PSA: Don’t Make This Major (And Common!) Vitamin D Mistake

Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are rampant in this country. (In fact, almost half the population of the U.S. is insufficient and almost one-third are deficient.) We know this, we’ve talked about it plenty, and we’ve written about what you can do to tackle it. Suffice it to say, vitamin D is a big topic here at mbg, as it should be!

One piece of the vitamin D puzzle that doesn’t get as much attention as it should: what mbg’s director of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, calls the yo-yo phenomenon. Sounds harmless (and maybe even a little fun), but, alas, it’s not as cute as the moniker may have you believe. Still, the yo-yo, which refers to fluctuating vitamin D levels (in and out of a sufficient state), is quite common. Here’s what you should know about why it’s a problem.

Picture this: You test your vitamin D levels at the doctor and receive a serum 25(OH)D lab result (the biomarker for your vitamin D status) of less than 30 ng/ml, which means you’re clinically insufficient. As a result, your doctor may recommend you take a D3 supplement daily (and the dose may be variable from one health care provider to another) or may prescribe 50,000 IU of vitamin D2 per week for eight to 12 weeks or so to bump you back up to the sufficient range.* Then, you get tested again, and—hooray!—your levels have zoomed above 30 ng/ml (or maybe you are just slightly above 30 ng/ml now). Your doctor sends you on your merry way, perhaps with no follow-up instructions, and you’re all set…right? 

Not so fast: “This is a widespread scenario and a surefire equation for yo-yo-ing into vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency in a matter of weeks,” notes Ferira. Without a daily maintenance regimen, it’s oh-so-easy to dip back into insufficiency—and then the whole process starts anew, like a yo-yo flinging up and down, up and down.

If you yo-yo in and out of suboptimal vitamin D status (or even swing into deficient states), you may never reach truly sufficient levels throughout your lifespan—which, in turn, has broad health implications for your bones, muscles, immunity, neurological function, cardiometabolic health, and more.* 

Take it from Ferira: “Vitamin D sufficiency doesn’t just mean you’re meeting a 25(OH)D level or cutoff,” she says. “It means your bones, muscles, immune cells, brain, heart, liver, gut, reproductive organs, and many more cells, tissues, and organs have this critical nutrient available in adequate quantities to bind to vitamin D receptors and promote calcium and phosphorus balance, bone mineralization, muscle strength, immune function, cardiometabolic health, and more.”* 

And to achieve consistently sufficient levels, again, requires daily maintenance—and daily supplementation is the best evidence-based way to ensure you have enough vitamin D every single day.* Food and sunshine don’t exactly cut it (here’s why), and prominent D experts and the latest research suggest 5,000 I.U. of D3 per day, which helps you hit an optimal 50 ng/ml level (and keep it there), is a truly effective dose.*

This is exactly why we created vitamin D3 potency+, which offers 5,000 I.U. of vitamin D3 per gelcap (sourced from sustainable organic algae) and features a built-in trio of organic, virgin oils from avocado, flaxseed, and olives (so you can take it with or without a meal).* Because, yes, healthy vitamin D status requires daily maintenance—but that doesn’t mean it has to be some giant undertaking.