Vitamin D Deficiency is Common: Start Stocking It
Food and water are the most crucial things we should be stocking, but we should also be stocking Vitamin D as well. Did you know that about 43% of the U.S. population is vitamin D deficient? Vitamin D deficiency is common, and that deficiency will only get worse when SHTF, and we don’t have adequate sources of nutrition.
Related: What to Take to People Who are Sick
In fact, getting enough vitamin D is already tough because it doesn’t come in a lot of the foods we eat. If you are vegan or lactose intolerant, you will have an even harder time keeping your vitamin D levels up. Vitamin D is crucial for your body. So, I am going to tell you why you should start stocking it today! Please remember I am not a doctor, nurse, or anyone in the medical field. It’s always a good thing to check with your medical advisor before adding any vitamins to your daily routine.
Just so you know, a lot of doctors do not request your Vitamin D levels as part of blood lab work, at least where I live here in Southern Utah. I had the same experience in Northern Utah. I have to “push” to have the test included when I go for my annual blood tests. Please remember, we are our own advocates, you must be vigilant when you have blood tests, research, and ask questions.
What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D symply is a steroid vitamin that promotes intestinal absorption as well as the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus.
Vitamin D helps to support a healthy brain, heart, teeth, and lungs! Additionally, it keeps your immune system strong and helps regulate insulin levels.
What is Vitamin D Deficiency?
With adequate exposure to sunlight, you will rarely develop a vitamin D deficiency. However, in the United States, most of us have a variety of seasons. If you live in an area where you have winter and little sunlight, you may be vitamin D deficient already.
A vitamin D deficiency means that you are not getting enough vitamin D in your body. Without enough of it, you can have some pretty serious issues.
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
My friend is having all kinds of issues from being vitamin D deficient. Here are some of the symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency:
#1 Getting Sick Often
Do you seem to catch everything? One of vitamin D’s most important roles in your body is keeping your immune system strong and healthy so you can fight off viruses and bacteria. If you are getting sick often, you may have a low vitamin D level.
#2 Fatigue, Tiredness Exhaustion
Many times fatigue is often overlooked as a symptom or sign of vitamin D deficiency. But, the truth is, that if you don’t have what your body needs, it has to improvise which can take energy away from you.
#3 Back and Bone Pain
Vitamin D improves your bodies’ ability to absorb calcium. Calcium is directly related to your bone health. If you don’t have enough vitamin D, you probably aren’t able to absorb your calcium and may be low on that as well.
#4 Depression
If you are feeling depressed, I would strongly encourage you to get your vitamin D levels checked before taking an antidepressant. In fact, many antidepressants actually deplete your vitamin D levels (see study here). So if you already have vitamin D deficiency that’s causing the depression, the vitamin D deficiency could get worse by taking antidepressants. Try vitamin D first!
#5 Slow Wound Healing
Some wounds take a while to heal, but if you are noticing a simple scrape is taking incredibly long to heal, you may be vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D increases the production of compounds that are crucial for forming new skin and wound healing.
#6 Hair Loss
My friend thought it was her shampoo, or part of the aging process. The reality was she lacked vitamin D. Excessive hair loss has been linked to a vitamin D deficiency in women.
#7 Muscle Pain
Muscle pain as well as bone pain can be caused by a number of different factors. However, before taking a pain medication, get your vitamin D levels checked. The vitamin D receptor is present in our nerve cells. The nerve cells sense pain.
If you have any of the following symptoms, I would recommend talking with your doctor about checking your vitamin D levels. Additionally, you can start taking a daily supplement.
Risks of Being Vitamin D Deficient
There are several risk factors associated with vitamin D deficiency. You could be vitamin D deficient if you have the following risk factors:
- You have darker skin.
- The Elderly have lower levels of vitamin D.
- You are overweight or obese.
- Nutrition is lacking in fish or dairy.
- You live farther from the equator where there is little sun year-round.
- Sunscreen is something you always use.
- You stay indoors often.
- You are taking certain medications that lower vitamin D levels such as antidepressants, steroids, laxatives, seizure drugs, cholesterol drugs, tuberculosis drugs, or a weight loss drug.
