What's Rhonda Patrick's guidance on Vitamin D supplementation?

Dr. Rhonda Patrick recommends a daily dose of 5000 IUs of vitamin D3. She notes that this dosage maintains her vitamin D levels at around 50 nanograms per milliliter. According to her, it is extremely difficult to develop hypercalcemia, the major concern with high levels of vitamin D3 supplementation, without ingesting several hundred thousand IUs over an extended period. The upper tolerable limit set by the Institute of Medicine is 4000 IUs, which is considered safe. However, measurement of vitamin D levels before and after supplementation is essential to adjust the dose properly, especially for those with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that affect vitamin D metabolism 1.

She emphasizes the importance of having one's vitamin D levels tested. Dr. Patrick explains, for instance, that typically, taking 1000 IUs of vitamin D will raise blood levels by around 5 nanograms per milliliter. To achieve sufficient levels, it's essential to know one's current vitamin D levels and tailor supplementation accordingly 2.

Regarding vitamin D sources, she mentions that while vitamin D2 can be found in fortified foods like milk and fatty fish contain certain levels of vitamin D, sunlight exposure is a significant natural source for producing vitamin D3 in our skin 3.

Additionally, Dr. Patrick highlights the importance of vitamin D beyond just bone health, mentioning that it is a steroid hormone, regulating gene expression, impacting more than 5% of the protein-encoding human genome, and discussing its role in aging 4 5.

She also discusses the increased need for vitamin D supplementation due to factors such as skin pigmentation and modern indoor lifestyles, noting that about 70% of the US population has inadequate vitamin D levels 6. Dr. Patrick advocates for the proactive measurement and management of vitamin D levels to promote overall health and longevity.

Dr. Rhonda Patrick emphasizes that the skin acts as an interface for creating steroid hormones like vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. She discusses the significance of exposing more of the skin's surface to the sun to increase vitamin D production. The amount of skin exposure is crucial, so being outdoors in shorts and a T-shirt, which exposes arms and legs, would provide a more effective stimulus for vitamin D creation than wearing full clothes and covering up completely. However, she also notes the importance of being safe and appropriate in the amount of skin exposed to the sun 1.

Factors such as skin pigmentation can greatly influence the ability to produce vitamin D. For example, individuals with darker skin may require more sun exposure than those with lighter skin to produce the same amount of vitamin D 2. Additionally, Dr. Patrick notes that since sunlight is a significant natural source for producing vitamin D3 in our skin, adequate sunlight exposure is essential, especially as we modernly spend most of our time indoors, which contributes to vitamin D insufficiency in a large portion of the population 3.

Dr. Patrick advises that supplementation plays a major role for maintaining adequate vitamin D levels, especially for individuals with darker skin who are not frequently outdoors, the elderly, and generally everyone considering the modern indoor lifestyle and geographical locations with less UVB radiation 2. It’s important to get enough sun exposure—without sunscreen on the areas of the skin you want to produce vitamin D—in the right conditions, taking into account the season, time of day, and your own skin's efficiency based on age and pigmentation 3.

For safe sun exposure to support vitamin D production, here are some pointers based on the conversations from the Huberman Lab:

1. Skin Exposure: It’s important to expose a good amount of your skin to sunlight to enhance vitamin D production. Shorts and a T-shirt would expose more skin than full clothes, providing a stronger stimulus for vitamin D synthesis. Keep in mind that the amount of skin you expose matters 1.

2. Avoiding Sunburn: Preventing sunburn is key, as it's not merely the amount of sun exposure but the quality of it that’s important. Sunburn can cause skin damage and increase the risk of skin cancer, like melanoma. Therefore, moderation and protection against sunburn are essential 2.

3. Sunscreen: Physical barriers such as clothing or physical barrier sunscreen (e.g., mineral-based ones) are recommended since they are unlikely to have endocrine disruption. Some chemical sunscreens might contain immune and endocrine disruptors. The controversy around certain sunscreens underscores the need for careful selection when applying sun protection 3.

   Sun Exposure Insights

   Rhonda Patrick

   Andrew Huberman

   Exposing more skin to sunlight significantly enhances the production of hormones like testosterone and estrogen. While many focus on sun exposure for circadian rhythm regulation through light, the degree of skin exposure plays a crucial role in vitamin D synthesis. Wearing less clothing, like shorts and a T-shirt, while in the sun can lead to greater health benefits compared to being fully covered.

