RECOMMENDATION NO 4

Optimize Vitamin D Blood Level

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble prohormone that effects the expression of more than 200 genes in your body.¹ It is essential for optimal health. And yet there is a widespread vitamin D deficiency!

You can bring blood vitamin D to optimal levels² through repeated sun exposure. But sunscreens and low light in winter make that difficult. And the American Academy of Dermatology has reaffirmed that vitamin D should not be obtained from unprotected ultraviolet (UV) exposure from the sun or indoor tanning devices.

So Life Extension recommends that you supplement with 5,000 IU to 8,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily. And take a 25-hydroxyvitamin D blood test after 3 months to assess and adjust your dosage so your optimal blood levels will be between 50–80 ng/mL year-round.

Once vitamin D3 is produced in the skin or consumed in food, it’s converted in the body to a metabolically active form known as calcitriol that does far more than just regulate your body’s calcium balance.³ Vitamin D affects cell differentiation, immunity, insulin secretion, blood pressure regulation, etc.^4-47 So maintain optimal levels of blood vitamin D effectively and inexpensively by supplementing daily with 5,000 IU daily.

Life Extension customers can maintain optimal levels of blood vitamin D effectively and inexpensively by supplementing daily with a 3,000 IU softgel.

Caution: Individuals consuming more than 2,000 IU/day of vitamin D (from diet and supplements) should periodically obtain a serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D measurement. Do not exceed 10,000 IU per day unless recommended by your doctor. Vitamin D supplementation is not recommended for individuals with high blood calcium levels.