How Much Vitamin D Do I Need?
On the flip side, taking too much vitamin D is toxic! So, just because you may have symptoms doesn’t mean you should just take a ton of vitamin D. Vitamin D is fat soluble which means you can overdose on it. Use the table below to determine how much vitamin D is safe to take. If you are getting the recommended dose of D per day, but still feel off, see your doctor!
| People by Age | Recommended IU per day | Maximum IU per day |
| Infants 0-6 months | 400 IUs | 1,000 IUs |
| Infants 6-12 months | 400 IUs | 1,500 IUs |
| Children 1-3 | 600 IUs | 2,500 IUs |
| Children 4-8 | 600 IUs | 3,000 IUs |
| People 9-70 | 600 IUs | 4,000 IUs |
| People over 70 | 800 IUs | 4,000 IUs |
| Females 14-50 | 600 IUs | 4,000 IUs |
How to Store Vitamin D
You will want to store your vitamin D where you store all your other over the counter medications. You will want to follow these guidelines:
- Store vitamin D in a closed container.
- Keep at room temperature.
- Do not store vitamin D where it is exposed to heat or direct sunlight.
- Keep vitamin D away from moisture.
- Do not freeze.
- Do not store past expiration date.
If you are unsure how much to store, I would recommend storing the minimum amount of 600 IUs per day and have enough for the months where you get the least amount of sun exposure.
If a bottle comes with 60 servings of 600 IUs, you will want to get at least 3 or 4 bottles to last you through the sunless season.
Other Vitamin Posts to Read
In addition to this post, you may want to learn about other vitamins as well. Here are some of the posts I recommend reading:
- Why Vitamin D May Be Just What You Need
- Vitamin B12 Everything You Need to Know
- Is Vitamin C Really Good For You
Final Thoughts
When buying vitamin D supplements, please make sure you are getting Vitamin D3 NOT vitamin D2. Vitamin D2 is cheaper to produce and is what is generally found in fortified foods. However, it is not as potent as the D3! Stock up on your vitamin D because you never know when you may need it, especially since you can only store milk for so long. May God Bless this world, Linda
Copyright Images: Vitamin D Products Deposit photos_113404702_s-2019
Linda, You have been a blessing to me and my family during this hard time. I kept Recycled Gramma open on Etsy and was able to feed my grand kids. We home school, grow our food and do what we can. You are my sanity school. We have been through fires, riots, front line working family members. Thank you so much for all your ideas and encouragement. Gail
Hi Gail, I didn’t know you had an Etsy Store! I just ordered some fingerless gloves!! Squeal! I’m so excited you told me you have an Etsy store!! Yay!! Thank you for your kind words, my friend!! Hugs from Utah! Linda
The British goverment is going to issue all elderly and clinically extremely vunerable people with Vitamin D from next month.This is because of covid
Hi Susan, wow! I had not heard that!! Thank you for sharing!! Linda
Linda I take a D-3 Vitamin every day. I’ve been taking them for the last several years now. Doctor recommended. Also Co Q 10. It’s supposed to help your heart. I need all the help I can get for my kidneys.
Did you all know that some deodorants have a warning about talking to your doctor before use If you have kidney disease. Luckily, I’ve been making my own for a while now. Hubby found it on his deodorant, and then looked at some of the others we have. All said the same thing. I’m trying to let everyone know about this, as I didn’t. I will be telling all my doctors. Sorry if I’ve already said this.
Wow! Deborah!
I did not even read the label on my deodorant! and of course, it does say that on mine. I have had kidney stones before (not something I want to ever go through again) but have not had kidney disease diagnosed per se. So, I will now be looking at alternatives. Wondering, however, if it is on anti-perspirants rather than deodorants?? I’ll have to look carefully.
Leanne, I don’t know. I started making my own about 6 months or so ago. If you want, I’ll post the recipe.
Please do share your recipe for deodorant. Thanks.
I am currently wearing Dove anti-perspirant and it does say to check with your doctor if you have kidney disease. I never knew this either. Thankfully I do not have any issues with my kidneys.