   

   Huberman Lab

   Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Micronutrients for Health & Longevity | Huberman Lab Podcast #70

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4. Early and Late Day Exposure: Exposure to sunlight early in the day and later in the day may have benefits for mood and hormone regulation. This can also be a safer time to get sunlight for vitamin D due to the lower intensity of UV rays 4.

5. Consult Healthcare Professionals: Especially for people prone to skin cancers or certain eye conditions like retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, or glaucoma, it is crucial to consult a dermatologist or an ophthalmologist before increasing sun exposure 5.

Please remember these are general suggestions and it’s important to tailor your sun exposure based on your skin type, local UV index, time of year, and personal health profile. Always follow local health guidelines and health professionals' advice.

The discussion on the Huberman Lab about vitamin D supplementation provides some insights:

• Timing: There's not strong evidence suggesting a specific time of day is crucial for vitamin D absorption. Since vitamin D is not immediately converted into its active form in the body, the timing may not be as critical 1.

• Frequency: While specific guidance on frequency isn’t provided, Andrew Huberman mentions taking AG1, which includes vitamin D, early in the day and sometimes later in the afternoon 2. However, this does not directly address whether vitamin D itself should be spread throughout the day.

• Absorption: It’s important to take vitamin D with food, especially since it is fat-soluble, meaning it's better absorbed when taken with a meal that includes fats 3. There's also a mention of vitamins and minerals that should be taken with food to optimize absorption and avoid stomach upset, which would be relevant for vitamin D as well.

  Vitamin D Insights

  Rhonda Patrick

  Andrew Huberman

  Exploring the nuances of vitamin D supplementation, it’s noted that while many may take 1,000 to 5,000 IU daily without testing, this approach can still be reasonable for most. The conversation highlights the challenges of achieving hypercalcemia from high doses, emphasizing that significant levels require extreme intake. Additionally, the timing of vitamin D intake relative to sun exposure remains an area of ongoing research, with no definitive conclusions yet established.

  

  Huberman Lab

  Dr. Rhonda Patrick: Micronutrients for Health & Longevity | Huberman Lab Podcast #70

  Explore similar conversationsView full episode summary

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In essence, while there isn’t a specific recommendation for the time of day best for supplementing with vitamin D or if it should be spread out throughout the day, taking it with food, especially fats, can aid the absorption process. Always consult with a healthcare provider for personalized advice on supplementation.

The Huberman Lab podcast doesn't provide specific guidance on how often we should test our vitamin D levels or if that frequency changes with age. Therefore, it would be most appropriate to consult with a healthcare provider for advice tailored to individual needs. Your healthcare provider can recommend testing frequency based on your health status, age, lifestyle, geographic location (which affects sun exposure), and current vitamin D levels.

Appropriate levels of vitamin D are important for various aspects of health. Some benefits of vitamin D include supporting immune system function and potentially reducing the risk of acute respiratory tract infections. A review of 25 randomized controlled trials suggested that vitamin D supplementation could reduce the risk of such infections, although the effect was small to moderate. The review also notes that while people with low levels of vitamin D tend to get colds and flus more often, causality is not definitively established 1.

Vitamin D also plays a role in gene regulation, including immune response and inflammation. It is a pre-pro hormone that gets converted in the liver and subsequently in the kidney or inflammatory tissue, into compounds that either promote health or are excreted if not needed. Chronic inflammation can interfere with the effective metabolism of vitamin D, so addressing inflammation is important for the body to benefit from it 2.

Moreover, vitamin D regulates more than 5% of the protein-encoded human genome, which includes functions such as blood pressure regulation, bone homeostasis, and serotonin production—the latter of which is crucial for mood and brain function 3.

Vitamin D is also recognized as a steroid hormone that binds to specific receptors and influences the expression of various genes, further emphasizing its importance in overall hormonal balance and health 4.

These benefits underline the significance of maintaining sufficient vitamin D levels, which may be achieved through diet, sensible sun exposure, and supplementation as needed. However, it is advisable to consult a healthcare provider before beginning any supplementation regimen.