the USA and where milk is not enriched with vitamin D – it can be assumed that it is even lower)

Therefore, as the authors note, further research is required. (study 1, study 2)

What levels are normal and what doses to drink?

For vitamin D, we can determine our rate by taking a blood test for its content. 25(OH)D (the main metabolite of vitamin D present in the blood) is measured and levels of 30-100ng/mL are considered normal (see source)

In some books about prolonging the life and health of the brain, the following parameters are indicated that the authors recommend striving for

“The norm is between 30 and 100 ng/ml, but this does not mean that you can stop at 31. The optimal level of vitamin D is about 80 ng/ml. This is the middle of the so-called normal zone. 

Ask your physician to help you adjust your dosage to reach your optimal level. After that, 2000 IU is usually sufficient to maintain healthy levels. However, be sure to check with your doctor.” (Kristin Loberg David Perlmutter Food and brain.)

“Your level should be at least 50 ng/mL” (Ray Kurzweil, Terry Grossman Transcend: Nine Steps to Eternal Life)

Condition for choosing your dose:

• 25(OH)D < 20 ng/ml – take 5000 IU of vitamin D per day (see source)
• 21 < 25(OH)D level < 30 – 2000 IU daily
• 31 < 25(OH)D level < 80 – 1000 IU daily

IMPORTANT! If you drink a dose of more than 1000 IU per day, then the level of the vitamin must be measured once every three months.

It is quite safe to drink a dose of 1000 IU daily, while measuring the vitamin level once a year and, if it is below 30 ng/ml, then increase it according to the scheme above and take a new measurement after three months.

So, if you are too lazy to measure the level and you do not work in the sun for an hour or more a day (which, by the way, is more harmful than useful), then you can safely start drinking vitamin D at a dosage of 1000 IU (IU) per day.

In a couple of months we will come up with a full set of tests for the long life of the body and brain of a geek and where to go with them and try to get us discounts on this, but for now, you can wait or do it in any laboratory.

Purchase Recommendations

Below I provide links to the purchase of three vitamins that are recommended for everyone to drink, especially in early spring.

At the moment, you have read the full study of only vitamin D. We will gradually describe each supplement in detail, all the information is constantly in our channel, so the information below is for those who cannot wait or who have no strength after winter (I write after a friend asked to urgently send the list, as he was exhausted and said that he was sluggish).

Drink daily at breakfast or another meal, this allows less stress on your digestive system. We accept everything in 1 pc., except for fish oil – they are 2 pcs.

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• Vitamin D3 1000 IU
• If the level is measured, then one of the two options is the
• dosage of 5000 IU or 2000 IU
• Fish oil – 2 capsules with breakfast
• Vitamin C 1000 mg)

In conclusion, I want to remind you that the point is not only in supplements and vitamins but in attention to your lifestyle and the direction of a scanty part of mental strength on how we will live, for example, in 60, 80, 90 years (if we live of course). If we do not improve the way of life and all sorts of emerging nuances, then supplements will not help much.