Hi Deborah, wow, I learned something new today! I better go look at my deodorant! Great tip! Linda
Some sources (I think Mercola is one?) suggest taking a combination D3 and K2.
And you are SO right about so many doctors who don’t check the D levels! I had to get pretty insistent when my husband had his last blood work–when I read the doctor’s testing order I took to the lab, she had not included it. (I was pleased that his numbers showed at least an adequate level–he gets very little sun anyway, and certainly this time of year.)
Hi Rhonda, yeah, we have to be our own advocate on our blood tests! Or any health matters that’s for sure. Linda
Living in the Pacific Northwest on the west side of the Cascades, we get an average of 136 days per year of sunshine! That doesn’t bode well for D3 from the sunshine! I have been taking D3 with my calcium supplements for years. And, my doctor always includes D3 on my bloodwork, I suppose for this very reason.
HI Leanne, your doctor is the exception, you are so lucky! I live in the desert, never use sunblock, and I swim every day in the summer. I never burn. My Vitamin D was dangerously low. I’m glad I pushed for the test in my yearly blood work this year. They always check for it because I have been on prescription Vitamin D for many years. BUT, then there are times they forget. Yeah, we must make sure they check for it. Linda
Here’s two recipes for HM Deodorant
Homemade Deodorant with Shea Butter
Shea Butter Deodorant Ingredients
3 T Coconut Oil
3 T Baking Soda
2 T Shea Butter
2 T Arrowroot (optional) or organic cornstarch
Essential Oils (optional)
Shea Butter Deodorant Instructions
Melt shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler over medium heat until barely melted. UPDATE: Combine in a quart size glass mason jar with a lid instead and place this in a small saucepan of water until melted. This will save your bowl and you can just designate this jar for these type of projects and not even need to wash it out… This can also be done in the microwave if you have one.
Remove from heat and add baking soda and arrowroot (If you don’t have arrowroot, use more baking soda or just omit)
Mix well
Add essential oils and pour into a glass container for storage. It does not need to be stored in the fridge.
If you prefer, you can let it cool completely and put into an old deodorant stick for easier use, though it may melt in the summer!
NOTE: It may take several hours to completely harden and this process can be sped up by putting in the fridge for a few minutes.
If you don’t have all those ingredients around, or don’t want to wash a double boiler, this recipe is faster and easier:
Coconut Oil Homemade Deodorant Recipe
Ingredients
6 T coconut oil
1/4 cup (4 T) baking soda
1/4 cup (4 T) arrowroot or organic cornstarch
essential oils (optional)
Coconut Oil Deodorant Instructions
Mix baking soda and arrowroot together in a medium sized bowl.
Mash in coconut oil with a fork until well mixed.
Add oils if desired.
Store in small glass jar or old deodorant container for easy use.
Hi Deborah, wow, you are amazing for taking the time to share this recipe! Thank you so much, Linda
Erica, I don’t really know, but if it was me, I’d us Jojoba oil and some bees wax. But that’s just me. Or even some almond oil and bees wax. Again, just me. I’m not an expert. I just make these for myself. I did make my sis-in-law some. She said it was too soft. I put mine in a jar and use a cotton makeup pad to apply it.
Thank you for the recipes.
What is a good coconut oil substitute for the deodorant? My husband is highly allergic and I’ve having trouble finding something near the same melting point.
We are all on D3 in our household. My endocrinologist tested me many years ago and I had practically nonexistent D in my system. I take 3000 units a day and I’m happy to say I’m in the average level now. Being Norwegian, I burn, burn, burn in the sun! Just burn and peel! I also have had melanoma so I religiously stay out of sun! My daughter, for whatever reason, does not absorb D, whether it’s from the sun or from the pills. She has to get a liquid that’s something like 50,000 units per drop? I can’t remember but it’s an unusual amount. It’s alot more expensive than Costco for the pills but at least it’s available. She tells me it tastes terrible but it has, at least, brought her levels up to an acceptable level. All of us have consistently kept our levels up so we don’t test anymore but I’m confident our levels are normal. If a person has problems with the pills, try the drops from Amazon.
