There is now a substantial amount of evidence to establish a critical link between vitamin D and thyroid health.
In fact, studies show lower vitamin D status is observed in individuals with hypothyroidism, and autoimmune thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and Graves disease.
In addition, low vitamin D is associated with an increased thyroid cancer risk.
D3 Is The Active Form of Vitamin D You Need To Know About
Did you know the active form of vitamin D, or D3 is now classified as a hormone rather than a vitamin?
You see D3 not only safeguards your bone health, it also plays an important role in regulating the immune system, a healthy mood, a well-functioning nervous system, and normal parathyroid gland function.
This is the reason low D3 can lead to a range of symptoms including fatigue, low motivation, cognitive impairment, muscle weakness, and a general feeling of not being well.
Here’s 5 Reasons WHY Vitamin D Gets Low
There are a number of factors that contribute to low vitamin D.
- Inadequate sunlight exposure.
Exposure to the natural sunlight is the main source of vitamin D. This means if you spend a lot of time indoors, or live in a region with very little sunshine it makes you vulnerable to developing a deficiency.
- You are getting older
With advancing age the skin has a harder time producing sufficient vitamin D.
- You are using sunscreen as part of your daily routine.
Sunscreens prevent the sun’s UV radiation from penetrating the skin and therefore may diminish production of vitamin D.
- You’re not supplementing with the best form of vitamin D.
There are two types of vitamin D available in supplements; vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). D3 is considered the supplement of choice as it’s the most effective at raising D3 levels.
- You have a thyroid disorder. It’s common for individuals with thyroid problems to have low vitamin D. This is due to three main reasons; a reduced ability to activate vitamin D from the diet, lowered intestinal absorption because of poor gut function, or hardwired genetic traits are impairing proper activity of the vitamin D receptors (VDR) in the body.
Vitamin D Is One Simple Remedy For Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
The body makes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight. As you can imagine, it’s easy to get low in this nutrient during the darker, colder months of winter.
In severe cases, low D3 is associated with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). This is a type of depression develops during the darker days of winter when there is very little sun exposure.
The most well recognized symptoms of SAD include a persistently low mood, low motivation, poor concentration, and wanting to sleep for longer than usual. If you struggle with these types of symptoms during winter you should get your vitamin D levels checked.
Are you noticing this too?
The symptoms of SAD are remarkably similar to those associated hypothyroidism.
What is The Best Way To Test D3 Levels?
The most accurate way to measure your D3 reserves is with the 25-hydroxycholecalciferol test, also known as 25(OH)D.
In Australia, blood serum levels of 25(OH)D above 50 nmol/L are considered adequate.
If you have any concerns about your vitamin D status talk to your healthcare practitioner about getting tested.
The Best Way To Get Vitamin D
The three best ways to get vitamin D are by safely exposing bare skin to sunlight, eating foods rich in this fat-soluble vitamin, and taking a good quality vitamin D supplement.
D3 supplements are considered a safe and effective way to ensure your D3 levels stay in the healthy range. It’s important to know that a D3 supplement is far more effective at raising your 25 (OH)D levels than a D2 supplement.
References
Jiying W, Guo C, et al. Meta-Analysis of the Association between Vitamin D and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease. Nutrients. 2015 Apr; 7(4): 2485–2498.
Kim D. The Role of Vitamin D in Thyroid Diseases. Int J Mol Sci. 2017;18(9):1949. Published 2017 Sep 12.
Liontiris MI, Mazokopakis EE. A concise review of Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) and the importance of iodine, selenium, vitamin D and gluten on the autoimmunity and dietary management of HT patients. Points that need more investigation. Hell J Nucl Med. 2017 Jan-Apr;20(1):51-56.
Ma J, Wu D, Li C,et al. Lower Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Level is Associated With 3 Types of Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases. Medicine (Baltimore). 2015 Sep;94(39):e1639.
Martens PJ, Gysemans C, Verstuyf A, Mathieu AC. Vitamin D’s Effect on Immune Function. Nutrients. 2020;12(5):1248. Published 2020 Apr 28.
Mele C, Caputo M, Bisceglia A, et al. Immunomodulatory Effects of Vitamin D in Thyroid Diseases. Nutrients. 2020;12(5):1444. Published 2020 May 16.
Talaei A, Ghorbani F, Asemi Z. The Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Thyroid Function in Hypothyroid Patients: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2018;22(5):584–588.