Robbie, I use the gel pills. Not sure how many milligrams are in it though. I’ll see. I’ll ask the phlebotomist at the doctors office if she tests for Vitamin D. That way I’ll know if I need more or not. Hubby doesn’t take them, although he should.
HI Robbie, oh good to know about the drops! I have a daughter with MS and her Vitamin D levels were extremely low. We lived in Salt Lake City, where they used to have 4 seasons, now they tow seasons, gloom and gloomy. We rarely had sunshine, that city scares me now. Pollution and dark skies almost year-round. Stay safe, Linda
We just returned from SLC last weekend. OMG, I cannot believe how crowded that place is! The traffic and the road system scares the snot outta me. My husband does all the driving…not me, no!, nuh uh! Not EVER gonna happen!
Hi Robbie, I cannot drive on the freeways in SLC anymore. It’s crazy busy and it’s too much for me. I hear you on the traffic!! Linda
Linda, I’ve heard Doctors on TV say that people with low vitamin D levels have a much worse time if they contract Co-Vid. i slacked off taking it for a while but I do now!
Hi Kay, I have to so I wanted to write about Vitamin D! I wrote it so people would be aware and ask their doctors about their levels. I take it now too! Linda
Hi Linda, I take Vitamin D3, had a rough go around with Covid 19 and a prolonged recovery. It helps recuperation from Covid. I have been on antidepressants for years, I’m a sunburn queen so I can’t be in the sun without High SPF sun block, my sister has skin cancer, I have Osteoporosis and bone pain, I take Calcium supplements, ( it maintains your teeth and decreases bone loss in you jaws) and fish has been sky high because the fleet couldn’t go out for months. The limited supply chain here (due to Covid)has even made canned fish scarce and expensive, plus most canned fish is salted, and I’m allergic to shellfish!
So I take Vitamin D3 2000 IU, the maximum advised dose, daily. Now that it’s been proven that having Covid doesn’t provide immunity, my Hubs and I both take it, praying it would keep any reinfections milder. I’ve multiple Cardiac and Respiratory risk factors so I need to be careful. Hubs got his 1st Vaccine shot (Moderna) and had a moderate reaction ( like having the flu for 3 +/- days), it happens to those who have had Covid. But now he has at least 75% protection, but his second dose may be postponed to at least 12 weeks now. The new thought is to immunize as many as possible before giving 2nd shots. Since I was assigned to the 3rd round, maybe my shot will come sooner. I’ve been in full isolation since October. I recommend highly that everyone think deeply about taking the vaccine. My experience (5 weeks in hospital, 1 week in ICU on a ventilator, lung damage, prolonged recovery and 2 heart attacks) gives me the right to say, you don’t want to get this disease! Take you Vitamin D3, eat healthy, wear a good mask when out, socially distance, wash hands frequently, and be aware of conditions around you. Sanitize your hands frequently, especially after touching anything outside your home. Keep your home as clean as you can. And think very strongly about taking the vaccine! It’s being offered free, and strongly suggested, not forced on you. It is a path to getting Covid under control!. A path to freeing ourselves from the disease and the restrictions so many chafe under!
Hi MaryAnn, wow, you have had a rough time, both you and your hubby. I’m surprised to see people going to funerals with more than 50 people and well as large wedding parties. Then they visit other people. What are they thinking?? They can do what they want but please stay away from my husband and me. I don’t get it. Maybe it’s our age. Stay well, my friend, Linda
Oh my MaryAnn! Prayers for you and your husband. I would take this vaccine, but not the other brand. (I can say it but not spell it.) LOL Moderna has been tested more than the other brand. Hubby and I also have health issues that make us more likely to get Covid. High BP for both, I’ve had skin cancer, but not melanoma. We have Gerd. He has chronic and acute pancreatitis, a bad back and he’s a smoker. =( I also have kidney disease. Plus our age doesn’t help. 69 a d 71.
Linda,as usual another great read! I seem to be OK in about all of the categories with the exception of #6… I may be very vitamin “D” deficient! Ha! Ha!
Stay safe (Bill)
Hi Bill, oh my gosh, I got the giggles after I went to see #6!! You made my day! Getting older my hair keeps getting thinner! Life is still good! Linda